Welcome to Capacity.org: a gateway for capacity development

Welcome to Capacity.org, a resource portal for the practice of capacity development and the home of Capacity.org journal, published two to three times a year. Building on the topics covered in the journal, this website aims to facilitate access to a broad range of related online resources that practitioners can draw on for their own work. These include the latest research findings, analytical frameworks, policy debates, practical experiences and toolkits. Through links to ongoing discussions and communities of practice, we enable practitioners to find and link up with diverse organizations, professional networks and communities of practice for further support and knowledge exchanges.

Capacity.org collaborates with the Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) and the Capacity Development Network (Capacity.net) to make knowledge resources on capacity development more accessible to policymakers, researchers, development practitioners and funding organizations.

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Tapping the power of women's collective action in agricultural markets

word_document_132619841_canonical_069d06076a Development actors are increasingly prioritising ‘investing in women’ to ensure food security and sustainability—as well as equity—in agricultural development. In this context, collective action is a critical but poorly understood way for women small-scale farmers to strengthen their engagement in agricultural markets.

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To find resources that match your interests or field of expertise, use the "Advanced Search" link below to browse through more than 20 capacity development topics that we track regularly.

Next Issue: Innovative Development Financing

As development budgets continue to face intense pressure, attention is turning to how to achieve greater impact with fewer resources. Issue 47 of Capacity.org will highlight experiences in using innovative development financing to catalyse private investments for pro-poor or inclusive development. We welcome contributions from researchers and practitioners with experience on this topic. See the call for contributions.

Capacity.org Blog

Innovative financing for smallholders: The elusiveness of inclusiveness

May 6, 2013 - Heinz Greijn, Editor-in-Chief, Capacity.org

In order to grow and sustain their livelihood farmers need access to credit. But farmers at the bottom of the pyramid are difficult to reach out to by commercial banks. A commercial bank needs to make profit to sustain its business but there are a multitude of reasons that make it difficult to realize a return on investment from working with small farmers. For local banks it is far easier to invest in government treasury bills than in small farmers. Hence commercial banks tend to work only with large farmers that are well positioned in agricultural value chains. Fortunately not all lenders are driven exclusively by profit.

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Catalysing private investments for development: Call for papers

April 4, 2013 - Heinz Greijn, Editor-in-Chief, Capacity.org

At a time of declining development budgets, attention is turning to how to achieve greater impact with fewer resources. One of the strategies to achieve this is through innovative development financing (IDF) which refers to the innovative use of funds to catalyse private investments for pro-poor or inclusive development in a range of areas including agricultural value chains, water supply systems, renewable energy facilities, education institutes, access to health services etc. However, in many ways knowledge development on IDF is still in its infancy. The next issue of Capacity.org journal aims to shed the spotlight on this important issue by highlighting experiences with IDF, especially at the meso and micro level. We welcome contributions from researchers and practitioners with experience on this topic.

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