Annual Report 2011–2012 The APF works to protect and promote the human rights of people in the Asia Pacific region through the work of our member institutions. Many of the APF’s activities are directed towards supporting and strengthening our members including: • training programs to build knowledge and skills that are central to the work of effective NHRIs • capacity assessments that enable our members to identify achievable and sustainable steps to strengthen their institutions • the work of the Advisory Council of Jurists (ACJ) that provides authoritative and independent legal analysis on issues of shared concern across the region, and • specialist programs tailored to meet the specific requests of individual member institutions. In 2011–12 the APF’s capacity building activities included a very successful transition to blended learning but an increase in capacity assessment activities needs refining to address all member’s needs. 1.1 Capacity assessment Evaluation findings Outcome indicator: Capacity Performance rating: More work needed The capacity assessment program is an initiative that supports our member institutions to identify the capacities they have and those they need to develop in order to fulfil their respective mandates to promote and protect rights at the national level. The assessment proposes strategies to strengthen NHRIs as a whole, to develop the capacities of staff members and to make the internal processes of NHRIs more efficient and more effective. The program is jointly facilitated by the APF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The objective of the project is to assist NHRIs in the region to generate an understanding of their capacity strengths and needs and to develop strategies to fill capacity gaps. One of the first steps of the capacity development process is a capacity assessment, a self-assessment used to identify capacity strengths and needs of the NHRI. The APF, UNDP and OHCHR act as facilitators to the process by which the NHRI assesses its own capacities and identifies and prioritises capacity development needs. In close consultation with the NHRI, they produce an analytical report, measuring required future capacities of the NHRI against its current capacities and making recommendations for capacity development strategies. This report is presented to the NHRI in draft form for discussion and joint finalisation. Capacity assessments have already been conducted with the following NHRIs: • Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (2008) • Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (2009) • Jordan National Centre for Human Rights (2010) • National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (2010), and • Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (2011). 1. Enhance members’ institutional capacity to promote and protect human rights | 7