Capacity Building

History and Definition

In the 1990s, the international community observed a weak public performance (The World Bank, 2005). Part of the explanations was that public institutions were not accountable and lack competencies. Then, the term capacity building came up to respond to these problems. Even if there is no shared definition of capacity building, characteristics can be listed. Capacity Building concerns three main areas:

- Human capacity: providing skills to individuals in order to analyze needs, design, implement strategies, policies, programs deliver services and monitor results. - Organizational capacity: enhancing a coherent group of people towork on a common purpose. One can provide technical skills and institutional capability in developing countries. - Institutional capacity: developing formal and informal norms which represent the framework of aims.

Available resources to build capacities

- Investment in order to strengthen the ability of individuals / workforce / organizations. - Discussing issues through dialogue or networking. For instance, in India, the 80 Don Bosco skills training institutions belong to a Network. This Network helped them to become one of the largest training providers in India, having strong connections with the government and industries.

Sustainable Capacity Building

A Capacity Building is sustainable when it includes a broad range of approaches: providing an adequate technical and vocational education and training, granting of suitable budget for capital, operating and modifying works, enhancing the capacities of principals in management change, strengthening organizational change and learning, enhancing cultural change, etc.

- The World Bank (2005). Capacity Building in Africa. An OED Evaluation of World Bank Support. USA : The World Bank. Available on May 11th http://www.worldbank.org/oed/africa_capacity_building