The report explores the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations’ (CEMVO) integrated approach to capacity building, a model combining business and sector-specific approaches.

It reflects on whether such methods were equally relevant to the full range of voluntary and community groups, particularly those without a public service remit.

The report explores the extent to which the programme adopted a strategic approach likely to achieve sustainability and how far central support added value to local capacity-building initiatives.

Changes in funding opportunities for the voluntary sector in the 1990s led to an increasingly competitive market, complex tendering processes and more rigorous reporting procedures.

If black and minority ethnic (BME) organisations were going to flourish within this new environment, they would need to adopt business-like approaches and become more outward looking.

This study reports on a programme designed to better position BME organisations to benefit from these new policies and funding opportunities, and to enable them to achieve long-term sustainability.

The research adopted an evaluation methodology incorporating a range of data sources and research methods including literature and document review, face to face and email interviews and postal questionnaires.

The study finds that the rigid requirements imposed by the funding regime ran counter to the flexible approach needed within the sector, and suggests how those designing, funding and implementing capacity-building programmes might make changes.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation
publications@jrf.org.uk

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//2006

Charities Evaluation Services - Jean Ellis and Shehnaaz Latif

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Capacity building