Strengthening Organizational Capacity in Botswana

As part of Local Capacity Strengthening (LCS) activities in a PEPFAR-funded project focused on OVC and DREAMS in Botswana, Global Communities provides technical support in a few prioritized areas, including CLA. In 2021 and 2022, Global Communities worked with one local partner, Stepping Stones International (SSI), to strengthen their capacity in CLA. Through targeted technical assistance including utilizing the USAID CLA Maturity Assessment Tool to assess SSI's maturity; help in the development of an organizational learning agenda; development of guidance to recruit for CLA positions and embed CLA into M&E plans; and, execution of a facilitated peer exchange, Global Communities successfully strengthened SSI's capacity in CLA and has empowered them to lead their own CLA journey. This story is significant as it highlights the importance and potential of CLA as part of broader LCS activities/initiatives. By strengthening a local partner's capacity in CLA, USAID and current USAID implementing partners organizations have the opportunity to not only increase the odds that local partners will be able to secure their own development funding but also that they will be able to better use data, evidence and learning to improve their implementation, thereby directly benefiting the individuals and communities they serve.