Caught between politics and principles: a donors’ view on capacity development

Abstract: Capacity Development is considered a vital tool for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. However, evidence suggests limited effectiveness of capacity development efforts so far, both in development cooperation and for disaster risk reduction. Motivated by the research gap on the topic, the study’s purpose is to explore and describe the current challenges and opportunities for capacity development, from the viewpoint of governmental donor agencies. Twenty-six qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with informants from seven governmental donor agencies. The results indicate that ownership, alignment and harmonization are considered essential parts of capacity development by donors. Donors strive for conditions that facilitate effective capacity development e.g. flexibility, adaptability, long-term engagement, trust, and a holistic approach. Nevertheless, there are several structural constraints that inhibit the broad application of these principles and enabling conditions. These include political priorities, power relations, a quixotic need for control, insufficient knowledge of capacity development, insufficient incentives for change, complex contexts and an overt technical and individualistic focus of projects. A key recommendation is for donors to increase efforts to provide enabling conditions for all partners to commit to the principles and conditions for effective capacity development. For example, through facilitation of broad partnerships, legally binding agreement conditions, risk-sharing, innovative approaches, increased knowledge of capacity development for all stakeholders, and increased communication with local partners. Nevertheless, donors’ actions are not enough to overcome these challenges; instead, efforts at all levels of the system are necessary in order to realize the principles and conditions that enable effective capacity development.