Page 3 - Discussion paper on Capacity Needs of Government Officials for Integration of Energy and Human Development
P. 3
Policy Brief
Government officials need to proactively achieve the field level; and (c) use the results of this exercise to design
twin objectives of integration of the energy provision training programmes on ‘energy for human development’
and human development mandates at the level of for these stakeholders to deal with the aforementioned
policy formulation and policy implementation. This challenges more effectively.
requires a unique set of capacities at the individual and
organizational levels, coupled with an enabling external Capacity Needs Assessment
environment. This policy brief is the result of a capacity
needs assessment of government officials undertaken Capacity is “the ability of individuals, institutions, and
extensively in nine states and intensively in three states societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set
over the period of four years, on the theme of integration objectives in a sustainable manner”.2 Capacity needs
of energy provision and human development mandates. assessment essentially analyses the existing capacities of
individuals and organizations against expected capacities.
Background Traditionally, capacity assessments prioritize skills and
knowledge gaps, with suggested interventions often solely
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), with focusing on training or education. However, technical skills,
support from the Department for International while important, are rarely enough alone. The approach
Development (DFID), Government of the United adopted in this document focuses on functional capacities as
Kingdom, managed a nation-wide programme on well, which are cross-cutting capacities that make activities
clean energy technology dissemination in rural and programmes sustainable in the long run. Functional
households.1 During this programme, TERI forged capacities include the capacity to engage stakeholders,
close working partnerships with State government capacity to assess a situation and define a vision and mandate,
departments and government agencies working capacity to formulate policies and strategies, capacity to
onconvergingthemesofenergyaccessandruraldevelopment. manage, budget, and implement and capacity to evaluate—
Several state and district level workshops have been organized which overall complement technical capacities.3
over the last four years of the programme in 11 Indian states
with the active participation of government officials. Building Three levels of capacities have been assessed:
on this experience, TERI undertook a project to assess the (a) individual; (b) organizational; and (c) external
capacity needs of government officials for formulation and environment. Individual capacity refers to skills,
implementation of development programmes that address experience, knowledge and motivation that people
the ‘sustainable energy for all’ mandate. Specific workshops, in the organization possess. These may be acquired
discussions, and stakeholder interviews were conducted in by qualification, training, social background or by
three Indian states as part of this project. This initiative was experience. Organizational capacity comprises the
supported by the United Nations Development Programme internal policies, arrangements, procedures, and
(UNDP), India. This policy brief is the outcome of TERI’s frameworks that allow an organization to operate and
interaction with government officials playing leadership roles deliver on its mandate, and that enable the coming
of policy formulation and managerial roles of policy execution together of individual capacities to work together and
in states. achieve goals. An enabling environment is the overall
system within which organizations and individuals
More specifically, the workshops, discussions, and function. The enabling environment is responsible for
interviews were intended to: (a) capture the capacity the vision of the organization, its mandate, mode of
related gaps of government officials to deal with the engagement with other stakeholders and the laws that
challenges of energy access, renewable energy, and govern its relations with stakeholders.
energy efficiency while recognizing its linkages with
human development and contributing to enhance people’s 2 Available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/aplawspublication/
choices; (b) understand the level of preparedness of en/publications/capacity-development/capacity-development-
government stakeholders to frame sound policies practice-note/PN_Capacity_Development.pdf, last accessed on
to deal with such challenges and their implementation at the 28 June 2015.
1 Available at iati.dfid.gov.uk/iati_documents/3733528.docx, last 3 Available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/aplawspublication/
accessed on 28 June 2015. en/publications/capacity-development/undp-capacityassessment-
methodology/UNDP%20Capacity%20Assessment
%2Users%2Guide.pdf,last accessed on 28 June 2015.
APRIL 2015 3
Government officials need to proactively achieve the field level; and (c) use the results of this exercise to design
twin objectives of integration of the energy provision training programmes on ‘energy for human development’
and human development mandates at the level of for these stakeholders to deal with the aforementioned
policy formulation and policy implementation. This challenges more effectively.
requires a unique set of capacities at the individual and
organizational levels, coupled with an enabling external Capacity Needs Assessment
environment. This policy brief is the result of a capacity
needs assessment of government officials undertaken Capacity is “the ability of individuals, institutions, and
extensively in nine states and intensively in three states societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set
over the period of four years, on the theme of integration objectives in a sustainable manner”.2 Capacity needs
of energy provision and human development mandates. assessment essentially analyses the existing capacities of
individuals and organizations against expected capacities.
Background Traditionally, capacity assessments prioritize skills and
knowledge gaps, with suggested interventions often solely
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), with focusing on training or education. However, technical skills,
support from the Department for International while important, are rarely enough alone. The approach
Development (DFID), Government of the United adopted in this document focuses on functional capacities as
Kingdom, managed a nation-wide programme on well, which are cross-cutting capacities that make activities
clean energy technology dissemination in rural and programmes sustainable in the long run. Functional
households.1 During this programme, TERI forged capacities include the capacity to engage stakeholders,
close working partnerships with State government capacity to assess a situation and define a vision and mandate,
departments and government agencies working capacity to formulate policies and strategies, capacity to
onconvergingthemesofenergyaccessandruraldevelopment. manage, budget, and implement and capacity to evaluate—
Several state and district level workshops have been organized which overall complement technical capacities.3
over the last four years of the programme in 11 Indian states
with the active participation of government officials. Building Three levels of capacities have been assessed:
on this experience, TERI undertook a project to assess the (a) individual; (b) organizational; and (c) external
capacity needs of government officials for formulation and environment. Individual capacity refers to skills,
implementation of development programmes that address experience, knowledge and motivation that people
the ‘sustainable energy for all’ mandate. Specific workshops, in the organization possess. These may be acquired
discussions, and stakeholder interviews were conducted in by qualification, training, social background or by
three Indian states as part of this project. This initiative was experience. Organizational capacity comprises the
supported by the United Nations Development Programme internal policies, arrangements, procedures, and
(UNDP), India. This policy brief is the outcome of TERI’s frameworks that allow an organization to operate and
interaction with government officials playing leadership roles deliver on its mandate, and that enable the coming
of policy formulation and managerial roles of policy execution together of individual capacities to work together and
in states. achieve goals. An enabling environment is the overall
system within which organizations and individuals
More specifically, the workshops, discussions, and function. The enabling environment is responsible for
interviews were intended to: (a) capture the capacity the vision of the organization, its mandate, mode of
related gaps of government officials to deal with the engagement with other stakeholders and the laws that
challenges of energy access, renewable energy, and govern its relations with stakeholders.
energy efficiency while recognizing its linkages with
human development and contributing to enhance people’s 2 Available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/aplawspublication/
choices; (b) understand the level of preparedness of en/publications/capacity-development/capacity-development-
government stakeholders to frame sound policies practice-note/PN_Capacity_Development.pdf, last accessed on
to deal with such challenges and their implementation at the 28 June 2015.
1 Available at iati.dfid.gov.uk/iati_documents/3733528.docx, last 3 Available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/aplawspublication/
accessed on 28 June 2015. en/publications/capacity-development/undp-capacityassessment-
methodology/UNDP%20Capacity%20Assessment
%2Users%2Guide.pdf,last accessed on 28 June 2015.
APRIL 2015 3
