Area Based Development Findings, Recommendations,

Lessons Learnt

“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back”

ABD Programming ABD project is a long-term intervention

targeting integrated multi-sectoral, multi-donor and multi-beneficiary intervention;

Programming is very important – involvement of stakeholders is crucial for the project success!– It is very difficult to design an ABD projects;– How to identify all the stakeholders?– How to accommodate all the interests?– How to involve stakeholders at the national level?– Other donor agencies?

– Proper planning of the exit strategy is very important

ABD Programming

Project evaluations have shown insufficient involvement of stakeholders in the programming phase;

Practical implications: lack of ownership/commitment, donor dependency/clientelism

ABD Programming

Be aware: one project intervention cannot solve all the problems in the area – keep the focus on the main problem(s);

Make SMART Objectives and RACER (Relevant, Accepted, Credible, Easy and Robust) Indicators;

Make sure implementation arrangements are appropriate for the efficient and effective project delivery;

A contingency reserve is necessary to budget;

ABD Programming

Always be honest with the

beneficiaries about what they

will/can get from the project;

Implementation Be aware, ABD project implementation is

even more difficult than programming!

It’s very difficult to coordinate multi-stakeholder initiative – building trust is crucial!

– Always start with quick wins and with outputs that produce high visibility;

– Be aware of hidden agendas, lobby groups, political interests, etc;

– Try to get substantial involvement of policy makers at the national level;

– Networking is good but there is a work to be done - keep stakeholders tight to their responsibilities;

Implementation Management structures should be carefully

designed, potential management responsibilities of stakeholders should be clearly described;

Who is responsible and accountable for steering the project?

The location of the main project office should be chosen by consensus of all/majority of beneficiaries.

It is important to keep the high presence in the field – having local coordinators might be costly but will contribute significantly to the results delivery.

Implementation

Donor demands for having quick results and for keeping the budgeting schedule might spoil the quality of the project results;

Do not rush, try to be flexible as much as possible;

Implementation

No matter how well the project document is written, likelihood to be changed is almost certain to happen– Beneficiaries and donors change their priorities:

make a review of the stakeholder analysis;– It’s easy to be pulled out to a different direction;

If the changes happens during the implementation phase, make sure they are well documented and objectives/results/indicators/implementation modality are adjusted to the new circumstances;

Implementation

Try to get beneficiaries involved in project implementation as much as possible - it is important to make them to be proud of being part of the projects;

Try not to get involved in (local) politics (usually it is unavoidable);

ABD is about developing local capacities – have that in mind when doing recruitment and tendering;

IMPACT

Direct impact in the field of project intervention is very difficult to achieve

How and when to measure impact?

Do not have high expectation in achieving quick impact results on long term issues such as capacity development/institutional building, knowledge transfer, etc.

Spin-offs are likely to happen (how to capture them?)

Sustainability

Very often one ABD project intervention is not sufficient to make substantial changes on target groups;

Sustainability is possible to achieve only if beneficiaries are actively/gradually engaged in implementation from the beginning;

Do not expect the public sector will (be able to) handle over the project after the implementation;

Do not leave beneficiaries without support between two phases of projects;

Try to coordinate with other donors;