Organisational Development Assessment Guide

 This guide helps NGOs assess their organisational development (OD) capabilities and identify areas for improvement in relation to their strategic goals. It covers 13 capabilities, including strategic clarity, governance, organisational management and culture, leadership development, finance, human resources, fundraising, communications, monitoring and evaluation, programme management, legal compliance, information technology, and partnerships. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is integrated across relevant capabilities.

For each capability, the guide provides descriptions of four performance levels, helping organisations reflect on their current practices, systems and capacity. It encourages honest self-assessment rather than expecting organisations to achieve the highest level across every area. The aim is to identify capabilities that most need strengthening to support the organisation’s strategic direction and current stage of growth.

It is designed to support a participatory assessment led by the executive director, with input from relevant staff, board members and current funders. It can be used alongside How to Build an Organisational Development Plan to translate assessment findings into a manageable set of improvement priorities. As organisational needs evolve, the assessment can be revisited to review progress and inform future planning.