The Human Factor in Capacity-Building for Development - Committee of Experts on Public Administration

Resource Date: 14 January 2009

Content Type: Publication

Region: Global

Thematic Area: Leadership and Public Servants’ Capacities

Contributor: UN DESA/DPIDG

Resource Language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish

The present note by the Secretariat has been prepared on the basis of an outline provided by the members of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration. The Committee adopted the theme of the human factor in capacity-building for development, as the main agenda item for its eighth session (see Economic and Social Council decision 2008/254).

The present note has been prepared to establish the understanding that people matter most in development because they are its beneficiaries as well as its architects. This is the crux of the human factor in capacity-building for development. Building institutional and human capacities to enable public servants to sustain development through effective delivery of services to all must be taken seriously. Governments must manage their public services through human resources management regimes that can best attract a fair share of the best talent, motivate personnel, encourage learning new and effective ways of service delivery, and sustain continuous capacity development to keep pace with demands for better, faster and more equitable service delivery. The public service needs to pay particular attention to strengthening technical capacity in the various areas of service delivery, including information and communications technology, finance, accounting and environment management. However, Governments also need to enhance the leadership capacity of public servants, which is necessary for harmonious, equitable and peaceful development.