LenCD Updates April 2012

[Brian Lucas]

LenCD Updates April 2012
Learning Network on Capacity Development

In this issue:

   Network news

   Requests for participation

   CD Insights

   New network member

Please send announcements for next month’s updates to br...@lencd.org.

Network news

LenCD seeks coordinator

LenCD seeks applications for the post of network coordinator.  Under the guidance of the LenCD steering group, and with the administrative support of the LenCD project manager, the LenCD coordinator will be responsible for moving the LenCD agenda forward in a multi-partner network and to facilitate the implementation of the work streams agreed by the steering group, as reflected in the LenCD work plan. The LenCD coordinator will be working closely with the LenCD knowledge manager as well as with network partners in implementing jointly agreed initiatives.  For more information or to apply (before 20 April), please see: http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=29462

LenCD member priorities survey – results

http://www.lencd.org/files/page/About_LenCD/Member_priorities_survey_2012_report.docx

Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent member priorities survey. Work on effective institutions and results frameworks emerged as the highest priorities, although most of the activities that were suggested were considered worthwhile by the majority of respondents. The steering committee has reviewed the survey results and has decided to implement the top priority identified by network members by pursuing an initiative to support CD practitioners working towards effective institutions. LenCD will help create a space where practitioners can exchange experiences and lessons learned on how to catalyse and support reform processes at the country level. In collaboration with other partners supporting the building block on effective institutions, LenCD will nurture and support the growing and dynamic CD community of practitioners by facilitating exchanges and dialogues, and by providing evidence, guidance, case stories, toolkits, examples, lessons learned and other material about institutional diagnosis, institutional change, and impact evaluation. More information and opportunities to participate in this new initiative will be announced soon.

New CD calendar – joint project with Capacity.org
http://www.lencd.org/events

LenCD and Capacity.org are now collaborating to provide a joint calendar of capacity development related events, available on both the LenCD and Capacity.org web sites. The calendar includes announcements of conferences, courses, and other events of interest to the CD community. Please feel free to send us relevant announcements for inclusion in the calendar.

Requests for participation

Catalyzing Change for Results in Africa - the Role of Capacity Development
http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/event/africa-catalyzing-change

Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 14:30 to 16:30 Washington time

This joint event of the World Bank Institute and the African Capacity Building Foundation will bring together high-profile leaders from regional institutions in Africa, country ministers, non-state organizations, and the World Bank to share lessons, challenges, and  explore critical new directions on capacity development. The forum will debate difficult questions around strengthening public sector capacity on the supply side, versus multi-stakeholder capacity in the socio-political environment. What mix of approaches can support the types of transformations needed in Africa?  The event will be webcast live in English and French, and questions may be submitted in advance by email (capacit...@worldbank.org) or during the event on Twitter (#WBAfricaCap).

Photo Competition on the Theme of Capacity Development
http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/help/article/be-inspired-and-be-involved-photo-competition-theme-capacity-development

Capacity4dev.eu invites members of the capacity4dev.eu community to contribute their two best photographs that illustrate the effects, successes and lessons learned on the theme of Capacity Development. Whether you are a development practitioner in the field or at Headquarters, you are invited to sift through your photographs and present those that tell a story of change. The deadline for entries is Monday 30 April.

Consultation on Proposed EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/consultation/index_en.htm

The European Commission is holding a consultation on the possible establishment of a new "EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development".  This Platform would look at how grant funds could be best used to in combination with loans and other forms of funding ("blending") from public and private organisations in order to support investments in line with EU external action and development objectives. The idea of the Platform would be to improve the quality and efficiency of EU external cooperation blending mechanisms and financial instruments and improve the cooperation and coordination between the EU, financial institutions and other stakeholders in this field. The Commission is seeking comments on the Platform by 27 April.

CD Insights: selected case stories, research, and shared experience

Capacity, complexity and consulting: lessons from managing capacity development projects
http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=6348&title=capacity-complexity-development-projects-rapid

In the past few years, the Overseas Development Institute's Research and Policy in Development Programme has increasingly collaborated with or managed large multi-year projects where it has been responsible for helping local institutions and organisations to build their capacity to use knowledge to improve policies and practices. Setting aside the issue of knowledge-to-policy links, this paper serves to 1) reflect on what capacity is and how it develops; 2) identify implications of this for approaches used to promote capacity improvement processes; and 3) assess what this means for funding practices.

Women Leading Change: Experiences promoting women's empowerment, leadership, and gender justice
http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/women-leading-change-experiences-promoting-womens-empowerment-leadership-and-ge-216290

Four case studies describe experiences from Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in promoting women's political and economic empowerment and leadership. Drawn from Oxfam partner organizations which operate in unique environments and have their own approaches, the case studies reveal a number of common themes. They describe the context in which women live, what leadership means and how to achieve it. Attention is given to working within existing institutions and cultural norms, and also to creating new institutions. The final section summarizes common lessons and considerations for future policy and practice aiming to promote women's empowerment and leadership.

New network member

LenCD welcomes the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), set up in Accra in 2005 by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa. It works to strengthen the capacities of civil society organisations in West Africa and to promote and facilitate strategic partnerships between CSOs, governments and the private sector. To learn more about WACSI, please see their organisational profile on the LenCD web site at http://www.lencd.org/member-org/west-africa-civil-society-institute-wacsi, or visit their web site, http://www.wacsi.org.