Local governments in Malawi just like in many countries have been undertaking training and development initiatives as part and parcel of capacity building programs. Drawing from a qualitative epistemological approach and using Zomba District Council as an illustrative case study, this paper assess whether conditions necessary for successful implementation of training and development programs are put in place in Malawi’s local government authorities. The central argument is that the current training and development initiatives just like the previous ones are likely to fail since they are imposed on an environment where they are no good conditions to thrive. The study concludes that local governments’ efforts to ensure successful implementation of training and development are likely to be fruitful if challenges that militate against effective implementation of these practices are confronted and dealt with accordingly and putting necessary conditions in the physical setting where they are going to be implemented. The findings from this case study are in line with the experiences in many countries that have been undertaking training and development initiatives but there is little to show of the tangible progress due to primarily unrealistic commitments.

Keywords : Development, Local government, Training, Capacity Building