Capacity Building: The Heart of VISTA

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Capacity Building: The Heart of VISTA

By the end of this session, you will be able to: Recognize the role VISTA members play

as capacity builders to address poverty Recognize the long-term scope of capacity

building and community empowerment activities

Articulate specific VISTA activities that address poverty, build capacity, and empower the community

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Capacity Building

Definition:Tasks and activities to create, expand, or strengthen an organization’s systems or processes.

Capacity building allows the organization and the community to sustain the VISTA’s project activities once the project period has ended.

Information gained by the VISTA member during his/her term of service is passed along to other people in an organization in a deliberately designed way.

Deliverables created by the VISTA member during his/her term of service are passed along to other people in an organization in a deliberately designed way.

Professional contacts developed by the VISTA member during his/her term of service are passed along to other people in an organization in a deliberately designed way.

Capacity Building Concepts

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Transfer of Knowledge

Transfer of Products

Transfer of Relationships

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Capacity Building Game Answer Key

Direct Service

2,3,6,7,10,11,14,15,18,19,20,23,24,28,29

Capacity Building

1,4,5,8,9,12,13,16,17,21,22,25,26,27,30

Direct Service Definition

Provides immediate solutions to help people in need. These can include activities like tutoring, performing manual labor, teaching, doing clerical work, or counseling.

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When Is Direct Service Appropriate?

1) A brief period of direct service is necessary to understand the service elements of the sponsoring organization

2) Direct service is incidental to the time and effort in carrying out the primary responsibilities of the member assignment

3) Direct service is necessary to train direct-service providers

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Habitat Scenario

A VISTA member has been placed at a new Habitat for Humanity chapter.

The Habitat chapter has a very small staff and has been fortunate to get a VISTA to help build volunteer programs.

What capacity building activities might the VISTA do?

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The AmeriCorps VISTA Impact App

Assists VISTAs with tracking field data

Data aligns with performance measures

Use is optional

vistacampus.org/impactapp

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Performance Measures Key Points

• Performance measures focuses us on the purpose or outcomes of a particular project. They let CNCS, and your State Office, know if your project is on track.

• Outputs are the amount of service provided.

• Outcomes reflect the changes or benefits that occur.