Strengthening Governance and Public Administration Capacities for Development

Resource Date: 04 February 2008

Content Type: Publication

Region: Global

Thematic Area: Governance and Public Institutions

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 the inputs provided by the members of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration. The Committee adopted the theme of capacity-building for development, including post-conflict reconstruction of public administration and crisis/disaster management, as the main agenda item for its seventh session. This note has been prepared to establish an understanding of capacity development in theory and practice, to outline the present needs and challenges of countries in strengthening their governance and public administration capacities, and to offer a framework for the Committee’s discussion and recommendations for Member States, the Economic and Social Council and the United Nations Secretariat in pursuing capacity development objectives and activities in developing countries.

It is now understood that institutional and human capacities, governance and development are interdependent and in a relationship of reciprocal cause and effect. In times of radical transformation and crises, new and renewed forms of governance and public administration capacities are needed to achieve sustainable, people-centred, pro-poor governance and development. This note surveys capacity development issues and challenges and, in so doing, outlines three interdependent levels of governance and public administration capacities: the systems level, the organizational level and the individual level. The systems level reviews transparent and accountable management of elections, legislative, executive and judicial processes, and interface with civil society. The organizational level considers strategic planning, partnership-building and networking, team-building, decentralization, and service-delivery. The individual level addresses effective leadership, career development and professional human resources management, responsiveness to community organizations and individual citizens, and the nature of well-functioning professional associations.