Capacity Building and Development

Increasing recognition of anthropogenic changes in the natural environment as a result of human interference has resulted in the international community agreeing on a number of multi-lateral environmental agreements. These include, among others, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The international community as well as various national initiatives has identified a lack of capacity at different levels as one of the key constraints to meeting the challenges and provisions of these Conventions. While the Conventions provide a number of tools and instruments to assist signatories meet their obligations under the provisions of the Conventions, one of the biggest challenges continues to be a lack of capacity at various levels, namely individual, institutional and systemic.

Capacity building and development can be defined as –

'the actions needed to enhance the ability of individuals, institutions and systems to make and implement decisions and perform functions in an effective, efficient and sustainable manner'

Capacity simply means our ability to do something and the actions needed to those things well. Capacity building and development is a dynamic, endogenous process generally associated with training, human resources development, knowledge acquisition, the learning organization and other concepts that builds upon existing systemic, organizational and individual capacity. This can include the process of changing attitudes and behaviours imparting knowledge and developing skills, learning by doing, participation, and changes in management, motivation and morale. It also focuses on overall organizational performance capabilities, the deployment of human resources as well as the overall policy, economic, regulatory and accountability frameworks within which institutions and individuals operate. Relationships and processes between institutions, both formal and informal, as well as their mandates, are also important.

Current Projects:

The National Capacity Self Assessment for Global Environment Management Project (NCSA) is concerned with the capacity of individuals, groups, organisations and institutions in the Cook Islands to address priority environmental issues in the thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and land degradation.

This particular capacity building assistance is provided under the UNDP Capacity Development Initiative programme and evolved from many international declarations and policy statements such as the Agenda 21 and the WSSD Johannesburg Plan of Action and in the case of small island developing states (SIDS), the Barbados Programme of Action. According to UN decision 2/CP.7, “capacity building is a continuous, progressive and iterative process, the implementation of which should be based on the priorities of developing countries.”