Capacity Development in Europe & CIS

Capacity Development in Action - Newsletter February 2009

February 2009 - a quarterly E-mail update - from the Bratislava Regional Centre Capacity Development Practice

Special feature by Adrian Spahiu, UNDP Kosovo

Security sector revamp in Kosovo: A move from training individuals to developing capacities for organizational effectiveness

KOSOVO – PRISTINA – 20 February 2009 – To say that the security system in Kosovo – UN Administered Territory Under UNSC 1244 (hereinafter referred to as Kosovo) operates in a complex environment is an understatement. On one hand a NATO-led international military peacekeeping force known as KFOR (the Kosovo Force) retains the main responsibility for peace and security in Kosovo, while on the other hand, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has taken the authority from the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in the field of the Rule of Law (police and justice). The continuous transfer of competencies in Kosovo among international mandatory bodies and between these and the Government of Kosovo during 2008 created a bewildering disorder in the security sector. >>Read more

 

Expectations high for upcoming global meeting of Development Partners working in the area of local governance and decentralization

BONN – 9-11 February 2009 – Preparations are in full swing for the annual meeting of development partners working in the area of local governance and decentralization to take place in Bratislava, Slovakia in May 2009. Members of the Development Partners Working Group on Local Governance and Decentralization (DPWG-LGD) met in Bonn to hammer out the agenda of the global get together. The 2009 meeting, hosted by UNDP, will focus on an integrated framework for local development; fiscal decentralization and capacity development. Participants will discuss successful approaches, good practices and lessons learned across the globe. The overall objective of the upcoming meeting is to further harmonize donor assistance and enhance development effectiveness, thus contributing to sustainable national capacity development for advanced local democracy and decentralization.

 

Montenegro assesses capacities to fight corruption

PODGORICA – 8-12 December 2008 – The Directorate for Anti-Corruption Initiative (DACI) took a strong hard look at its capacity to prevent corruption in Montenegro. Responsibilities for dealing with corruption are shared by ministries, and state agencies and offices, as they relate to specific measures of the national programme to fight corruption and organized crime – making DACI’s coordination role between all of the offices of key importance. Since Montenegro’s independence in 2006, Montenegro has joined the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Montenegro signed the EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement in October 2007 and officially applied for EU membership in December 2008. This backdrop requires the streamlining of anti-corruption policies, and enhancing of international commitments. To add to this, the European Commission has made it clear that Montenegro needs to confront the issue of corruption on its way to EU membership. >>Read more

 

Capacity development training event with UNDP Country Office in Moldova

KISHINEV – 25-27 November 2008 – The Capacity Development Practice delivered training to UNDP Moldova, covering the capacity development approach and its application, including the capacity assessment methodology, which is adapted to the local context. Training also looked at how to integrate capacity development into UNDP programming and projects, and how to integrate individual training into broader organization capacity development.

 

Tackling discrimination: Assessing capacities of Croatia's Ombudsman

ZAGREB – 9-14 November 2008 – In January 2009, an anti-discrimination act came into force in Croatia, expanding the mandate of the Croatian People’s Ombudsman (CPO) – particularly affecting its work in areas pertaining to the rights of minorities and the mentally ill, and with broader human rights issues. In anticipation of its changing role and added responsibilities, the human rights body invited UNDP to assist with a capacity assessment in November 2008. Assets and needs were identified related to: structure, strategy and planning, human resources management, performance management, and accountability, and included three specialized Ombuds institutions covering children, gender equality and persons with disabilities. The assessment was carried out in partnership with the Human Rights and Justice team (BRC Democratic Governance Practice). >>Read more

 

Say hi to…

Bikash Dash
Capacity Development Advisor
Strengthening regional and local governance in the Kvemo Kartli region
UNDP Georgia 

“I can particularly contribute in the areas of local and regional governance, strategic planning, capacity assessment and development, organizational and institutional development (through undertaking functional reviews and suggesting changes within an organization).” >>Read more (page accessible only to UNDP)

 

Resources:

Stories from the field – Social Services for New Employment (SANE), UNDP Bulgaria (download pdf)
In an effort to contribute to the expanding knowledge and evidence on capacity development in the region, we are pleased to present a quick look at UNDP Bulgaria’s SANE project: From pilot to policy: Introducing community-based social services in Bulgaria (download pdf). More to come soon on other capacity development initiatives in the region!

Capacity Development Practice annual report 2008 now available

Capacity Development in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States 2008 (download pdf) provides an overview of capacity development activities and services in the region throughout the past year, and contains a list of resources for capacity development practitioners. It presents overall lessons learned from 2008, including a more specific set of lessons learned from a new study on institutional development in the region, sure to spark some discussion and add to our ongoing dialogue in this area.The report also details priorities for 2009, based on lessons learned, noted trends as well as discussions and feedback from you – our partners working at the country level.

Capacity Development Group launches new global Web site and workspace

NEW YORK – 5 February 2009 – The UNDP Capacity Development Group (CDG) launched its new Web site, located at www.undp.org/capacity. The site presents the capacity development approach and features a list of services that UNDP offers to countries, capacity development core issues, and introduces key areas where the capacity development approach is applied, such as aid effectiveness, local service delivery and national implementation capacities. The site also contains a wide variety of publications and products produced by UNDP and partner agencies that are available free of charge. To send comments and suggestions about the new website, please contact the Capacity Development Group at cdg.group@undp.org.

 

Coming up…

Last edition of Capacity Development in Action - November 2008

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