Asia-Pacific Regional Centre

Capacity Development Programme Asia Services

Capacity is the ability of individuals, institutions, and societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set and achieve objectives in a sustainable manner. Capacity Development is the process through which the abilities to do so are obtained, strengthened, adapted and maintained over time. The strategy for to deliver on the programme's mandate are made upo f four components.

Component 1: Advocating for Investments in Capacity Development

The effectiveness of expanded financial resources to achieve the MDGs makes sense only if concomitant capacities are in place. Governments must front-load investments in capacity development for MDG-related investments to take effect. It is necessary to influence a critical mass of policy opinion in favour of two key MDG related arguments and the need to use capacity development as an entry point to create the enabling context.

Component 2: Capacity Development Support to public sector agencies (national)

There is continued demand for CD support to national level public sector organisations. Clearly, there are a number of MDG-critical national organizations and institutions that have expressed and received considerable capacity development support.

Component 3: Capacity Development Support to Sub-national Agencies and local government

The demand for capacity development support to local levels of government is likely to become the most important area of business for the Asia CD team. There are demands to provide support to developing capacities for local services delivery , capacities for monitoring/tracking the MDGs at the local level , capacities for local level planning & budgeting and on the use of non-monetary incentives as a capacity development strategy.

Component 4. Capacity Development Facilities for Transition Situations

Post-conflict and transition situations have been seen to require large infusions of CD support in an intensive manner over a period of about ten years. UNDP in general and the Asia team in particular have increasingly come to recommend the use of CD Facilities – temporary facilities with dedicated budgets and institutional structure – to provide a focused range of CD support services to client governments.

The Asia CD team delivers on its mandate through a variety of different service lines, provided on demand and those that are provided in response to demand and need.

Policy Advice on CD and Mainstreaming CD:

Providing substantive capacity development policy advice on demand to UNDP COs, national governments, and partner agencies

Programme Design and Technical backstopping:

Design support, technical assistance, and assist in mainstream appropriate capacity approaches, strategies and tools. These include mid-course changes and the occasional technical support.

Workshop-based applications of CD:

Prepare and conduct workshops on applications of Capacity Assessments, allied activities such as undertaking leadership training, undertaking institutional change management processes, and facilitating processes of enhancing community capacity for participating in policy dialogue

Measuring Change in Capacity:

Design methodologies that track and measure changes in capacity followed by monitoring of change in capacity

Research and Evidence Gathering:

Support policy advice and practice with evidence of what works and under what circumstances. These also include research insuccessful interventions or use of incentives that has led to large capacity development gains and has set the standard for good practice

Development and adaptation of tools and methodologies:

Adapt existing tools and methodologies in to new areas for conceptual work including attitudinal and behavioural change.

CD-CA training for UNDP and UN teams:

Provide training support to other UN teams on the Capacity Development Process and Capacity Assessment Methodology

Regional Capacity Development Initiatives:

Allocate dedicated resources to capacity development, support on capacity assessments or applications of CD strategies on a regional level