Organizational Capacity Strengthening is about the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, process and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive and serve its targeted beneficiaries in their localities. The Horn International relief and development Organization (HIRDO) capacity strengthening is has been a participatory process, which seek to improve ability to accomplish its mission and takes into account the quality of the organizational performance, achievement of concrete results over time and the responsible use of scarce resources.

The SHAPE project is more than improving technical skills, reviewing and developing new strategies or revising a mission statement and is also an in-depth 2-year programme of support to HAI Partners to strengthen their capacity to determine, influence and deliver humanitarian preparedness and response by engaging in strengthening at both the structural and programmatic levels. It is a process of Capacity strengthening using an internal change process facilitated by HAI but led by the individual organization.

SHAPE framework and the tools have been adopted by HAI for its capacity strengthening initiative around the locally led inclusive humanitarian actions. The process is ‘partner led’ in terms of speed and direction within agreed parameters. Each journey is bespoke to the individual human and financial resources to maintain program sustainability with great focus on delivering successful strategies to empower the organization to better perform internally and towards the population they serve. Review of strategic plan, review of HR Policy and financial systems are some three key areas where the capacity strengthening has made progress throughout the project period but there may be an opportunity for local partners to work together on certain elements of the process, thus maximizing impact whilst providing opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and support

HIRDO is currently implementing nine months capacity strengthening project with the support of Help Age International. The project is supporting HIRDO in terms of developing effective and well-managed internal control systems that make best use of the human and financial resources to maintain program sustainability with great focus on delivering successful strategies to empower the organization to better perform internally and towards the population they serve. Review of strategic plan, review of HR Policy and financial systems are some three key areas where the capacity strengthening has made progress throughout the project period.

Before the start of the project, HAI trained six senior management staff on Strategic Humanitarian Assessment for Participatory Empowerment (SHAPE) to given the team a better understanding of localization initiatives of the SHAPE program and its implementation. Apart from HAI has provided on-line courses platforms where our staff members can access and undertake trainings such as Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), Humanitarian Inclusivity Standards (HIS), Sphere Standards, and the older people and disability inclusion resources as well as other crucial on-courses that are both basics and advanced.