Local capacity developers and service environments : Essential Readings

  • Local capacity developers (Capacity.org issue 38, December 2009)

    Local expertise to support people and organizations in developing their capacities is arguably one of the most valuable resources a society can have to boost development. This issue of Capacity.org focused on local capacity developers (LCDs) who ‘own’ this expertise. LCDs facilitate change, explore new ways of working and help enhance capacity, knowing what long-term development requires. This expertise is usually found among local consultants and NGOs, and in higher education and research institutes.

  • Jan Ubels (2010) "Stimulating the Provision of Local Capacity Development Support" in Ubels, J., N. Acquaye-Baddoo and A. Fowler (eds) Capacity Development in Practice, Earthscan, pp. 307-322

    Despite a rise in the number of home-grown specialized organizations and support structures for capacity development across many developing countries in recent years, there has been little analysis or discussion of how this ‘service  environment’ for CD is evolving, or how it may be strategically supported. This chapter shares the results of an initial effort to analyse this emerging sector, including a sample of very different countries. It shows a pattern of strong centralization, patchy outreach to sub-national actors and little ‘demand power’. In other words, capacity development outside national capitals and large urban locations is not well served by the present financing dynamics and provider community. A set of changes in financing logics and assistance strategies are proposed to better support the development of service environments for capacity development.