Authors/Editors: Heidi Han et al.

This manual is the product of a partnership between the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Development Programme Asia Pacific Regional Centre.

The assessment methodology is an intensive self-assessment process which helps NHRIs identify areas in which they need to improve, and potential strategies to foster this improvement. It incorporates both qualitative and quantitative elements in assessing current capacities, forecasting future capacity requirements, identifying capacity gaps and, most importantly, developing strategies to close those gaps in the most significant areas. It also provides a firm basis for international cooperation to assist NHRIs when they undertake institutional strengthening.

The assessment methodology incorporates both qualitative and quantitative elements in assessing the current situation of the NHRI, identifying weaknesses, and forecasting future capacity requirements.

This manual has been developed based on lessons from capacity assessments conducted in Afghanistan, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives,Mongolia, Palestine, and Thailand. It provides an easy step-by-step guide on how to conduct the capacity needs assessment. It also discusses what the capacity assessment is and its relevance for NHRIs, the benefits that they can gain from it, and what is involved in doing it.

The paper is divided into five sections.  Following the indtroduction, the capacity assessment approachfor National Human Rights Institutions is presented. Next, part three presents a step by step guide to conducting a capacity assessment for a national human rights institution, followed by recommendations on how to link the capacity challenges to the response strategies. Finally, some country experiences are presented.