Can Collaborative Capacity Generate Better Development Results in Africa?

African societies face tough choices building capacity both in the public and non-governmental sectors. Global calls to action to improve the results of capacity development prompted the World Bank Institute (WBI) and African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) to organize a dialogue on these topics among key African government and civil society leaders in April 2012, as part of the World Bank Spring Meetings.

African leaders discussed Africa’s capacity needs, challenges and gains along demand and supply lines based on their reading of the pulse of African stakeholder groups and development actors. The discussion and analysis led to insights on how building collaborative capacity among government, civil society and an engaged citizenry could alleviate some of the capacity and accountability pressures faced by fragile states.

The increasingly blurred demarcation between those that demand and those that supply could be shifted more to a collaborative space in which all sectors are engaging in the development process. Leveraging state and non-state expertise, experience and coalitions across the continent could be critical to improve country-led capacity development and enhance development effectiveness.

Do you agree on the benefits of collaborative capacity and the noted trends related to capacity in Africa?