In general, capacity can be defined as the ability to perform tasks and produce outputs, to define and solve problems and make informed choices. Capacity development is the process by which organizations create and strengthen their capacity overtime. Capacity building is more than training and involves more than the development of technical skills: It includes the responsible institution’s infrastructure, equipment, organizational values and culture, incentives, human and financial resources, policies, regulations and procedures necessary to fulfil a specific task.
In most decentralization processes tasks and responsibilities are transferred to local governments which did not have yet sufficient opportunities to build the technical and management capacities to perform these new tasks. Such capacity building processes, involving capacity transfer from the central to the local level, are key to the success of decentralization, however often underestimated in time and resources. In most cases, central governments while losing operational responsibility for delivering services, keep other responsibilities, particularly with regard to oversee and monitor local performance. They need different types of capacities (working methods and procedures, policies, regulations, skills and values) to fulfil such tasks. Development cooperation can support the capacity development at central and local levels, with regard to the new tasks to be performed by the respective level of government.
United Nations Capital Development Fund | 2005 | Global, | Key Reading
How can local development programmes (LDPs) build the capacity of local governments and local organisations in order to improve their performance?
European Centre for Development Policy Management | 2007 | West Africa, | Key Reading
This InBrief is aimed to stimulate the debate on developing local capacities to monitor and evaluate decentralisation and local governance processes. It draws on the results of action research jointly conducted by the Malian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Local Government (MATCL) and the Réseau de Réflexion et d’Échanges sur le Développement Local (REDL), a Bamako-based network of development organisations. The SNV Netherlands Development Organisation-Mali and ECDPM were asked to facilitate this process of joint stock-taking and analysis, which resulted, among other outputs, in the publication of eleven case studies presenting experiences and study results from six West African countries.
The World Bank | 2004 | Global, | Key Reading
This note discusses the interface between community-driven development (CDD) and decentralization.
SDC | 2007 | Global, | Key Reading
The present document has 3 main objectives: - To further a common understanding about concepts linked to decentralisation and local governance within SDC (HQs and field). - To give basic conceptual elements for capacity-building activities in decentralisation. - The document does not pretend to be an academically precise paper, but rather a short and succinct presentation of the various concepts.
UNDP | 2009 | Global, | Key Reading
2009 draft
UNDP | 2007 | Global, | Key Reading
This Practice Note aims to provide a concise overview of the capacity challenges involved in local development and potential ways to address them.1 The Note provides a point of reference for discerning where capacity development investments and efforts could be focused, rather than set solutions or a detailed roadmap for capacity development interventions. The optimal mix of support will be context-specific and can be determined through the use of capacity assessment and costing methodologies.
