Definition Of Capacity Building Research Articles

Evaluating the capacity building roles of the state and territory peak bodies in the Australian alcohol and other drug sector

The Australian alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector has a diverse range of actors, including the nongovernment (NGO) service providers. Representing these services in each of Australian states and territories are AOD sector peak bodies. Their national network commissioned an evaluation of their capacity building (CB) activities and outcomes. The network and the evaluator developed a working definition of CB: Capacity building is a strategy that improves the ability of AOD workers, services and/or the broader AOD system to achieve better AOD health and social outcomes. The utilisation-focused evaluation (UFE) model was adopted for this project. The evaluation found that sound outcomes have been produced by the peaks’ CB work, and that includes valued changes in the service delivery work of the NGO sector. The CB strategies that are particularly important for attaining the desired outcomes were identified. The CB strategies and activities have been implemented well, and have delivered value for money, though sustainability remains a concern. The evaluation concluded that the peak bodies are ideally placed to deliver CB initiatives. The evaluation’s recommendations have been implemented, and process utilisation of the evaluation has been observed among its participants.

The role of communication in the delivery of water services to communities

The key to providing sustainable water and sanitation services to communities lies in the proper understanding by all the parties involved of their roles, responsibilities and what the outcomes will be. The extent to which engineers and communities were able to communicate and understand one another was investigated in a number of case studies in South Africa. The findings of the study showed the importance of understanding the nature of communication, the real needs of the community, the explanation of the roles of the participants, the identification of the appropriate level of service and the definition of capacity building.

Mapping capacity in the health sector: a conceptual framework.

Capacity improvement has become central to strategies used to develop health systems in low-income countries. Experience suggests that achieving better health outcomes requires both increased investment (i.e. financial resources) and adequate local capacity to use resources effectively. International donors and non-governmental agencies, as well as ministries of health, are therefore increasingly relying on capacity building to enhance overall performance in the health sector. Despite the growing interest in capacity improvement, there has been little consensus among practitioners and academics on definitions of 'capacity building' and how to evaluate it. This paper aims to review current knowledge and experiences from ongoing efforts to monitor and evaluate capacity building interventions in the health sector in developing countries. It draws on a wide range of sources to develop (1) a definition of capacity building and (2) a conceptual framework for mapping capacity and measuring the effects of capacity building interventions. Mapping is the initial step in the design of capacity building interventions and provides a framework for monitoring and evaluating their effectiveness. Capacity mapping is useful to planners because it makes explicit the assumptions underlying the relationship between capacity and health system performance and provides a framework for testing those assumptions.