Coaching and mentoring for capacity development: The case of South Sudan

‘Coaching and mentoring for capacity’ is becoming increasingly important in the state-building toolbox. If executed properly, this instrument is believed to be significantly more effective than traditional technical assistance and would consequently seem to hold great promise for the state- and peacebuilding agenda. The latest offshoot of this development is the Initiative for Capacity Enhancement in South Sudan. The initiative seeks to enhance the capacity of the South Sudanese state apparatus by deploying civil servants from neighbouring nations to coach their South Sudanese counterparts. This paper explores this particular initiative with the aim of identifying insights about designing coaching and mentoring programmes for capacity development.