CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Niloy Banerjee
Capacity Development Group/UNDP
Geraldine Becchi and Michael Meier
Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative
(UNDP/UNOCHA/UNISDR)
CAPACITY BUILDING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Narrower scope –capacity Broader scope –capacity is both the
development as a means to an means and the intended outcome in
end itself
Focuses more on the initial Includes both creating and building (or
stages of building or creating enhancement) as well as the
capacities (subsequent) use, management,
Often concerned with what retention and sustainability of
outsiders will do to help build capabilities
capacity and the contribution Seeks to capitalize on existing national
they can make capacities as a starting point
Linked more to technical Understands that capacity
cooperation and to skills development is nationally owned and
development, training, led, with outside actors providing
technology transfer support to country led processes
One off or shorter –term Includes a mix of approaches and
interventions measures, technical and less tangible,
formal and informal
Longer-term perspective
What Does the Evidence Show (1/4)
• Capacity development is underpinned by the
fundamental characteristic of national ownership
• A comprehensive capacity development response
must link to and draw from relevant national reforms
to be sustained, e.g., civil service, wage, language,
education, pubic administration reforms
• Taking a capacity development response to scale
requires linking it to national and local plans,
processes, budgets and systems
3
What Does the Evidence Show (2/4)
• Tendency often to look only inside of an organization and
downplay larger institutional context in which that
organization resides
• A capacity development response should be based on the
findings of a capacity assessment, and is a deliberate set
of sequenced actions that will influence a given set of
skills, systems and power relations
• A capacity development response can and often must
show both short- and long-term gains, to ensure
continued political commitment and resource support
4
What Does the Evidence Show (3/4)
• Capacity development is not about a technical fix. It is
about transformations and must address how best to
manage change
• “Capacity traps” more often pertinent to the “soft
side”, such as power relations, vested interests,
access, ethics and attitudes
• Technical assistance and capacity development are
not the same thing! Capacity development is more
than training. Training is necessary, but what learning
strategies work best for what purpose….
5
What Does the Evidence Show (4/4)
• Our approach to supporting capacity development
need to be highly contextual, iterative and flexible for
“good fit”
• The hardest part of a CD process for external partners
is the “letting go”- the litmus test for capacity
development is if we make ourselves irrelevant!
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UNDG Capacity Development Approach
Step 1:
Engagement
with Partners
and Building
Consensus
Step 5: Step 2:
Evaluation of Assessing
Capacity Capacity
Development Capacity Assets and
Efforts Needs
Development
Process
Step 4: Step 3:
Implementing Designing
Capacity Capacity
Development Development
Strategies Strategies
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A Systems Approach
to Capacity Development
Enabling environment
(policies, legislation, power
relations, social norms
Organisational level
(policies, procedures,
frameworks)
Individual level
(skills, knowledge,
experience)
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Capacity Assessment
and Capacity Development…
Key Design Questions
Capacity for Why?
Capacity for Whom?
Capacity for What?
Core Issues & Capacity Development Actions
1. Institutional Arrangements: e.g., support to functional reviews and the
design of human resource management systems, monetary and non-
monetary incentive mechanisms and results-based management.
2. Leadership : e.g., support to visioning, systems thinking and strategic
planning exercises; promotion of peer-to-peer mentoring; coalition
building and negotiation skills development; design of career
management systems.
3. Knowledge: e.g., support to education reform strategies to incorporate
human development needs into curriculum reform; facilitation of
partnerships for investment in reforming post-secondary education;
support to south-south learning solutions.
4. Accountability : Design and support to monitoring and evaluation
systems and independent partner review mechanisms; promotion of
public information disclosure policies and legislation; support to civic
education.
Measuring Capacity Development
An improvement in capacity accelerates achievements of
development goals
Change in
Capacity Change in
Development
Conditions
Change in System
Performance, Stability
and Adaptability
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Capacity Assessment
and Development Planning…
Multiple Points of Entry
National Development Strategies
Sectors
Themes
UNDP Capacity Assessment Methodology –
What’s New?
• Brings rigor and a systematic process for assessing existing
capacities and needs and formulating a capacity
development response
• Provides a structure for discussion about the scale and
scope of a capacity assessment and more generally about a
capacity development agenda
• Provides resources and tools to support a capacity
assessment including content for assessing the various
cross-sections of point of entry, core issue and functional
capacity
UNDP Capacity Assessment Methodology –
What’s Different?
• Focuses on capacity… not organizational design, not
functional roles and responsibilities, not risk
• Emphasizes the link with capacity development responses…
tries to move beyond “analysis paralysis” – people are happy
to stay in the analysis phase… most have skills in this area,
accountability for results is limited… it’s a safe area
• Establishes indicators… the indicators used to assess
capacity become the benchmarks against which to measure
progress
Capacity Development Website –
www.undp.org/capacity
UNDP Capacity Development Resources
Theoretical and Case Study Publications
• Capacity for Development: New Solutions to Old Problems
• Developing Capacity through Technical Cooperation
• Ownership, Leadership, and Transformation: Can We Do Better for
Capacity Development?
• Action Brief on Capacities for Integrated Local Development
• Action Brief on Brain Gain
• Action Brief on Ethics and Values in Civil Service Reforms
Practice Notes
• Practice Note on Capacity Development
• Practice Note on Capacity Assessment
• Practice Note on Supporting Capacities for Integrated Local
Development
• Practice Note on Capacity Development during Periods of Transition
UNDP Capacity Development Resources
(Contd.)
Concept Notes on Capacity Development Responses
• Institutional Reform and Change Management: Managing Change in
Public Sector Organizations
• Incentive Systems: Incentives, Motivation and Development
Performance
• Leadership Development: Leading Transformations at the Local Level
• Knowledge Services and Learning
• Mutual Accountability Mechanisms: Accountability, Voice and
Responsiveness
• Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Processes
Concept Notes on Capacity Development Applications
• Capacity Development and Aid Management
• Procurement Capacities
UNDP Capacity Development Resources
(Contd.)
Resource Guides and Tools (Selection)
• UNDP Capacity Assessment User’s Guide and Supporting Tool
• A Review of Selected Capacity Assessment Methodologies
• UNDP Procurement Capacity Assessment User’s Guide and Supporting
Tool
• Resource Catalogue on Measuring Capacities: An Illustrative Guide to
Benchmarks and Indicators
Network
• Capacity Development Network and Community of Practice
Questions?
Thank you
