Findings from an analysis of capacity development in educational planning and management

1. Without capacity, there is no development Findings from an analysis of capacity development in educational planning and management

2. Capacity development succeeds … …when four levels are in harmony:

3. Strengthening individuals • Training needs differ strongly between and within countries • At central level, the key issue is not always the level of capacities, but their effective use. • At other levels, capacity gaps are more prevalent. • Even if capacities are limited, the response is not always training, because the cause is not a lack of training: turnover; de-motivation; insufficient “mobilization”. • Need for more than training: professional development

4. Developing organizations • The usefulness of training depends strongly on the effective functioning of the organizations. • A complex set of actions can help overcome organizational constraints. • A first step consists of developing management tools and normative frameworks: work plans; evaluation tools; detailed organizational charts; job descriptions. • This imposes strategic reflection, but their use risks to remain superficial.

5. Developing organizations • The need to develop a common vision and a belief that the organization can make a difference. • Existing incentives can go against organizational capacity development • No link between performance and position • Monopolization of capacities • Performance tends to improve when an organization and its staff feel accountable. • But such accountability needs to be counterbalanced by support and rewards.

6. The challenges to international assistance • A complex political process: reforms “may be relatively easy to achieve technically, but very tough to implement politically” (WB, 2004) • Difficult to develop “world-wide” strategies or to transfer successful strategies. • Traditional donor interventions (technical assistance) do not work well. • Traditional donor conditionalities are not adapted to complex reforms. • Evaluation methods may be inappropriate or even counterproductive.

7. Strategic principles • Capacity development needs internal leadership and ownership and needs to develop internal leadership and ownership. • Capacity development strategies must be context-relevant and context-specific. • Capacity development needs to be an integrated set of complementary interventions, though implementation may need to proceed in steps. • Commit to a long-term investment in capacity development, while working towards some short-term achievements • Before any outside intervention, assess its impact on national capacities at individual, organizational and institutional levels.

8. Strategic principles in fragile states • Fragile states face similar capacity challenges but more severely so. The following principles, of general relevance, are particularly important in fragile contexts (thanks to Lynne). • Prioritize capacity development even though the way forward is not clear. • Build trust and good inter-personal relationships. • Produce a capacity development plan (even if it is a small one). • Give people the tools that they need to do their jobs.

9. Recommendations for specific strategies? • The need to work on both supply of capacities and demand for capacities: Promoting social demand for better performance. • Move from training needs assessment to analysis of organizational functioning. • A need to combine organizational tools, professional development, the development of a common vision and demand for accountability. • Adapt training offer to the context. • A need to strengthen national training and research institutions in planning and management.

10. Some remaining dilemmas • What level to prioritize: the individual, the unit, the ministry, the government…? • With which actors to work? • Political – technical sphere • Working with state actors or with civil society • Short-term service delivery – long-term development priorities • Top-down versus bottom-up support