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Capacity Development

Capacity development forms an important part of IHDP’s work to strengthen and broaden the network of global environmental change researchers. IHDP’s capacity development activities provide an avenue for incorporating new researchers and their research into the network, as evidenced by the International Human Dimensions Workshops (IHDW), first established in 1998. Pre-Open Meeting training seminars, national workshops and regional network activities have also contributed to the Programme’s capacity development portfolio thus far.
In its second decade, IHDP will redefine its capacity development approach and expand its activities into new areas, in three fundamental ways:
  • The traditional concept of capacity building will be replaced by capacity development, indicating that IHDP will not only build new capacities but also strengthen and further develop existing capacities
  • IHDP’s capacity development strategy will target individuals from developing countries and countries in transition but also include scientists from developed countries who contribute to IHDP's goals
  • IHDP’s investments in capacity development mainly target the individual researcher though, in the longer run, institutions backing individual scientists will also benefit as enhanced international visibility and career development of single researchers will ultimately support their home institutions
IHDP has a particular interest in supporting scientists who are at early stages of their academic careers. These scholars will be introduced to IHDP’s global portfolio of activities. Each of these activities will have a specific focus, either thematic or regional in nature, that is linked to IHDP’s international network of scientists.
Capacity development, however, must be mutually beneficial, so that both established scientists and up-and-coming scholars have something to learn from one another. Established scientists will not only benefit fresh perspectives offered by a younger generation from different geographical and cultural settings, but they will also gain new insights from specific research activities undertaken by a new set of researchers.
It is vital that social scientists deal with issues of global environmental change from a multidisciplinary perspective, taking the cases, methods and findings of natural sciences into account, an approach, called “integrative thinking capacity”. IHDP views augmenting interdisciplinarity and integrating efforts under the ESSP framework as prime goals for the coming decade, dedicating ample resources their pursuit.
IHDP’s new capacity development strategy will not only encompass new scientists, but also new target groups. IHDP seeks to involve decision makers, practitioners and the media in its activities. Doing so will enhance the relevancy of such IHDP's research (see figure 4, p.22) as well as improve the crucial dialogue between science and policy. IHDP has already adapted such a model at various IHDWs in which roundtables with representatives from science, policy, civil society and the media were brought together for resulting in fruitful discussions and learning experiences on all sides.
This new approach emphasises geographical diversity, for, especially in issues dominated by the social sciences, capacity strengthening is needed in numerous places in the developed and developing worlds. A number of emerging scholars from the developed countries of North America, Europe and Australasia have already shown great interest in IHDP’s capacity development and training activities, but apart from the pre-Open Meeting Seminars, no IHDP platform specifically targets the developing world.
Thus far, IHDP has focused on capacity development activities at the international level. Now, in addition to international workshops and activities, IHDP will also embark on regional, subregional and national activities. This will strengthen national IHDP committees, regional and sub-regional collaboration between scientists, as well as connections between scientists and other groups. IHDP envisions new strategic partnerships with selected capacity development institutions of a national, regional or international nature to improve connectivity between research communities at a variety of levels.

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