The Program Cycle is USAID’s operational model for planning, implementing, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region or country. The Program Cycle is how policy gets translated into action and how USAID supports countries on their Journey to Self-Reliance.
USAID Learning Lab hosts three toolkits to provide USAID staff and implementing partners with a curated set of resources to plan, implement and integrate monitoring, evaluating and CLA practices into their programs.
Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) is a framework and a set of practices for strengthening organizational learning and the conditions that enable it throughout the Program Cycle to improve our development effectiveness, and support countries on their Journey to Self-Reliance.
A Performance Management Plan (PMP) is a Mission-wide tool for planning and managing the process of (1) monitoring strategic progress, project performance, programmatic assumptions, and operational context; (2) evaluating performance and impact; and (3) learning and... read more
The purpose of the Stakeholder Participation Planning Matrix is to organize engagement with stakeholders throughout an evaluation process; it both guides planning and organizes the plan in a clear and consolidated format.Stakeholders are the individuals, teams, and... read more
Focus group interviews (also often called focus group discussions) are a key tool for collecting data to support many USAID activities. This data collection technique is widely used in international development planning, monitoring, and evaluation. They are quick, versatile... read more
This content is currently under revision to align with the recently updated ADS 201. For guidance and support associated with revisions to ADS 201, please see the Program Cycle overview page.
This Note defines impact evaluations, explains when they should be commissioned... read more
Library Resource | Dec 20, 2019 | Technical Resources
This short introduction to an applied political economy analysis is from the Somalia Expanding Access to Justice program, implemented by Freedom House in consortia with Pact. This introduction is worth sharing because it lays out the framing of the PEA to explicitly connect... read more
What is this?
This document outlines a systematic and intentional approach to managing the transfer of knowledge for the departure and arrival of staff.
When should this be used?
This tool is intended to be used at the end of a staff member’s tenure and for the incoming... read more
What is this?
This document outlines a systematic and intentional approach to managing the transfer of skills and knowledge in order to support sustainable organizational outcomes. Each section has a brief description of what should be contained in it.
When should this be... read more
At USAID, a project is defined as a set of complementary activities that, together, can achieve a development result. A Mission’s suite of projects provides its operational plan for achieving the objectives of its Country Development Cooperation Strategy.
Project design... read more
Honduras is rated as the 6th most unequal country in the world and continues to have one of the highest rates of homicides of women in Latin America. Despite the incredible development challenges faced by women, LGBTI individuals, and other vulnerable populations in... read more
Sanitation behavior change is a notoriously complex intervention. In the harsh, remote environment of the Ethiopian lowlands, this is particularly so. Community-Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) interventions, while successful in Ethiopia’s densely populated highland... read more