The CAPS framework for governance capacity building for local climate action

The CAPS (CAPacity building through Shared understanding) framework presents a comprehensive approach to endogenous governance capacity building for local climate action. Combining previous research on governance capacity, shared understanding and social learning, the framework outlines the process whereby local governance capacities evolve through social learning cycles, leading to increasingly ambitious climate actions; however, previous research remains opaque regarding the specific mechanism underlying this process. To close this gap, the CAPS framework introduces the concept of shared understanding, operationalised using Protection Motivation Theory, which measures the convergence and eventual congruence of risk appraisals, coping appraisals and protective or non-protective responses among local actors. We present and explain the CAPS framework, but also offer potential applications in transdisciplinary research on local transformation processes as well as reflect on enabling conditions and challenges in terms of scope, methods, involved actors and potential counterproductive outcomes of capacity building.