The need for capacity development is voiced substantively and regularly in calls for action, meetings, and official speeches. Yet, the funding dimension often presents the biggest challenge.
Quality capacity development requires significant resources. It requires an understanding of the needs of the community, and substantial efforts to develop and deliver training that is based on the needs of the community. The impact can be further strengthened with immersion opportunities, and with continuous training.
Those most in need, such as those from least developed countries (LDCs), find it hard to allocate the funds to support such initiatives. Several countries (e.g. Switzerland, and the Geneva Internet Platform project) have gone beyond their own capacity development needs and expanded their provision to the global community.
Yet, the funding dimension presents a recurrent issue. Whose responsibility is it to support capacity development with adequate funding structures? Does the responsibility lie with developed country governments, with the private sector, or with the numerous foundations or NGOs? What, if any, is the responsibility of participants to self-fund? How can countries prioritise the need for capacity development in digital policy, at a time when digital technology is permeating economies, infrastructures, and future developments worldwide?
The proposed session will be participant-driven, with lead participants presenting a 2-minute pitch in which they will explicitly describe a particular problem and suggest an approach to finding solutions. The subsequent discussion, led by an experienced moderator, will lead the session to conclude with approximately 5 action points on the funding dimension of capacity development.