The added value and relevance of capacity building facilities in the area of migration. Presentation by Volker Hauck at 'Advancing Migration Cooperation through Demand-Driven Capacity Building: MIEUX's Peer-to-Peer Approach' a conference hosted by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

1. Capacity development:
Our generic learning –
applicable to migration support
Volker Hauck, Head of Programme
Conflict, Security and Resilience
ICMPD Capacity Development Workshop,
23 September 2015, Brussels

2.  “CD” – some conceptual points of departure
 Where we are coming from
 Key lessons learnt
 More talk than walk?
 Towards the future
Overview

3. ... for clarification:
Capacity - A property in its own right ... Is the ability of
people, organisations and society as a whole to manage
their affairs successfully = result
Capacity development - An endogenous process, by
which people, organisations and society as a whole
strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time =
process
Capacity development support - refers to what outside
partners to a change process (domestic or foreign) can do to
support, facilitate or catalyse capacity development = input
Three conceptual markers ...

4. “CD” – a simplistic thinking model

5. Subject of considerable intellectual effort over past 25+
years => sophisticated ideas developed, challenging the
mainstream: research, evaluations, methodologies, expert
working groups, etc. => a practice area
CD as at the heart of good development theory and practice
concerned with sustainability and empowerment – yet
has always struggled to gain centre stage, and legitimacy–
while a cliché, it is in essence about “teaching a man to fish”
Has a multi-disciplinary “DNA” – with roots in community
development; participation; political science/ governance
and public admin; management sciences; human security;
systems thinking; complexity theory; resilience …
“CD” – in a nutshell

6. Concerns about shaping effective national development
processes already present implicitly in Marshall plan
Period of decolonisation (1960’s & 1970’s): helping young
nations - focus on institution building, infrastructure
development and training – statebuilding in cold war context
1980’s & 1990’s: growing appreciation of local context,
participation, partnership, political economy, role of donors
Early 1990’s: strong criticism about effectiveness of
technical cooperation for CD (UNDP’s “Berg Report” - 1993)
1990’s & 2000’s: emerging concerns about conflict &
fragility and human security (Somalia; Rwanda; Bosnia)
“CD” – a close relationship with aid (1)

7. Early efforts at state building through transplantation were
not working: new approaches needed with more emphasis
on process, acknowledging context & the politics of change
Institutions and good government matter: if the right
policies are to be developed and implemented, can’t just
focus on the hardware
Empowerment and participation essential: necessary to
avoid dependency, promote sustainability, develop local
leadership and build ownership at all levels
Development is an endogenous process: there is only so
much external partners can do; how to engage is critical
Technical Assistance effective only, if demand driven
“CD” discourse recognized that ...

8. 1990’s & 2000’s: development of aid effectiveness agenda
=> OECD-DAC’s (Informal Network on Institutional and
Capacity Development): Rome, Paris, Accra & Busan HLF’s
Paris Declaration (2005): five aid effectiveness principles
– ownership; alignment; harmonisation; focus on results;
and mutual accountability
DAC Good Practice Paper (2006): stocktaking and
consensus on how to understand “CD” and what constitutes
good practice
Busan 2011: “New Deal for Engagement in Fragile
Environments” – peace & statebuilding: legitimate politics;
justice; security; economic foundations; revenues & services
“CD” – a close relationship with aid (2)

9. An informed language and terminology: consensus to look at
capacity from interrelated individual, organisational, larger
system levels; (hard) tangibles as well as (soft) intangibles
matter (relevant for support; monitoring & evaluation)
Ownership of change: As a principle, stakeholders, their
organisations and networks need to drive their own capacity
development processes; and request for assistance if needed
Context: To strengthen capacity, one needs to understand
and respect the existing competencies and capabilities,
multi-actor engagements, development processes and
political context already in place
Six key lessons from CD (1)

10. Dealing with complexity: Those who aim to enhance capacity,
are challenged to understand how capacity develops
endogenously over time (and invest in it)
Working through multiple entry points and tools: from
individual HR development to OD to more holistic notions of
institutional reform and societal transformation => need to
think more strategically about purpose, entry points & change
Aid practices and behaviour: Adapt rules, hierarchies and
accountability mechanisms to create space for stakeholders to
improvise and find out-of-the-box solutions
Six key lessons from CD (2)

11. Has influenced international debates and guidance => aid
effectiveness agenda; NGO thinking & practice; climate
adaptation, migration, finance, etc.
Is more prominent in African development discourse =>
ACBF capacity indicators; AUC training; ECA CD Strategy
Consensus among DP’s around the 2006 DAC Good Practice
paper, but implementation patchy
Testing of new aid modalities, more aligned with country
processes (pooled funding, [sector] budget support)
Design and use of new assessment frameworks to monitor
CD progress, such as the 5C’s (Core Capabilities Framework)
“CD” – all talk, but what about action?

12. Lessons applied: the TTI programme (1)

13. Thorough investigation of context ahead of intervention
Support through a flexible, incremental and more open ended
process – taking into account different political contexts
Applying a theory of change, stressing strategic engagement
for change, not bound by a rigid logical framework
Taking risks through provision of core funding to individual
think tanks, but accompanied through close monitoring
Focus on learning and innovation - demand led CD support
Multi-donor engagement through pooled funding
Lessons applied: the TTI programme (2)

14. A changing international playing field – new development
actors; growing domestic resources; more diversification of
development finance; growing South-South cooperation
More Southern leadership in capacity development in search
for home-grown agenda’s and change strategies ...
... but traditional capacity development support remains a
supply driven domain – however, role of donors will diminish
Shifting interest to support the demand-side for change =>
civil society, parliaments, etc. as drivers for societal
transformation, voicing claims for downward accountability
Towards the future – key trends (1)

15. Enhanced cross-sector collaboration and private sector
engagement; growth of multi-actor development partnerships
Increasing diversity of sources of knowledge, harmonization
of knowledge standards; ease of access through modern
information technology
Special attention to fragile states will remain top priority;
application of innovative approaches difficult, though intense
learning informs current practice (e.g., DEVCO: EU trust
funds; state building contracts; comprehensive approach;
etc.)
Growing attention to CD and coherence issues (e.g., between
climate adaptation, disaster management and peacebuilding)
Towards the future – key trends (2)

16. Thank you
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