Capacity: the core concept
Year of publication:
2011 The study of capacity and the practice of capacity development are dynamic and ongoing processes. Capacity development is about change and transformation. It is primarily the responsibility of stakeholders in partner countries who must lead the process of change by setting their own development objectives within their political and governance systems. Ownership is, therefore, a prerequisite for sustainable capacity development, as is having clarity about whose capacities are to be developed and for what purpose.
The "mind map" below outlines the core concept of capacity development. Please see the attached Word document (17 pages) below for a complete discussion of the concept.
Comments
CD: change and transformation for what?
Let me start by complementing Jenny on leading the remarkable progress made so far with the learning package. I hope to find a bit of time to contribute. This will also help me to engage with the materials and help spread them.
Capacity: the core concept referes to change and transformation. The paper subsequently explores the question : capacity, or change and transformation, for what?, yet it shies away from the question 'change and transformation towards what'? I expected this to come up in the principles and values paragraph, but that is still about the how and what of CD. The 'core themes' suggest that there are certain intentions with which we develop capacity, but these remain hidden. I would suggest for instance that democratic governance is much more than a technical discipline, school of thought.
IICan the core concepts paper begin in a less neutral manner, and be more bold about what drives Capacity Development? The origins of CD tables state that Capacity Development focus is to 'empower'. This means that CD cannot not shy away from raising difficult (power) issues in an acceptable way. Let's set the right example with this package. For me, the intension of CD, the intention of CD, of change and transformation, is something like this: there is growing inequity/crisis and CD is about designing and facilitating processes to find culturally appropriate local solutions at a large enough scale to make a real difference for human development. W
I look forward to the thoughts of others on this.