USAID/Lebanon Extends Collaboration to Strategically Adapt its CDCS Amidst Contextual Shifts in Host Country Operating Environment

In May 2024, USAID/Lebanon initiated the 2021-2026 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Mid-Course Stocktaking (MCST) to assess its achievements to date and identify potential adjustments needed in light of Lebanon’s complex and changing context. A country highly influenced by geopolitical, economic, and social factors, Lebanon has witnessed continuous crises since the development of the current CDCS. 

While CLA is central to the Program Cycle and an innate part of any MCST, the Mission wanted this MCST to go beyond a traditional pause-and-reflect exercise, especially in view of USAID/Lebanon’s shift in priorities based on contextual changes, funding constraints at Agency level, stakeholders’ emerging needs, and the repercussions of the conflict in the South. 

MEPL provided support to the Mission in designing and facilitating the MCST. The team used a collaborative and iterative approach with the stakeholders they surveyed, integrating their perspectives into every stage and giving them a sense of ownership of the outcomes. Additionally, MEPL and USAID/Lebanon established internal communication channels and feedback mechanisms to ensure they remained responsive to stakeholders’ needs and the evolving context. In its design, the MCST recognized the importance of scenario planning given the complexity of the Lebanese context. Reflection on the scenarios presented in the CDCS provided opportunity for learning, validation, or adjustment. 

This approach transformed the way MEPL and USAID/Lebanon operated during this strategy-level review, enhancing coordination and efficient use of resources, strengthening relationships with stakeholders, promoting a culture of openness for continuous learning, and informing decisions around proactive adjustments to the CDCS.