EU local capacity building: ownership, complexity, and agency

This article argues that, despite considerable efforts, EU capacity building activities have struggled to deliver on their objectives. While such programmes have sometimes been able to strengthen pockets of capacity in specific organisations, they have had less success in building capacity in the round and in a sustainable manner. Drawing on empirical evidence from EU capacity building programmes in the Horn of Africa and the Western Balkans, the article shows that, to a great extent, this failure has been a consequence of the difficulties EU capacity builders have had in engaging with complex local actors and political contexts. This in turn has led to a ‘legitimacy deficit’ for EU programmes, which have often had little involvement from local stakeholders and knowledge, and whose goals have often been at odds with local preferences and priorities.