The ICLD-UNCDF International Joint Training Programme to Strengthen Local Government in Support of Local Development in southern and eastern Africa programme is both a national and regional response to the capacity requirements identified in local govemment in southern and eastern Africa. Specifically, the programme seeks to pioneer the "proof of concept" that greater impact and sustainability in capacity development for local governments has to be grounded in combining theoretical knowledge with practical implementation set in specific policy and institutional contexts and anchored in a change management process at policy, organisational and individual levels and structured and planned to be driven by change agents and through change projects. The change agents and change projects are identifìed and designed to engender an explicit and sustainable improvement in the outcomes and development impact of participating institution as defined in their mandates.