Praxis Paper 5. Capacity Building: Perspectives from the NGO Sector in Spain

This is the second Praxis Paper in the contextual capacity building studies series which aims to complement existing literature by depicting how the notion of capacity building is understood and applied in practice to strengthen civil society organisations (CSOs) in different cultures and contexts. These studies situate capacity building in the local context, by exploring the evolution of the CSO sector and its relationship with other actors in the surrounding environment, and examining local capacity building terminology, the perceived purpose of capacity building, and the methodology, as well as the emergence of central capacity building themes in the local context, are analysed, current capacity building needs and activities taking place are identified, and future challenges discussed.

The extent to which capacity building is prioritised locally differs from one context to the next, and this has led to variations in the quantity and quality of available data. We hope that this initiative will inspire practitioners to contribute to Praxis learning about capacity building in different cultures and contexts.