Unleashing capacity in the water sector: A framework for public entities

Abstract

Capacity development in the water sector is crucial to achieving universal, sustainable, and resilient services. It has been broadly recognized as a priority, connected with governance of water resources and water and sanitation services. Through a scoping review including 153 scientific articles and 103 other documents, complemented with a consultation of experts, this article presents how the concept of `capacity development' has evolved, what levels it consists of, and which are the key elements of success for effective capacity development processes. Most existing frameworks do not conduct any in-depth analysis of the determinants that define capacity at different levels and that there is no specific framework for public water-related entities. To address this gap, a dedicated capacity development framework is proposed for the public water sector, defining the key determinants at the individual, organizational, sectoral, institutional and structural levels and presenting types of interventions for each level. The framework will enable practitioners and policymakers to develop more systematic work on capacity development in water. HIGHLIGHTS The article presents a scoping review on capacity development for water including 153 scientific articles and 103 other documents.; A framework with 4 interconnected levels and 23 determinants for capacity is presented, together with interventions and expected outcomes.; The framework enables structured discussion, assessment, and definition of capacity development interventions.;

Keywords

• capacity development
• determinants
• framework
• public administration
• water