dc.description.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. | vi |