CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NGOs WORKING FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Dear All

ABSTRACT

Sustainability is the need of the hour for the persons and organization in general and significantly working for the empowerment of the persons with disabilities. The process of empowerment of the persons with disabilities with sustainable development works on long term basis with multi-sectoral approach. Towards this, it is necessary to create an inclusive and barrier free environment at all levels around the persons with disabilities with better access & participation. This certainly requires enhancing capacities of the service organizations matching to the challenges and needs of the people and thus putting them in the mainstream as a productive member like their normal counter parts. The enhanced capacities of the service organizations help to mobilize the required resources covering Machinery, Manpower and Money (M³).

Capacity Building is the art to enhance the skills of the individuals as well of the organizations covering the areas of: technical, managerial, infrastructural and financial. The process of networking with government, professionals, funding agencies, others service providers and other stakeholders, training for the professionals both for technical as well as in managerial skills, sharing information at forums & associations, seminars, workshops etc., use of e-technology & e-governance, use of technology like MIS (Management Information System) & GIS (Geographical Information System), formulation and implementation of policies & guidelines with better transparency & accountability, better participation of the stakeholders at all levels, use of micro credit & micro-finance etc., on regular basis are the significant ways in enhancing the capacities of the service organizations.

Based on the environment and people for whom it is working, organizations capacities were enhanced by way of networking with the stakeholders of the disability sector for: resource mobilization, professionals, services, skills & training, reaching the un-reached and production & marketing of the products. This also helped to get the support for infrastructural development, projects, training etc., and thus widened the service spectrum in terms of both quantitatively and qualitatively. Better access for micro credit and micro-finance helped to improve the financial resources with sustainable development for long term standing in the service sector to reach the un-reached with better service delivery system matching to their challenges and needs. Linkages with the poverty alleviation programs resulted for the mainstreaming with better participation as the member of the community.

Capacity Building is the essential process for people as well for the service providers for better living with sustainable development. Thanks to the technology and the use of e-governance at all levels connects the stakeholders dynamically to reach its targets effectively with better transparency and accountability. In view of the present government policy of tapering the funding support in the period of 5 – 10 years, service providers need to enhance their capacities in mobilizing the resources from all other sources including the international funding agencies for achieving the self sustainability and thus working for the independent living of the targeted people by making them as the productive member of the community in the main stream.

Looking forward

PS: Paper presented at the International Seminar