Introduction to Capacity Assessment Tool (CAT)

South Sudanese National organization’s institutional capacity is an item that has been debated in various discussions and has given rise to multiple capacity building initiatives among both National and international actors in South Sudan. Through the periphery of opinions on National NGO capacity in South Sudan, it remains clear that the description of capacity as it relates to National NGOs differs on several levels to the perceptions nurtured by international agencies however what remains firmly unchallenged is the fact that levels of institutional capacity among National NGOs in South Sudan vary tremendously from one agency to another.

This wouldn’t be possible without the priceless contributions of; Henry Simon Taban, Susan Purdin, Lucia Goldsmith, Bente Brandt, Elizabeth Akinyi, Anneli Kastberg, Awadia Ogillo, Lorna Merekaje, Lizy Tichareva and Hafeez Wani.

May your contribution to capacity development in South Sudan inspire more around the world and serve as a proof that immeasurable difference can be made by a single act of voluntarism and good will.

This tool was informed by various capacity assessment tools such as PACT's MER-OCAT Tool, Sudan Evangelical Mission Self Assessment tool, GRECO Peer Review tool, CARE International Basic Education Fellowship (Participation capacity Assessment tool), Episcopal Church of Sudan Diocese of Kajo-keji organisation capacity building tool, Hargeisa - Somaliland - Capacity building Caucus - LNGOs Assessment Tool and Concern South Sudan Capacity Assessment Tool.

In order to produce a thorough and high quality tool, it was agreed by the NNGO capacity development working group that the tool should be tested through organisational capacity Assessments conducted on selected National NGOs. Therefore the CAT was tested with the help of four National NGOs who volunteered to test the tool to help identify it's gaps and improve on it. The four organisatons who volunteered were, The Health Support Organisation (THESO), South Sudan Grassroots Initiatives for Development (SSGID), South Sudan Older People's Organisaion (SSOPO), Catholic Radio Network (CRN). The testing exercise established a number of findings categorised into strengths and weaknesses of the tool and user guide and a number of changes were made to improve on them including transforming the tool into a web based platform based on open web application development frame works and databases.

On behalf of the National NGO Group, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this tool possible.