Capacity Building in the Environmental Services Field
International industries and investors face stakeholder pressure to increase investment in host country work forces while continually improving the quality of environmental, health, safety and social (EHSS) performance for their work in developing countries worldwide. As they seek to strike this delicate balance, companies will need to improve how they invest in and help develop the capacity of in-country consultants, rather than continue to rely on imported international teams or hiring local consultants without providing sufficient guidance and support. Acorn International, LLC was founded to offer a service model based on guided partnerships that ensure world-class assurance and maximized local content in EHSS consulting services. Capacity building is a critical element of our business model.
Capacity Building Position Paper
Acorn International's Position paper describes some current challenges of international capacity building and outlines why it is important to us, and our industrial and investment clients, to continually improve performance in the strengthening of in-country EHSS services. See Position Paper.
Interesting Capacity Building Links
World Bank Group
World Bank
The World Bank has increasingly promoted projects and programs that aim to develop the capabilities of local communities to manage projects in their country. The bank strives to promote self sustaining projects with minimal involvement from external experts. http://www.worldbank.org/oed
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
MIGA has established new tools to support operational capabilities of local structures as one way of investing in capacity building. In addition, MIGA has a policy of actively engaging local communities in environmental and social reviews of development projects. http://www.miga.org/documents/pp42_60.pdf
International Finance Corporation
IFC is focused on funding programs where developers have integrated capacity building of local communities into project design. They are especially interested in capacity building that supports project implementation and monitoring. http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/gfm.nsf/Content/FMS-CapacityBuilding
Other Multilateral Organizations
United Nations Environment Program
UNEP’s Capacity Building Branch aims to support developing countries to expand and enhance institutional and individual capabilities to effectively address environmental challenges. Much of UNEP’s attention is focused on investing in institutional capabilities so that environmental programs are successfully implemented and sustained. http://www.unep.org/DEPI/programmes/capacity_building.html
United Nations Development Program
UNDP supports capacity development initiatives of national governments, civil society organizations, independent national and regional institutions and other stakeholders through advocacy, policy advisory and implementation services. http://content.undp.org/go/cms-service/download/asset/?asset_id=1684913
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
The article below describes an example of the OECD approach to good governance and problem solving that involves partnering with local institutions and organizations. In this example from Croatia, they found that coherent and structured capacity building of the local partners was a necessary component of successful project development. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/44/63/39753474.pdf
Asian Development Bank
ADB implements a participatory approach to development programs that integrates local communities as project partners to minimize environmental and social impacts. The underlying principle for this approach is to promote sustainability of the projects over the long run. http://www.adb.org/training
Oil and Gas Industry Related
IPIECA
IPIECA has established a working group to communicate how the oil and gas industry is using partnerships to contribute to sustainable development. Their publication, “Practical Tips for Effective Partnering” – relates not strictly to capacity building but to effective partnering, which Acorn International views as a critical element of effective international capacity building. http://www.ipieca.org/activities/partnerships/index.html
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil has established that developing the skills of local communities surrounding operations abroad supports project sustainability and transfers relevant skills that meet global demands. http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/about_operations_national.aspx
Marathon
Marathon has implemented capacity building training and development programs worldwide throughout its company-operated oil and gas developments. Its programs include National Workforce Integration, On-the-Job Training, Technical and Vocational Training and Safety Training. http://www.marathon.com/Social_Responsibility/Our_CSR_Policy/Capacity_Building
Chevron
Chevron has put into practice numerous economic and social development programs in the US and abroad. For example, in Nigeria Chevron is working to build the capacity of local businesses to create self-sustaining local companies that have the capacity to not only support oil and gas projects in Nigeria, but to also complete for projects internationally. http://www.chevron.com/GlobalIssues/CorporateResponsibility/2006/case_studies
Nexen Inc.
Nexen suggests that the oil industry image has contributed to the current shortage of skilled workers, and more importantly, the future shortage. To address this problem, Nexen invests in building the capacity of employees with diverse and international experience.
http://www.nexeninc.com/Newsroom/Article/article07030801.asp
Other Private Sector
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
In the article below, WBCSD shares the benefits that companies can have in developing countries by transferring skills to local people in developing countries through training programs and partnerships. http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MzM0OTc
Price Waterhouse Coopers
To contribute to sustainability, PWC shares its expertise with the NGOs in local communities in order build strategic value in both organizations
http://www.pwc.com/extweb/aboutus.nsf/docid/A12BA92D712249E9CA25722900164F53
Deloitte LLP
Deloitte has established a Skill Based Program for building capacity amongst the communities in which it operates with the aim of empowering them with the skills necessary to support sustainable development. http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/0,1014,sid%253D2283%2526cid%253D207344,00.html
McKinsey & Company
An article by McKinsey & Company emphasizes effective capacity building of local communities as a way of promoting efficiency in program implementation.
http://www.vppartners.org/learning/reports/capacity/capacity.html
KPMG
KPMG has found that shortage of skilled workers in developing countries has made infrastructure development expensive and risky. They have reported that lack of capacity of local workers in these cases is a bottleneck in the implementation of the projects internationally. http://www.kpmg.com/Global/PressRoom/PressReleases/Pages/Skills-shortages-hit-project-owners.aspx
CHF International
CHF International notes that building the capacity of local organizations is a catalyst to development that enables them to accomplish their goals independently of international support. http://www.chfinternational.org/node/28020
