Capacity Development Package Overview

Learning Package on Capacity
Development
A joint LenCD – Train4Dev initiative

LenCD
The Learning Network on Capacity Development www.lencd.org

Aim: to promote and facilitate sharing of lessons and learning
on CD and promote changes for better practice at the global,
regional and local levels

An informal and open network of individuals and organisations
sharing a common interest in improving CD practice

Many agencies involved in different ways, UNDP holds as a
project for management of funds

www.LenCD.org & www.train4dev.net

Train4Dev
The Joint Donors' Competence Development Network (Train4Dev)
www.train4dev.net

Objective: to promote improved aid effectiveness for poverty reduction through
enhanced donor co-operation in the field of competence development and
training

An open forum for donor agencies and multilateral organizations. Participating
representatives are senior officials from training departments, technical
departments or policy departments

Operates by means of an annual meeting and Expert Groups working on priority
themes or areas identified and endorsed by the annual meeting – e.g. public
financial management, CD


Rationale for the Learning Package

Many, especially at A freely available
country and sector virtual
level, are struggling The package is resource, designed
Current thinking is to understand what intended to to help country
that CD is central to this means for respond to the and sector level
the aid them within the need for practical practitioners
effectiveness changing paradigm learning expand their
agenda. However… articulated in the opportunities knowledge and
Paris Declaration about CD skills for
and Accra Agenda facilitating
for Action sustainable CD


Collaborative co-creation
Workshop at the LenCD General Assembly in Kigali in February

Package outline on the LenCD website (end March)

Detailed working draft (end May)
Workshop to review content and progress at Train4Dev annual meeting (1
June)
First phase content ready for field testing (end June)

Piloting use in Nairobi, Phnom Penh and Bad Honnef (August and September)

Revisions and review of first phase achievements (October)

Joint Learning Journey started by GIZ in Bad Honnef (November to May)


Links to and builds on …
• Training and Beyond: Seeking better
practices for capacity development
Which documents the changing paradigm in
CD and what is emerging as a consensus about
good practice
Jenny Pearson (2011) OEDC Development Co-operation Working Papers, No.
1, OECD Publishing
http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/training-and-beyond-seeking-bette
r-practices-for-capacity-development_5kgf1nsnj8tf-en;jsessionid=4ld21rkgpd5
gq.delta


The limits of training and learning
Results based
management

At the
simpler/lower
levels of systems
and their capacity
needs RBM
approaches can
be helpful. The
relevance and
usefulness of
RBM decreases
as the complexity
of the system
increases.

Complexity


Learning Package overview/sitemap

Core concept The importance of context

Capacity
development

How to … pages Trainer/facilitator’s guide


Core concept section
Synthesis and overview: levels, types of capacity and
themes for application

Capacity: definitions and discussion

CD: definitions and discussion including

• Where has it come from?
• The relevance of culture and context

Towards a shared understanding

• Main current challenges: clarification of roles and responsibilities;
results; supply vs. demand driven processes; and, starting with existing
capacities


- Core concept: Levels
Levels are defined in various ways, including the following:
Individual Organisational Sectoral Institutional* Global

• This is the only • Some • Many • This is the • Currently
level that is agencies, e.g. agencies, e.g. level of agencies
common to all UNDP, call this the Swiss laws, policies concerned
the different the Agency for and systems with climate
definitions of institutional Development • This level change
levels. level and exists consider it
• Competencies, • Some include Cooperation sub-nationally essential to
skills, linkages, (SDC) have , nationally, re work at global
knowledge and networks, this level gionally and level because
the abilities to partnerships • Some include globally of the complex
use them, and sectors at linkages, • This is often inter-
attitudes, values this level networks and called the connection of
and culture can partnerships enabling many
all be at this level environment environmental
considered factors at the
elements of an global level
individual’s
overall capacity.

* Institutional means the legal, policy and environmental context. This is sometimes also referred to as the enabling environment.


- Core concept: Types
Technical – hard – tangible

Systems and procedures: management,
Laws, policies and strategies (enabling
planning, finance, human resources, M&E, The ability to mobilise resources
conditions)
PCM, etc.

Technical skills, explicit knowledge and
Organisational structures methodologies (also called competencies
at the individual level)

Note: tangible resources like money, buildings, equipment and documentation can be
considered as the material expression or product of capacity, but they are not
capacity in and of themselves.


Social - soft - intangible

Ability to analyse and Ability and willingness to
adapt. Change readiness learn and self-reflect. Tacit Leadership
and change management knowledge and experience

Relational skills:
Confidence, empowerment
negotiation, teamwork, Political relationships and
, participation and
conflict resolution, functioning
legitimacy to act
facilitation, etc.

Intercultural Organisational culture and
communication values


- Core concept: Themes for application
Examples of themes for application according to need
are:
• Human capacity; human resource development; leadership
• Fragile states (this is also considered to be a context)

Examples of themes as drivers of change are:

• Democratic governance; accountability and transparency; citizen
participation; ownership
• Institutional arrangements; systems and procedures; incentive
structures; managing for capacity development results;
organisational structures and interrelationships
• Knowledge and knowledge management


Examples of themes used to create CD frameworks

Ethiopian Civil Service Reform Programme:

• human capacity
• systems and procedures
• organisational structures and interrelationships

Rwandan Public Sector Capacity Building Secretariat:

• capacity creation
• capacity utilization
• capacity retention
• each of which is applied at individual, organisational and
institutional levels


UNDP:

• accountability
• institutional arrangements
• knowledge
• leadership

NEPAD Capacity Development Strategic Framework:

• leadership transformation
• citizen transformation
• knowledge and evidence based innovation
• utilizing African potential, skills and resources
• developing capacity of capacity developers
• integrated planning and implementation for results


Definitions of capacity

The availability of
That emergent resources and the
Capacity is the ability of combination of individual efficiency and
people, organisations and competencies, collective effectiveness with which
society as a whole to capabilities, assets and societies deploy these
manage their affairs relationships that enables resources to identify and
successfully. OECD a human system to create pursue their development
value. ECDPM goals on a sustainable
basis. WBI

Capacity or “the ability to get
things done” goes beyond
formal qualifications and
technical skills development to
include the cultivation of
The ability [of an organization]
intangible or “soft” attributes
to function as a resilient,
such as the ability to drive
strategic and autonomous
change and to build processes,
entity. CDRA (NGO)
organizations, and institutions
which can deliver public
services over the long term.
President Paul Kagame of
Rwanda:

- CD section
Definitions

Where has it come from?
• The origins of capacity development
• The Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action
The relevance of culture and context

Reflection questions

References for further reading


Definitions of capacity and capacity
development
Many of the leading aid and development institutes have
come to their own definition of capacity and capacity
development
However, the OECD definitions have been adopted by many
other agencies, for example EuropaAid, GIZ and ADB
• Capacity is the ability of people, organisations and society as a whole to
manage their affairs successfully.
• Capacity development is the processes whereby people, organisations and
society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity
over time.

Other definitions of capacity development

WBI: A locally driven process of learning
CIDA: The activities, approaches, by leaders, coalitions and other agents
strategies, and methodologies which of change that brings about changes in
help organizations, groups and sociopolitical, policy-related, and
individuals to improve their organizational factors to enhance local
performance, generate development ownership for and the effectiveness and
benefits and achieve their objectives. efficiency of efforts to achieve a
development goal.

USAID: Approaches, strategies, or
methodologies used by USAID and its ECDPM: The process of enhancing,
stakeholders to change, transform, and improving and unleashing capacity; it is
improve performance at the a form of change which focuses on
individual, organizational, sector, or improvements.
broader system level.

Where has it come from?
• Capacity development builds on several previous approaches to aid and
development. These are the building blocks of the current paradigm.

PRACTICES STARTED ASSUMPTIONS

Institution building: to create the institutions needed to Developing
manage the flow of aid 1950s and 60s countries
need money
Institutional strengthening/development: Shift from
establishing to strengthening institutions 1960s and 70s

Development management/administration: Systems of public Developing
programs and capacity of government to reach target groups 1970s countries
should just
Human resource development: Shift to thinking that model
development is about people with focus on education, health 1970s, 80s themselves
and population. after the
New institutionalism: Focus on shaping national economic developed
behaviour. Set the scene for the emergence of the ones
1980s, 90s
‘governance’ focus that is now prominent

Capacity development has been emerging as a central approach within
development for more than two decades, alongside continuing emphasis
on aid, technical cooperation and technical assistance.

The result is a development paradigm that is very complex, with many
different – sometimes conflicting – components, agenda and priorities.

The Accra Agenda for Action clearly set out the need for national
ownership and leadership together with increasing emphasis on
approaches such as South-South capacity development cooperation.

The new approach is still emerging because it takes time to change
attitudes and behaviour, and for new practices and experience to inform
policy, practice and theory.

The relevance of culture and context
In general terms a
country’s culture is Culture can be very influential in terms of the
the beliefs, norms achievement of development goals.
and practices of its
society, including
religious and
traditional beliefs, An example is the belief in some cultures that it is more
and they vary a great
deal from one important to educate boys than girls.
country to another.

Context describes
the combination of Context changes constantly, for example through the
factors in a place or election of a new political party, new legislation, or the
situation at any given
time including: loss of important trade with a neighbouring country.
political and
institutional Sometimes the context can change very quickly, as in
systems, regional
relationships, econo several Asian countries in a matter of hours following the
mic and physical tsunami of 26th December 2004.
factors.

Culture and context define the
relevance and limits of any type of
capacity development intervention.

Both are significant for scale up and
transfer of good practice.

Approaches to CD
Growing recognition that CD calls for multiple approaches, depending on type of need

For soft skills
• Coaching and mentoring
For technical knowledge and • Communication techniques
skills • Experiential learning
• Academic study programmes • Exposure to good practice
• Blended learning • Leadership development
• Didactic or participatory training
• Distance learning For organisation and system
• E-learning level needs
• Knowledge management
• Organisational strengthening
• Partnerships and networks


TOWARDS A SHARED
UNDERSTANDING

Why is agreement needed?

The challenges now are how to operationalise what is known to be good
practice in order to achieve sustainable capacity and development results.

There is a big need for a shared language and understanding, underpinned
by some shared principles and values, of what capacity development is, why
it is needed, and how to approach it.

The point is not to try to make everyone think and work in exactly the same
way: it is about having everyone operate within the same general framework
so that we can be more effective in finding solutions relevant to each culture
and context.

What is agreement needed about?

Capacity development as a locally driven process

Start from and build on existing capacities

Shift from supply to demand driven initiatives

Defining and measuring results

Capacity development as a locally driven process

Local ownership is a prerequisite for sustainable capacity
development.

Donors are external actors, with a role to support the process of
achieving local defined objectives and tasks.

Ownership implies true and realistic commitment from the
partner countries as well as flexibility from the donor’s side to
follow local leadership.

More transparency is needed for joint accountability to
achieving capacity development results.

Start from and build on existing
capacities

This is about the recognition of existing capacities and how to
use them as the basis for moving forward.

The shift to starting with an appreciation of what already exists
and how to build on endogenous processes is not yet complete
– too often the focus is on the ‘gap’ which can be a very
negative starting point for action.

All actors can do a lot to make this shift by changing the way
they approach capacity assessments and the formulation of
capacity goals and assessments before designing interventions.

Shift from supply to demand driven
initiatives
The Accra Agenda for Action recognised that the ownership and
commitment of the partner countries is a prerequisite for
sustainable capacity development.

This means that local actors need to learn how best to define
what capacity they need, how they think it can be developed in
their culture and context, and how to negotiate and manage
appropriate support from development partners.

This also involves shifting towards longer term, programmatic
approaches linked to locally formulated capacity development
strategies.

Defining and measuring results
While development results are relatively easy to define, there are many
different ideas about how to define and measure capacity results within
specific contexts.

Capacity development is a long-term process tied to political
agenda, without a predictable, linear path. Contexts like large urban systems
or post-conflict countries are multi-dimensional, multi-level and
multi-sectoral and require responses of similar complexity.

In such circumstances the overall expected results can only be defined in
broad terms and formats that do not always fit easily to current demands for
measurement of results.

The challenge is not so much about ‘what’ do we want to achieve, as about
‘how’ do we measure the effectiveness of our efforts to achieve it in ways
that are meaningful for all stakeholders, not just donors.

The importance of context

• Resource listings on:
– Definitions, frameworks and theories
– General CD resources
– Internal agency learning resources
– Useful CD websites
– Useful books
– Other useful websites

‘How to …’ pages, for practical ideas
• Map and influence • Establish partnerships and
stakeholders to get started networks for scale up
• Define and map a change • Formulate capacity goals and
process objectives
• Work with incentives to • Formulate capacity indicators
stimulate change for different contexts and
• Assess change readiness, levels
including analysis of the • Measure capacity outcomes
political economy and results for different levels
• Assess existing capacity and and contexts
capacity needs • Develop M&E processes to
• Design the overall CD foster learning
approach and an evolving mix
of ‘best fit’ methods and tools

All available on the LenCD website, under the learning package section

Example: How to map stakeholders to get started

• What are the capacity issues you need to work on?
• Who are the other stakeholders with an interest?
• How - which methods, tools or approaches will be most effective?

• Gives a worked example of a provincial department where individuals have
capacity but can’t use it because of party political power struggles in senior
management. The CD intervention needed is NOT technical skills.


Trainer-facilitator’s guide
• Not a training manual
• Guidance notes on how to use the
resources
• Sample workshop plans
• Sample exercises and reflection-learning
questions

Capacity Development Package Overview

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