Measuring Capacity

What is the measure of capacity? This paper on Measuring Capacity attempts to help development practitioners unbundle this question. First, by defining the starting point: an institution’s ability to perform, sustain performance over time, and manage change and shocks; second, by offering programmatic responses that can drive improvement in these areas; and third, by presenting a framework for capturing the resulting change.

"The strength of institutions is central to the achievement of national development goals. Increasingly, development programs aim to strengthen various aspects of national capacities so that they are better able to fulfill their mandates and contribute to achievement of national goals. It has been difficult, however, to draw an accurate picture of the contribution of these programs to the strengthening of institutions, let alone to achievement of development goals. A key obstacle to measuring the change in capacity has been the ambiguity of what the results of capacity development are. This paper hopes to offer a common language with which to articulate results and a common framework in which to capture them." (UNDP 2010 p1)

UNDP capacity measurement framework

Results Chain Approach to Measuring Capacity
UNDP Capacity Measurement Framework

Measuring change in institutional performance, stability and adaptability

Institutional Performance
Institutional Stability
Institutional Adaptability

Measuring programmatic responses based on capacity development core issues

Institutional Arrangements.Leadership
Leadership
Knowledge
Accountability

Programming implications
annex i: examples of impacts, outcomes, outputs and indicators
annex ii: glossary
annex iii: additional resources

Source

UNDP (2010). Measuring Capacity. In Capacity Development. UNDP. Retrieved from http://europeandcis.undp.org/ourwork/cd/show/FF98D677-F203-1EE9-B8D2CD351740FEA77 (archived link)

Measuring Capacity

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