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Capacity development is a major pathway for research for development projects to scale innovations. However, both successful scaling and capacity development are held back by a persistent simplistic focus on ‘reaching more end-users’ and training at the individual level, respectively. This study provides examples of the other levels of capacity development: the organizational, cooperation and enabling environment levels. Drawing on four projects implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to scale conservation agriculture practices to smallholder farmers, we discovered that these three other levels are less understood, appreciated and reported on than individual training. Trainings are popular to report on because they are simple to plan, quantify, verify, and budget, and success in most projects is measured by the number of individuals reached and trained. There is little awareness and guidance on how to intentionally design and implement projects to address the other capacity development levels. Using a modified framework with clear examples of various types of capacity development activities, project leaders were able to identify and uncover activities that pertain to each of the four levels of capacity development. We argue that project teams must be aware, able, and empowered to invest in the development of capacities of local organizations and the system they operate in. They must be more explicit about the different levels of capacity development, what they mean in their context, and how to create synergies between them. The framework proposed in this paper can serve as a model for initiatives that aim to identify and address capacities at all four levels in order to contribute to large-scale sustainable change.
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Journal
Knowledge Management for Development Journal
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[Place of publication not identified]
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KM4Dev
DOI
Related Datasets
CGIAR Initiatives
Initiative
Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia
Diversification in East and Southern Africa
Diversification in East and Southern Africa
Impact Area
Nutrition, health & food security
Climate adaptation & mitigation
Environmental health & biodiversity
Gender equality, youth & social inclusion
Climate adaptation & mitigation
Environmental health & biodiversity
Gender equality, youth & social inclusion
Action Area
Resilient Agrifood Systems
Donor or Funder
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
CGIAR Trust Fund
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
CGIAR Trust Fund
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)