Capacity Development in Action - Newsletter May 2009
May 2009 - a quarterly E-mail update - from the Bratislava Regional Centre Capacity Development Practice
Video
From technical assistance to capacity development: is there a difference, really?
BRATISLAVA – 16 April 2009 – The Director of UNDP’s Capacity Development Group, Kanni Wignaraja shares her opinions on income versus human development, the changing nature of development assistance, and answers the burning question: Is aid dead? >>Watch the video
The financial crisis: video interview with Kori Udovički
BRATISLAVA – 26 March 2009 – Kori Udovički, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator of UNDP and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States, discusses the financial crisis - how UNDP can support governments to protect society's most vulnerable. She argues that each country is unique and requires specific, country-led solutions, but that UNDP is well positioned to scale up assistance with public works projects, employment generation and developing capacities to mobilize grassroots populations and local governments. >> Watch the video
Audio
From across the globe – Khalid Malik on China’s unprecedented capacities to tackle poverty, development partnerships and the economic crisis
BRATISLAVA – 14 April 2009 – Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, discusses the country’s historic progression and unprecedented experience with fighting poverty. He talks about China’s development partnerships and its role as a global player, as well as capacities that will help China to face the economic crisis, and the role of the United Nations. >>Listen to the interview
Articles
Annual meeting of the Development Partners Working Group on Local Governance and Decentralization
BRATISLAVA - 25-27 May 2009 – The 2009 meeting, hosted by UNDP, focused on an integrated framework for local development; fiscal decentralization and capacity development. Participants discussed successful approaches, good practices and lessons learned across the globe. The overall objective of the meeting was to further harmonize donor assistance and enhance development effectiveness, thus contributing to sustainable national capacity development for advanced local democracy and decentralization.
Uzbekistan: Legal clinics improving access to justice for the poor
TASHKENT – 13 May 2009 – Two new legal clinics have recently opened at Namangan State University and Karakalpak State University, in addition to three already established legal clinics within the Tashkent City Bar Association, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy and the Tashkent State Law Institute. Another legal clinic will open at Samarkand State University later this year. >> Read more (Special feature by Gulnoza Saidazimova, UNDP Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan: UNICEF and UNDP partner with local authorities to assess capacities for service delivery
TASHKENT – 19-25 April 2009 – UNICEF and UNDP staff in Uzbekistan adapted the existing local service delivery capacity assessment methodology for an upcoming assessment of capacities to deliver services at the regional and district level. Staff in Uzbekistan determined the scale and scope of the capacity assessment, data collection approach, team composition, and worked through how to manage the complex relationships of all partners in a capacity assessment. Questions for a self assessment questionnaire and items for focus group discussions were also developed, and will be further adapted by the Ministry of Economy, the Academy of State and Social Construction, and local authorities – who will also receive training on the capacity assessment methodology, to be piloted in one district. Results will form the basis for developing and implementing capacity responses.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Assessing capacities of the Bureau for Regional Development
SKOPJE – 9-13 March 2009 – The Bureau for Regional Development, UNDP Macedonia and the Capacity Development Practice teamed up to assess the capacities of the Bureau and provide forward looking recommendations to ensure effective performance. A self assessment questionnaire was designed and carried out for 11 staff members of the Bureau, including the Director. Internal focus group discussions and individual interviews were conducted with staff, as well as meetings with external partners, including members of the Department for Regional Development, the Chief Cabinet and Advisor on Regional Development, representatives of the European Commission Delegation, the Team Leader for Preparation of the National Strategy on Regional Development, NGOs, and more. Recommendations will be reviewed and prioritized by the Bureau and its partners, and developed into projects that can be funded and implemented.
Montenegro: Assessments in pilot municipalities aim to prepare Montenegro for EU integration
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PODGORICA – 5 February 2009 – The Dutch Development Organization, SNV, and UNDP Montenegro assisted with capacity assessments in the municipalities of Bijelo Polje and Žabljak, as part of a regional project Western Balkans on the Path to EU Integration. Similar assessments will be carried out in other municipalities in order to identify and address capacity needs that will have the most impact on service delivery as well as overall absorption of Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) funding at the municipal level across the country. >>Read more
Say hi to…
Ivan Milivojevic
Training Centre Manager
Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities
Belgrade, Serbia
“Our main approach is focused on improvement of a single or limited number of competencies rather than going too broad; to work only if there is strong commitment of local leadership; to combine projects with capacity development of individuals through relevant sets of trainings and to work with relevant experts from municipal administrations and local communities that are able to produce, sustain and replicate results.” >>Read the full interview
Resources
Towards more effective state institutions
The Capacity Development Practice contributed to the latest edition (April 2009) of Development and Transition which focuses on “reform of the state.” The article “Towards more effective state institutions” underscores the importance of developing state capacity for ensuring that democratization actually benefits vulnerable groups.
>>Read the article
Capacity development on Wikipedia
“Capacity development” now has an entry on Wikipedia – the world’s largest encyclopedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacity_Development Like all Wikipedia pages, content is in the public domain, and anyone can edit this page – including you! We encourage you to have a look, and to contribute to the content of the page.
Who is who? Come visit the virtual water cooler!
You will all be invited to join the capacity development online group – a place where you can see who else is in the Community of Practice, share work related to capacity development, and get to know each other and each member’s area of expertise. You can also collaborate on specific project concepts or ideas. You will receive more detailed information on how to join the group. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Coming up…
RIJEKA, CROATIA – 8-9 June 2009
Regional conference on capacity development for quality service delivery in the Western Balkans
ASHKABAT, TURKMENISTAN – 7-12 June 2009
Capacity Assessment of the Institute for Strategic Planning and Economic Development
DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN – 21-27 June 2009
Country Office support to governance and Institutional Development
Previous editions of Capacity Development in Action
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