Human and Institutional Capacity Development

Handbook:

This handbook provides guidance to Missions in how to implement Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) in development programs. It was published in August 2011 by the EGAT (now E3) bureau. USAID's innovative Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) initiative provides methodologies and tools designed to assist USAID's partner organizations in their quests for performance excellence. Through the application of these methodologies and tools USAID can help its partners develop clearly articulated goals, and objectives and achieve those goals and objectives through exemplary performance. HICD can be successfully applied to any type of organization including government organizations, non-profit organizations and professional associations. HICD will enable these organizations to responsibly meet the needs of their countries and their citizens.

Framework:

To sustain the positive development outcomes we achieve through our programs, it is critical for USAID to listen to local actors as we plan, design, implement, and measure our local capacity strengthening efforts. Local capacity strengthening is a core component of USAID programming. To take a more systematic and holistic approach to local capacity strengthening, USAID created the Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) framework, which encourages the development community to co-design technical assistance alongside local partners. As detailed in this guide, the HICD framework establishes that efforts must be made to support an organization's ability to achieve their own goals, design and implement local solutions to development challenges, learn and adapt, and innovate in order for local capacity strengthening to succeed.