Supporting Community-Based Capacity Development
Part of the Capacity Development series
Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world, with an estimated population of 10,440, is an isolated and resource-poor country that relies mainly on royalties received for access to its exclusive economic zone and remittances as its main sources of foreign exchange. This case study describes how the Falekaupule Trust Fund (FTF) was established in the 1990s, with support from the Asian Development Bank, as a mechanism to help build capacity for outer island development, relying on participatory methods to "put power in the hands of community members."
Improving Government
Part of the Capacity Development series
Capacity development is central to improving standards of living and reducing poverty in developing member countries. It is much more than just training or skills transfer; it is about effective institutions, a sound unpoliticized policy environment, accountability systems, effective relationships, and appropriate incentives. As noted in this study, capacity development should be firmly rooted in a country's political economy. It is a means to an end---the end being improved government performance.
A New Vision for the Health Sector in Tonga
Change and Capacity Development Strategies
Part of the Capacity Development series
Problems facing Tonga's health care system intensified in the 1990s leading eventually to a decision by the government to address the "core problem", the Ministry of Health's planning, management, and coordination capacity. This case explores how attempts to enhance Ministry's organizational capacity, and improve its organizational culture, were aided by: consistent and strategic leadership and political support, participatory approaches, a clear sense of the capacity challenges, and the facilitative role played by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The paper describes it as a process of "developing Tongan solutions to Tongan problems".
From Dependency to Sustainability
A Case Study on the Economic Capacity Development of the Ok Tedi Mine-area Community
Part of the Capacity Development series
The Star Mountain Investment Holding Limited (SMIHL) is a Papua New Guinean (PNG) landowner holding company operating in Western Province, in the shadows of the huge Ok Tedi mine. The initiative drew on a Future Generation Fund and was, for the community, a response to years of frustration with wasted opportunities for economic development which were attributed to a lack of organizational and economic development capacity, capture of benefits by local elites, and the absence of a consensus on how to address the community's long-term interests. Among other things, the case highlights the value of locally-led and facilitated change processes, and the understanding of local cultural dynamics and capacity issues that goes with it.
Learning from Success
Part of the Capacity Development series
The study contains analyses and recommendations on the approaches to capacity development that work best and the conditions that have been conducive to their success, the unique challenges faced by Pacific developing member countries in addressing capacity constraints, and the implications for future interventions at both the strategic and operational levels.
Fishing for Development
Part of the Capacity Development series
In the 1990s, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) turned its fisheries industry to a more open, lucrative and private sector driven, with the support of a series of strategic capacity development interventions sponsored by the Asian Development Bank. The turnaround in RMI's fisheries sector, which is described in this case as "one of the more positive episodes in the economic history of the Marshall Islands", was attributed, at least in part, to the leadership of RMI stakeholders, effective use of external advisors, and a flexible, adaptive and holistic approach to sector reforms.
The Provincial Performance Improvement Initiative
Papua New Guinea: A Case Study on Subnational Capacity Development
Part of the Capacity Development series
The Provincial Performance Improvement Initiative (PPII) is an undertaking of the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) that seeks to improve public administration at the subnational level. The case study describes how PPII has benefited from "enthusiastic leadership" and a high level of PNG ownership. The initiative has also built on a systematic diagnosis of capacity issues, with PNG stakeholders playing a central role in both the diagnosis and in the subsequent preparation of capacity development plans for participating provinces. This initiative that is funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has a projected time frame of 15-20 years with a design that recognizes the need to proceed at a pace consistent with the capabilities and absorptive capacity of participating provinces and districts.
A Tale of Two CDs
Capacity Development and Community Development in the Waste, Water, and Sanitation Sector in Kiribat
Part of the Capacity Development series
A 1993 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)-funded study reported that water and sanitation problems in South Tarawa, Kiribati had become critical and needed to be addressed in "as comprehensive a manner as possible." This led to a series of interventions including several Asian Development Bank (ADB)-sponsored projects which focused on the community participation component that the Government of Kiribati had come to recognize as key to sustainability. The case study highlights the second of these projects---a positive example of country-led networking and coalition building that demonstrates the potential for harnessing capacity of multiple actors with shared interests.
Reconstructing a Fragile State
Institutional Strengthening of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in Solomon Islands
by Samson Maeniuta Rihuoha
Part of the Capacity Development series
Emerging from the ethnic tensions that tore the Solomon Islands apart from 1998 to 2003, the country's Ministry of Infrastructure Development faced a number of serious challenges. Given the vast needs in the Solomon Islands, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development was called upon to take a leading role in post-conflict reconstruction and providing some of the foundations for economic renewal. This case study examines how capacity issues were addressed within the ministry in the post-conflict period and how the sense of crisis which prevailed in the country opened up opportunities to explore new institutional arrangements and ways of addressing infrastructure issues.
Building Capacity through Participation
Nauru National Sustainable Development Strategy
Part of the Capacity Development series
For years, Nauru, a small Pacific island nation (population 10,000), benefited from the considerable wealth generated from its only major natural resource, phosphate. However, when that resource was almost exhausted and national assets held under the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust had been reduced to relatively minor holdings, the Government of Nauru sought and received assistance from the Asian Development Bank and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to prepare a National Sustainable Development Strategy to guide future development in the country. This case study examines innovative efforts to strengthen participatory capacity in Nauru to support development of the new strategy, focusing on the design and implementation of a participatory planning process which engendered wide community engagement and included communications with communities about the choices and trade-offs facing them moving forward.
The Role of USPNet in Capacity Development in the South Pacific Region
Part of the Capacity Development series
The University of the South Pacific (USP), a regional university, has changed its delivery systems for teaching and learning over the years to serve the growing needs for tertiary education of students living on the thousands of small and remote islands in the Pacific Ocean. This case study examines how the university has relied on its communications technology system (USPNet) to enhance its role as a regional capacity development center for students, public and private institutions, and civil society in the region. The case offers interesting insights on the opportunities and challenges associated with relying on regional institutions to address capacity issues while also drawing attention to some of the capacities which are particularly important to the effective functioning of networks.
Vanuatu Legal Sector Strengthening Program
Part of the Capacity Development series
The Vanuatu Legal Sector Strengthening Program (VLSSP) was launched in 2002 at a time when "the public was calling for a revamp of the whole judiciary." This case study describes how VLSSP, which was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), contributed to Vanuatu's legal sector capacity through professional development of staff, relationship building, administrative reforms, review of laws, and infrastructure improvements. It highlights a number of factors which contributed to the success of the program, as well as some of the challenges in sustaining reforms, including retaining trained staff in a competitive job market.
Making Things Simpler?
Harmonizing Aid Delivery in the Cook Islands
Part of the Capacity Development series
A 2001 report by the Australian Agency for International Development and the New Zealand Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade marked the beginning of efforts by both governments to increase their emphasis on aid harmonization in the Pacific. This was followed by a decision to pilot a cofunded program in the Cook Islands which is the subject of this case study. The case is presented through the eyes of Garth Henderson, the senior Cook Islands official responsible for aid management. This report describes how the Cook Islands government, through the aid harmonization process, enhanced its capacity for aid management while strengthening national ownership and forging a shared sense of direction by all stakeholders.
Bridging the State-Society Gap
The Community Justice Liaison Unit of Papua New Guinea
Part of the Capacity Development series
The Community Justice Liaison Unit was established under Papua New Guinea's (PNG) law and justice sector program, with the support of the Australian government, to enhance the capacity of PNG's civil society and facilitate its involvement in policy development and delivery of services in the justice sector. The case study highlights those efforts in a context characterized by broad-based ownership of sector reforms and shared interests among civil society and government actors. In addition, it underscores the role external actors can play in supporting traditional institutions---such as PNG approaches to mediation and restorative justice---while encouraging links between the formal and informal aspects of the justice system.
Revamping the Cook Islands Public Sector
Part of the Capacity Development series
A 2001 report by the Australian Agency for International Development and the New Zealand Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade marked the beginning of efforts by both governments to increase their emphasis on aid harmonization in the Pacific. This was followed by a decision to pilot a cofounded program in the Cook Islands which is the subject of this case study. The case is presented through the eyes of Garth Henderson, the senior Cook Islands official responsible for aid management. This report describes how the Cook Islands government, through the aid harmonization process, enhanced its capacity for aid management while strengthening national ownership and forging a shared sense of direction by all stakeholders.
Responding to the Youth Crisis
Developing Capacity to Improve Youth Services: A Case Study from the Marshall Islands
Part of the Capacity Development series
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a relatively new nation, with half of its population under the age of 18 years. This study tells the story of how the Government of the Marshall Islands, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, set out to strengthen domestic capacity to improve services for the youth. The case highlights the importance of participatory processes and describes how an innovative approach to outsourcing youth welfare services to civil service providers was introduced. It also underscores some of the challenges of sustaining reforms with weak institutions and leadership.