HUMAN CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPHIRE UNIVERSITY
AND
OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA


COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ASSIGNMENT : HUMAN CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME : MSC. CED
COURSE TITLE : PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CODE : ICD 533
CENTRE : ARUSHA

STUDENT NAME : KASSIAN SIA
LECTURERS NAME: DR. JUMA KADUANGA
SUBMISSION DATE: 22 OCTOBER


HUMAN CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT

1.1 Introduction
Human capacity building is increasingly seen as a key component of donor projects in developing and transitional countries such as those of World Bank. However, the capacity concept is often used in a very narrow meaning such as focusing on staff development through formal education and training programs to meet the deficit of qualified personnel in the short term. This essay attempts to discuss the concept human capacity. It will define the concept human capacity, describe factors for the social change and review different theories for the social change. The essay has been organized into three major sections. The first part, which follows after this introduction defines the concept human capacity. The second section discusses the levels of capacity building and the importance of human capacity with reference to the HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. The last part of the essay is conclusion and reflections on the concept.

2.1 The Concept human Capacity
The term capacity has many different meanings and interpretations depending on who uses it and in what context. To begin with, capacity building as a concept is closely related to education, training and human resource development. This conventional concept has changed over recent years towards a broader and more holistic view, covering both institutional and country base initiatives.
Human Capacity Development is therefore a broad-based strategy to enhance a nation’s workforce by linking policy, facilities, and the community. This involves the enhancement and coordination of skills training, recruitment practices, management systems, and policy measures for an effective response to socio-economic challenges such as HIV/AIDS at all levels. Examples of human capacity development approaches include staff recruitment and retention procedures, effective human resource policies, training and utilization of community volunteers, performance improvement strategies, pre-service education, and leadership development.


3.0 LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS OF CAPACITY BUILDING
The previous section has defined the broad concept of capacity building. However, there is an acceptance that capacity building is a much more complex activity which can be reviewed at different levels which may include different dimensions. Capacity is the power/ability of something – a system, and organisation, a person, to perform and produce properly. Capacity issues can then be addressed at three levels. These levels relate to their application of capacity in society and have been identified as follows (UNDP, 1998):

3. 1. The broader system/societal level.
The highest level within which capacity initiatives may be cast is the system or enabling environment level. For development initiatives that are national in context the system would cover the entire country or society and all subcomponents that are involved. For initiatives at a sectoral level, the system would include only those components that are relevant. The dimensions of capacity at systems level may include a number of areas such as policies, legal/regulatory framework, management and accountability perspective, and the resources available.

3. 2. The entity/organisational level.
An entity may be a formal organisation such as government or one of its departments or agencies, a private sector operation, or an informal organisation such as a community based or volunteer organisation. At this level, successful methodologies examine all dimensions of capacity, including its interactions within the system, other entities, stakeholders, and clients. The dimension of capacity at the entity level should include areas such as mission and strategy, culture and competencies, processes, resources (human, financial and information resources), and infrastructure.

3. 3. The group-of-people/individual level.
This level addresses the need for individuals to function efficiently and effectively within the entity and within the broader system. Human Resource Development (HRD) is about assessing the capacity needs and addressing the gaps through adequate measures of education and training. Capacity assessment and development at this third level is considered the most critical. The dimension of capacity at the individual level will include the design of educational and training programs and courses to meet the identified gaps within the skills base and number of qualified staff to operate the systems.
Strategies for capacity assessment and development can be focused on any level, but it is crucial that strategies are formulated on the basis of a sound analysis of all relevant dimensions. It should also be noted that the entry point for capacity analysis and development may vary according to the major focus point of the project. However, it is important to understand that capacity building is not a linear process. Whatever is the entry point and whatever is the issue currently in focus, there may be a need to zoom-in or zoom out in order to look at the conditions and consequences at the upper or lower level(s). Capacity building should be seen as a comprehensive methodology aiming to provide a sustainable outcome through assessing and addressing a whole range of relevant issues and their interrelationships.

4.1 Why is human capacity development important for an effective response to HIV/AIDS?
An inadequate number of well-trained, highly motivated providers has long been a major obstacle to accessible, quality services in developing countries. In Africa particularly, these problems have reached crisis proportions. The AIDS pandemic, for instance, is greatly increasing the number of people requiring care, increasing stress on these overburdened healthcare delivery systems and providers. Simultaneously, doctors, nurses, and midwives are often not providing care because of the stigma associated with AIDS patients, are absent from work to care for a sick family member, are themselves infected with HIV, or have left their countries to seek work abroad. Human resources are being eroded just as countries increasingly need them to provide a growing number of services.
The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief contains a strong treatment component, aiming to treat at least two million people with antiretroviral therapy. In order to dispense and oversee antiretroviral therapy and antibiotics and mobilize communities to care for those affected by AIDS, human capacity development will be more important than ever. It is therefore imperative to incorporate human capacity development strategies into the design and implementation of HIV/AIDS programs in order to ensure the availability of adequate human resources to deliver prevention, care, and treatment services.
5.0 CONCLUSION
This essay has discussed the concept human capacity. It has argued that human capacity development is crucial aspect in addressing the socio-economic challenges which African countries are facing. In Africa, Tanzania in particular, there is serious shortage of human resources who could deal with the multiple challenges facing these countries. There is acute need by the government and donor communities to address the issue of human capacity for development if these countries are to achieve sustainable social change. The current global crisis in human resources can be overcome only through a strategic, systemic and integrated approach that incorporates key interconnected programmatic and managerial components, operating within the context of the external national and health sector environment.

REFERENCES
Assefa, et al,. (2004). Human capacity development for an effective response to HIV/AIDS: the case of Oromia - Ethiopia.
Keilso, J. (2001). Building Human Capacity Through Training, SIT Occasional Papers Series, and Projects in International development and Training.
Enemark, Stig (2003). Understanding the Concept of Capacity Building and the Nature of Land Administrative System, Paris: FIG Working Week
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/aids/TechAreas/multisectoral/hcd2004.html
UNDP (1998): Capacity Assessment and Development. Technical Advisory Paper No.3.
http://magnet.undp.org/Docs/cap/CAPTECH3.htm