During this NECE Campus online workshop, Maxim Smekhov and Linnéa Mühlenkamp from Commit by MitOst and horizontal school introduced the Toolbox for Citizens, a versatile capacity-building toolkit aimed at empowering organisations, initiatives, and groups to navigate their internal processes through complex and uncertain times effectively. This interactive toolkit offers various methods and resources for teams to address real capacity-building needs, reshape strategies, and enhance collaborative impact. Participants learned how the Toolbox can be customised to suit their specific requirements, with a focus on practical, hands-on sessions. By identifying strengths and weaknesses, teams can prioritise areas for improvement, prepare for workshops, and facilitate meaningful discussions.

Through a Miro Board, participants were introduced to an interactive DIY Toolkit designed to help teams and organisations develop practices and structures effectively. The toolkit, tailored for teams of 3 to 15 people, guides users through the process of exploring their needs, implementing workshops, and addressing specific problems. It offers various tools, including Theme Cards representing different themes, Path Cards for one-day workshops, Method Cards explaining methods step by step, Worksheets for recording results, Background Papers for conceptual information, a Path Canvas for documenting findings and agreements, and a Facilitator’s Guide with tips and recommendations for facilitation. The Toolkit takes teams through phases like Orientation, Groundwork, Summit, and Outlook, ultimately leading to an Action Plan. It offers a flexible and comprehensive approach to team development while highlighting the importance of knowing when to seek external support.

The Toolbox, which has already made a significant impact by empowering over 100 locally-rooted civil society organisations, remains available online, ensuring that organisations can continue their learning journey and enhance their capacity-building efforts.

Access the Toolbox here: https://civilsocietytoolbox.org 

Alive Toolbox story here https://www.instagram.com/toolsforcitizens

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