Country Studies

Background

The World Bank has launched an Operational Task Force on Capacity Development in Africa to review and update the Bank’s approach to helping develop the capacities of African states and societies to secure the economic and social fundamentals of poverty reduction. The Task Force is focusing on the practical and operational challenges of improving the responsiveness, efficiency, and efficacy of Bank support for Africa’s ongoing capacity development efforts.

The Task Force relies on consultations with African institutions and on three main study methodologies: a review of the literature on capacity development achievements and challenges; a set of sector and thematic studies; and a set of fourteen country specific desk and field studies.

Purpose

The purpose of the case studies is to:

1. Understand the trajectories of capacity development in different country situations, including the political economy and path dependence of capacity development and the way capacity development initiatives add-up in terms of country level impact on institutional endowment and related development outcomes such as service delivery, empowerment and investment climate.
2. Relate capacity development outcomes, inputs, processes and interventions in individual countries to lessons learned about what works in capacity development and to visions of good capacity development in Africa. The aim is to document and explain progress and setbacks in individual countries relative to international benchmarks and goals of capacity development.
3. Explore specifically the role of aid and donors, notably the World Bank, as providers of inputs and interventions into capacity development decisions and processes at regional, country, sub-national and sector levels.

Methodology

There are three different types of country case study: In-depth Country Studies in Africa, Country Desk Studies in Africa, and Two In-depth Case Studies Outside Africa. Countries have been chosen to reflect four different typologies representing different capacity development situations. The table below summarizes the country studies and their different classifications.

The country case studies follow similar methodologies including a review of available reports and evaluations in each country (including reports from African researchers where available) and examination of quantitative indicators of capacity development. In-depth field studies, encompass key informant interviews with other external agencies involved in supporting capacity development as well as researchers, civil society organization staff, and, especially, key officials of the national government.