A Strategy for Building Capacity to Adapt: Using a Capitals-Based Capacity Assessment Approach with Community Groups in Indus Delta, Pakistan

This report presents outcomes of the use of a community group capacity assessment tool that involves a self-assessment questionnaire. The tool uses a capital-based approach to help groups identify their capacity strengths and needs. The discussion
created during use of the tool and from subsequent presentation of analysed results is intended to support the groups develop strategies that can build on their strengths and address areas where they would like to make improvements. The process places emphasis on exploring aspects related to “social capital”, that is bonding,
bridging and organisational attributes of the community groups, but are also supported by two other capital types, i.e. “human capital” and “physical and financial capital”.
The modification and application of the tool was undertaken in rural Pakistan as part of "Adapting to Salinity in the Southern Indus Basin", a CSU-led ACIAR funded project.
arch 2021. Our purpose was to check applicability of the strengths and needs assessment approach to the Pakistan rural community context and to see if it had any beneficial impacts for the collaborating community groups. While the ASSIB
project collaborated with several “bright spot” communities across Pakistan (i.e. communities living in salinity-affected areas that had the ingredients and potential to take their own initiatives to adapt productively to their salinity), the only community with established community groups was the Tippun Dublo community near Keti
Bandar in the Indus Delta. The ASSIB team thus worked through IUCN, the partner organisation that had established relationships with Tippun Dublo, to administer the tool with the community groups based there.

Eight community groups completed the survey in 2021. In general, the groups were found to have high levels of bonding, bridging and human capitals; moderate levels of organisational capital; and low levels of physical and financial capital.
Reports on the survey results were prepared in detailed and descriptive form for researchers and development practitioners, which then formed the basis for the visuals supplemented with brief text that were used to communicate the results for participating community groups. A report back process was run and completed in
June 2022. Through this process, the participating groups were able to validate the results as presented to them, which they then used to plan efforts to build on their strengths and address their needs.

A subsequent informal assessment two years after these discussions took place revealed positive indications that the groups were able to make efforts that improved their bridging and organisational capitals.

The process used to apply the survey tool demonstrated feasibility, validity, reliability, effectiveness and usefulness of the approach. It was conducted with a small number of community groups. To find underlying trends and patterns in rural progression through this approach, we recommend its wider application across a
broader range of locations and involving different types of community groups. Not only will the results be useful for the participating groups, but they will also generate a wealth of knowledge that could be beneficially usedby a wider range of stakeholders