"The Transformation of Capacity in International Development" exposes the transformation of capacity within the development discourse through a discursive analysis of USAID projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan between 1977 and 2017. As development agendas increasingly call for human rights approaches to development and the foreign policies of donor states sound alarms over global security threats, capacity development has emerged as the solution to the complex problem of development. Through this examination of USAID’s attempts to build capacity in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the book exposes how Western notions of progress, constructed by institutions, government offcials, scholars and private sector actors, are obscured by the transformation of capacity. As agendas are translated into projects, they perpetuate historical relationships of global inequality that have corrupted and compete with indigenous models of governance. The Transformation of Capacity in International Development has implications for those considering the future of human rights–based approaches to development, the international management of global security threats and the sustainability of donor investments.

'The United Nations system was a pioneer in the field of technical cooperation, and capacity development is its central mandate. UNDP has long played an important leadership role in both, as a source of technical cooperation funds and advisory services and as the home of innovative intellectual research and analysis on how to make them more efficient and effective. This book [presents] a vision that builds on new possibilities for knowledge-sharing, for which the revolution in information and communications technologies offers ample opportunities... a vision that is firmly founded on genuine ownership by the ultimate beneficiaries of development efforts: the government and citizens of developing countries' From the Foreword by MARK MALLOCH BROWN, Administrator, UNDP Capacity for Development brings together innovative and well-supported studies of technical cooperation along with its potential to build sustainable capacities in developing countries, by enhancing the knowledge, skills and productive aptitudes of their populations. A team of eminent development professionals and economists examine the achievements of technical cooperation and offer recommendations for reform in the context of globalization, democratisation, the information revolution and the growth of capacities in the South. They analyse the issues from three perspectives: ownership, capacity enablers and knowledge. The team show how the complex processes involved can be restructured to produce local involvement and empowerment, set out a normative framework for the input from society, and describe a new paradigm of knowledge for capacity building in the network age. This book will be essential reading for all development professionals and policy-makers, as well as providing an invaluable research and teaching resource.

The establishment of good governance is a major challenge for the developing world, along with the need to sustain the progress resulting from developmental efforts. Although there are numerous studies on the development and governance of emerging nations, few volumes make a serious effort to bring together these two critical concepts. International Development Governance combines the two concepts - development and governance - by examining the issues and problems faced by nations in their attempts to establish sustainable governance. This textbook also initiates discussions on the concept of development governance in an international context. The book fills the gap in existing literature by drawing upon the experience and expertise of scholars from a broad spectrum of knowledge. Their views explain the issues and problems with reference to a number of tools that could establish "development governance" and sustain it. The text offers in-depth examinations of developmental sectors, resulting in a textbook that will inspire future public officials, policy makers, and consultants to contribute to the betterment of life for citizens of developing countries.

This volume examines the dialogue around global public goods and development cooperation. It asks: how will international cooperation and development institutions be changed? How can we make sure that these global initiatives and institutions are innovating for the better?

This book systematically analyses the EU’s commitment to a human rights-based approach to development through the lens of global justice theory. It identifies limits to the EU’s approach and discusses how standardised policies, particularly in the case of human rights sanctions, may be perceived as neo-colonially intrusive and can come at the cost of recognizing the experiences and interests of vulnerable groups and allowing for partner countries’ democratic ownership of their own development trajectory. Engaging with primary sources including official documents, reports, and 45 semi-structured interviews with EU and member state officials, the book also presents a novel explanation for why the EU, at times, steps out of its commitment to rights-based development and chooses differentiated foreign policy responses to similar situations. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of EU foreign policy, EU development policy human rights, and international relations as well as policy practitioners working in the fields of development, human rights and democracy promotion.

During the negotiations in 2015 that led to the adoption of the Paris Agreement, one of the most contentious issues was the introduction of a dedicated provision in Article 8 on what is known as ‘loss and damage’. The adoption of this new article, however, left many questions unanswered. What is the distinction between ‘loss and damage’, and ‘adaptation’? What are the legal implications of the inclusion of loss and damage as an article in a legal treaty? How can financial assistance and compensation best be channelled to victims of climate change loss and damage? What gaps remain in the loss and damage governance system? The Third Pillar of International Climate Change Policy: On ‘Loss and Damage’ after the Paris Agreement addresses these questions, and numerous others, and explores the present and future of loss and damage in the era of the Paris Agreement. This book provides an up-to-date analysis of ‘loss and damage’ which is often described as the third pillar of international climate change policy. It is based around four main themes: (i) insurance schemes, (ii) key gaps in loss and damage governance, including non-economic loss and damage and slow-onset events, (iii) legal aspects of loss and damage, and (iv) novel approaches to loss and damage. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Climate Policy.

This research assesses woreda capacity in Gindeberet and Abuna Gindeberet Woreda of West Shoa Zone Oromia National Regional State since the implementation of District Level Decentralization Program. To this end, the study assesses the human resource, financial, managerial, facility capacity as well as the extent to which enabling work environment and community participation is available. The findings indicate that the capacity building program which was launched to address the problem of rural woredas has not brought about significant changes though there are some improvements in terms of community participation, service delivery and responsiveness to customers. However, constraints of resources and its utilization, lack of conducive work condition, lack of strong political leadership and commitment, and lack of governance system are identified as factors responsible for the ineffectiveness of the program. It is therefore recommended that for the capacity building effort to be materialized, there is a need for resources and proper utilization, strong political leadership and commitment, enabling work environment and an improved governance system.

This book focuses on the transformation of rural places, peoples, and land endemic to the contemporary manifestations of globalization. Migration, global economic restructuring, and climate change are rapidly transforming rural places across the globe. Yet, global attention characteristically focuses on urban social and economic issues, neglecting the continued roles of rural people and places. Organized around the three core themes of demographic change, rural-urban partnerships and innovations, and landscape change, the case studies included in this volume represent both the Global North and Global South and underscore the complexity and multi-scalar nature of these contemporary challenges in rural development, planning, and sustainability. This book would be valuable supplementary reading for both students and professionals in the fields of rural land management and rural planning.

Digital transformation is revolutionising economies and societies with rapid technological advances in AI, robotics and the Internet of Things. Low and middle-income countries are struggling to gain a foothold in the global digital economy in the face of limited digital capacity, skills, and fragmented global and regional rules.