Needs assessment of international capacity building using a Delphi technique
| Date | 10 September 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-02-2017-0006 |
| Pages | 286-302 |
| Published date | 10 September 2017 |
| Author | Kenneth David Strang |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,Business ethics,Sustainability |
Needs assessment of international
capacity building using a Delphi
technique
Kenneth David Strang
School of Business and Economics, State University of New York, Queensbury,
New York, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to engage African subject matter experts to assist with a needs
assessment of international capacity building for developing countries in Africa, to establish a prioritized list
of capacity building keywords substantiated by a current literature review.
Design/methodology/approach –A pragmatic mixed-method research design was used which involved
conducting literature reviews and applying a modified Delphi technique to determine future research needs.
The credibility of these results was strengthened by selecting a Delphi subject matter expert panel from
African countries including Benin, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Algeria and Nigeria. Non-parametric
statistical techniques were used to objectively analyze the qualitative data and prioritize the findings.
Findings –The results clearly identified seven literature keywords which could improve future African
capacity building research (in order of highest importance first): Trade Union (regional economic integration),
Governance, FDI, Emigration, Education, Economic (small business stimulation), and Brain Gain. Additional
keywords surfaced in the literature related to these ones, namely healthcare and brain drain (emigrating
academics and scholars).
Research limitations/implications –The results of this study should generalize to government and
capacity building policy administrators in Africa as well as to other researchers and practitioners in this field.
The use of a novel modified Delphi technique should also be of interest to other researchers.
Originality/value –The modified Delphi technique commenced with a knowledge sharing conference where
pre-selected subject matter experts collaborated to define the initial scope of questions. Another novel aspect
of the customized Delphi technique was that the subject matter experts were required to conduct a literature
review to substantiate their responses to questions.
Keywords FDI, Delphi, Ethics, Values, Social responsibility, Strategy, International trade
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Practitioner-driven international capacity building is critical for the future development of
African countries. Unfortunately, international capacity building projects have not always
been effective mainly because they were designed without the involvement of African
practitioners (Costello, 2010; Ika and Donnelly, 2017). In Africa, the most important factor to
make international capacity building effective has been asserted to be the “how”it is done,
with relevant experts involved, insteadof the “what”is actually done (Brautigam et al., 2008).
According to the extant literature the biggest challenge for international capacity
building in African countries is that we do not know what is actually needed from a
practitioner or scholarly perspective (Awidi and Cooper, 2015; Karikari et al., 2015;
Makinda, 2007; Omoruyi and Omiunu, 2014; Stewart, 2015). A needs assessment could be
performed to close this gap (McGeary, 2009).
There are many successful international capacity building studies in the literature but
there are no clear future research directions for Africa (Allen et al., 2016; Alsudairi and
Tatapudi, 2014; Awidi and Cooper, 2015; Barnes and van Laerhoven, 2015; Beynaghi et al.,
2016; Germak, 2014; Karikari et al., 2015; Omoruyi and Omiunu, 2014; Steel et al., 2016).
Another reason that international capacity building in Africa requires more research is
due to the longitudinal impact of the 2008 financial crises which forced small businesses
World Journal of
Entrepreneurship, Management
and Sustainable Development
Vol. 13 No. 4, 2017
pp. 286-302
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2042-5961
DOI 10.1108/WJEMSD-02-2017-0006
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5961.htm
286
WJEMSD
13,4
and not-for-profits around the world to re-evaluate their strategies (Strang, 2017). Therefore,
a current needs assessment of capacity building in Africa should be undertaken.
Based on the above rationale, this study engaged African subject matter experts to assist
with a needs assessment of international capacity building for developing countries in
Africa. A pragmatic research design was used which involved conducting literature reviews
and applying the Delphi technique to determine future research needs. Non-parametric
statistical techniques were used to objectively analyze the qualitative data and prioritize the
findings. The results of this study should generalize to government and capacity building
policy administrators in Africa as well as to other researchers and practitioners in this field.
2. Literature review
International capacity building needs have become a heavily discussed topic for all the
developing countries in Africa (AfDB, 2016; ACBF, 2016). Various terms have been used
including capacity development, capacity strengthening, and various definitions have been
provided but there is no broadly accepted definition (Makinda, 2007). According to Stockdill
et al. (2002), international capacity building means “the intentional work to continuously
create and sustain overall organizational processes”( p. 14).
According to Leautier (2014) the performance-oriented definition of capacity building
comprises the ability of people, organizations, and society as whole to manage their affairs
successfully and that is the process by which people, organizations, and society as whole
unleash, strengthen, create, adapt, and maintain capacity over time. Capacity building
requires the application of experiential knowledge that cannot be easily transferred from the
individuals who possess it. In other words, capacity building refers to learning by doing in
order to acquire tacit knowledge Leautier (2014).
The most important institutions who conduct international capacity building in African
countries are the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), African Development
Bank (AfDB), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, United Nations
Development Programme, New Partnership for Development, World Bank (WB) and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). From all these institutions, ACBF and AfDB tend to be
the leaders of capacity building in African countries. Thus, a needs assessment of capacity
building should involve subject matter experts from these organizations.
The ACBF was launched in 1991 by 45 African countries to enhance the skills,
strengthen institutions, and promote regional integration of participating countries. ACBF
carries out its mandate through investments, technical support, knowledge generation, and
competency sharing between African countries. ACBF not only invests by offering grants, it
also provides grant management and technical assistance throughout the implementation of
the capacity development intervention projects in Africa. To date ACBF has empowered
governments, parliaments, civic society, private sector, and higher education institutions in
more than 45 countries and six regional economic communities (ACBF, 2016). The report of
the celebration of the 25th anniversary of ACBF reveals that the institution has invested
more in over 321 capacity development projects, produced 73 knowledge products
advocating emerging development issues, and has committed more than USD700 million to
capacity development in Sub-Saharan Africa (ACBF, 2016).
The AfDB was created in 1963 by several African countries with the mandate to
stimulate sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member
countries, with a secondary goal to reduce poverty. AfDB is considered the most influential
institution to stimulate capacity building on the African continent (AfDB, 2016).
The amount of approved loans for African countries reached USD7,696,164,000 in 2015
(AfDB, 2016). A significant part of those loans was devoted to capacity building throughout
countries on the African continent. However, despite this huge amount of funding, capacity
building has not been conclusively successful in African countries (Costello, 2010; Ika and
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capacity
building
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