Capacity building is crucial for the long-term sustainability of GCP research, and is an indispensable prerequisite for enabling delivery. A revamped strategy for training was launched in 2012.

Theme 4 conducts activities in direct support of all GCP Themes and Research Initatives. It fulfils its role by building technical capacity for the efficient implementation of GCP research, thereby facilitating the flow of GCP products through the research–delivery continuum to intermediate and end-users.

• Communities of practice (CoPs) and integrated breeding: In GCP Phase II, Theme 4 focuess on GCP’s Research Initiatives (RIs) and the Integrated Breeding Platform, by establishing and supporting communities of practice premised on the comprehensive and enhanced suite of breeding services and research support that GCP’s Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) and the RIs jointly offer.
• Infrastructure: In addition to human-resource development, capacity building also focuses on improving field infrastructure for participating country programmes to ensure reliable phenotyping. For example, in 2010 alone, GCP and IBP jointly dedicated about USD 2m to this improvement. See related blogpost.
• Genotyping Support Service (GSS): Theme 4 also offers genotyping support to eligible developing-country institutes. by facilitating their access to modern breeding technologies.
• Other services, tools and resources: The bulk of these are now offered through the Integrated Breeding Platform, and include e-learning resources, helpdesks, training in data and information management, data analysis, molecular breeding, intellectual property and policy, and use of the various informatics tools and applications offered through the Platform.