Participation. Project design and evaluation needs to take into account the participants involved in capacity development and the type of policy analysis, formulation and dissemination they are pursuing. The identification of what capacity needs to be developed, for whom, and how, requires the participation of diverse stakeholders (especially the poor, women and disadvantaged groups). Participatory methods for improved communication and building consensus are critical to improve policy formulation capacity. A demand-driven approach is most likely to identify the real capacity needs, and enhance the ownership and sustainability of the project and processes (box 1.14).
Box 1.14 Ukraine: ownership in capacity building through the Ukraine Policy Analysis Unit In 1998, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Agricultural Policy for Human Development Project, the World Bank and other donors began supporting the Ukraine Policy Analysis Unit (PAU), whose primary role is to advise the Cabinet of Ministers on major issues of reform in agriculture. Collaboration between foreign technical assistance and highly qualified local experts has built strong local capacity for policy analysis. As the PAU is not under Ministry control, it can provide relatively unbiased recommendations. The unit has developed a reputation throughout the government as a consistent source of high-quality policy advice. Because of this reputation, the PAU has been able to exert strong influence in reshaping the Ukrainian agricultural policy agenda, by improving current policy outputs, facilitating policy coordination, and proposing more market-oriented approaches to current problems. Among its primary functions, PAU has provided technical comments on agriculture-related laws as they are being developed. The unit has also published many papers, presenting original analyses of various sector issues, and it has delivered a wide variety of training activities. Donors currently fund the professional staff and other expenses. The extent of the unit’s sustainability, once foreign assistance is withdrawn, remains unclear, although the signs are promising. Source: World Bank and OECD (2004) |
Institutional considerations. An important issue is the flexibility the public sector has to use country capacity existing in the private sector, NGOs, and civil society. Contracting certain functions (for example, agricultural policy research) to the private sector builds on nationwide capacity. The use of competitive or matching grants can be effective for harnessing capacity in other organizations. Capacity development activities in the country should be coordinated to prevent duplication of effort. When policy formulation for the agricultural sector depends on the inputs of several line agencies outside of the agricultural ministry, there may be issues concerning where capacity development should be located to be most effective. In general, sound policy formulation relies on transparent debate, on the open circulation of ideas, and on whether policy units have an appropriate level of autonomy from the central government. Â Â   Â Â Â  |
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