Crafting the Final Year: Lessons from Refining Titukulane’s Theory of Change
In 2018, the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) introduced a new framework to integrate sustainability plans into Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) proposals, drawing inspiration from the Tufts study on Sustainability and Exit Strategies. This aimed to ensure projects like Titukulane could sustain impact after formal support ended. By November 2022, BHA’s Monitoring the Sustainability Phase Workshop gathered M&E experts from various RFSAs to develop M&E plans prioritizing sustainability.
As the Titukulane RFSA in Malawi entered its fifth and final year, lessons from this workshop were pivotal in refining our implementation approach. Central to Year 5 planning was the refinement of the Theory of Change (TOC), which shaped our strategic direction and informed the review and adjustment of the sustainability and exit plan. This blog post explores how refining the TOC shaped our Year 5 planning, offering insights and lessons for other projects aiming for lasting impact.
I. Review of Year 4 Activities: The Importance of Evaluation and Learning
In our Year 4 evaluation, we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the previous three years of implementation using data from surveys, focus groups, interviews, and feedback from frontline staff. This review highlighted successful strategies, such as linking farmers to a micro-finance institution for seed loans and boosting crop yields. We also reevaluated less successful interventions and considered alternative approaches, fostering reflection, collaboration, and innovation to refine our TOC.
II. Sustainability Plan and TOC Review Workshop: Fostering Ownership and Accountability
The TOC outlines our expected work changes, connecting activities and outcomes. We refined the TOC to align with the Sustainability Plan and Exit Strategy, focusing on long-term impact. The process involved collaboration and an iterative approach, ensuring relevance to community needs. Feedback from frontline staff was gathered using a Miro Board for inclusive discussion. Technical advisors reviewed and refined the TOC to align with strategic goals and donor requirements, allowing continuous improvement. Finally, a workshop validated the connections and proposed changes to guide our efforts in the final project year.
III. Review of the Sustainability Plan and Exit Strategy
Titukulane’s Sustainability Plan and Exit Strategy (referred to as the Sustainability Plan hereon), created at the project’s start, aimed to ensure long-term community benefits beyond the project's end. In March 2023, a three-day workshop gathered various stakeholders to evaluate the project’s key areas, review the sustainability plan, identify gaps, and update the TOC based on current progress and learning. During the workshop, the team reviewed Titukulane's Sustainability Plan and updated it to ensure long-term community benefits beyond the project's completion. Stakeholders refined strategies, revised the TOC, and focused on strengthening Local Service Providers in various areas. The team developed tools and refined strategies to ensure lasting impact and continued community resilience.
IV. Detailed Implementation Plans and Activity Costing: Aligning Resources and Priorities
After the Sustainability Plan and TOC Review Meeting, the technical teams reviewed their Detailed Implementation Plans (DIPs), consulting with field staff, community stakeholders, and technical advisors. The DIPs outline specific activities, timelines, and resources required to achieve project objectives. The teams then estimated the financial resources needed for each planned activity and developed detailed activity budgets. This collaborative effort included a Budget versus Actual (BVA) analysis and an estimated expenditure to the end of Year 4, assessing market conditions, and considering potential risks and contingencies. The resulting budgets provided a framework for resource allocation, prioritizing activities based on expected impact.
The technical teams then presented their final DIPs to project management for feedback and to identify areas for improvement and strategic insights. This facilitated continuous improvement and alignment across the project's components and fostered a culture of openness, collaboration, shared ownership, and accountability.
V. Pipeline & Resource Estimate Proposal Development Workshop: Consolidating Insights and Finalizing Plans
The Pipeline & Resource Estimate Proposal (PREP) Development Workshop concluded the previous processes that the project team had undergone. The workshop involved reviewing progress, identifying priorities, and incorporating feedback from earlier presentations. Participants engaged in activities, to assess achievements, analyze BVA, and discuss DIPs for each of the program’s purpose areas and cross-cutting themes like Gender and Social Behavior Change. The workshop facilitated in-depth discussions and collaborative problem-solving within and across technical teams.
During this Workshop, the team revisited Year 4 learning questions, aligning them with the priorities set in the Sustainability Plan and TOC review. This mirrored the January 2020 inception workshop process, where evidence and knowledge gaps from the original TOC informed refinement studies. The 2023 reviewed TOC’s interlinkages refined the learning questions to explore cross-thematic connections. Technical teams proposed revisions and new questions focused on sustainability for Year 5, further refined with input from other teams for a comprehensive review.
The workshop concluded with a presentation to BHA, outlining key changes, prioritized learning questions, and updated activity costings. This final step ensured that the project's plans and budgets were comprehensive, transparent, and aligned with internal and external stakeholder expectations.
Conclusion
Titukulane’s Year 5 planning process demonstrated the importance of a clear, collaborative approach to achieving lasting impact. By directly linking the sustainability plan and TOC review planning efforts, Titukulane prioritized activities and outcomes that would benefit communities beyond the project’s end. Engaging stakeholders at all levels refined strategies, promoted effective problem-solving, and optimized resource allocation, guiding the project through its final year and offering practical lessons for similar initiatives. The TOC and PREP Development Workshops ensured that each step aligned to build resilience and self-reliance in the communities served. To reinforce adaptive management in this final year, the sustainability plan has been reviewed quarterly. These reviews have allowed the team to make timely adjustments, ensuring that the project remains on course for a smooth handover to the government as the project phases out.
This blog was written by Fundi Kayamba-Phiri with contributions from Rafique Islam, Sairana Ahsan, Tara Geiger, and Ana Madero.