Assessment of capacity building needs of NGOs in Lebanon
The “NGO Capacity Building Needs Assessment” on which this document reports, was executed by the NGO Resource and Support Unit, which acts within the Capacity Building for Poverty Reduction Project ‐ a joint project between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) ‐ in partnership with The Canadian Fund for Social Development (CFSD) OXFAM‐Québec, and financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The assessment was implemented between November 2008 and March 2009. The assessment fits into the CFSD’s mission and objectives with respect to:
Creating opportunities for Lebanese civil society actors to enable them to take on a leadership role;
Financing and managing small projects, conceived and implemented by Lebanese NGOs and, Reinforcing the work carried out by NGOs through its capacity building program.
It also falls within the NGO Resource and Support Unit’s objective of “strengthening the capacities of NGOs to effectively improve their contribution to the development process in Lebanon”. This assessment builds on existing knowledge and previous projects by the NGO Resource and Support Unit, including:
The results of an NGO survey implemented by CDR in cooperation with MoSA in 2005, which includes data on around 3500 active Lebanese NGOs.
A recent database of active NGOs in Lebanon being assembled by Lebanon Support in cooperation with the Unit.
The findings and recommendations in this document aim to provide the needed knowledge and information for drawing up and designing capacity building plans and training activities that better respond to the NGOs needs and requirements and that would contribute to increasing the capacities and broadening the knowledge of NGOs and civil society organizations to bettercontribute to promoting social development in the country. It is hoped to also serve as a useful source of information to improve coordination in the provision of services to NGOs in the country.