Practical Notes

The development sector is rife with complaints about strict accountability requirements imposed by donors. However, this paper argues that the imposition of a new accountability framework can sometimes be converted into a useful tool. This note describes how the IMPACT alliance used the Five Capabilities (5C) model prescribed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It describes the major findings from a baseline assessment, and reflections on that process. The authors argue that the operationalisation of the 5C model provides useful opportunities for discussing capacity development priorities with partners.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09614524.2013.772122

This practical note explores the contribution that strengths-based approaches (SBA) can make to project design. The note outlines how SBA was understood and applied in the design of a family planning project by Marie Stopes in Kenya under the Australian Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES). Fieldwork findings demonstrate how SBA assists in bringing to the fore local initiatives and assets that can be built on by external resources. It further suggests that SBA can create a strong foundation for local partnership, honest appraisal, and learning.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09614524.2012.718741

Non-governmental organisations face increasing demands to be accountable and transparent. Both need sound and timely evidence. Ensuring that these demands are satisfied is a key responsibility of governance, but fulfilling this requirement is a frequent weakness. A comprehensive approach to self-analysis – known as GATE – can make governing bodies more effective by better leadership of organisational responses to such demands. GATE works by: (1) making common sense connections to visualise the links between internal operations and generation of results, reputation, and resources, which makes complexity understandable and manageable; and (2) using a question-based ‘alignment’ resource to guide discussion and decision-making.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09614524.2013.750645

The evolution and achievements of the Eagles Relief and Development Programme in Malawi are inspired and influenced by Christian values. The strength of Eagles comes from its integration of religious teaching and values with the way it works and from its decision to work through the local congregations, despite the challenges that such integration entails. The Eagles Programme challenges the stereotype of Pentecostal churches as being preoccupied with providing charity and welfare rather than justice for the poor.

The role of religion in development is often neglected, whether this refers to the faith of intended beneficiaries, provides staff and volunteers with a motivation for involvement in development practice or influences the design and implementation of projects. This paper examines how Islam provides guidance for development practice, with a focus on addressing HIV/AIDS, using a South African case study. The case study highlights important principles on which two Muslim organisations (Islamic Careline and the Muslim AIDS Programme) base their operational methodologies.

Development practice should be centred on human relations governed by a spirit of cooperation, kindness and compassion, rather than on purely economic concerns. The Sarvódaya Shramadána movement, a grassroots Buddhist-based development movement in Sri Lanka, emphasises that development practices should be more closely aligned with religious resources and principles in order to achieve a balanced and sustainable development process.

While Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is a relative success in a growing number of countries, there are also difficulties in assuring all community members can build and use toilets. This paper draws on experiences of IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and its partners in strengthening inclusiveness and sustainability in CLTS interventions. It presents practical measures to strengthen gender and poverty equity, community-based monitoring and capacity development for community institutions and the local private sector.

The full article is available here:

Identifying risks and risk-mitigation strategies at the project design stage is a key part of managing development projects. Yet, experience in the field suggests that many risks that derail projects are unknowable during project design. Risk management needs to evolve to respond effectively to these unexpected risks. We argue that the concept of resilience can provide insight into responding better to unexpected risks. The article describes the nature of resilience and outlines a number of practical strategies to build resilience into projects to respond to risk more effectively.

In developing areas of the world, where local people's understanding of germ theory and water and sanitation problems is not complete, 3MTM PetrifilmTM can act as an important visual aid for development workers in order to educate people about water and sanitation topics. The present article gives an example of how 3MTM PetrifilmTM has been used to help establish a baseline understanding of water and sanitation problems in rural Mali, and motivated improved water and sanitation practices.

The full article is available here:

Humanitarians find themselves working and living day-by-day in a physically and psychologically demanding and politically complex environment. As there are very limited training mechanisms, each humanitarian is often making their own way through the field, learning from their own mistakes and successes. This practical note highlights some of the innovative (and sometimes unusual) practices that humanitarians have devised to overcome the old and modern challenges of working in the humanitarian field.