Module 21: Capacity Development

21.3. What is capacity development?

“Capacity development is the process by which individuals, groups, organisations, institutions and societies increase their abilities to:

1) perform core functions, solve problems, define and achieve objectives; and

2) understand and deal with their development needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner." [UNDP, 1997]

In the context of this toolkit, capacity development is targeted typically at the following types of people and organisations:

◊ utility employees, including managers;

◊ municipal and local government staff and decision-makers;

◊ community-based organisations, consumers and customers;

◊ NGOs; and

◊ private sector operators and providers.

Special training should be conducted for those members of the parliament who develop regulations that could either foster or discourage public-private partnerships.

A variety of terms

The development of human resources is variously described as:

◊ training...
...a planned and systematic effort to develop or modify knowledge and skills through learning;

◊ human resource development (HRD)
...most often a private sector term that means all activity in an organisation geared toward the development, education and training of employees; and

◊ capacity “development”, “strengthening” or “building” ...
... “fuzzy” terms that are increasingly used by governments, donors and NGOs to describe activities (for example, workshops, training and information sharing) rather than an approach to development work. [See definition of capacity development above.]

A variety of delivery modes

The actual delivery of capacity development takes a number of different forms, for example: workshops, training, toolkits, courses, distance learning and participatory processes.

◊ The “workshop”:
probably the most commonly used method to facilitate capacity development. A planned event often involving residential stays, an agreed agenda or format, participatory activities, logged actions and the publication of a workshop report. Covers a wide range of intention from consultation and advocacy to the development of specific outputs (for example, policy, training material and capacity development guidelines).

◊ Training:
usually a one-off event on a specific theme or work-related topic, for example, ”gender” or “working with the poor”, although very often technical.

◊ Toolkits:
self-study publications and sets of material. Either hard copy (in a ring binder or similar) or Internet- or CD-based. Intended to be flexible.

◊ Courses:
usually a series of sessions away from the workplace run by academic or recognised training institutions. Can be tailor-made and include postgraduate learning (diploma or MSc).

◊ Distance learning:
an instructional delivery system that connects learners with educational resources. Distance learning provides educational access to learners not enrolled in educational institutions. Learners work through reading material, videos and texts. They submit assignments to a tutor via email or post.

◊ Participatory processes:
people-centred, non-hierarchical development where ownership is a central aim. Often a series of planned, tool-based activities targeted at users of services or project stakeholders. Can be linked to the project cycle or used in initial assessment and monitoring and evaluation. Well known formats include Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST); Promotion of the Role of Women in Water and Environmental Sanitation Services (PROWWESS); and Visualisation in Participatory Processes (VIPP).

A variety of outcomes

The various forms of capacity development can also result in a variety of possible outcomes. For example:

◊ specific skills, knowledge and attitudes;

◊ specific products, for example a document, a guideline or a report;

◊ specific action, for example a new approach to project delivery;

◊ networking and sharing;

◊ cohesive and tangible development and achievement of targets; or

◊ Nothing – no or little tangible impact.

© 2004 UNDP,  Manufactured by Margraf Publishers GmbH, Germany