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Making Capacity Building Meaningful: A Framework for Strategic Action

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Abstract

This paper aims to give practical meaning to ‘capacity building’ through (a) identifying a suite of practical measures, such as mentoring or best practice guidelines, that have been shown to or are considered to build human, social, institutional, and economic capital; (b) placing these measures within a broader systems framework; and (c) exploring stakeholder feedback on specific measures to inform framework implementation. The 29 measures described provide actors, whether government or nongovernment, with a suite of practical investment choices for building capacity. These measures are then clustered into eight groups according to their primary purpose and placed within a systems framework. The framework provides a tool for actors with responsibilities for or an interest in capacity building to inform more holistic and strategic targeting of effort and investment. Stakeholder feedback gathered through surveys and workshops is subsequently reported to further inform implementation of specific measures within the framework’s eight groupings. The framework presented may be built upon through the identification and inclusion of further capacity building measures. The research is conducted within the context of decentralized governance arrangements for natural resource management (NRM), with specific focus on Australia’s recently formalized 56 NRM regions and their community-based governing boards as an informative arena of learning. Application of the framework is explored in the Australian setting through the identification and comparison of measures supported and most preferred by four major stakeholder groups, namely board members, regional NRM organization staff, policy/research interests, and Indigenous interests. The research also examines stakeholder perceptions of capacity issues, and whether these issues are likely to be addressed through implementing their preferred measures.

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Notes

  1. An additional five reports were provided to or requested by other regional NRM organization staff.

  2. Seven members of Southern Rivers CMA (New South Wales) provided one aggregated survey response (n=1).

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Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge and thank respondents to the national survey, and those who participated in workshops, including Mike Williams (Michael Williams & Associates) for his skilled facilitation of the national workshop. I acknowledge and thank Professor Stephen Dovers, Professor Val Brown and Dr. Richard Baker (The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University) for their advice and guidance. The generous support of the Department of Education, Science and Training (Australian Postgraduate Award), Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (Postgraduate Research Scholarship), The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists (Science Program Scholarship), Land & Water Australia—Knowledge for Regional NRM Project and Social Institutional Research Program (support for consultation processes), and Australian Government NRM Team through the Natural Heritage Trust (support for consultation processes and publication of the discussion paper) is also recognized.

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  1. The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, W. K. Hancock Building (No. 43), Biology Place, Acton, Canberra, 0200, Australia

    Lisa Robins

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Correspondence to Lisa Robins.

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Robins, L. Making Capacity Building Meaningful: A Framework for Strategic Action. Environmental Management 42, 833–846 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9158-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9158-7

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