What is institutional development?
Organisations often face rapid and increasingly complex social change for which there is no immediate appropriate response. The delicate interplay between the government, the market and civil society is in constant change. That pressure creates new challenges, particularly for the 'social sectors', which are seeking to develop a convincing response to increasingly critical questions about their accountability, transparency, governance and operation. This demands a high level of alertness and capacity from all stakeholders, individuals and groups.

Why do organisations request the services of South Research?
Organisations understand that they need to review their way of working but find it difficult to cope with the new challenges. Organisations need to adopt a more strategic stance within the sector in which they are active. Reflect together with like-minded organisations on ways of increasing their influence on policy. Developing strategic networks and forming alliances.

South Research develops and improves systems that support and guide organisations through their institutional development and strategic positioning.

What does South Research have to offer?
South Research supports organisations - both organisations and (sub) sectors - in their process of reflection on their current and future role in society, taking into account the complexity of relationships between organisations and between organisations, the sector and society.

South Research supports sector analyses, the development of sectoral policy, the setting up of new co-ordinating structures and capacity building at the sectoral level. We also offer training in networking and advocacy and promote innovative Rights Based Approaches.

Conditions for success
The legitimacy, representative nature and the mandate of the client coupled with the acceptance of South Research as a neutral, expert guide are important initial conditions for a successful process of institutional development. Change often occurs through a series of short steps in a transparent process of negotiation. Institutional development takes a lot of time and energy, which results in considerable advantages, which only become apparent as time goes by.