CAP Mechanism > Leader with Associate Awards

Capable Partners Program (CAP)

The Capable Partners Program, funded by USAID, works to strengthen the organizational and technical capacities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), intermediary support organizations (ISOs) and NGO networks across technical sectors.

CAP provides technical assistance, training and grants management to USAID Missions and operating units to enhance their NGO programs. Competitively awarded by USAID/Washington, no additional competition is needed to execute an Associate Award under CAP. 

Programmatic Objectives:

• Strengthening operational and technical capacity of local NGOs, networks and ISOs;
• Strengthening linkages among local organizations (NGOs, networks, governments and businesses);
• Increasing capacity of NGOs, networks and ISOs to engage in advocacy for key policies or programs; and 
• Disseminating tested innovations, best practices and lessons learned.

Access:

Leader (ODP funded): CAP core-funded activities include two 18-month training series, one in advocacy and the other in monitoring and evaluation (M&E); a series of technical papers on working effectively with NGOs; NGO and network institutional strengthening; grants to support the development of NGO networks; an interactive, electronic Web portal, NGOConnect.NET; and research and publications, including case studies of NGO networks and organizational assessments and strengthening tools.

Associate (Mission or USAID/W designed and funded): CAP will accept Associate Awards from Missions and USAID/Washington in support of specific objectives. CAP will determine that the scopes of all Mission and operating unit requests meet the Leader scope and will issue concurrences prior to the Missions’ and operating units’ executing cooperative agreements under CAP. CAP has received funded requests for PEPFAR small grants and institutional strengthening, anti-trafficking, NGO organizational and technical strengthening, advocacy skills building, and NGO-government partnerships.

CAP Highlights:

From February 2004 to September 2009, CAP accomplished the following:

• Trained 36,145 individuals on organizational development and technical topics
• Provided Technical Assistance to 9,649 NGOs, CSOs, FBOs and networks
• Served 474,293 beneficiaries in PEPFAR and anti-trafficking programs
• Generated Associate Awards totaling $179,430,323

CAP Associate Awards:

• USAID/CFBCI—Capacity Building for Faith-Based Organizations
• USAID/DCHA—Conflict-Sensitive Monitoring and Evaluation Program (12 Countries)
• USAID/Ghana—Ghana Advocacy Skills Building and Institutional Strengthening for Networks
• USAID/Global Health—New Partners Initiative Technical Assistance Program (13 Countries)
• USAID/Kenya—Small Grants and Institutional Strengthening Programs I and II
• USAID/Liberia—Liberia NGO Assistance Program
• USAID/Mexico—Mexico Trafficking in Persons Shelter Project 
• USAID/Mozambique—Strengthening Leading Mozambican NGOs and Networks Program         
• USAID/South Africa—Maternal Nutrition and Infant and Young Child Feeding in the Context of PMTCT Program
• USAID/Southern Africa—Botswana CSO Strengthening Program   
• USAID/Sudan—Sudan Advocacy Skills Building and Institutional Strengthening for Networks
• USAID/West Africa—Chad Peace Support and Capacity Development Project
• USAID/Zambia—Zambia Local Partners Capacity Building Program

Partners:

• Academy for Educational Development (AED, prime);
• Management Systems International (MSI);
• Advocacy Institute;
• Aga Khan Foundation;
• U.S.A., American Red Cross;
• Citizens Development Corps;
• Freedom from Hunger;
• Goodwill Industries International;
• Huairou Commission;
• Institute of Multi-Track Diplomacy;
• International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL);
• Kenan Institute;
• Mercy Corps;
• National Cooperative Business Association;
• ORT International Cooperation;
• Social Impact.
  

Contacts: