CAPT4PE is an evidence-based system for assessing and enhancing institutional capacity to respond to climate change through adaptation and mitigation efforts. It provides a framework with five levels of increasing capacity and nine pathways for improvement. A CAPT4PE analysis identifies specific activities and priorities to strengthen capacity in a progressive way. The framework has been applied successfully in many cities, industries, and countries to develop targeted strategies and plans.

1. CAPT4PE: Capacity Transformation for Performance Excellence
CAPT4PE underpinsourapproachtoassessingthe frameworkinDenmark.
CAPT4PE isan evidence-basedsystemforcapacitydevelopment whichhasbeenusedinmanycities
and municipalitiesinEurope, bymajordevelopmentagenciesoutside Europe and bygovernments.
CAPT4PE underpinnedthe UK’sfirstreviewof adaptive capacitywithinthe ClimateChange Risk
Assessment,2012 and it has also beenusedinmajorindustries,e.g.inwater,in construction andby
a Fortune 50 company.In 2010, the internationallyrespectedUKClimate ImCAPT4PEsProgramme
(UKCIP) reviewedorganisational frameworksforadaptationavailable worldwide.Itplaced CAPT4PE
firstoverall,notingthat‘the UKis fortunate tohave workof thisqualityavailable onitsdoorstep’.
Rootedintheoryand supportedbyevidence inpractice, CAPT4PEwasdeveloped toassess and
enhance institutionalcapacitytodeliverthe change programmesnecessary foreffective responsesto
climate change, (whetherassessedthroughthe climate adaptationorclimate mitigationfilteror
both).A CAPT4PE analysispinpointswhereresources,policiesoraction-planningcouldbestbe
focussed.CAPT4PEreportsinclude adetailedbreakdownof leadingorlaggingactivity toprovide a
rich picture signallingwherebestpractice exists andwhere remedialchange isapriority.
Much recentresearchshowsthat veryfew organisations,orsystemsof organisations, have enough
capacityto respondadequatelytothe many challengesof climate change.Thiscapacity-deficit
resultsinmissedopportunitiesandcostlymistakes: e.g.buildingsandinfrastructure ill adaptedto
climate impacts;energychoiceswhichlock-inhigheremissions.CAPT4PEwasdevelopedto close
these capacity gapsso that interventionpointswhere change ispossible become realisable
opportunities.
The CAPT4PE framework iscalibratedforbothmitigationandadaptation.Ithastwodimensions:
A. Five ‘response levels’of increasingcapacity,eachwithdifferentneedsfromthe ‘framework’:
i. ‘Core businessfocused’– extremelylow capacity,notactingandnot intendingtoact
on climate issues.Needastimulustoact – whenrelevanttodoso.
ii. ‘Stakeholderresponsive’–beginningaction,orconsideringbeginning,butwithno
grasp of the issuesorof how to respondto them.Needmuchguidance andsupport
throughearlyaction.
iii. ‘Efficientmanagement’– beginninganorganisedresponse,incorporatingclimate
issuesintobusinessasusual,butnotin a transformative way.Focusisoncurrent
extreme weather,notfuture climate change.Need standardsandspecifications,best
practice programmes,trainingsupport,etc.
iv. ‘Breakthrough projects’– findingnew andsometimestransformative waysto
respondtothe challengesposedby future climatechange.Needsupportfor
experimentationandanaudience forthe richlearningfromtheirexperiences.
v. ‘Strategic resilience’–leadingsystem-wide change (e.g.inanindustryora nation),
developingpoliciesforresilience tolongertermclimate change andco-ordinating
activitysoas to meetthe needsof actors at lowerlevels.
A 2012-13 surveyshowedthat76% of 196 Europeancitieswere atthe firsttwo levels,
about15% at level iii,andasmall proportionathigherlevels.Thesefiguresalmost
certainlyoverstate capacity incities acrossEurope.

2. B. Nine ‘pathways’forimprovement:
o Three ‘strategic’pathways(‘Awareness,‘Agency’ –i.e.the ‘businesscase’,and
‘Leadership’).
o Three ‘developmental’pathways(‘Agentsof change, ‘Workingtogether’and
‘Learning’).
o Three ‘operational’pathways(‘Managingoperations’,‘Programme Scope and
Coherence’and‘Expertise’)
A setof 5 or 6 activities (e.g.‘publish aclimate policy’,‘defineorganisationalresponsibilities’,‘carry
out training’) hasbeenidentifiedforeach‘pathway’ateach‘response level’.Assessmentof capacity
isundertakenbyidentifyingwhichactivitiesare beingundertakenandwhichare not.Change takes
place by identifying‘laggingpathways’andfillingthe gapssoas to provide afirmfoundationtobegin
activitiesatthe nextlevel.Thisensuresthatchange isachievable butcarriedoutina progressive and
aspirational way(if the challengesfacedbythe organisationrequirehighlevels).
Full CAPT4PEanalysisgives visual‘maps’of capacityasshownfor 21 Europeancitiesreviewedin
2012:
The lowestcitieshave verydifferentneedsfromthe (two) highestcitiesonthischart. The priorityfor
actionwouldtypicallybe the lowestscoringpathway,whichactsasthe ‘brake’onchange.
Developmentof the national orregional orindustryadaptationframework andothernational level
policyinterventions,plusactionplansforspecificcities,clearly benefitfromthistype of information.