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Rethinking absorptive capacity :

Author (نویسنده/ناشر):

Lamb, Robert D.

Second Author (نویسنده/ناشر دوم):

Kathryn Mixon.

Catalog Source (منبع کتلاگ):

ACKU

Statement of responsibility:

authors Robert D. Lamb, Kathryn Mixon.

Publication/Distribution (Imprint):

Washington, DC : Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2013.

Physical Description:

xi, 55 pages ; 28 cm.

Language:

English

ISBN:

9781442225053

Subjects--Topical Terms:

Absorptive capacity (Economics)
Evaluation.
Afghanistan
Economic assistance
Evaluation.
Afghanistan
Technical assistance
Evaluation.
Afghanistan
Police training
Evaluation.
Afghanistan

LC Class. No:

Pamphlet DS371.412. / L363 2013

Source of Classification:

Library of Congress Classification / Monograph

Accession No:

3ACKU000360130

General Note:

“June 2013”.

General Note:

Abstract: In development, stabilization, and peace building, donors increasingly recognize the importance of being sensitive to the local contexts of their efforts. Yet the use of "blueprints" remains widespread. Even when standard approaches are modified for particular aid partners, there often remains a poor fit between donor efforts and local conditions. The waste and disruptions that result are even greater in high-profile and politically sensitive situations, when political considerations demand large-scale responses. When recipients cannot absorb the aid and attention they are offered, the common response is "capacity building" -- as if the source of the problem is the recipient's implementation capacity. In this report, the authors present the results of their research on the sources of absorptive capacity. They find that this sort of "blaming the victim" mentality, while common, is not always justified. While it is true that many aid recipients do not have adequate capacity for implementation, it is equally true that many aid programs are designed and implemented without an adequate appreciation of local desires, resources, capabilities, and challenges. Absorptive capacity, in other words, is a byproduct of the donor-recipient relationship. The authors present a new framework for measuring absorptive capacity. This framework is intended to supplement existing planning, monitoring, and evaluation processes, offering a new way to test whether an existing approach is compatible with local conditions and a method for improving the fit.