Capacity 2015: Localising the MDGs
A partnership programme focused on capacity development at the local level to achieve the MDGs
What is Capacity 2015?
At the 2005 World Summit all developing countries agreed to adopt and implement, by 2006, national
development strategies to achieve the internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Capacity development is identified and recognized as an essential
driver of development effectiveness and cooperation in this process. Donors have agreed to further align their
assistance with these national strategies to ensure that development assistance is used to build national
capacities, and capacity development is identified as the primary work of UN Country Teams and UNDP.
As a follow up to the Summit, UNDP has proposed an Integrated Package of Services to support countries in
developing capacities to attain the MDGs. Capacity 2015, as the local capacity development arm of this
package, provides a partner programme for scaling up and sustaining capacity development investments and
results at the community and sub national levels, with linkages to national policy and strategic frameworks. To
do so, it provides a cross-sectoral approach and programme framework, partnership links, knowledge sharing
and networking, and policy advisory support to strengthen capacities for achieving the MDGs at sub national
levels. It also offers an opportunity to bring greater cohesion and collaboration among UNDP, UN system and
other partner activities to localise the MDGs. In order to support these efforts, a trust fund has been established
by the UNDP Administrator to provide support for the Capacity 2015 programme.
What does Capacity 2015 provide?
Today, Capacity 2015 is active in over 30 countries in Africa, Arab States, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin
America. It is based on the following four objectives to support inclusive and rights based local development.
(1) Empowering local communities through participatory policy dialogue and strategy options on the
MDGs
Human development at the local level requires leadership skills, organizational capacity and an enabling
environment that allows for dialogue and negotiations among potentially unequal actors. Cap2015 will:
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Promotion of dialogue spaces between and amongst communities on issues of common concern.
Facilitation of access to information in order that communities can make informed development choices.
Skills building on the adaptation and application of diagnostics tools for data collection and analysis
Facilitation of local level needs assessments and target setting exercises to realign priorities and resources.
Strengthening local and community engagement and partnerships in national forum and policy debates on
development strategies, funding, and actions.
Multidisciplinary task forces established at the local level in Gambia, Kenya, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama
and the Solomon Islands, address cross cutting MDG-related challenges such as economic recovery, gender
mainstreaming and engagement of indigenous communities in the development process; The “Community
Mubaan” initiative supported in Thailand enables communities to share success stories on conservation and
poverty reduction; Partnership Facilities established at the regional level in Albania to promote responsive local
citizenship in voicing their needs and proposed solutions in the development planning and implementation
process, and forges horizontal cooperation among regions, municipalities and communes; Community Dialogue
initiatives in the lower Mekong facilitates local communities and local government discussion on governance of
natural resources.
(2) Strengthening local capacities for integrated planning and MDG strategies for local development
Capacity for local development processes has to be addressed in an integrated manner in order to be effective,
with emphasis on partnerships between public, private and civil society actors. Cap2015 undertakes:
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Capacity development initiatives to enhance community participation in integrated planning approaches.
Facilitation of transparent monitoring systems and processes that involve local communities
Support to the implementation of decentralisation policies and local governance practices, for effective and
efficient local administration.
Strengthening procedures, institutional arrangements and incentive mechanisms for local government and
non-government stakeholder engagement in national and local poverty reduction exercises and budgeting
processes.
Training and capacity development advisory services for MDG-based local development processes are
underway in Albania, Turkey, Cuba, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. A “Millennium Local Watch” will be
established in Turkey for providing effective awareness and advocacy for the adoption and realization of MDGs
at the national and local levels; Local Forums established in Azerbaijan facilitate MDGs-linked municipal
planning; Developing the capacities of government ministries and civil society organizations in MDG based
strategic planning and the formulation of a local MDG Report has been introduced at the municipality level in
Jordan and Libya; district level integrated planning methodologies facilitated in Tanzania and Kenya, with
linkages to national level; In several countries more integrated planning and budgeting processes have been
supported, linked to local institutional reforms: For example, in Ukraine (training local actors in strategic planning
and project management ), in Armenia, (training of local governments in participatory and programme
budgeting), in Albania (introducing a training manual on MDG-based regional development strategies, with
training in leadership skills and change management), in Georgia (a comprehensive capacity development
strategy for the Tbilisi municipality), and in Romania and Bulgaria (capacity development in resource and
programme planning for the absorption of EU structural and cohesion funds).
(3) Facilitating capacity investments in institutions of service delivery
Scaling-up capacities to ensure the MDGs actually benefit local administration and local communities, requires
urgent and large investments in basic service delivery to poor and marginalized groups in each country.
Cap2015 promotes:
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Supporting the capacities of small and micro local businesses to provide more jobs and better incomes to
local communities, including promotion of public-private partnerships aimed at enhancing service delivery.
Strengthening capacities of local administration to provide proper monitoring and oversight of local
procurement and service delivery.
Training of local officials, municipal and district councils on strategies, institutional and legal frameworks to
support the informal sector, income-generating activities and access to credit.
Supporting resilience building facilities in small island developing states to overcome disasters and better
manage risk at local levels.
Facilitating local level coordination mechanisms for integrated planning, management, and service delivery.
A review of local service delivery mechanisms underway in a number of localities in Kenya to understand
current constraints and gaps for a CD response; Local governance and decentralization training organized by
Czech association of municipalities for Tajikistan local authorities to promote good practices on service delivery
and local administration; facilitation of the economic empowerment of women in Libya and Bahrain, to engage
more actively in local planning and business opportunities; Launch of a Resilience Building Facility at the
Mauritius Conference on SIDS with pilots in Fiji and Cuba; training of Council leaders in Central America in
Guatemala, and Nicaragua to link provincial and municipal councils for more effective management and
oversight of the development process in their localities.
(4) Codifying local knowledge, promoting learning and experience sharing at local levels
The collection and dissemination of case study evidence and good practice on localisation of the MDGs at
country level and regional levels involves a series of Cap2015 actions as follows:
- Development and facilitation of integrated information systems with local institutions.
- Review, updating and application of tools for local level capacity assessments and leadership development.
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Empowerment of communities through the promotion of community based experiences and peer-to-peer
learning and knowledge exchanges.
Review, development and consolidation of tools, approaches and methodologies to facilitate more
systematic and rigorous efforts at localisation of the MDGs.
Capacity Development information, learning, and networking nodes (ILNs) established, and facilitating
information flows between local and regional think tanks, CBOs, universities and local governments in Southern
Africa, Central America and Eastern Europe; A SIDS Universities Consortium facilitated, linking universities in
Mauritius, Fiji, Samoa, Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Malta and others; Tertiary education institutes linked to
locals development planning needs and skills, piloted in West Africa; Compilation of lessons learned from 200
small grants projects reviewed and shared through local institutions and networks; Codification of indigenous
knowledge in community development underway in Central America; establishment of a community of practice
on localising the MDGs and local governance initiated in the Arab States; A Toolkit for Localising the MDGs will
be complete by end 2005 for adaptation as needed in requesting localities; a toolkit and a training program on
PPP for public service provision in Europe and the CIS is in use; Regional Modules for Local Leadership
Development in 15 countries in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa are under preparation.
How does Capacity 2015 work?
A decentralised structure:
Capacity 2015 is decentralized to deliver. The strength of the partnership programme lies in a regionally-based
programme and policy presence in five UNDP Regional Centres (Bangkok, Beirut, Bratislava, Dakar and
Panama City). Capacity development teams work closely with the UNDP practice teams, other UN agencies,
and national and local institutions, to collaborate on cross-sector and multi institution initiatives. Cohesion is
achieved though a network of focal points at the country level within and outside UNDP and independent higherlevel steering committees at the regional and global levels.
A UNDP Capacity Development Fund will provide windows of support to policy advisory work, programme
development, applied research and capacity analysis, local tools development and validation, knowledge
products, partnering and networking.
Enhancing internal cohesion for scaling-up support
Capacity 2015 draws on the lessons and experience from a large number of UNDP country, regional and global
initiatives across all of the Practice areas such as: Capacity 21; Community conversations and leadership
programme for HIV/AIDS; Urban Management Programme (UMP): Local Initiative Facility for the Urban
Environment (LIFE); Public-Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment (PPPUE), Decentralized
Governance Programme (DGP); GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP); World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty
(WACAP), Capacity Development Innovation Facility (CDIF) and others. It has also learned from and works
with a large number of non UNDP partners, as illustrated on the next page.
The Capacity 2015 programme will continue to collaborate closely with such local level initiatives, in order to
complement UNDP and other partner efforts aimed at the localisation of the MDGs.
A Global Partnership Programme:
Capacity 2015 works with external institution partnerships, partnerships with the UN system, and UNDP
programme and knowledge facilities. A few illustrative examples:
External Partners
British Petroleum – Supports a
natural gas project aimed at
empowering local government
members toward sustainable
use of natural resources.
UN Partners
UNDP Knowledge Facilities
Equator Initiative - Helps to
Capacity Development
Innovation Facility (CDIF) –
Mainstreams the knowledge
base on capacity development
in the UN and supports countrylevel innovation with a small
grants facility.
develop capacities at the
grassroots level to reduce poverty
through the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity.
Global Environment Facility
LEAD International - Works on
local leadership development,
by training local champions as a
key leverage point in reaching
for the MDGs.
SNV - Works on quality
improvement in capacity
development methodology for
local level development by
producing 10-15 resource kits, a
knowledge sharing network and
publications.
Millennium Institute Promotes national visioning and
scenario building across
environmental, social, and
political sectors through models
such as Threshold 21.
Open Society Institute –
Supports capacity development
of local governance and
decentralisation efforts in
Eastern Europe & CIS
Universities Consortium –
Partners Small Island
Developing States (SIDS)
Universities in forging agreed
curricula based on vulnerability
reduction and resiliency.
(GEF) - Aims to broaden the
impacts of capacity development
activities, including national
capacity assessments, indicators
to monitor progress, and learning
from small grants experiences.
Small Grants Programme
(SGP)- this strategic partnership
combines the coverage of the
SGP with Capacity 2015 ability to
synthesise lessons from the
experience and consolidate
knowledge products
Local Initiative Facility for
the Urban Environment
(LIFE) – Works toward
sustainable development through
local-level dialogue, stakeholder
participation, and partnerships.
Special Unit for SouthSouth Cooperation – Fosters
south-south and triangular
cooperation through information
and learning exchanges.
United Nations Capital
Development Fund (UNCDF)
Capacity Development
Website and Network –
Provides current capacity
development resources, tools,
expert rosters, and facilitates
vertical and horizontal
knowledge networking.
Capacity Development for
MDGs Development Gateway
– Provides MDG-related
capacity development
resources, access to networks,
and interactive discussions
PPPUE (Public-Private
Partnerships for the Urban
Environment) - Supports
public-private partnerships at
the local level.
Resilience Building Facility –
Assists SIDS and LDCs to
develop capacities to reduce
vulnerability through building
resilience.
– Contributes to achievement of
MDGs in LDCs through
microfinance and local
development initiatives.
United Nations Fund for the
Empowerment of Women
(UNIFEM) – Provides strategies
that foster empowerment and
gender equality.
For more information please contact:
Capacity 2015
Capacity Development Group, BDP/UNDP
304 East 45th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 906-5367 / Fax: (212) 906-5896
Email: capacity2015@undp.org / Web: http://www.capacity.undp.org