Definitions

Capacity – The availability of resources and the efficiency and effectiveness with which societies deploy these resources to identify and pursue their development goals on a sustainable basis.

Capacity Development – A locally driven process of transformational learning by leaders, coalitions and other agents that leads to actions that support changes in institutional capacity areas—ownership, policy, and organizational—to advance development goals.

Development Goal – High-level impact at the top of the results chain in terms of improved social or economic conditions. The goal determines general purpose and direction of capacity development programs, and should be marked by strong consensus among stakeholders.

Capacity Areas – Determine the extent of local ownership of the effort to achieve the stated development goal(s), as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of that effort. Broad, multi-dimensional and inter-connected areas make up institutional capacities. Specific factors in these areas, if improved in the local context, can support needed achievements toward a development goal:

• Stakeholder ownership—examples include leadership commitment, stakeholder voice, transparency of information, and accountability
• Policy-related factors—such as efficiency of administrative rules, laws, regulations, standards, including their clarity, consistency, and incentives for compliance
• Organizational arrangements—examples include operational efficiency, supportiveness of stakeholders, and financial viability

Capacity Constraints – Internal and/or external factors that limit a society’s resource availability and challenge capacity development.

Agents of Change – Leaders, groups, coalitions and others that can initiate and drive positive changes toward the achievement of a development goal.

Change Process – Process by which capacity development activities bring about results towards a specific development goal.

Intermediate Outcomes – Also known as learning outcomes. Immediate results of activities observed as changes that occur at the individual level and changes that occur in the interactions among individuals and groups, and thus in the broader organizational or social environment. A standard set of indicators for these outcomes that can be customized to different contexts: raised awareness, enhanced skills, improved consensus/teamwork, fostered coalitions/networks, formulated policy/strategy, and implemented strategy/plan.