Concept Note to Build a Participatory Learning System

Abstract

Support organisations have a history of more than two decades in the country. Some of the already existing organisations, either implementing organisations or those, which are in a funding role, started playing support functions. On the other hand, a group of support organisations emerged, specifically to play support functions, primarily as capacity building organisations or as networking and policy and advocacy groups. Being the meso layer in the development scenario, as a critical link between the macro international organisations and micro community groups, their identity could not get well defined as that of either funding or implementing organisations. The area of capacity building is so qualitative and process-oriented, that the impact of the capacity building is not easily measured, as opposed to those in a fund support role or in a direct implementation role. Moreover, their interventions being of a supportive nature raise many questions about the cost-effectiveness and efficiency. The challenge to measure the impact of support organisations is growing, for several external demands. Moreover, there is an increasing realisation within the support organisations, to quantify and qualify their value-additions provided to their constituencies and the impact of their services at the grassroots.