Exploring options for and obstacles to the development of lasting national capacities

Seven focus studies, drawing on experiences and evidence across regions, explore options and obstacles to the development of lasting national capacities and TC reform. Three papers examine the constraints and opportunities for reform on the part of donors, recipients and the development industry respectively. The other four studies look at alternatives and options for TC's contribution to capacity development, through the lenses of opportunity costs, sustainability, ownership and accountability. The entire process has been subject to a rigorous peer review. Gus Edgren serves as overall peer reviewer.

Ready for Change?

Are Donors Ready for Change?

by Anders Danielson, Paul Hoebink and Benedict Mongula
Donors began recognising flaws in technical cooperation more than a decade ago, but the reform process is slow.

- Analyzes the donor-side context (abilities, limitations, habits and pressures) affecting technical cooperation and institutional ability to fundamentally reform. Explores failed and promising cases of reform. (Peer review provided by Carlos del Castillo.)

Is the Recipient Side Ready for Change?

by Cheikh Niang

- Examines the reasons for the lack of recipients' assertiveness on their right to determine the use of technical cooperation and to select the most appropriate and cost-effective inputs. Explores both failed and promising cases of reform. (Peer review provided by A. Rani Parker.)

Is the Development Industry Ready for Change?

by Niloy Banerjee, Leonel Valdiva and Mildred Mkandla
Why does technical cooperation work better in some countries than in others? Can changes in the "Development Industry" change the picture?

- Examines the interplay of interests, dynamics and pressures within the development industry on TC practice and policy. Explores the possible impact of greater recipient ownership on the development industry and the development industry's potential for accelerating the transition to greater ownership. (Peer review provided by Christopher Colclough.)

Alternatives and Options

Opportunity costs and effective markets

by S. Ibi Ajayi and Afeikhena Jerome
Was technical cooperation ever a "free good"? What are the imperfections of the market in which it operates?

- Examines how supply can most efficiently match real demand. The main objectives are to analyse the determinants of TC supply and demand from a market perspective, and to explore and identify successful market-oriented innovations for TC. (Peer review provided by John Mugabe and Ruzanna Tarverdyan.)

Making capacity stick

by Adebayo Olukoshi

- Explores the levels of institutional development and social capital required to ensure that TC gains are not lost once cooperation ceases. The key objectives of the study are to examine the ways in which TC has contributed to creating an enabling environment for capacity development, what areas TC should invest in, and to identify robust entry points to promote social capital formation if an enabling environment is absent. (Peer review provided by Joke Buringa.)

Technical Cooperation and Stakeholder Ownership

by Shekhar Singh
Ownership is the acceptance of responsibility reached through a process of stakeholder participation, empowerment and consensus.

- Analyses TC modalities, starting from a vision of full ownership as the "default setting" and working its way to the conditions under which other, less "ownership-friendly" modalities may be justified. The study aims to explore the unexploited potential for moving to real ownership, and to "classify" TC modalities, execution and funding arrangements in terms of their "ownership- friendliness". (Peer review provided by Peter Morgan.)

Accountability--to What End?

by Arild Hauge & Sulley Gariba
The indented beneficiaries should rate its effectiveness.

- Explores means of assessing and monitoring TC's contribution to indigenous capacity development. The main objectives are to propose options for evaluation systems with the potential to satisfy both donor accountability needs and national priorities, and to offer operational definitions of capacity and TC for relevant development contexts. (Peer review provided by Leonard Joy.)

Background Information on Focus Studies

- Expected results
- Format and content of the studies
- Please note
- How to get involved

site developed in cooperation with euforic

The responsibility for opinions expressed on this website rests solely with the respective authors. Providing access to the documents on this website does not constitute an endorsement by UNDP or any institution of the United Nations system.