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Views from the Field: In Conversation with the EU Ambassador to the Philippines
The Philippines, comprising over 7,000 Pacific islands, has wide gaps in living standards and opportunities and faces numerous development challenges. EU Ambassador Franz Jessen explains how the EU is working with the Duterte administration on areas such as human rights, health and law and order.1 0 806
Matter for the SDGs - ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme
Sand, gravel and salt may have a low price per tonne, but their value for domestic development and their potential for local employment creation is significant, especially when compared to the more talked about minerals like copper and gold. With 70% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, these humble ‘Development Minerals’ will play a crucial role in building homes and urban environments. The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, supported by the EU and UNDP, have initiated a capacity-building programme to develop this sector sustainably and improve livelihood opportunities.2 3 3 344
Views from the Field: in Conversation with the EU Ambassador to Cuba
Herman Portocarero became the EU's first fully-fledged ambassador to Cuba in July 2012. In Havana he oversees development cooperation as well as political, trade and investment links. He spoke to Capacity4dev shortly before the EU and Cuba signed a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, a new legal framework which aims to support the transition process of the Cuban economy and society.1 0 1 711
Towards the Right Care for Children
Millions of children around the world grow up in residential facilities despite not being orphans, and many more in ‘alternative care’ within their wider families or communities. There is worrying evidence of care systems’ failure to protect children’s rights in developing and middle-income countries, and open questions around accountability when care is provided by the non-government sector. The European Commission funded a study on alternative care systems to inform development cooperation.1 0 1 784
Capacitating South Africa’s LGBTI Organisations to Track Human Rights Abuses
South Africa is sometimes known as “the gay heaven” of Africa, where same-sex marriage is legal and human rights for all are enshrined in the post-Apartheid Constitution. But there is a gulf between the legal framework and the LGBTI community’s lived experience. Discrimination and brutal hate crimes continue, especially in rural areas. ZwaKala is an EU-funded programme implemented by Iranti-org which builds local capacity to document and report on hate crimes and human rights violations.1 0 1 644
EU Risk Capital Facility - Helping SMEs Create Jobs in South Africa
Joblessness is a longstanding challenge for South Africa where the unemployment rate is 26% - officially. Off the record it’s closer to 40%, according to Milly Chesire at the EU Delegation in Pretoria, and hits 70% among historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs). This group is made up of black South Africans, women and people with disabilities, and it is these people the EU is helping the South African government to reach with funding for small and medium-sized enterprises via the Risk Capital Facility. Capacity4dev visited Americandy, a confectionary business in Johannesburg, to see how it works.0 0 3 418
Teaching teachers – an innovative primary school set-up in Soweto
A crucial element in creating an inclusive education system is training its teachers – which is where the bulk of the EU’s budget support for education in South Africa goes. One teacher education programme in Soweto is experimenting with a new model, bringing primary school children onto a university campus. It creates a much-needed quality primary school in an under-served area, and bridges theory and practice for the student teachers.1 1 8 430
Views from the Field: Q&A with Fiona Ramsey, EU Head of Cooperation in Cambodia
Classed as a lower middle income country, Cambodia is a growing economy that is still marked by its history, notably the Khmer Rouge period. In the first of a new monthly series of articles featuring interviews with EU Delegations Heads of Cooperation, Fiona Ramsey shares best practice examples of the Cambodian Delegation’s work on joint programming and budget support, as well as advice for other delegations thinking of using these tools.1 2 1 700
Leveraging EU Businesses for Development in Tanzania
The Agenda 2030 called for a fresh approach to trade, investment and the private sector as key components in sustainable development, and attracting long-term investment from the European private sector in partner countries is one important element. We hear from Rodrigo Romero van Cutsem, Programme Officer at the EU Delegation to Tanzania, about a two-year-old platform for dialogue and exchange between the local and European private sector, government and development partners.0 0 802
Opening Borders for East Africa’s Traders – and Doing It Sustainably
Improving intra-African trade is increasingly on the radar as a crucial factor in the continent’s sustainable development, and donors are getting involved to support public-private dialogue and provide technical assistance. We hear from TradeMark East Africa’s Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba on reducing barriers to trade, ensuring sustainability, and the impact this work is having for women traders.1 0 2 441
MEP Interview: Working Towards Change
Following a critical report from the European Court of Auditors in 2007 on how the Commission delivers technical cooperation, EuropeAid embarked on a programme of reform.0 0 4 035
Containing the Fall-out of the Global Financial Crisis in Developing Countries
The darkest days of the global financial crisis are fading away to reveal green shoots of economic growth in much of the developed world. But in developing nations the effects of the downturn are still being felt and could get worse, say some experts who want to see more decisive action from donors.0 0 5 854
Making Technical Cooperation More Effective: Mission Possible?
EuropeAid Director General Koos Richelle used the public launch of the capacity4dev.eu website to express his firm personal commitment to technical cooperation reform.0 0 4 082
Improving Performance Measurement in the Social Sectors
There are abundant stories about over-ambitious targets and badly chosen indicators in Performance Assessment Frameworks. So should we do away with PAFs as instruments for sector capacity development? No, says Willem Cornelissen from the Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam and trainer for the Aid Delivery Method Programme of EuropeAid, but there is ample room for improving their use in the social sectors and develop related capacities.0 4 11 269
South-South Cooperation Moving to Centre Stage
South-South Cooperation is moving up the international aid effectiveness agenda. Colombia is hosting a high-level event on South-South Cooperation and capacity development in March 2010. Capacity4dev.eu will follow the debate up to that event and gives a first overview in this article.0 0 4 530
EC Procedures Prove Weighty in Suriname
Development cooperation between the European Commission and the Government of Suriname has hit a rocky patch of late. But the small South American nation is forging ties with the Asian economic giant, China that could offer some alternatives to the EC’s technical cooperation, according to Volker Hauck and André Debongnie, who facilitated a TC learning event in Suriname in October.0 0 4 224
Mapping of European Commission's Technical Cooperation
As part of the Backbone Strategy, EC Delegations have screened ongoing and forthcoming technical cooperation operations and PIUs against key quality criteria. A mapping grid has been sent to Headquarters by Delegations at the end of January 2009. A consolidated picture of technical cooperation emerged from this exercise showing the diversity of situations major challenges for quality improvements.0 0 4 728
A Tale of Two Crises
The worst of the global financial crisis may have passed, but could a sovereign debt crisis follow in its wake? This tale of two crises is still to play out, according to the World Bank’s Carlos Braga.0 0 4 802
EU Restates Commitment to Tackling Corruption
The European Commission has restated its commitment to tackling corruption, both within member states and in partner countries that benefit from EC assistance, as a recent report found that most Europeans consider graft a major problem in their country.0 1 4 016
The Story of an Institution
A A new series by the United Nations Development Programme aims to detail institutional transformations, at the national and local level, which have been led and driven by the institutions themselves. Many of the featured institutions have received support from UNDP at the country level.0 0 3 437
Technical Cooperation and Spain's EU Presidency
With the start of the New Year, Spain assumed the presidency of the European Union. During Spain’s six-month term the EU is set to implement a framework that includes measures on technical cooperation for enhanced capacity development and the new presidency has already thrown the spotlight on the role of southern partners.0 1 4 394
Spain's Practice in Technical Cooperation
As the new holder of the European Union presidency, Spain is taking a hands-on approach to shaping the use of technical cooperation for capacity development (see related article). So what’s Spain’s track record in this area?0 0 3 928
New Tool Increases Focus on Quality Assessment of Technical Cooperation
EuropeAid has developed a new Technical Cooperation Quality Assessment Grid, which must be used by its task managers to self-assess quality of TC. This gives a clear signal that focus on quality has moved up a gear as the European Commission reform of TC enters its second phase.0 3 3 643
Time to Learn and Act
As a high level meeting on South-South Cooperation and Capacity Development approaches, there is a growing push to get from talking to walking.0 0 4 089
Citizens Become Actors in the Fight Against Corruption
The European Commission's support to Transparency International's Advocacy and Legal Advice Centres provides an encouraging example of capacity building of civil society organisations and an imaginative approach to how citizens can play an active role in the fight against corruption.1 0 10 372
Demand-Driven Planning Produces Harmonised Donor Support
A European Commission programme of budget support in Paraguay has enabled the government to address weaknesses within the country’s financial administration systems, according to Sergio Forte, Deputy Minister of Finance.0 0 4 773
Pushed for Time? Watch the Guidelines on Technical Cooperation!
We know that keeping abreast of latest European Commission policy is time consuming. So, to lighten your load, capacity4dev.eu has produced a fun video version of The Guidelines on Making Technical Cooperation More Effective. Watch and learn!0 0 5 767
Quake Disaster Shouldn't Detract from Long-term Objectives
Haiti is still reeling from a devastating earthquake, but its leaders don’t want the humanitarian relief operation to detract from the country’s long-term development objectives and the Commission has offered its support, according to top officials.0 0 6 835
It Takes More Than a Computer
Cars, computers and formal training may often be requested as part of a public sector reform programme, but it’s changes in the behaviour and mindsets of people that produce lasting results, according to a recent blog post by World Bank experts.0 0 4 716