Building Quote by Andy Hargreaves
“Capacity building originally meant helping people to help themselves. Now it means required training to deliver imposed policies.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "Learning to Change", 2002
Original capacity building empowered self‑reliance; now it often serves top‑down mandates, reducing genuine empowerment.
In simple terms: Help people help themselves, not just follow orders.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize authentic empowerment.
Themes
education
policy
empowerment
capacity building
agency
Mood
analytical
concerned
Type
critical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- nonprofit work
- government programs
- community development
- NGO training
Key Concepts
social change theory
institutional critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we restore self‑help focus?
- What indicators show genuine capacity building?
A Different Perspective
Top‑down approaches can stifle local initiative.
![“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a…” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a4/mark-dever-3175_blood_t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-bu_3297.jpg)
