Briefing Papers Number 22, September 2013 | Page 10

This should include a focus
on factors that make reforms
and capacity development
STABILITY OF FOOD SYSTEMS
happen, such as increasing
POLICY OPTION
AVAILABILITY OF FOOD
ACCESS TO FOOD
USE OF FOOD
citizen participation and
Access to information and
• Information and
• New technology, especially to reduce the time
knowledge
communication technology
burden on women and increase equality of
strengthening capacity for
access to information
• Innovations in farm
institutional and policy
technologies
• Basic education
change.
Voice and participation
• Producer organizations
• Targeted cash transfer programs
Some past efforts to
• Gender-sensitive participatory
• Civil society organizations
strengthen local capacity
methods for varietal selection
have been hindered by a lack
and breeding
of focus on indicators of sucSocial justice and
• Social audits
cess and whether there are,
accountability
• Accountable institutions
in fact, any concrete results
• Rights and guarantees, especially for women
to show improved capacity.
• Access and control over land, with a focus on women
Capacity development has
• Media freedoms
traditionally been associated
Source: UNDP 2012.
with knowledge transfer and
training of individuals, yet
opment assistance to be country-led and better coordinated. it is a complex, non-linear and long-term change process
The Busan Framework calls for inclusive country ownership in which no single factor (e.g., information, education and
with new roles and responsibilities for most development training, technical assistance, policy advice) is by itself an
actors. Resilience against climate change-related shocks is explanation for the development of capacity. Ultimately,
just one example of a goal that depends on the capacity of developing capacity is about addressing the specific needs
each developing country to build on the gains achieved with of partner countries and communities through three interdonor assistance rather than having donor assistance replace linked dimensions: individual, organizational, and enabling
environment.
its own efforts.
The United States through its USAID Forward reform
Today, critical questions about strengthening local
capacity must include: What examples are inspiring? What agenda should continue to emphasize a results-driven and
is working here? What isn’t? And, perhaps most importantly, systemic framework—based on rigorous needs assessment,
what is missing? In the post-2015 agenda, the first steps innovative change process logic, and participatory implecould be to identify the barriers inhibiting local capacity mentation—that is driven by genuine local ownership,
development—Programs in silos? Competing interests? Con- adaptive management, and measurable results. Within the
flicting incentives?—and develop action plans to help break USAID Forward reform agenda, Feed the Future is a good
down those barriers. In this approach, development results place to start. Its implementation should be used to illustrate
will be measured not only by short-term outputs, nor even the value of the U.S. government’s renewed commitment to
only by longer-term outcomes, but also by how well actors strengthening local capacity in countries.
At the global level, good governance وH