Testing for Sustainability: Lessons From the Post-Intervention Study in Taita-Taveta District, Kenya

CORE Spring Meeting 2013Plan International

Why Do We Need Post-Intervention Studies?• To improve our understanding of the organization's

contribution to long term changes in the communities

• To review overall community ownership of previous projects

• To provide valuable input for programme managers on future programme design

• To inform how to start and finish work in specific areas

Study Highlights• Two pilot studies in India and Bolivia in 2010. • First full study in Kenya in 2011.

o The study analyzed the extent communities had changed since the end of the implementation period (1986-2002), and the main reasons for these changes and Plan’s contribution, if any.

o Evidence was found many of the physical inputs had contributed to increased resiliency and well-being of individual families and the wider community.

Methodology• Joint venture between Plan’s International Programme

Effectiveness Team, Plan Kenya and INTRAC. • The tools used:

o semi-structured interviewso Focus group discussionso observations o larger group meetings

• A range of informants and stakeholders participated in the study. The team consisted of three consultants and they spent 12 days conducting field work, plus a pre-study visit of two days to set up meetings with key stakeholders.

Groups consultedTotal number of informants: 165• Primary school children• Parents• Village chiefs• Village elders• Women’s group

members• CBO committee

members

• Farmers• Nurses• Teachers and Head

instructors• District and divisional

officers

Key Findings• Improved Latrines in good

condition• Livelihood projects

supported by Plan made a difference:o Improved family nutritiono Generator of cash to pay school

fees o Lack of project ownership or

responsibility for the communityo Adopted the role of duty bearero Many projects were seen to

have benefited the wider community.

• Large water projects supported by Plan are still operational and generally valued. o Provision of water supplies to

smaller communities were key to improving quality of life for families.

o Some larger systems remained incomplete at the time of Plan’s withdrawal

o The Water Department reported water projects left without a proper hand-over.

Key Findings ContinuedOther larger scale projects discussed by informants included: • Construction of new

classrooms, upgrading of existing rooms, and provision of furniture, books and toilets.

• Construction a health dispensary and two buildings for Financial Services Associations (FSAs).

• The majority were in a reasonable state of repair and in use.

Community

Responsibility and Rights• Decision-making power

transferred to committees• Plan encouraged registration

of CBOs but almost all CBOs are no longer in operation.

• Parents and District Officers understood community needed to be consulted and participate in the planning/implementation process

• Systems of accountability were established in administration offices and health centers.

• Children understood their rights, as did teachers and some parents.

Recommendations• Situation Analysis in prospective programme areas

before establishing a programme, in order to ascertain local context and needs.

• Align programme objectives with national commitments to children’s rights.

• Phasing out requires both the time, community involvement, and context

• Continue to support past partners, for instance through mentoring or referral mechanisms (e.g. support sessions at periodic meetings).

Next Steps• The lessons learned from the study in Kenya have

helped in designing the second post intervention study which will focuses on an area that Plan left in 2006/7.

• The study will concentrate on areas that may have been exposed to rights based programming from Plan.

• This should enable Plan to explore its contribution to community empowerment and resilience in more depth.

• A review of Plan’s process of phasing out from communities is planned, which will consider these suggestions found within the Kenya Study.

Summary• Post-Intervention studies are useful in providing

feedback in to programmatic inputs and overall long-term program sustainability and community interventions.

• If we don’t test for sustainability how do we know that our interventions are truly successful and sustainable?

Thank You!

For more information, please contact:Patricia Murray, Program Associate

Plan International USAPatricia.Murray@planusa.org