holder consultation and expert analyses, have helped build important national capacities for managing the global environment. These include the focal area enabling activities such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (CBD), the National Action Programmes (CCD), and the National Adaptation Programmes of Action and National Communications under the FCCC. 17. One such initiative is UNDP’s Energy and Environment Group (EEG) within the Bureau for Development Policy (BDP). Since 2009, UNDP/BDP/ EEG has been undertaking a consultative and in-depth analysis of the capacity assessment and development process with a view to further elaborate conceptual approaches and practical guidance on environmental sustainability for the organization and its partners’ practitioners. The final Guidance Note on Capacity Development for Environmental Sustainability is expected to be completed by late 2010. It will provide practical tools for environmental sustainability agents, which they can use at each stage of the capacity assessment and development process. 18. UNEP is also highly engaged in capacity development, with their over-arching approach being based on the Earth Summit’s Agenda 21, especially the essence of Chapter 37, which states that capacity building is central to the quest for sustainable development. In February 2001, UNEP’s Governing Council requested the Executive Director to prepare guidelines on compliance with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the capacity needs for their enforcement. These guidelines recognize that bolstered capacities are needed for countries to meet and sustain their MEA commitments. UNEP’s guidelines make special recognition of the challenges countries face to meeting these commitments, given the underlying conditions of poverty and poor governance, conditions that need to be addressed through other appropriate programmes.
10
2.2 Conceptual Framework for Capacity Development 19. There is broad agreement that capacity in the context of development cooperation refers to “the ability of people, organizations, and society as a whole to manage their affairs successfully” (OECD/ DAC 2006). Capacity is the sum of a series of conditions, intangible assets, and relationships: all part of an organization or system being distributed at multiple levels. Individuals have personal abilities and attributes, or competencies that contribute to the performance of the system. Organizations and larger systems have a broad range of collective attributes, skills, abilities, and expertise, collectively termed capabilities. Capabilities can be both technical (e.g., policy analysis, natural resource assessment, financial resource management) and social-relational (e.g., mobilizing and engaging actors to collaborate towards a shared purpose across organizational boundaries, creating collective meaning and identity, managing the tensions between collaboration and competition). Finally, capacity refers to the overall ability of a system to perform and sustain itself10. 20. The OECD defines capacity development as “the process whereby people, organizations and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time” (OECD, 2006). UNDP defines capacity development as “the process through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives over time” (UNDP, 2009). 21. UNEP defined capacity building as “a holistic enterprise, encompassing a multitude of activities [that includes] building abilities, relationships and values that will enable organizations, groups and individuals to improve their performance and achieve their development objectives” (UNEP, 2002). They acknowledged that capacity development encompasses the acquisition of skills and knowl-
See the study on “Capacity, Change and Performance” conducted by the European Center for Development Policy Management; which explored the concepts of capacity and capacity development (http://www.ecdpm.org/).
20
National Capacity Self-Assessments: Results and Lessons Learned for Global Environmental Sustainability