Capacity building for networking

Networks are acknowledged as effective information, communication and coordination mechanisms in development cooperation. Considerable work has been done in international cooperation to support the establishment and management of networks on local, regional and international levels in the developed and developing world, and various stakeholders strengthen capacities for networking. However, many networks struggle with similar challenges. In order for networks to work in a more effective and efficient way, to achieve a higher impact and to become more sustainable, capacity building is often essential. This issue addresses the question of how capacity building for networking can be made more effective and what capacity building strategies and approaches are required to allow networks to perform better.

This issue consists of three papers, three case studies, a dialogue, a book review and a story, as well as the regular KM4Dev Community Notes feature. Geographically, contributions have been submitted form various regions including Latin America, Africa, India and Europe. The papers and case studies cover a wide range of topics related to capacity building for networking, including challenges networks are facing and that require capacity building; social network analysis as a tool to analyse the situation and to identify starting points for capacity building; descriptions of three capacity building programmes for networking; a practical case of how a network contributed to capacity building; and last but not least, a contribution giving an overview of various formal and informal approaches for knowledge sharing capacity development.

Link to KM4dev Journal, Vol 2, No 2 (2006)