Reverse Linkage

87 DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION Lessons learned: some actions for future SSC and capacity development programmes in Africa The documentation and communication of achieve- ments and lessons learned are imperative to enable SSC to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s development agenda. Critical to this is the systematic collection, compilation and augmentation of knowledge and data on SSC, as well as its dissemination to the public and key stakeholders. Even more important is the need to document what works, what does not work and why, as well as how to effectively conduct SSC. Capacity development as a holistic approach The performance of the resource centres and their ability to support SSC is strictly linked to their institutional and human capacities. An attempt to understand which capacity is lacking is often a challenging exercise, with various approaches leading to identification of resource shortfalls – human, finance, systems, and/or incentives. Experience and documented studies urge a holistic approach to capacity development, given that hardware does not work without good software. Effective support to coordinate capacity development programmes Capacity development is at the core of all development issues and is a priority for both state- and non-state actors. Capacity development priorities should therefore include coordinated institutional development and mechanisms for delivering development services across the continent. More importantly, institutions like ACBF that have exper- tise, experience and the mandate of African governments to coordinate capacity development efforts, should be supported financially and technically to ensure operational effectiveness and the efficiency of the SSC initiatives in general, and the mapping of resource centres in particular. Image: ACBF South-South capacity development programmes that empower women are critical for Africa’s socio-economic transformation