It will tackle the fundamental questions of what capacities are needed for effective governance and how these capacities can be developed and strengthened. Using the broader, more inclusive definition of governance, participants will examine the interconnected and mutually reinforcing roles that government, civil society and the private sector all play in promoting effective governance and the unique strength each actor brings to the process. As a starting point, UNDP will apply the framework that it has developed for capacity development and will draw upon the expertise and experience of conference participant s in order to refine this framework and render it more useful and responsive. UNDP defines capacity as the ability of individuals and organizations or organizational units to perform functions effectively, efficiently and sustainably. This implies that capacity is not a passive state, but part of a continuing process, and that human resources are central to capacity development.
Capacity is the power of either an organization or individual to perform or to produce.
Capacity development is a concept that is broader than institutional development since it includes an emphasis on the overall system, environment or context within which individuals, organizations and societies operate and interact. Of special concern to development planners and to situations where there are limited resources is the need to build on what exists to utilize existing capacities, rather than to start from scratch. Plenaries will be interactive, and workshops will be facilitated to ensure active engagement of participants. Each workshop will develop a group product based on the collective insights and experiences of workshop participants. The opening plenary will present the objectives, format and overall theme of the stream, Building Capacities for Governance .