: LIFE STAGE & CAPACITY ASSESSMENT

: LIFE STAGE & CAPACITY ASSESSMENT Each student will conduct a "life stage and capacity audit" of an operatin" rel="nofollow">ing nonprofit organization and prepare a written summary of the fin" rel="nofollow">indin" rel="nofollow">ings. That is, students will gather, analyze, and report in" rel="nofollow">information about the organization’s stage of development and organizational capacity for an operatin" rel="nofollow">ing nonprofit organization with an annual operatin" rel="nofollow">ing budget greater than $300,000. Information will be gathered by in" rel="nofollow">interviewin" rel="nofollow">ing the Executive Director or one or more other senior executives of the organization and examin" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing reports, publications, and other relevant documents from the organization so that the assessment documents can be completed and a summary report provided. Followin" rel="nofollow">ing completion of the assessment tools, students will identify and discuss in" rel="nofollow">in the written paper the stage of development of the organization and its key capacity subsystems and offer suggestions that the organization might implement to help it develop its capacity for its next generation of service. Project Objectives:  Strengthen understandin" rel="nofollow">ing of the organizational capacity and life stages development concepts and implications of this course through their application to an actual nonprofit organization case.  Communicate about organization leadership and management concepts in" rel="nofollow">in a clear, succin" rel="nofollow">inct, and accurate manner. Assessment Workbook Students will be ratin" rel="nofollow">ing their organization on two primary dimensions: organizational life stage and organizational capacity. The first part of the in" rel="nofollow">instrument focuses on a variety of capacity elements. These have been grouped in" rel="nofollow">into ten types of capacity: Mission, Vision, Strategy and Plannin" rel="nofollow">ing; Program Design and Evaluation; Human Resources; CEO/Senior Management Team Leadership; Information Technology; Fin" rel="nofollow">inancial Management and Fin" rel="nofollow">inancial Systems; Fund Development; Board Leadership; Legal Affairs; and Marketin" rel="nofollow">ing, Communications, and External Relations. Ten worksheets – one for each category of capacity – located under the Assessment Workbook section of D2L, comprise the first part of the assessment in" rel="nofollow">instrument. For each capacity element, identify the level of development that best describes the agency’s current situation. Write the appropriate ratin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in the space at the right end of the relevant row. There is space at the end of each section to make any other comments that you wish to make about that category. Students may fin" rel="nofollow">ind that, for some categories, their organization’s situation will not fully match any of the descriptions. In these places, please choose the closest ratin" rel="nofollow">ing and note the complications in" rel="nofollow">in the comments section of the worksheet. The second part of the assessment in" rel="nofollow">instrument, also located under the Assessment Workbook section of D2L, applies the life stages concepts that Stevens has written about and which we have discussed in" rel="nofollow">in class. The forms in" rel="nofollow">in the assessment packet provide the basis for your group to assess the stage of development of the five specific capacity categories, and then to complete the overall summary document to explain" rel="nofollow">in which stage of overall development best describes your agency’s current level of development (and its associated capacity challenges). The completed Assessment Workbook accounts for 30% of this assignment’s grade. Audit Summary Each student will prepare a 1,250 to 2,000 word written document (approximately 5-8 pages) to accompany the completed assessment in" rel="nofollow">instrument. The document will in" rel="nofollow">include:  An overview of the agency and its size, geographic scope and mission,  A summary and explanation of the agency’s stage of development and your basis for this assessment (based, of course, on the assessment worksheets that have been completed), and  Suggestions and recommendations for the areas of capacity that the agency would be well-advised to develop over the next few years, and the basis and rationale for these recommendations. (These recommendations should not simply restate the results of the capacity assessment – the purpose is to recommend where it would make the most sense to in" rel="nofollow">invest resources in" rel="nofollow">in capacity development in" rel="nofollow">in the near future, and this might in" rel="nofollow">include either or both of enhancin" rel="nofollow">ing capacity elements that currently are strong and shorin" rel="nofollow">ing up certain" rel="nofollow">in others that are weak and must be in" rel="nofollow">increased.) The Audit Summary accounts for 70% of this assignment and will be evaluated based on:  The quality of content, in" rel="nofollow">includin" rel="nofollow">ing accuracy, thoughtfulness, comprehensiveness, creativity, the development of logical and appropriate conclusions, and relevant and well-reasoned recommendations.  The quality of writin" rel="nofollow">ing, in" rel="nofollow">includin" rel="nofollow">ing organization and presentation of in" rel="nofollow">information, clarity of expression, clean and professional presentation and appearance, and appropriate grammar and punctuation. The completed Assessment Workbook and Audit Summary are due by the date in" rel="nofollow">indicated on the course syllabus and schedule, and should be submitted via D2L in" rel="nofollow">in the designated dropbox. This assignment accounts for 25% of your fin" rel="nofollow">inal course grade.