Step 3: NIPN capacity development strategy and plan of action (4/4)

The long-term goal of capacity development should be formulated as a learning or transformation process and should combine both technical and functional capacities.

The specific objectives are the changes to be achieved through a capacity development programme in the medium term. These are the changes at the outcome level.

Outcomes describe a specific change for individuals and organisations and are linked to outputs. Outcomes can be thought of not only in terms of new products and services but also in terms of facilitated processes (e.g. participatory process initiated/activated/expanded, collaboration increased among different organisations).

Focusing outputs on capacity development creates the foundation for sustainability of the intended results. To formulate outputs, the following questions can provide guidance: Whose capacity is developed? What capacity is developed? How do activities ensure that capacities are developed?

Activities are the modalities of the interventions, e.g. training and technical assistance.

Indicators are targets that show progress. When defining capacity development indicators, a distinction should be made between:

• Process indicators: Measure processes that have been facilitated so that dynamic changes are encouraged through implementation of participatory approaches (e.g. process through which stakeholders have been engaged in a NIPN).
• Product indicators: Measure concrete results that have been achieved (e.g. formulation of an answerable policy question).