On 15–16 May 2008 the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the German government sponsored a workshop in preparation for the third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will take place in Accra, Ghana, 2–4 September.
The 70 participants shared many concrete ideas on how to address capacity development more effectively and succeeded in adopting a South–North consensus statement to inform the deliberations in Accra and beyond. Participants included experts and practitioners of capacity development from developing countries, the donor community, specialised institutions and networks from the South and North.
The workshop took place at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Bonn. It was chaired by Dr Talaat Abdel-Malek, core member of the Accra Contact Group of developing countries, and Mr Richard Manning, former chair of the DAC.
The presenters, chairs, facilitators and rapporteurs focused on two questions. First, which concrete and actionable propositions (what, why and how) should inform the round table processes and shape the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA)? Second, what are the strategic priorities and steps required over the three years following Accra?
On the first day the discussions were built around the Accra round tables: ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results, mutual accountability, civil society, fragile contexts, sector experiences and aid architecture. Individual breakout groups derived specific messages in capacity development for their own round table discussions. On the second day the participants decided on the topics to be discussed, which included human capacity development, utilisation of capacity, capacity to manage aid relations and the role of civil society and the private sector. A workshop steering group distilled a set of key messages for the AAA, which the participants debated, amended and adopted unanimously. The co-chairs dubbed it the ’Bonn Workshop Consensus’. The workshop report and all working documents are available online.
The conclusions from both the workshop and post-workshop discussions in the open meeting of the Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) suggest there is considerable room for broad-based forward motion and a concerted effort in support of capacity development after Accra.
The Bonn Workshop Consensus
We recognise that capacity development is critical for sustainable development and national ownership. It is primarily a developing country responsibility.
Capacity development is a fundamental change process requiring that:
- Developing countries commit to the capacity development of their human resources, systems and institutions at all levels, and
- External partners commit to strengthen their own capacity and adapt their approaches to deliver responsive support for capacity development.
Six areas of action:
- Developing countries agree to integrate capacity development as a core element of national, sector and thematic development efforts.
- Developing countries will take the lead in addressing key systemic issues that undermine capacity development, with support from external partners as required.
- To enable developing countries to exercise ownership of capacity development through technical cooperation, external partners agree to a) the joint selection and management of technical cooperation to support local priorities, and b) expand the choice of technical cooperation providers to ensure access to sources of local and South–South expertise.
- Developing countries and external partners also jointly commit to enable the capacity development of civil society and the private sector to play their development roles more fully.
- In situations of fragility, notably in post conflict, external partners will provide tailored and coordinated capacity development support for core state functions earlier and for a longer period. Interim measures should be appropriately sequenced and lead to sustainable capacities and local institutions.
- Beyond Accra, developing countries and external partners jointly agree to a strengthened and consolidated international effort to expand capacity development knowledge and apply resulting good practice.
Links
All Bonn workshop documents are available at ‘On the Road to Accra and Beyond’.
Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Accra, Ghana
BetterAid.org offers information on the parallel process for civil society organisations (CSOs) towards the Third High Level Forum.
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