Capacity Enhancement Briefs

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Parliamentary Strengthening : The Case of Ghana

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-06) Stapenhurst, Frederick C.

This paper examines the World Bank Institute's (WBI's) first multiyear capacity enhancement program in the field of parliamentary strengthening. Seven lessons have emerged: (a) strong domestic political support is necessary, (b) parliamentary strengthening activities should complement broader governance reform efforts, (c) training activities should be integrated into broader parliamentary capacity-building initiatives, (d) training activities need to reflect the evolving parliamentary agenda, (e) a nonpartisan approach is essential, (f) activities must connect with the administrative structure of parliament, and (g) parliamentary committees benefit enormously from direct interface with international organizations, among others, the World Bank and Parliamentary Centre.
Tools for Development : Public Sector Governance Reform

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-05) Wilhelm, Vera A. ; Kushnarova, Inna

This CE Brief proposes the Public Sector Governance Reform Cycle framework to help Bank staff and clients identify tools and techniques to assess and strengthen capacity in the public sector. A number of lessons and challenges have emerged: Tools relying on large sets of microdata benefit from both quantitative and qualitative data. Highly aggregated data are useful for cross-country comparisons and awareness raising, while design of sector-specific reform programs requires specific and disaggregated data. Employing a wide range of data sources and tools and triangulating results can greatly enhance reform programs, whereas quality control will enhance credibility of results. The degree of impact on policy debate and capacity building depends on client demand, openness, participation, and transparency. It is important to move beyond governance diagnostics to implement reforms and measure progress against poverty reduction targets.
Public Financial Accountability in Pakistan : The Impact of PIFRA on Capacity

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-04) Ceesay, Ismaila B.

This paper highlights the capacity enhancement support provided under the World Bank-financed Pakistan Improvement of Financial Reporting and Auditing (PIFRA) project and six lessons learned to be considered in designing similar projects: (a) address capacity constraints at every level, that is, individual, organizational, and institutional, (b) avoid addressing an entire large country in one project, (c) avoid introducing state-of-the art technology in an environment of largely unskilled professionals, (d) avoid too many project components, (e) ensure ownership and commitment by the project agency, and (f) ensure collaboration among donors.
Building Capacity in Post-Conflict Countries

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-03) McKechnie, Alastair J.

This brief looks at the challenge of building capacity in post-conflict countries, reviews options for creating capacity, and identifies trade-offs between a rapid result and longer-term impacts of capacity strategies. Six lessons for more sustainable approaches to capacity building are identified: (a) leadership matters, (b) incentives also matter, (c) build on what exists, (d) arrange learning activities within a country wherever possible, (e) training needs to be defined in its strategic capacity, and (f) training should build on the comparative advantage of international partners.
Monitoring and Evaluation for Results : Lessons from Uganda

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-01) Hauge, Arild O. ; Mackay, Keith

Recent experience with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in Uganda has shown how M&E can be developed to contribute to national capacity building, rather than become a demanding, but unproductive data collection exercise. Symptoms of M&E overload have been addressed by assigning coordination responsibility to the Office of the Prime Minister. Prospects are now improving for aligning M&E capacity with strengthening cost-effectiveness and achievement of value for money in service delivery.
Nurturing Capacity in Developing Countries : From Consensus to Practice

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-11) Nair, Govindan G.

There is an emerging consensus that capacity building in developing countries must shift from supply-side, donor-driven to demand-led approaches. Three areas in which this is critical are evaluation capacity, the availability of skilled individuals, and aid management. An effective demand-led approach requires fostering a transparent evaluation culture, focused on poverty impacts and involving participatory approaches. The approach to skilled resources must move from skills acquisition to the retention and use of skills, using the resources of the diaspora, tackling incentives and addressing issues that discourage retention of skills.