September 2011

LenCD Updates September 2011
Learning Network on Capacity Development

In this issue:
  Requests for participation
  Upcoming network events
  CD Insights
  Consultancy opportunities

Please send announcements for next month’s updates to brian@lencd.org.

Requests for participation

Comments wanted: draft discussion note on the results agenda

As part of the lead-up to the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to be held in Busan, South Korea, in November 2011, development partners and countries are working on identifying the next steps for the results agenda. The Asia Pacific Community of Practice has produced a draft note on the results agenda and seeks your comments.  Please visit: http://copmfdrafrica.ning.com/profiles/blogs/draft-discussion-note-on-th...

Call for workshop proposals: Busan civil society pre-event

The Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness, BetterAid and KoFID are organising a Global Civil Society Forum from 26-28 November in Busan, South Korea, just ahead of the High Level Forum.  The purpose of the CSO pre-event ahead of HLF4 is to coordinate and mobilize civil society around the multi-lateral negotiations on aid and development at this important event. The organisers are inviting submission of workshop proposals until 14 October.  For more information, please see: http://www.cso-effectiveness.org/busan-cso-pre-event-pre-evenement,500.html

Upcoming network events

Joint Learning Journey on Capacity Development and the LenCD Learning Package

GIZ and Train4Dev announce the 2011-12 Joint Learning Journey to help CD practitioners develop expertise for "training and beyond", CD results and CD strategy development. This year’s Learning Journey will include learning how to apply the LenCD learning package (which will be finalised next month) to CD processes.  For more information, please see: http://www.train4dev.net/index.php?id=8&tx_mjseventpro_pi1[showUid]=328&cHash=ec202076fa&recentView=listView

CD Insights

Case story: Capacity is Political, Not Technical: The Case of HakiElimu in Promoting Accountability in Education in Tanzania

HakiElimu is an independent citizen engagement organization focused on education in Tanzania.  In order to promote accountability, HakiElimu began subsidising journalists to investigate education disbursements and report on the situation.  The organisation has facilitated over 100 media investigations, passed on key reports and evidence, carried out public advertising campaigns, and brokered connections between editors, journalists and credible sources. These actions have led to coverage of issues that were known to most policy-makers but had stimulated little debate or corrective action prior to their being covered by the media.  http://www.snvworld.org/en/Documents/12%20Public%20Accountability%20-%20...

Voices of capacity development (Capacity.org)

External aid can provide a significant boost to country-led processes. However, if external partners focus on the performance of their own aid, policies, approaches and knowledge, their support is more likely to hinder than support a country’s efforts. In this special issue, Capacity.org invited change agents in the South to speak about their experiences in leading change processes, including: achieving universal access to energy in South Africa, improved sanitation in Nepal, a more favourable business environment in Kenya, enforcing compliance with environmental laws in Zambia, and introducing active approaches to learning in Laotian schools. http://www.capacity.org/capacity/opencms/en/journal/issues/voices-of-cap...

Steps for Designing a Results-Focused Capacity Development Strategy

This primer for development practitioners is based on WBI's approach which focuses on identifying the outcomes and local agents that can drive long-term institutional change.  The steps can be customized for different levels and settings and provide guidance on clarifying the development goal; diagnosing problems in capacity; devising the local processes for change; coordinating stakeholder planning to support change; mapping the change logic and monitoring and evaluation arrangements; and validating the strategy with stakeholders.  http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/document/steps-designing-results-focused-ca...

Sharing experience by iPhone: UN Innovations in Public Governance

In order to share experience about successful innovations in governance and public administration, information about winners of the United Nations Public Service Awards is now available through an iPhone app.  The app includes descriptive case studies, information about innovative practices, solutions designed and implemented to respond to specific challenges, the actors and steps involved in the innovation process, and lessons learned. Available for iPhone at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/un-innovations-in-public-governance/id443... see also http://www.unpan.org/unpsa

Scaling Up Knowledge Sharing for Development

This working paper for the G20 considers how knowledge sharing, through North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation, can be scaled up in support of growth and development processes.  Recommendations include paying attention to the policy-practice balance; developing smart, efficient and demand-driven brokering processes; operating with a results framework in mind; developing country capacity; providing political commitment and sustained funding; and strengthening capacity for documenting, systematizing and monitoring evidence of knowledge sharing.  http://wbi.worldbank.org/sske/Data/wbi/wbicms/files/drupal-acquia/wbi/G-...

International Engagement in Fragile States: Can't we do better?

This report takes stock of the quality and impact of international engagement across the areas of diplomacy, development and security, and concludes that development partner practice has not improved significantly to achieve better results. The main message of this report is that a significant gap still exists between policy and practice. The findings of this survey challenge development partners to complement their focus on results, effectiveness and value for money with a focus on the field-level organisational and paradigm changes necessary to achieve better results. http://www.oecd.org/document/53/0,3746,en_2649_33693550_48696949_1_1_1_1...

Consultancy opportunities

Monitoring and evaluation coach – Rwanda

The Rwanda Public Sector Capacity Building Secretariat (PSCBS), in cooperation with Belgian Technical Cooperation, seeks a qualified and experienced individual local, regional or international consultant to support the design of a monitoring and evaluation system for capacity building, and to build the capacities of PSCBS and other public sector institutions to implement the system and improve M&E in public sector capacity building. Deadline: 17 Oct 2011.  For more information, please see: http://www.lencd.org/consultancy/monitoring-evaluation-coach-rwanda

Outcome evaluation of capacity development interventions - Water and Sanitation - Zambia, Kenya, Bangladesh

Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) is looking for a consultant to perform a brief outcome evaluation of capacity development interventions under parallel AusAID-funded programmes in Lusaka (Zambia), Nairobi (Kenya) and Dhaka (Bangladesh). Deadline: 15 Oct 2011.  For terms of reference, see: http://www.wsup.com/vacancies/documents/ToR-WSUP-cap-dev-eval-Sep2011.pdf