Authority and endogeneity – a paradox in capacity building for empowerment

1. Authority and endogeneity – a paradox in capacity building for empowerment Bettina Bock, Wageningen International 3.12.2007

2. The NPT project: Strengthening the Women’s Research and Training Centre Aden, Yemen Financed by NUFFIC Cooperation of Women Research and Training Centre, Aden University Wageningen University: Rural Sociology Maastricht School of Management Institute of Social Studies

3. WRTC started as a unit of female researchers in December 1995, • since 1998 official university centre • Main objectives: • increase public awareness of women’s position • Improve women’s position in society • Promote enrolment of female students • Promote students’ knowledge of and insight in gender issues • Establish a library specializing in women affairs. • Establish an scientific information system • Study and publish women’s problems • Consult policymakers.

4. The project’s objectives: • Strengthen WRTC to become a sustainable organization for • Teaching and training students and gender practitioners • Conduct research & consultancies on gender issues • Manage information and communication system regarding gender and development issues

5. Project’s results • Strengthen organization and management capacity • Develop undergraduate course gender & development • Develop higher diploma programme in gender studies • Qualify at 4 least PhD’s and 2 MSc’s • Establish consultancy service • Expand library and training & information unit

6. The project’s activities • Organisation & management capacities: • Senior expert for 2 years • Missions by experts • Training in NL and local • Develop BSc course and diploma programme • Training in region and NL • Mission of WUR, MsM, ISS • PhDs and MSc’s: selected and installed • Consultancy service: • Seed money for starting research projects • Training • Library and information unit: • Investment in material: offices, books, ICT

7. Achievements 1. WRTC management • Department + heads installed: research, training, curriculum development, ICT, • Project personnel employed: accountant; secretary; driver • Internal management procedures installed 2. Education programme • BSc course ready but not yet started • higher diploma course runs for 2nd time 3. PhD’s and MSc: runs until 2011, first ready next year 4. Consultancy & research: • Procedure for programming research installed • Externally funded research done • Some consultancies by senior expert • Journal started & books published for regional audience • International conference organized 5. Library and computer centre • running

8. But … many, many bottlenecks 1. Serious delay in establishing library and computer lab because promised rooms were not available and difficult to agree on who buys which books where. 2. Serious delay in getting financial clearance for expenses due to complex university rules and conflict between financial manager and local project director 3. Delay in implementation of BSc course because of delay in implementation of educational policy. 4. Difficulty in attracting enough students for the higher diploma course. 5. Selection of Phd’s and Msc’s complicated: unclear rules and procedures; lack of quality for admission NL. 6. Repeated conflicts within the project management team; 7. Lack of quality improvement in research and teaching.

9. What kinds of problems? Institutional development is complicated: • Project demands adoption of Dutch institutions – in formalities/procedures: proposal, accountancy, periodic reporting, nuffic evaluation, internal management procedures - in style of communication: participation and transparency; • Clash with local ‘way of doing things’: - university rules and procedures - authoritarian style of communication

10. Difference in style – difference in institutions Rationality versus dominance Arguments versus stick & carrot One leader versus the group Evident versus hidden authority

11. Institution & capacity development In NPT nuffic predefines competencies, capabilities and capacities • Predefines development • Predefines the theory of change • Ignores the endogeneity of capacity-development

12. WRTC used NPT as an instrument for development: NPT as a sack of money • Is thát not a proof of capacity in itself? What if WRTC could decide by themselves? Politically correct and in line with the theory of endogenous capacity development But Ignoring the conflictuality of development Ignoring the power-ridden character of local institutions

13. What is then working in capacity development and what is in essence institutional development? • Disrupting the local routine by introducing new ways of thinking and doing • Disrupting the status quo of power relations by strengthening new actors and ‘loci of change’ • Offering an opportunity for change • Offering feed back on using that opportunity

14. The paradox is that the ‘dominance’ of NPT offers chance for change in a context where authority rules. Maybe that is because it enforces disruption. But modesty is required as well. Modesty in our role as interveners and resource-persons and Modesty in allowing for a specific Theory of Change to evolve.

15. Finally: gender & empowerment • WRTC is about change in gender relations in a setting where inequality is overwhelmingly present. • WRTC is about empowering women and about intervening in the power battle between men and women • But also in the battle between women!

16. Link between CD, empowerment and ToC Competences are instruments, resources Power and identity are the central elements • Demonstrating that things can be done differently • opening up fixed constellations of power • Backing up those who are supposed to be weak • Allowing for a sense of control at the level of individuals and groups