@article{Babu:56122,
      recid = {56122},
      author = {Babu, Suresh Chandra and Sengupta, Debdatta},
      title = {Capacity Development as a Research Domain: Frameworks,  Approaches, and Analytics},
      address = {2006},
      number = {591-2016-39901},
      series = {ISNAR Division Discussion Paper},
      pages = {71},
      year = {2006},
      abstract = {Strengthening national capacity for designing public  policies and program
interventions is fundamental for  achieving development goals. Yet results of  capacity
strengthening programs have shown mixed results in  the last fifty years. Capacity
development, as a field of  scientific enquirty still lacks a unified framework  among
development professionals.
Capacity development is  defined as the process by which individuals,  groups,
organizations, institutions, and societies increase  their ability to perform core functions,
solve problems,  define and achieve objectives, and understand and  sustainably deal with
development issues. The concept of  capacity as an integral component of development
agendas is  not new, yet it has only recently been acknowledged that  development plans
and goals cannot be achieved without  adequate local capacity. Increased attention to the
lack of  capacity and the absence of relevant institutions has  brought to light their
importance in the successful design,  implementation, and evaluation of development
plans,  programs, and policies. Despite this now common wisdom,  research-based
information on how to strengthen  institutions and institutional capacity in  developing
countries is severely lacking.
This paper  attempts to review the emerging theories, frameworks,  approaches,
and analytics of capacity development. After  developing a rationale for capacity
development research,  it presents potential research themes. Arguing for a  new
economics of capacity development, it concludes with  some possible impacts of
considering capacity strengthening  as a research domain.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/56122},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.56122},
}