Accelerating institutional development[ : volume I]

private voluntary organizations (PVO"s) in fostering and strengthening the development of local, host country PVO"s is assessed in this study, which is based on a survey of 12 U.S. PVO"s and 28 Third World affiliates or field organizations. The study found that the U.S. PVO"s had made a large and successful investment in training local affiliate personnel, but more needs to be done to help affiliates put in place the management and information systems needed for informed decisionmaking. As part of a growing trend to emphasize financial autonomy for local affiliates from the beginning of the institutional development process, significant efforts have been made by PVO"s to provide technical assistance in resource mobilization, with the result that even institutions long dependent on A.I.D. or parent PVO support have become largely self-supporting. Accelerating institutional development, it is argued, finally depends on rethinking short- and long-term goals. Through technical assistance in resource mobilization, the period of time local affiliates are financially dependent on PVO support can be shortened, while the period PVO"s provide training and technical assistance should be thought of as a cost-effective way of protecting the initial investment and so should continue indefinitely.