The book delves deep into the institutional, human and financial dimensions of the capacity constraints affecting the ability of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to implement NEPAD’s Short-Term Action Plan (STAP) projects and other related programs. The study, which is based on a detailed analysis of the needs of nine RECs, examines the scale and scope of their capacity deficits. Attention is given to three such key issues: gender, financial management, and information technology. Given the importance of gender concerns in capacity needs assessment, the subject is fully treated in Chapter 8. A skeletal framework for developing an action plan to tackle the various capacity needs of the RECs is presented in Part 2. The findings point to serious institutional constraints that are capable of rendering any capacity enhancement exercise ineffective, if not attended to.
