Capacity is development

By now you will have realised that my interest has been to track the discussion of capacity development within the wider debate on aid and development effectiveness. Not everybodies cup of tea, perhaps, but I am convinced capacity development deserves to be elevated to a highest levels of the development policy discourse and praxis.

So to day 3, the finale of the Busan HLF....

For those who would have wanted to see capacity development take centre stage in the Busan outcome document, they will like me feel somewhat disappointed. Its there, but you need to look for it.

On the other hand, the plenary session on effective institutions and policies on the final day which received reports from previous sessions was un-equivocal sending a most powerful and convincing message that there can be no meaningful development without investment in building the capacity of local institutions, whether for delivery of basic services, private sector development or domestic accountability. And that means changing the way we work. USAID stated that its policy today is to invest in and work through local institutions, a significant departure for the past. Denmark argued that working through country systems makes sense and implies a re-thinking of our understanding of risk and moving to the idea of managing rather than avoiding risk. The World Bank argued that if our focus is on development effectiveness then the challenge is to assist partners develop their capacity to manage all sources of development finance, domestic and international. Kenya’s Minister of the Public Service suggested that capacity development must be the central focus of our development efforts and that it must be mainstreamed and integral to our sector strategies and results frameworks. The rapporteur from the thematic session on country systems argued that investing in country systems – PFM, statistics, procurement and oversight, including both state and non-state actors is key to achieving sustainable results but should not be seen as an all or nothing issue. Reporting on the Parliamentary forum, it was argued that the engagement and investment in legislatures was one important way to manage risk through enhancing the oversight and accountability function. 

The Busan outcome document is out and will be formally presented this afternoon during the closing ceremony.