Capacity building is a process by which individuals, groups, institutions, organizations and societies enhance their abilities to identify and meet development challenges in a sustainable manner (CIDA 1996).

It entails the creation of an enabling environment with appropriate policy and legal framework, institutional development, including community participation, human resources development, and strengthening of managerial systems.

Feedback Ventures' Capacity Building Division (CBD) combines its wide-ranging experience in infrastructure and expertise in community engagement and HR consulting to offer customized solutions to improve the capabilities of people, processes, and institutions for infrastructure development in rural and urban environments.

This implies building the capacities of people and institutions in ways such as:

Capacity for Performance that includes designing and facilitating implementation of appropriate organization structures, systems, processes, and perceptions which enhance an organisation’s capacity for performance.

Capacity for Governance that implies the institution of processes that can ensure participation, transparency, responsiveness, equity, effectiveness, and accountability.

Capacity for Transformation that comprises assessment of the existing structures and processes from customers’ perspective and the development of an action plan for transformation.

Capacity for Partnership that comprises development of capacities for partnership with both internal and external communities.


Capacity Building Division is organized around three vectors:

• R&R — Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) refers to the entire process of identifying, developing, and implementing R&R schemes for people affected by projects where their land or house or livelihood is being taken away. CBD’s focus is not merely on advising about optimal R&R plans but also on implementation. Implementing consulting assignments for R&R is about adopting participatory approach towards developing R&R plans to achieve a win-win situation for concerned stakeholders in the process of development, keeping the legislative framework, policies and laws in perspective. In case of large Greenfield projects, use of participatory techniques for R&R ensures smoother land acquisition with minimal negative publicity in the process.
  
  
• Water & Sanitation (Rural & Urban) — CBD has been actively working in the Rural and Urban water supply and sanitation sectors. The Division has provided consultancy services to a number of state governments to help them enhance their understanding of sector performance and identify key challenges impacting performance. Ensuring sustainable sanitation solutions in rural areas through the use of Community-Led Total Sanitation approach has been CBD’s flagship product over the last couple of years. Much of CBD’s work in this space has been supported by the World Bank and WSP-SA. CBD is also working closely with MPUSP and DFID for promoting health and hygiene in the urban slums of Madhya Pradesh.
  
  
• Urban Reforms — Over the years, CBD has built a significant knowledge of the Indian urban sector. Having developed Reform Action Plans and City Development Plans for several cities of the country and on account of having worked closely with various ULBs across the country, CBD has developed an in-depth knowledge of the institutional framework and arrangements across Central, State, City, Town, Block, and Village levels. CBD also has strong capabilities in the areas of research and analysis including policy review.