The Multi-Sector Capacity Building Programme (MSCBP) is a home grown, long-term Government Strategic Framework meant to guide and direct the preparation and implementation of capacity building actions in Rwanda . The programme targets at developing human resources and improving institutional work environment, to enhance capacity in public sector institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations, in order to render them more efficient, effective, transparent and accountable, in the course of performing their roles, as the main actors in the country's development process.
MSCBP was designed mainly to enable public sector institutions to deliver priority sector programmes envisaged in Vision 2020, PRSP, and the National Investment Strategy. One of the cardinal focuses of the MSCBP is to strengthen the institutional capacities underpinning a decentralization approach to service delivery and enhancing public - private partnerships to enable the private sector to effectively take on the desired prominent role in the process of delivering services to the public.
To that effect, the MSCBP will provide a strategic vision aimed at fostering greater coherence, consistency, and coordination in formulating and implementing capacity building interventions, as well as facilitating Government's control and ownership of these interventions.
MSCBP COMPONENTS
Strategic Human Resources Development
This component addresses the core issues of scarcity in skilled human power that critically affects the country's development. The scarcity of skilled human resources in Rwanda , which was exacerbated by the 1994 genocide, is widely documented. Thus, human resources development is at the core of the nation's economic growth and poverty reduction strategy. In this regard, the MSCBP aims at c losing gaps in the long term human resources development.
Improving institutional environment
Under this component, capacity building actions address capacity building issues relating to improvement of work environment. I nstitutional environment pervasively impacts on the success of capacity building interventions. In the absence of some crosscutting capacity building interventions, the sector programmes are likely to introduce sub-optimal, duplicative and unsustainable interventions. Through this component, therefore, the MSCBP will support capacity building measures that contribute to improvement in the overall institutional environment for development management.
Public Sector Pay Reform
I mproving public sector pay is a strategic imperative if other capacity building measures are to bear fruit and their impact sustained. In particular, the ability of Government to recruit, retain and motivate personnel with technical, professional and managerial skills and experience will hinge on implementation of an effective programme of enhancing and decompressing public service pay. Furthermore, public sector pay reform could be the single most expensive undertaking among the public sector reforms. On this argument, pay reform will be a crucial component of the MSCBP.
Sustainable improvements in capacity and performance of MDA's
Ultimately, capacity is sustained and utilized at the organizational level, in this case Government ministries and agencies. On the other hand, experience shows that capacity building in organizations outside a framework that demands improvements in performance and accountability for both capacity building and other use of resources leaves a lot to be desired. Created capacities are neither effectively utilized nor sustained. There is need for integrating capacity building with plans for improving performance. In addition, it will serve the purpose of linking capacity building to development processes. This component will on a demand-driven and relatively flexible basis make funds available for the Public agencies to plan and implement such improvements.
Knowledge management and e-Government
Through this component, exploiting opportunities through knowledge management and information and communications technology (ICT) developments will be a central plank of the MSCBP.
Strengthening Public-Private Sector Partnership
The key requirement for the successful implementation of the National Investment Strategy (NIS) is the existence of a vibrant private sector. Considering that the private sector in Rwanda is still weak, the National Investment Strategy (NIS) shall rely in the first instance on the public sector to fuel the primary growth engine consistent with the poverty reduction strategy. The government will consolidate investments in key sectors; Infrastructure (Roads, Energy, Telecoms etc), Education, Health and decentralized service delivery through the Community Development Fund (CDF). Besides the general improvement of the internal road network, the government will endeavor to strengthen its communication links with the neighbouring countries. The private sector is expected to take advantage of this favourable environment created by the government and embark on gainful economic activities.
The private sector investment is expected to grow less than the public investment in the primary growth engine phase (up to 2006) after which it should be the essential source of growth in the consolidation phase (from 2007). During the primary growth period, appropriate Public-Private Sector Partnerships shall have to be developed and strengthened so as to prepare grounds for the consolidation phase.
Coordination of MSCBP Activities
An implementation framework for the MSCBP has been designed to ensure successful delivery of activities there-in. A public agency, the Human Resources and Institutional Capacity Development Agency (HIDA) has been established to coordinate the MSCBP activities. This component aims at building the capacity of the HIDA to discharge its mandate, role and functions, including the management of this programme .
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MSCBP Brochure
