Background: the UN General Assembly Resolution 59/250 10 (of December 2004) gave impetus to interventions from the international community in support of capacity building to improve results and impact. Also, “capacity development” took a central role in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005. Other substantial contributions came from the OECD/DAC paper: The Challenge of Capacity Development: Working Towards Good Practice , stressing the importance of monitoring and learning, in addition to the central aspect of national ownership, and a common position paper from the UN Development Group (UNDG). At the same time, the High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) of the CEB is conducting an “Analysis of Capacity Development Efforts of the United Nations Development System”, in the context of preparing the 2007 TCPR.
In view of heightened international awareness and FAO's own increased attention to the area, an internal consultation process was carried out to review approaches to capacity building and to identify options for enhancement. Some common threads emerged, including the need to align FAO's work with the new paradigm of “capacity development” – taking a more integrated approach to addressing Members' needs at the individual, organizational and institutional or policy levels. Key internal dimensions were identified: FAO's normative and facilitation function; knowledge generation and exchange; staff competencies; organizational learning; and adaptation of the organizational culture. Those of more external nature were: access to clients and partners; ongoing UN reforms and their possible impact; identification of main institutional players; evolving funding environment; and external communication.
Objectives and plans for 2008-09: while capacity-building efforts span across a wide range of programme entities and will be executed by the concerned responsible units, in the 2008-09 biennium, FAO will put on a more firm basis its contributions as an effective agent for “capacity development” in the wider context. A corporate capacity building strategy will be finalised in early 2008, laying out roles and responsibilities, and embodying an organizational commitment to developing skills consistent with FAO's mandate and external demands. In its coordinating role, KCE will facilitate common approaches to the organisation and management of capacity building activities, leading an Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG) on Capacity Building and using catalytic resources to focus on: a) the use of clear diagnostic methods for needs assessment in countries; b) consistency of capacity building activities with broader Regular Programme objectives; c) preparation of capacity building programmes drawing on documented good practices; d) incentives to encourage delivery of such programmes; and e) further development of the corporate Web-based portal on capacity building.
It is also intended to: change a general output-oriented approach in capacity building into a more outcome/impact-oriented one; apply results-based management tools to link FAO's objectives with planned outcomes/impact in terms of capacity building at country Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System level; and develop indicators for measurement of impact of capacity building. The competencies of FAO staff at headquarters and decentralized offices will be strengthened, in order to exploit relatively new capacity building methodologies in a more systematic way.
A special external communication effort is envisaged to raise awareness of FAO's new approach to capacity building, as well as related opportunities for beneficiaries, in particular for partners in the field programme. Work will include measures to: enhance dialogue with key partners in countries through the National Medium Term Priority Frameworks (NMTPFs), including articulation of specific capacity building needs consistent with the mandate of FAO, and in close alignment with UNDAF; use inter-agency contacts to develop joint approaches based on subsidiarity principles; and seek to influence UN and donor coordination platforms so that capacity building for agriculture and rural development is appropriately reflected.
Mobilisation of extrabudgetary funding will be important to strengthen FAO's role as facilitator of capacity building at all levels: government decision-makers, institutions (organizational development), and individuals (e.g. technical training, fellowships etc.), as well as access to sources such as “Direct Budget Support” funds and untied and flexible countrydriven resources provided on the basis of partnership with donors (e.g. FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme).
[extract from PWB 2008-09]
