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There is little agreement on what constitutes organisational capacity but consensus that it is a multidimensional concept

• Despite diverging definitions, our research found that 'organisational capacity' is a multidimensional concept with culture and communications as core determinants. Culture and communication are linked to six dimensions of capacity: leadership, strategy, structure/governance, skills, human capital, and accountability. The relative importance of these dimensions varies depending on the mission and maturity of an organisation.

Culture and communication permeate all areas of organisational capacity and support capacity building

• Capacity building without a supportive organisational culture and effective communication is unlikely to achieve organisational performance objectives, and even less likely to enable the organisation to achieve transformational change. Organisational capacity building generally involves a change process, be it implementation of a policy change (such as Brexit), restructuring or modernisation. To be successful, these processes require effective communication and a culture that is attuned to the aims, values and functions of the organisation

A diagnostic tool can help in understanding the capacity needs of an organisation and establishing a baseline for assessment

• Our report lays the foundations for a diagnostic tool that centres on culture and communication and presents questions linked to the associated dimensions of capacity. Follow-on research should be conducted to understand how each dimension fits with an organisation's overall mission and level of maturity. This work could enable leaders to draw on wider judgements on organisational capacity deficits, future capacity needs, and crucially, the presence of a culture that supports capacity building.