'Waste Not, Want Not' - Annual vs Multi-Year Funding - Development Assistance Perspectives

 In-field assessment highlighting implications of Norad's annual funding on localization efforts - including collaboration, learning and adaptive management.

Text by Blogger 

Introduction

This post asks critical questions around the efficacy of funding modalities (enduring and current) in a period of unprecedented change. It is very specific to one donor, one international non-governmental  organization implementing within the Sudan country context. However, since the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) funds several INGOs globally, often across a dozen or more countries, aid effectiveness issues are compounded. My most recent experience was with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) as Sudan's Country Program Manager spanning a period of two years (2019-2021). The 'world's apart' policy and institutional arrangement disconnect between Oslo-Norway and the field, including implementation realities and challenges, is argued. Similarly, lofty ODA principles and ideals, articulated in Norad strategies and on organizational websites are shown to be a contradiction in terms and to actively hamper sustainable development. A local, in-country partner perspective is offered as they grapple to take full ownership of projects within increasing fragility and instability. Finally, potential solutions are offered through a range of scenarios in order to respond, proactively, to very real and stifling implementation challenged. 

Funding and programming in times of unprecedented uncertainty

Aside from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, during my tenure in Sudan the country and its people endured the Revolution for Freedom and Change (2019) which toppled the dictatorial Bashir regime.  Barely a year later, a 100-year Nile flooding event inundated 17 of the country's 18 states causing widespread infrastructure damage and untold socio-economic misery. Subsequently, the country has endured several coup attempts which culminated in the telling October 2021 coup. This has seen the reversal of transitional democratic gains and further plunged the country into debilitating paralysis.  

Actual measures of aid effectives range from the traditional stalwarts of accountability, performance-spend, outcomes-impact, capacity development, sustainability to more recent indicators including collaboration-partnerships, learning and knowledge management, localization and adaptive management. Recent ODA trends are towards empowering and enabling local partners, NGO's and implementers to take full control (ownership) of their development destinies. In the case Sudan herein lies an anomaly and perhaps, a contradiction. Even so, there remains an argument for a departure from the same old, same old boilerplate, funding template. 

Siles (PM4DEV Blog, 2021) supports the notion of an adaptive project management approach in relation to development projects, citing several reasons that set ODA apart from 'traditional (or predictive) project management.' 

ODA takes place in complex, non-linear, and unpredictable environments:

1. The ODA goal is not simply completion but rather about process, engagement and content - the HOW  in project delivery. Equally central are the ownership and satisfaction of various and diverse stakeholders; 
2. The interconnectedness of elements in the project cycle where every project is a dynamic, learning environment;
3. Initial and ongoing assumptions are never accurate hence a 'design and implement' methodology can introduce real time flexibility and responsiveness; 
4. Change is inevitable, increasingly variable and is happening with greater regularity.  

 

Norad in a nutshell  

According to the Norad website, the agency’s primary purpose is to 'ensure that development aid funds are spent in the best possible way, and to report on what works and does not.’ The Agency is a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Norad’s functions are laid down in the agency’s terms of references and annual letters of allocation issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

 In their new strategy, ‘Norad of the future’, the agency aligns itself scrupulously with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as strategic and operational foundations.

 'Norad will make every effort to ensure the goals are achieved!' In so doing: 

1. The agency's main task is to invest strategically in cooperation with partners.
2. Norad's work must be based on knowledge and insight – facts inform policy.
3. Quality assurance (and monitoring) of Norwegian aid measures is one of the agency's most important responsibilities. 

As a comparative analysis, the USAID Framework for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (explicit in the Norad approach) is the State Department's way of incorporating cutting-edge and agile approaches into foreign assistance. The data-informed approach requires programs to proactively measure outputs; share good and bad practice with donors, and make rapid pivots to always enhance  outcomes - impact. The end result, hopefully, is effective aid.

 The Agile approach and associated software focuses on 'speeding up solution delivery and enabling earlier decision-making with incremental, iterative planning and execution, led by small teams that collaborate closely with stakeholders to respond rapidly to change.' A notable difference is that whereas Norad implements annually through a multi-year framework agreements, USAID provides  multi-year funding ranging between a 3-5 year period. USAID characterises its operating environments as 'some of the most chaotic and challenging on earth.' Norad operates within the very same environments.

 In countless animated discussions with NCA colleagues, in Sudan and Oslo, on the issue of annual funding limitations many dismiss, outright, the notion of any form of status quo change with a resigned shoulder shrug and this is the way its always done. Seemingly, a change requires parliamentary, constitutional and policy amendments - too hard to contemplate and do since it involves key, gatekeeper ministries in Foreign Affairs and Climate and Environment. Whatever happened to a living, flexible and responsive policy ODA  framework? 

Strikingly, according to Norad's 2020/2021 Annual Report (entitled Knowledge in a time of crisis  – Norad Evaluation department) an overriding principle in the evaluation and by implication, aid effectiveness of Norwegian development cooperation has been that 'the development assistance system must continue to learn from experience.' Whereas the report poses a key, recurring question of: How can we ensure that lessons learned from completed evaluations are incorporated into the ongoing work of improving Norwegian development cooperation, it seems rather light on 'learning by doing' answers.  A rapid scan of several evaluation reports commissioned by Norad in recent years reveals no mention of funding modalities (annual and multi-year) and how they may impact, big-picture, upon planning and program delivery.  

The report cites 3 key findings. 

1. 'Better decision-making basis is needed in development assistance. Cooperation is risk-tolerant and flexible, but it also entails important challenges on how knowledge is applied' - a clear reference to the issue of agility and the willingness to make essential pivots or adaptive management;
2. Development cooperation must strengthen its ability to collect data and perform analyses and evaluations as part of and during ongoing initiatives in order to improve results management (refer to contemporary aid effectiveness - measures and the perennial question of : What is the purpose of M&E'?;
3. 'We do not work systematically enough with countries that advance from low-income to middle-income status.' 

The report's concluding comment is that the 'starting point for how the whole system must view - Knowledge in a time of crisis learning and is the responsibility of everyone who is involved in Norwegian development cooperation.' This implies that ALL, of the dozen or so Norwegian NGOs (receiving in total 15.12 % of Norad framework funding), have the responsibility too seek creative solutions and incorporate adaptive approaches especially in funding and project management iterations.  

Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) in partnership with Norad

The Norad-related graphics depicted in this section below are outdated but nevertheless useful in the portrayal of basic background information and general funding trends in recent years. Its questionable as to whether the same B.C. - before COVID-19 data and analysis is available at this point in time as the pandemic lingers into its third year.   

Fast Facts: Current NCA agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

• NCA’s four-year Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) with the MFA is entitled NCA Saves Lives, Alleviates Suffering and Protects Human Dignity;
• SPA is valid from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023. The total financial frame is NOK 840 000 000 (annual frame of NOK 210 000 000);
• Twelve countries are included: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, DRC, Iraq, Lebanon, Mali, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. Five countries, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, are included for the entire agreement period;
• Six global projects are also included and focus on six areas: Capacity and Response; Coordination and Advocacy; WASH; GBV; ASRH; and Protection. 

Fast Facts: Current NCA agreement with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)

• NCA’s five-year Cooperation Agreement (CA) with Norad commits NOK 1.7 billion to its long-term development programmes and is valid from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024; 
• The Cooperation Agreement comprises: - A global civil society grant entitled Leveraging Faith Towards Inclusive and Just Societies which consists of six thematic programmes (Gender-Based Violence, Climate Resilient WASH, Peacebuilding; Climate Smart Economic Empowerment; Faith-Based Climate Action and Fighting Inequality);
• The grant is implemented in 17 countries and includes two regional programmes; one global programme and global projects. - Minorities of Faith and Belief; and - Regional grants in eight countries.

Funding Updates,  as at February 2022, according to Donor Tracker

• Norway is the ninth-largest donor country, spending US$4.2 billion on ODA in 2020. It is second-largest donor in proportion to the size of its economy: ODA stood at 1.11% of the country's gross national income (GNI). There is a cross-party consensus to maintain ODA at around 1% of GNI. 
• Norway’s commitment to spend 1% of its GNI on development cooperation means that increases in ODA are closely linked to Norway’s economic growth. In May of 2020, the government reiterated its intention to uphold this commitment, even in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The new government, in place since September of 2021, is also committed to spending 1% of its GNI on development cooperation. Due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the ODA budget is marginally lower than 2020. 
• In October of 2021 the government proposed the budget for 2022, which includes a development assistance budget of over NOK41.0 billion (US$ 4.7 billion ). This corresponds to 1% of Norway’s estimated GNI for 2022 and would mean an 8% increase in ODA over 2021. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by the parliament.

NCA Sudan: typical annual funding and project management cycle dictated by MFA-Norad.

A significant portion of NCA Sudan's programming is implemented 'indirectly' through local partners or NGO's (also referred to as accompanied partners). They are a mix of long to short-standing relationships, ranging from highly to less competent implementers. Some, thanks for NCA's ongoing support, have diversified their funding base and receive multi-year contributions from other donors beyond the NCA: MFA and Norad pool. Others, less experienced and innovative rely wholly on NCA: MFA and Norad funding. This single source funding dependency is problematic and contrary to localization and sustainable development. 

Within the over-arching framework agreements (both SPA-MFA and CA-Norad) budgets and workplans are prepared, in-country by both NCA: Sudan and local partners, for the upcoming calendar usually in the final quarter of the preceding year. The Norwegian Parliament approves aid budget appropriations in February/March and several weeks later (roughly March/April) Norwegian INGOs receive approved funding which could differ from the framework agreements and rarely match or are aligned with in-field budgets and workplans. Workplan and budget revisions are then required to achieve an annual funding match. This translates to revisions at local partner level too. The propensity for and preoccupation with over-planning and budgeting reduces this to an often senseless, repetitive, mind-numbing tick-box exercise.  Local implementing partners finally receive funding (May/June) to kick off operations for the year usually in 2-3 tranches. Several implementation months are already lost. Typically in Sudan, the arrival of MFA-Norad funding coincides with that of the wet - rainy season which, with increasing climate change-driven variability, extends from June through to October. During this period large parts of the rural countryside are inaccessible and hard - infrastructure activities have to be postponed to the drier, final quarter of the year. Soft activities centred around community mobilization, education and training at accessible towns and villages are possible.

Challenges: 

1. Local partners are only able to retain core Khartoum staff -  due to cash flow issues between successive years. Field staff located at strategic state locations have to be recruited annually once funding becomes available in the new calendar year (most project staff are unemployed between January-June). 
2. In some instances, salaries only are advanced to local partners to retain staff but then activity - operational funding only follows several months later with the result that project staff are being paid for little or no work effort. 
3. In the absence of operational funding, there is the perpetuation of planning - planning to plan - going through the motions - reactive. 
4. Broken, insecure and inconsistent tenure impacts upon loyalty and motivation. 
5. Competent staff with high demand - required skills, knowledge and attitudes (SKAs) are lured across to other NGOs and UN agencies as more stable and long-term tenure is almost guaranteed ie annual or multi-year contracts as opposed to 6 months.
6. Key environmental factors and a short 4-6 month implementation period means that standards and quality implementation are often comprised in the mad dash to spend operational funding by December 15th. 
7. Unspent funds have to be returned with no option of roll or carry-overs - there is the possibility that funding can be squandered or irresponsibly spent in order to clear the books.
8. Localization and ownership is stymied and instead of setting good development assistance examples/practice, local partners are frustrated by systems, procedures and funding idiosyncrasies beyond their control. 
9. Local partner innovation and creativity is removed from the Triple Nexus equation resorting to a default same same principle without any form of flexibility or acknowledgement of the local, in-country context and challenges. 
10. The concept and practice of complexity awareness monitoring, particularly in fragile and conflict awareness countries such as Sudan, is largely redundant and ignored. There is little or no opportunity for application of learning - adaptive management - AUTOREPEAT is the  normative practice. 
11. Sustainable development becomes the casualty with desperate beneficiaries being short-changed. 

Scenario planning - Learning from Lessons

Practise what is preached -  Pause, Reflect and Adapt

High Road Scenario 

Introduce multi-year funding modelled on other donor experiences - methodology commencing with a 3-year funding period initially and then moving to 5-years with effect from the new Norad-MFA funding framework agreement in 2026.

Mid Road Scenario 

Pilot, across a minimum of 50% of Norwegian INGOs, 2-multi year funding commencing in 2024 for the remaining 2 years of the Norad funding framework agreement Yrs 2024/2025

Low Road Scenario

Pilot, across a minimum of 25% of Norwegian INGOs, 2-multi year funding commencing in 2024 for the remaining 2 years of the Norad funding framework agreement Yrs 2024/2025.

   

Write off pale, aged males 45 and older at your peril!

Text by Barry Greville-Eyres

Introduction

Reflections, based on recent international and in-Australia job search efforts spanning several months, are shared. Harsh realities, within the context of a staccato COVID-19 pandemic recovery, impacting upon Official Development Assistance (ODA) – international development and humanitarian aid are listed. Cash-strapped nations have reduced aid-spend; project pipelines have narrowed, and delivery delays are commonplace; in the face of the Afghan debacle there is, hopefully, a collective conscience and re-think on issues of policy, aid effectiveness, conditionality, accountability, localization; and a resurgence of nationalization has seen most countries reasserting their own agendas (in their national interest) and hiring nationals first within a reduced funding and job market.

The parochial domestic job market, COVID-cloistered, has been shaken and stirred by a blockade on incoming skilled migrant labour and a corresponding outflow or brain drain. Early reports were of a shortage of 500,000 skilled labour to a more recent estimate or call for an ‘explosive, country-wide post-World War II-style immigration surge’ that could bring in 2 million people over five years to rebuild the faltering economy and address crippling labour shortages. Fortress Australia stands resolute, and we all wait, with bated breath, to see how the stately dominoes will tumble post-lockdown in the newest scramble and surge.  The pale, male and stale (PMS) stereotype along with the prevailing human resources management preoccupation of Gender, Equality, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) are touched upon. It is against this backdrop that observations, trends and considerations – solutions are thrown into the mix.   

Trending: Talent Acquisition 

Donotreply and automated responses generated by talent acquisition specialists and their sophisticated recruitment - careers software are previewed below.

After careful consideration, we advise that on this occasion, your application has been unsuccessful. We have decided to progress with other candidates more closely suited to our requirements at this time.

At G&&&&&, we seek candidates who can genuinely add value to our business.

We assessed that the breadth of your skills and experience were not at the same level as those of the shortlisted candidates.

Your resume will be maintained in our database for future positions, and if a strong match is found between your skills, experience and requirements of a position a member of the resourcing team will be in touch with you. We encourage you to spend a few minutes periodically to ensure that your information is up to date.

Some compelling questions for consideration.

 What does this generic, robotic jargon mean? Should it be taken at face value?

Is there more conspiratorial – subliminal messaging therein?  Could it be that embedded in these codified and nuanced phrases are measures of woke-Manship, and in vogue GEDSI parlance with promising intent yet less applied knowledge and experience on how to make this happen?

Or could it be the folly of job markets where perhaps supply outstrips demand and recruiters are phishing in deep, yet opaque talent pools to try and draw out whoppers as opposed to minnows - candidates that can genuinely add value? 

This seems to contradict current and anticipated labour market shortages (domestic and international) flagged above? Even in the face of almost Australia-wide lockdowns and job seeker/keeper economic stimuli, the flood of job advertisements and re-advertisement continue unabated.  Speculative, shots in the dark or displacement activity? 

In relation to the issues of PMS and GEDSI, this is a case of déjà vu since its was a lived reality (as a senior public servant, management consultant, scholar, development practitioner) I contended with daily in the post-Apartheid South Africa (1996-2005). Only then, in my role as Deputy Director: HR Training and Development - Office of the Premier, I was the sole white male albeit much younger. Best described at the time as:

‘Experienced, firsthand, workplace social re-engineering/accelerated transformation initiatives and the implications thereof. Attempts include Apartheid – racism and reverse racism; gender mainstreaming, Peter Principle; Imposter Syndrome (elaborated on further) affirmative action; black economic empowerment (BEE) preferential procurement; and other guises, overt or covert, of redress laid bare, often, as blatant discrimination.’

Then, as now, there are many 'lips to be serviced' but the absence of a clear, pragmatic, and coherent ‘how’ to do this in a measured, common sense and sustainable way. Jerky knees! 

Peter Principle - notes that employees, in a typical corporate structure, tend to advance to 'a level of respective incompetence' - personnel are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) in one job does not necessarily translate to another. Indiscriminate accelerated development and promotion, often within historically marginalized groups, often compounds workplace incompetence with negative consequences of mainstream organizational resistance and dissatisfaction. Some beneficiaries thrive in this context but others wilt under this immense pressure and scrutiny to perform and live up to unrealistic expectations. Job-hopping often results in order to stay ahead of the in-competence curve and as upward mobility is increasingly and artificially sweetened. 

Imposter Syndrome - nagging and persistent emotions of inadequacy despite demonstrable markers of achievement. Imposters suffer from 'chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external verification of their competence.'

As with the Peter Principle and the Imposter Syndrome, the Pale, Male and Stale (PMS) stereotype and caricature has occupied the HR and organizational development space for decades. It is often attributed to Nasa administrator Daniel Goldin who, in 1992, criticised the lack of diversity in the space agency. More recently, as GEDSI strategies gather implementation momentum, the dominant view is that they - PMS should stand aside, and no longer be seen and heard. 

Toss in a healthy dose of ageism as well and a further layer is added to an already complex conundrum. Whilst acknowledging we cannot maintain the workplace status quo – auto-repeating ‘same old same,’ there are countless experiences and lessons out there to learn from. Ever tried excluding your age as a ‘mandatory field’ and having your online application stopped in its tracks or perhaps fudging it (the algorithm) only then to be thwarted, at the final click, by the requirement to make an honest, accurate and truthful disclosure of private information. Strange is it not, that you can fudge or decline from disclosing 'voluntary information' related to your race - ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, disability status, special accommodation(s) etc.

Making sense of non-sense

Although an enduring challenge, fittingly described as the 'disconnect' between executive, senior management and human resource units, this is clearly exacerbated by the recent pandemic with the unprecedented pace and complexity of change. With the former exec-cadre not always 'understanding or investing’ in the optional extras - contemporary transformative agendas/roles including (People, Culture, Community, Social Performance, Environment, Engagement, Leadership and Learning, Learning and Development, Policing of Pronouns, Wellbeing and Wellness - Mental Health). Arguably, their perspective is more about the bottom line and short term survival and less about equity and sustainability? What ever happened seasoned General Managers? The perennial, organizational development, argument of generalist versus specialist is perhaps entirely a different topic of conversation for another time.

Have executives – senior managers (PMS) dropped some balls?

In addition to keeping all these balls in the air, human resource units are required to fathom out a response to the omni-present COVID-19 pandemic and the issue of making remote work successful/combating alienation.  

Having said this, there are several reasons not to write off the PMS pariah generation just yet. 

6 Reasons not to write off, pale males aged 45 onwards

• Provide an organizational steady, stable ‘homeostasis’ state. Cohesive – adhesive glue.   
• Often constitute the institutional memory and the tacit – experiential (intangible - personal wisdom, experience, insight, and intuition) knowledge base of organizations spanning several years. This includes catastrophic events such as mergers and acquisitions; global financial and other crises i.e. lived change which infuses the institution and staff with confidence, resilience, resolve, patience and expert knowledge.
• Can prove to be invaluable allies and catalysts for change - the quiet and sensibility in the storm of transformational change. The caveat is to build change programs (GEDSI etc) with and around them not as a stand alone event but as a creative, dynamic and inclusive collaboration. There needs to be a collective acknowledgement, within organizations, that they are on an enduring change trajectory for more frequent, more momentous, more variable, more opportunistic change where adaptive management becomes the default response.    
•  They can, generally, hustle and hack it – once again the resilience theme!
• Many are also at the career point where they've made their respective mark(s), and perhaps, have reflected upon work and life, personal and organizational legacies with hopefully a corresponding receptiveness to change, add value and give others a fair go. 
• Tacit knowledge - wisdom, experience, insight, and intuition is the traditional mainstay of most societies and cultures. It is indispensable - it means and counts for something adding gravitas and respect.   

Conversely, aged pale males can also serve as gatekeepers, highly resistant to change and as active saboteurs retarding progressive transformation. If anything else, these mutterings are a veiled threat - a rocket up the Khyber Pass to stale males that the 'age of entitlement' is over, and that their games need considerable lifting if they wish to remain a force in the workplace.   

What do you identify, most, with?

Mediocrity or Excellence?

Level playing fields at all – what cost?

I identify with pale males aged 45 years and older - less so with the derogatory 'stale' moniker. With life-long learning behind and ahead I'm still able to make a contribution in an empowering, energetic and enabling fashion. I embrace change and challenge and shy away from neither. I also accept that there are four (4) or more sides to every argument.

They say age is but a number (and a state of mind), so according to my calculations I still have another highly productive and professional 15 years to early retirement. Having reached my prime, the very  best years are clearly ahead of me. I identify with creative collaborations between HR, senior management, and other organizational units, spearheaded by a credible manager, who leads transformation as a strategic and social imperative. I can relate to the young, restless, impatient, and ambitious as I’ve young adult offspring  of my own. However, we all need to bide and do our time, there is no quick-fix or substitute for experience. Journeys and destinations are inseparable - they are part of the same continuum!

Post Script: I celebrate my 59^th birthday in the month of November and whereas celebratory greetings will not be amiss, I’d far prefer a few promising job prospects AND OR concrete offers.    

General Disclaimer: This is a personal blog. Sentiments reflected are solely those of the blogger and do not represent those of people, institutions and organizations that the blogger may or may not be associated with in his personal and professional capacities. This includes previous, current and any future employers. Expressed views and opinions are not intended to malign anyone. 

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) through Walkabout

Text and Pictures by Barry Greville-Eyres

There is no substitute for 'Walkabout' particularly in the official development assistance context  

Background

Ironically, the term walkabout is recognized in technical and business management parlance as MBWA or management by walking around. It was popularized in the ‘80s and involves managers meandering about in an unstructured manner, arbitrarily through the workplace, to check with employees/beneficiaries, equipment, or on the status of continuing work. An Antipodean variation on the theme is the journey of discovery or rite of passage during which adolescent males, in Australian Aboriginal culture, live in the wilderness for a period up to six months. This enables them to make the spiritual and traditional transition into adulthood. This socio-cultural practice is entrenched, in various guises, in many traditional and even contemporary societies (including African) marking an important learning and developmental milestone in someone’s life. One could argue that the ‘generalized practice’ is second nature but has been lost or severely eroded over time by external influences including urbanization and globalization. Sense-around or the three L’s of Listening, Looking and Learning are at the core of the walkabout experience.

CLA (USAID) and capacity development (primarily UNDP and other UN agencies, DFID-UKAID, AusAID-AustralianAID), often used interchangeably in the official development assistance (ODA) context, is the process (of knowledge, skill, experience and attribute acquisition) through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the competences to set and achieve their own, time-bound development objectives.

The walkabout management (and learning) model is a simple one, and in workplaces where employees are within proximity to each other it can be extraordinarily effective especially nowadays where there is an over-reliance on information and communication technologies. Pundits argue that its destined for a comeback as it trumps verbose, impersonal emails meticulously prepared from behind closed doors; smashes the glass cubicle-siloed work space and mentality and more importantly, is handy for building rapport and cohesion among team members.

A key disadvantage that MBWA has however is the limit posed on it by geography. In the case of decentralized offices and or a regional sphere of operations, its becomes particularly challenging and conscious decisions and active practices need to be put in place to promote this orientation.

This article intends validating, based on a career of practice, the notional concept of ‘walkabout’ yet also argues how integral it is not only to good development per se but also highly effective CLA/CD. There is no substitute for hands-on management and it’s also widely accepted that intensive and participatory engagement promotes home-grown and often, spontaneous development solutions. An attempt is made to locate CLA through Walkabout on a continuum citing some of the more and less typical development responses, largely dictated by prevailing contextual factors. 

A fair depiction of Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Pic. Courtesy of U.S. Mission Uganda 

Gated and Grounded in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS)

As a development practitioner, most of my recent work has been in FCAS (including South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Iraq) where walking around and as a natural extension CLA and CD, is exceedingly difficult and often nearly impossible. Typically, staff are sequestered is secure compounds, as a matter of necessity, and seldom have direct access to development assistance partners – whether government counterparts, CBOs/NGOs, other stakeholders and beneficiaries. Occasional and hard-earned engagement is at great risk with parties having to run a gauntlet, of high drama, on either side of the wire. Personal safety aside, national counterparts are often reluctant to venture into secure, international compounds because of the grave danger en route, general inconvenience and occasional disrespect meted out on them by local and foreign guard forces. Conversely, some practitioners welcome ‘getting out of the wire’ as a rare opportunity to see things as they really are. Most err on the side of caution and prefer not to venture out at all even with all the security arrangements in place. All are reminded by security details that individuals are, ultimately, ‘responsible’ for their personal security and therefore exercise this ‘call’ accordingly.

Under these circumstances, proximity is greatly reduced as is the ability to walkabout. Therefore, working relationships are fleeting and national staff/counterparts ‘exist’ side-by-side in two distinct, yet totally altered realities. Rapport, trust, face-time, nurturing ‘holistic development’ through on-the-job mentoring and coaching which are all vital social capital ingredients tend to be in short supply. Frequent rest and recuperation (R&R) cycles and sporadic terror incidents add to the climate of chaos and surrealness. Exceptions do exist and its not uncommon to develop incredible bonds of friendship and mutual understanding under the most trying circumstances.

Barbed wire, T-walls, barricades and birds .......

Personal Tip: My mission was, within reason, to spend as much contact time as possible with national colleagues and government counterparts. I facilitated access to our secured compounds and ‘personalized’ the entire experience by receiving and seeing them off at the gate. Transport was always arranged, and pickups/drop-offs were timely and where necessary, I would shield them from awkward moments with guard forces. Refreshments at the local restaurant or coffee shop was a MUST DO and an ordinarily dull meeting was turned into, what I hoped, an outing and pleasant occasion. Conversely, what cemented working relations and won healthy respect in short time, was the willingness to venture out of the protected expat-bubble and visit government counterparts at their workplaces. 

  

A typical development response in FCAS is to install a system of intermediate national staff, almost always seasoned practitioners and advisors, to serve as an extension of their international colleagues. Local advisors become the eyes, ears – sensory, atmospheric and contextual receptors for the project, implementer and donor. This model, used as a primary vehicle for CLA and CD, has worked well but the international practitioner cadre bears an important responsibility in making it work seamlessly and effectively. 

Local Trainers were Trained through (ToTs) and then sent out into ministries and departments as dedicated points of contact and to deliver on project mandates. Language was invariably always a problem and most projects had an excellent team of in-house translators to support the process of developing and transferring knowledge, skills and attitudes. Whereas most local advisors were trained professionals (engineers, doctors and lawyers) many lacked the ‘soft developmental skills and experience’ to take on the role as practitioner consultant. This is where the role of the international practitioner became so critical and ‘mismatches’ were not uncommon, where former city managers, lawyers and other professionals were thrust into development work with little or no context-specific experience.  Nevertheless, this yielded ‘mixed’ and interesting results.

Comment: The ‘process’ of understanding a dynamic local context, through and with intermediate advisors, and then jointly developing appropriate responses is central to a sustainable CLA/CD journey. Enough time must be allowed to continuously review both ‘process’ and ‘content’ issues as therein lies learning, adaptive management and fundamental change. Each country and unique context have its ‘natural rhythm’ and heart beat that should and cannot be hurried along easily.

A decade or more later there is a critical mass of experienced, local capacity in place, weaned off from their international parentages that can continue this important work with the ‘lightest touch’ of support and supervision. This remains an enduring legacy of the helter-skelter development work done in the new (3^rd) millennium and which addresses, in part, sustainability issues raised by many cynics. Some recent Afghan insights - specially from southern Afghanistan (Helmand Province) are shared here at http://barrygreville-eyres.blogspot.com/2017/02/legacies-badlands-and-rough-diamonds.html. 

Comment: Challenges posed by language and the absence of professional translation are sometimes taken for granted – this can be disastrous for a project and its implementation if not remedied swiftly.

Comment: Another, often, taken for granted dimension in FCASs is the impact of unresolved conflict/trauma on a society and more specifically on CLA/CD. Experiences from Timor-Leste are shared here. This realization and the deeply associated complexities are a true product of walkabout – venturing out of Dili and spending time in the countryside with Timorese – both East and West. 

A 'twist' on Walkabout

How to Entrench Support and How Not To

Embed, notwithstanding its strong militaristic connotations, is probably the more commonly used term to take the walkabout concept to its absolute, ‘ideal’ extreme. In general terms, CLA/CD often works best if you physically co-locate oneself directly with your local project colleagues and or government counterparts. This is permissible outside of FCAS situations and where one would want to optimize contact/face-time. Typically, when commencing on a new project, as a senior expat practitioner, one is reverently and ceremoniously ushered to a plush office secluded from project machinations and hullabaloo.

Personal Tip: Immediately ditch the lofty and prized project ‘unreal estate’ in favor of co-locating yourself in a ‘general office’ arrangement where you share with middle-level colleagues/counterparts particularly general and personal assistants/secretaries. In quick order, one will have your finger on the ‘true’ project pulse and open yourself to the trust, respect and cultural uniqueness of national staff. You will also have so much more fun in a communal office arrangement with never-ending learning.

If your role is to provide strategic and institutional strengthening support to the leadership of a government agency, then the ideal approach is to ‘embed’ yourself in proximity to the leadership – specifically in the office of responsive and interested counterpart(s). Common leadership and project tendencies are to often establish a ‘separate’ project office which makes reasonable sense but does little to directly promote integration and CLA/CD. Project offices are always better resourced and reinforces a ‘we-them’ orientation posing physical as well as psycho-social barriers. Being fully ‘embedded’ does not negate the need to actively engage in ‘walk and talk about practice.’

Comment: Advocate high visibility/walkabout – spend time on the move practicing the 3 Ls - across the organization’s rank and file. Drivers, guards – security personnel, secretaries, cleaning – and auxiliary support staff ALL have incredible insights to share and as part of a project team also have a vested interest in the project – specifically its plans, progress and success.

Walking the Talk

Platitudes and lip service, especially on the part of program/project leadership, are not enough. A quick scan of development assistance websites and associated job posts confirms that CLA/CD remain a topical and central andragogical theme throughout the industry. It’s the understanding thereof and actual ‘doing’ that can prove to be challenging and somewhat confronting. As an adopted approach it should be ‘practiced’ across project rank and file – in a wholly integrated and systemic manner. ALL become ‘learners’ and ‘educators’ and no one is exempt from ‘internalizing and living out’ this dynamic dualism.  Institutional arrangements are critical to underpin this ‘learning orientation’ that should seek to:  

·        Acknowledge and reward innovation and excellence;

·        Support the taking of informed decisions and calculated risks;

·        Design/implement plans and M&E frameworks that are flexible and agile;

·        Consider ever-changing contexts and incorporate them appropriately;

·        Create time, space and opportunities for ongoing dialogue and discussion on progress and learning (both analytical and critical) through after action reviews, focus group feedback, reflection – stock taking and other periodic sessions;

·        Locate the leadership and management cadre in such a position to ACTIVELY lead the process but equally, to empower project staff through functional delegations;

·        Promote sound, open and participatory management practices avoiding excessive centralization and micromanagement;

·        Install an informal system of gurus or champions to support the orientation;

·        Pivot learning (guide, support and direct) around a strategic and dedicated learning position with an important caveat - a shared-communal learning responsibility rather than of one individual in that position; 

Discoveries and rare pleasures when going 'walkabout' - meeting and making new friends because you put yourself out there.

Regional Programs – Harder and with Greater Complexity

CLA, through Walkabout, in a regional project context is challenging, illusive and often a moving target. Multiple countries mean an exponential amplification of learning with a plethora of learners and educators; convergent but often, divergent contexts/positions; governments; regional entities; interested and affected parties. It also implies some understanding of and consensus around:

With whom do we want to learn? (greater focus for impact)

What do we want to learn about? (urgent and important issues)

How best to learn within a given regional context? (an appreciation of learning styles, methodologies and tools)

Further insights are provided below.

Lingua francas, colonial legacies, multi-culturalism and tribalism 

Action research indicates that people’s perceptions of and responses to social change (practicing collaboration, learning and adaptation in project-based contexts) are likely to be situation specific and grounded in location-based histories, social networks, cultural norms and institutional arrangements (Paschen and Ison, 2014). They also involve a variety of stakeholders at all societal levels. This implies, firstly, bridging this important ‘socio-cultural divide’ that is often taken for granted. This can only be done by ‘old-fashioned’ communication and engagement (talking the talk). Failure to do this can and does pose barriers to learning and collaboration.  To encourage a better and greater socio-cultural appreciation of the varied perspectives that exist across a transdisciplinary knowledge network, stakeholders should also cross-learn about the perspectives of fellow stakeholders in their specific context or in this case, geographic region. A departure point is to learn about each other’s cultures and histories; existing knowledge, skills and attitudes; and prevailing realities. An off-the-shelf solution from elsewhere or a totally different development paradigm that is re-engineered or retrofitted is problematic and bound to fail. Cross-learning and contextual appreciation presupposes the time, openness, willingness and opportunities to do so to the mutual benefit of all significant parties. Even if these fundamental foundations are in place, practitioners need to remain sensitive and hyper-vigilant as there is ‘so much more’ lost in translation than language and literal meaning.

Geo-political context, regional power and economic blocs

Most regional ‘governing’ blocs or communities are put in place to fast-track economic growth, social progress, sustainable development and cultural advancement. A common scenario may be multiple but decentralized governing blocs operating out of different locations in a vast geographic region, with diverse but equally overlapping mandates where the minnow(s) is ultimately subordinate to one supra-bloc. A complex operating environment fraught with power dynamics, pecking orders and countless protocols. A typical project or development response is to embed bodies within the blocs with less of an emphasis on roles, responsibilities and professional competencies. Regional walkabout or travel can be demanding, circuitous and time consuming but nevertheless critical. Under these circumstances teamwork becomes more important than ever.

Knowledge capture and dissemination

As discussed under the heading Walking the Talk, the design and implementation approach should be precise and unequivocal. Teams and all members therein ‘learn by doing’ and it should be a requirement that all play an active role in this regard.   

Concluding thoughts

CLA, whether planned/formalized and or purely opportunistic/spontaneous, is more often intuitive and about sensing and feeling one’s way through situations. Some people are blessed with this orientation and inner learning voice – others are not. Organizations and projects are certainly not – more reason for leaders and management to critically consider whether ‘business as usual’ is really an option – or perhaps not. Its only through walkabout and experience that one can begin to build a ‘learning repertoire’ and then affect some measure of change.

In my experience, the smallest is enough:

‘I'm happy to inform you that as of this week, I'm now the XXXX Officer. This wouldn't have been possible without all the effort you put into making sure that the project recognized my efforts. I can't appreciate your persistence, support, and guidance over the past year enough. Thank you so much………’