Recognising the need to realise the value of its resources in sustainable ways the Government of Zimbabwe embarked on an initiative to develop a comprehensive and state-of-the art national system of Natural Resources and Agro-forestry development. Performance of capacity development projects require flexibility, good understanding of local realities, special skills and high levels of participation.

Building the capacity of organisations requires attention including: World view: a coherent frame of reference that the organisation uses to interpret Natural Resources and Agro-forestry issues. Culture: a way of doing things that enables the organisation to achieve its objectives, and that it can be effective and have an impact Structure: a clear definition of roles, functions, lines of communication, and mechanisms for accountability Adaptive strategies: practices and policies that enable an organisation to adapt and respond to changes in its operating environment Skills: knowledge, abilities, and competencies Material resources: technology, finance, and equipment Linkages: an ability to develop and manage relationships with locals and organisations in pursuit of overall goals of Resources and Agro-forest development. The government of Zimbabwe developed the Indigenisation programme and the National Development Plan guide policy within agricultural Colleges and Universities. The key contribution of Colleges and Universities are as follows, research and information, agricultural extension service, research innovation and training Natural resources and Agro-forest needs.

Natural resources contribute to growth, employment and fiscal revenues, but they need to be managed well. Governance of natural resources is especially crucial in the context of:

· Divided societies or where there is ethnic conflict; poor or highly unequal societies

· Failure to govern well renders natural resources a “curse”, so it is vital to examine the status of Natural Resources Management (NRM) and the capacity challenges

State have also adopted polices providing much stronger support for decentralized resources management and resource protection.