Post on 25-Dec-2015
Capacity Development: Policy and Applications
Dafina Gercheva
14 February 2008Senec, Slovakia
Supply Driven Demand Driven
Input-based Outcome-based(Transformative)
HD/MD/MDG Goals
From Technical Assistance to a Capacity Development Approach: Human Capabilities
Facilitating access to knowledge
Capacity DevelopmentTechnical
Assistance
Facilitating multi-stake-holder engagementParticipatory
policy dialogue & advocacy
Creating space for learning by doing
Facilitating coaching and mentoring
UNDP Definitions Related to Capacity
Capacity: ability of individuals, organizations, and
societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set
and achieve objectives in a sustainable manner.
Capacity Development: The process through which
individuals, organizations and societies obtain,
strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and
achieve their own development objectives over time
CD on the UN agenda
• CD emphasis in TCPR resolutions and Paris Declaration
• UN Reform – CD as a common UNCT platform for advocacy and action
• CD as core contribution in UN Agency, Funds and Programmes Strategic Plans
• CD criteria in UNDAF and CCA guidelines
CD in the Strategic Plan
Basic prerequisites of the Strategic Plan: • National leadership and ownership of development interventions
Positioning of Capacity Development:
• Treats capacity development as the “overarching contribution” of UNDP
Calls for a more rigorous and systematic approach to capacity development to enhance UNDP assistance to the efforts of programme countries to achieve the MDGs.
Strategic Plan de-emphasizes:
• Infrastructure without capacity building• Stand-alone procurement of goods & services
Basic Premises underlying CD approach
• CD is about endogenous transformations based on national priorities, policies and results
• CD is about the power and politics of who makes the development decisions – national ownership
• A systematic 3 tier approach to CD is more than training & the use of national expertise
• The spotlight is on the ‘How’: CD is sector, institution and location neutral and is about processes of change that works across them
Basic Premises underlying CD approach
• It involves trade-offs between shorter-term externally driven results and more sustainable locally driven ones
• To be effective it demands a link to education reform, wage reform and civil service reform
• It emphasizes the use of national systems, plans and expertise. It questions stand alone PIU
• It demands adaptation to local reality, reflecting specific capacity requirements of the sector or organization
Enabling environment(policies, legislation,
power relations, social norms)
Enabling environment(policies, legislation,
power relations, social norms)
Individual level(experience, knowledge
& technical skills
Organisational level(systems, procedures
& rules, institutional framework)
Successful capacity development requires not only skills & organizational procedures, but also incentives & democratic
governance
Deepening effective and accountable state-citizen engagement
A Systems Approach: Three Layers of Capacity Development
What Have We Learnt?
• Capacity assessments provide a systematic starting point for a) dialogue and negotiation, and b) for defining and designing more robust CD responses
• Individual skills building is easy win. Organisational and societal capacity change happens incrementally
• Letting go is the hard part. Need to focus on incentives and disincentives (external and internal)
• It emphasizes gradual transferring of capacities and diminishing presence of development partners on the ground
Step 2: Formulate CD
Strategies
Step 3:Implement CD
Strategies
Step 1:Assess
Capacity Assets and
Needs
Step 4:Evaluate CD Strategies
Capacity Development
Process
UNDP Capacity Development Process
Core CD Strategies that work across sector/theme applications, adapted locally:
• Institutional Reform and Incentives: process facilitation for change management, functional reviews, salary reform, project management and procurement capacities
• Leadership Capacities: negotiation & visioning skills, coaching and mentoring for ethics and values, advocacy and media campaigns
• Education, Training and Learning: diversity of training methods, tertiary education curricula & investments, vocational education, on-the-job skills
• Accountability and Voice Mechanisms: peer review mechanisms, citizen watch, M&E, stakeholder feedback, public information campaigns
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
Knowledge Services and LearningKnowledge Services and Learning
KosovoKosovo Capacity Building Fund-Flexible and strategic Capacity Building Fund-Flexible and strategic instrument to support the PISG in implementing the instrument to support the PISG in implementing the “Standards for Kosovo” through:“Standards for Kosovo” through:
• Leadership and change management CDLeadership and change management CD• Hands on learning and mentoring to senior and Hands on learning and mentoring to senior and
mid-level civil servants mid-level civil servants in central and local in central and local governmentgovernment
• On-the-job coaching and advisory servicesOn-the-job coaching and advisory services• Transfer know-how, modern management Transfer know-how, modern management
techniques and technical expertise of the techniques and technical expertise of the DiasporaDiaspora
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
Knowledge Services and LearningKnowledge Services and Learning
MontenegroMontenegro CD Program delivers a wide range of CD Program delivers a wide range of technical assistance, knowledge transfer and “soft” CD technical assistance, knowledge transfer and “soft” CD services:services:
• Coaching; mentoring and team buildingCoaching; mentoring and team building
• Facilitation of the overall transfer of know-how, Facilitation of the overall transfer of know-how, learning and the integration of advice and other learning and the integration of advice and other assistance outputs into ministries operations assistance outputs into ministries operations
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
Incentive SystemsIncentive Systems
GeorgiaGeorgia::
• salary supplements schemesalary supplements scheme• civil service reformcivil service reform• Tbilisi municipality- new conditions of service and Tbilisi municipality- new conditions of service and
management style, merit-based recruitment of staff and management style, merit-based recruitment of staff and incentive systemsincentive systems
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
Leadership DevelopmentLeadership Development
• Fostering good leadership maximizes and protects Fostering good leadership maximizes and protects
investments in people and institutions, fosters investments in people and institutions, fosters ownership and generates commitment.ownership and generates commitment.
• Leadership development is an important response to Leadership development is an important response to capacity challengescapacity challenges
• Central AsiaCentral Asia leadership development program leadership development program
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
Mutual AccountabilityMutual Accountability
TurkeyTurkeyMillennium Local WatchMillennium Local WatchCivil society monitoring of the MDG progressCivil society monitoring of the MDG progress
TajikistanTajikistan ““Citizen report card”Citizen report card”assessment of citizens satisfaction with regard to assessment of citizens satisfaction with regard to
municipal public service delivery, e.g. education, health municipal public service delivery, e.g. education, health services, electrification, water and sanitationservices, electrification, water and sanitation
CD Strategies into Programme Actions
CD Thematic areas in the region
• Strengthening accountable and responsive governing institutions– To design, deliver and oversee effective
economic and social policies that promote HD and implement human rights, gender equality and anti-corruption standards
– To plan, budget and manage public services that meet citizens’ expectations and needs
– To effectively manage development aid and absorb foreign and domestic resources
CD Thematic areas in the region
• Fostering inclusive participation– Strengthening civic engagement through
establishing mutual accountability and voice mechanisms
– Promoting access to justice for all– E-governance– Facilitating access to information and
networks– Supporting independent media
Implementation Challenges
• Linking capacity response strategies to public policy, PAR, wage reform and education reform
• Including and costing CA & CD responses within
sector plans and institutional budgets
• Avoiding stand-alone PIUs and generic training regimes
Implementation Challenges
• Addressing the ‘distortions’ - brain gain/retention, competing conditionalities, parallel systems, no exit strategies, different accountability and transparency standards, salary supplement schemes…
• Developing internal capacities to support and monitor CD strategies
UNDP Offer of CD Support: CD Service Areas
• Advocate and Advice on CD Policy
• Assess Capacity Assets and Needs
• Formulate and Cost CD Response Strategies
• Support CD Programme Implementation
• Monitor and Evaluate CD Strategies and Results
Refer Supporting CD: The UNDP Approach, March 2007
www.capacity.undp.org
• UNDP CA methodologies, adapted to needs
• Global & regional experts trained in CA/CD support
• CD Practice Notes and Action Briefs with analysis of evidence
• CD indicators for monitoring and evaluation
• CD learning workshops and modules
• Global and regional partnerships and networks