NGO support toolkit (English) 

Technical support

Technical support aims to improve the capabilities and capacities of organisations to fulfil their missions. It helps NGOs mount the most effective response to the challenges of HIV/AIDS by helping them understand -

• effective methods and approaches (in prevention, care, etc.)
• how to apply these methods in the local context
• how to use their resources most efficiently.

Effective technical support increases the skills, knowledge and understanding of the individual people involved, and helps the organisation as a whole develop the right structures and systems to manage its core activities and special projects effectively and efficiently.

There are different ways that a NGO/CBO support provider (NSP) can develop the capacity to provide technical support. While some NSPs develop in-house resources to provide the support directly, others build local capacity with third parties such as training organisations and well established NGOs. Building local capacity is a way to develop more sustainable, cost-effective and accessible sources of support for implementing NGOs and CBOs, although this can take more time and investment to begin with.

Additionally, NSPs may sometimes indirectly support implementing NGOs by offering technical assistance to facilitate, develop or scale up the work of:

• networks of NGOs and CBOs;
• existing technical support organisations which may or may not already work with local NGOs;
• specific government, professional or commercial organisations which have a significant impact on NGOs (for example by facilitating their cooperation or coordination with NGOs).

Most NSPs use a combination of different mechanisms to deliver technical support and these are discussed further in this section. Each have their strengths and weaknesses and the challenge is to combine these in a way that meets the changing needs of the partner NGOs and CBOs.

Most NGO support programmes address three key areas of technical assistance:

• HIV/AIDS methods and approaches
• organisational development
• project management

A coherent and systematic technical support programme should be able to provide support in all of these areas, using a variety of mechanisms, according to the needs of the implementing NGOs and CBOs. The starting point for developing such a programme should be to assess the capacity building needs of partners. An analysis of capacities may have been included in the initial strategic planning at a national or regional level. This may have identified local technical support needs, as well as the existing capacity of intermediary technical support organisations. see also Capacity analysis

Individual capacity analyses of specific partner NGOs and CBOs may have been conducted as part of the process of partner and project selection. The reports and documentation from this process should contribute to planning the programme of technical support to be provided. See also Capacity and credibility assessment.

Effective technical support depends on the full involvement of the beneficiary organisation. The best way of achieving this is through joint planning of tailored technical support provision that fits into the NSP’s overall technical support plan. Ideally there should be a technical support plan describing the jointly agreed aims and objectives of the technical support, as well as the combination and sequence of technical support mechanisms to be used and themes to be covered.

This should result in specific technical support workplans and budgets with clear and measurable targets. The budget should cover the full range of costs to be incurred by the partner NGOs as well as the NSP itself. The process of providing technical support to partner organisations is a cyclical one. It involves assessment of capacity and technical support needs, design and delivery of the support, monitoring and evaluation of the support given, followed where necessary by redesign and adaptation. During a programming cycle there are a number of opportunities for NSPs, together with their partners, to identify the partner’s technical support needs. For example, this may be during participatory community assessments, other trainings, periodical reporting, and the review and replanning process.

Issues to consider

• Some NGOs and CBOs may need to be persuaded of the value of certain kinds of organisational support (e.g. financial control systems, organisational fundraising, leadership and staff participation) which may seem less urgent than support for particular programmes of work. Testimonials and case studies from other NGOs that have benefited can help.
• Support activities for technical and organisational strengthening can be designed to be complementary and reinforcing. E.g. technical support for a care and support programme can be complemented by developing M&E systems for the programme, and developing internal policies for staff with HIV/AIDS.
• Individual NGOs and CBOs will sometimes have technical support needs in common with other local NGOs, but sometimes very different ones specific to their own particular organisation, capacity and experience. It is important therefore not to impose a one-size-fits-all technical support programme.
• There is an argument for providing a lot of technical support early on during the programme cycle. This will help to enhance the quality of an NGO’s work by ensuring that the organisation has the skills and knowledge to implement the project well. However, there is a limit to how much an organisation can absorb at any one time.
• It is important not to overload the NGO or CBO with so much technical support that it interferes with the implementation of their work.
• Where capacity to provide technical support doesn’t exist locally, this can be developed by teaming up international consultants with local experts. The process will benefit from the local knowledge and perspective but will also develop indigenous understanding and expertise.
• Some areas of technical expertise have often been developed locally through other development sectors, which can be applied to running HIV/AIDS projects (e.g. organisational and programme management). Similarly, technical issues crucial to HIV/AIDS work (e.g. human rights, community involvement, etc.) can overlap with fields related to health work and social care. However, it is important to recognise that HIV/AIDS work can also be very different. For example, the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is generally recognised to be worse than for most other health conditions: general health experts may not necessarily understand the many ways in which the need to address this stigma affects the technical support agenda.
• Often, the organisations that most need technical support are least able to recognise it, or to identify what they need and in some cases there will be different and competing views within an organisation. NSPs should be sensitive to this and may need to play a proactive role in identifying areas for capacity building, especially during the early stages of an organisation’s development, or when an NGO is in transition between stages of development.
• Often the most effective form of technical support is informal mentoring. By establishing a trusting relationship, the NSP will be able to respond to genuine issues and concerns as and when they are experienced by their partners.

Related themes

Capacity analysis

Capacity and credibility assessment

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