The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) was created 20 years ago as a response to Africa's challenges in human and institutional capacity.

The 20th Anniversary of ACBF coincides with the 50th anniversary of the independence of many African states as well as with the end of the decade of capacity building in Africa proclaimed by the African Union in 2002. As such it provides for an opportunity to look back and learn from what has worked and what hasn't and to look forward to the challenges facing Africa, in order to position the Foundation to address these challenges.

This strategy has been developed to address the key challenges the continent will be facing in the coming years, refining and refocussing the operations of ACBF, and repositioning the Foundation as a leader, major partner, and centre of excellence for capacity building in Africa. The strategy is further informed by the evolution of ACBF's experience over time, the impact that the Foundation has achieved in the area of development, the demands that are forthcoming from members, and the resource envelope the Foundation expects to have available. ACBF needs to adjust its approach to emerging country-specific and regional contexts, and become more flexible in its response, as well as improve its effectiveness and develop capability to tackle new areas, to be ready for the challenges ahead.