Capacity building, also referred to as capacity development, is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing the abilities that will allow them to achieve measurable and sustainable results.
The term capacity building emerged in the lexicon of international development during the 1990s. Today, “capacity building” is included in the programs of most international organizations that work in development, the World Bank (World Bank), The United Nations (UN) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Oxfam International. Wide usage of the term has resulted in controversy over its true meaning. Capacity building often refers to strengthening the skills, competencies and abilities of people and communities in developing societies so they can overcome the causes of their exclusion and suffering.
Organizational capacity building is used by NGOs to guide their internal development and activities.
Read more about Capacity Building: Definitions, History, Capacity Building in Developing Societies, Evaluating Capacity Building, Specification, Capacity Building and Opportunity Management
Famous quotes containing the words capacity and/or building:
“Popularity—The capacity for listening sympathetically when men boast of their wives and women complain of their husbands.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“It would be naive to think that peace and justice can be achieved easily. No set of rules or study of history will automatically resolve the problems.... However, with faith and perseverance,... complex problems in the past have been resolved in our search for justice and peace. They can be resolved in the future, provided, of course, that we can think of five new ways to measure the height of a tall building by using a barometer.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)