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AAA and Capacity Development

AAA and Capacity Development. Theme: Working Through National and Sector strategies. Context. CD often treated as self-standing and associated with donor funded projects Result is fragmented approaches – individual, organisational, system level

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AAA and Capacity Development

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  1. AAA and Capacity Development Theme: Working Through National and Sector strategies

  2. Context • CD often treated as self-standing and associated with donor funded projects • Result is fragmented approaches – individual, organisational, system level • Difficulties in establishing relationship between CD outcomes and sector development outcomes • Few countries have clearly articulated CD strategies and plans….but what should this look like ? • AAA statement: commits developing countries to the integration of CD within national, sector and thematic policies and strategies as a matter of priority

  3. Issues Arising (1) Theory meets practice. Conceptual ideas from the top meet operational realities and dilemmas that emerge from the bottom. (2) Country Ownership of CD. • Opportunity for CD strategies to become an integral part of a sector development strategy. • Helps country partners take ownership of capacity development, no longer a donor thing, but something integral to sector development. • A national CD strategy may provide an umbrella (common language, terminology, concepts etc) around which sector strategies can evolve. • The development of principles to guide and monitor how external partners engage to support country CD processes, especially TC, could also prove valuable.

  4. (3) Can help to harmonise and align external support. • provides potential framework to discuss role of development partners in supporting a country-led CD in relation to “what” and “how” questions, and possible contribution of TC. (4) Promotes Dialogue and Learning. • The process of preparing a CD strategy can be as important as the product that emerges. • Encourages stakeholders to engage in discussion about capacity issues, to confront sometimes divergent notions and views on what is important. • Can help generate a common language that makes the shift away from sometimes symbolic reference to CD.

  5. REALITIES OF NON STATE ACTORS (CSO/PRIVATE SECTOR) ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STATE

  6. OWNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY Relevance is determined by the interest issues generated in the public domain NSAs constitute pressure for State capacity development and reform Tensions around managing service delivery and technical cooperation at the national, sub national levels: who decides? Broad recognition that development of capacity is cross sectoral and requires infusion of learning into country systems Donors facilitating pro-poor policy engagement: NSA and State (an honest broker?) State may perceive Donor as meddling/sabotaging state effort Answer: creation of platforms where all actors meet to define strategy Guarding autonomy of each stakeholder; choosing own policy arena

  7. CHALLENGES TO ENGAGEMENT Whose flag for capacity development? Attribution of results Focus on tasks rather than systems and the national context

  8. PRACTICAL LESSONS FOR EFFECTIVENESS • NSA autonomy • Robust research to support policy alternatives • Strong CSO, PRIVATE SECTOR, PARLIAMENT advocacy platforms (ownership) • Strong accountability of actors to civil society at large

  9. AAA and Capacity Development Theme: Support for CD

  10. Context • Technical Cooperation (TC): the principal instrument of donors to support CD, consuming approximately 25% of all ODA. • Despite notable successes, the subject of considerable critique: cost and effectiveness. • TC a key issue within aid effectiveness agenda, 2 x PD indicators, growing body of literature on the topic. • AAA statement: to enable developing countries to exercise ownership of capacity development through technical cooperation, external partners need to a) facilitate the joint selection and management of technical cooperation to support local priorities and b) expand the choice of technical cooperation providers to ensure access to sources of local and South-South expertise.

  11. Issues Arising (1) Capacity development is not the same as technical cooperation • TC only an input to a locally owned and managed CD process. • Going beyond the deployment of technical assistance personnel. What else works ? (2) Decision making and management of technical cooperation needs to move to country partners • consistent with aid effectiveness principles • Transparency of costs and options: informed choices • Involvement in TORs, interviews, performance mgt: accountability and management oversight

  12. (3)Give more priority to local/ regional CD resources • training and research institutions, local consultants and NGOs, • south-south cooperation (4) Raise standards of CD service providers. • integrate state-of-the-art approaches: change management services that combine technical, contextual and stakeholder engagement competencies. • CD practice should be tailor-made to context • Practitioners should be held to the highest standards of professional rigour.

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