Connecting concepts: bridging the gap between capacity development and human resource development

Abstract

The bounds of the field of human resource development (HRD) have expanded beyond the individual and organizational levels of analysis to macro perspectives of HRD such as National, Regional, and Global HRD. In international development contexts, a comparable construct is used by development agencies and national governments to describe knowledge- and skill-building, i.e. capacity development (CD) or capacity building. To overcome the complexity and ambiguity involved in these two concepts in the extant literature, this conceptual article provides an overview of the conceptualization, objectives, levels, approaches, evaluation, and definitional analysis of CD. It then presents a comparison between the concepts of CD and HRD and highlights key similarities and differences. The paper concludes with implications for HRD research and practice as it relates to CD and a call for HRD scholars to support CD practice and policy through research and learn from CD practitioners in terms of understanding mechanisms for national, regional, and global development.