A ripple in development - Norad

5.2 Implementation of capacity development strategiesHow has these capacity development strategies been implemented at national , districtand local levels?The way is which capacity development strategies have been implementat the different levels is not very clear from the document set.Kenny (2007) characterised the post-tsunami capacity building inAceh as being of three types: as community development ; as skillingand training ; and as reconstruction (the rebuilding of physical capacitywithout transferring training or skills). This last type Kenny characterisesas the most common type of ‘capacity building ’ in Aceh. This is nota view shared by other authors which go on to record different efforts atcapacity building across a range of areas. The head of BRR made apoint that its objectives did not include such long term aims as buildingthe capacity of local government (AFP, 2007).In Sri Lanka , the ADB noted that shortcomings in capacity buildinginterventions “resulted from factors that relate more to the broad institutional, cultural,and political economy setting of the country than to project interventions”(ADB, 2006, p. 25).In the Maldives , ADB noted that even where capacity building resourceswere provided, these could only be useful where there were staffat an appropriate level to have their capacity built or where an appropriateinstitutional framework existed (ADB, 2007b, pp. 16, 13).5.3 Alignment of supportTo what extent have aid agencies aligned their support with partners’ capacity developmentobjectives and strategies?This question cannot be answered from the document set. The implicitassumption here is that it is appropriate for aid agencies to align theirsupport with partners’ capacity development objectives and strategies.This may not be true 10 .5.4 Use of existing capacitiesHow has the aid community made effective use of existing capacities and harmonisedtheir support for capacity development ?The TEC capacities evaluation highlighted that little use was made ofexisting capacities and noted that: “the disparity between the stated policies ofinternational humanitarian actors and the operational realities in terms of direct execution,engagement with local capacity and community participation . When the aidsystem is under pressure in crisis situations, the imperative to deliver services is dominant– the tsunami response being perhaps an extreme example” (Scheper et al.,2006, p. 11).10For example, a partner may have the objective of increasing fishing capacity . This might beinappropriate if fish stocks are declining.43