Defining a Program Approach

Understanding theProgram Approach and

its potential for CIS

June 2011

CI Vision

• We seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

• CARE International will be a global force and partner of choice within a world-wide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We will be known everywhere for our unshakeable commitment to the dignity of people.

CI Mission

CARE International’s mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change by:

CI Mission continued

• Strengthening capacity for self-help• Providing economic opportunity• Delivering relief in emergencies• Influencing policy decisions at all levels• Addressing discrimination in all its forms• Guided by the aspirations of local

communities, we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom we serve deserve nothing less.

History of CARE’s Programmatic Evolution

• 1996-2000: Introduction of Household Livelihood Security

• 2000-2006: Introduction of Gender Equity and Diversity (GED and evolution of our thinking around Rights Based Approaches (RBA)

• 2003: CI Program Principles formulated, derived from RBA conceptual framework

• 2004-05: Unifying Framework developed

Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication and Social Justice

Outcome Areas

Program Areas

Some Underlying Causes of Poverty & Social Injustice

Human Conditions

(Increasing access to basic services & individual / HH capacity for self help)

Social Positions

(Improving Social Equity)

Enabling Environment

(Improving Governance)

Gender Inequity

Social Exclusion

UnequalAccess to

Resources and

Services

WeakGovernance

Systems

HLS

GED

RBA

Exercise:Why Does CARE Need to Change?

• Over the last several years we realized that we needed to address the social positions and the enabling environment and yet we are not achieving lasting impact. Why?

• Thinking of what the unifying framework is trying to do What are the challenges with they way projects are currently designed and implemented?

• Why are projects, our primary way of working or operationalizing our unifying framework not always resulting in what we expect them to?

• identify three main “practices” or ways of working that CIS should change to achieve greater impact

SO WHY THE PROGRAM APPROACH? INTERNAL IMPETUS FOR CHANGE

May 2008: Program definition and characteristics adopted by CI Program Working Group

• We already have a Unifying Framework (UF), so why a program approach?

• The PA is grounded in the UF; It is not a new conceptual framework but a different instrument to realize the ambitions of our UF;

• It enables the long term thinking and commitment required to achieve a lasting impact on underlying causes of poverty that short term projects fail to deliver.

SO WHY THE PROGRAM APPROACH? INTERNAL IMPETUS FOR CHANGE

WHY: Poor defining and measuring UCP No theory to address them Failure to build on gains Too much “CARE” Organizational Amnesia Organizational norms of what constitutes success

SII on Women’s Empowerment

15% best in class 60% agency level impact 25% not so good

SO WHY THE PROGRAM APPROACH? EXTERNAL IMPETUS FOR CHANGE

• New donor ideas and coordination mechanisms• Deepening critique of INGOs• More global advocacy by other actors• Rise of social movements and their Influence on

governments and donors • Growing commitment to support rigorous impact

assessment & demonstrate “value for money”• Increased “competition”

Definition of a Program

A program is a coherent set of initiatives by CARE and our allies that involves a long term commitment to specific marginalized and vulnerable groups to achieve lasting impact at broad scale on underlying causes of poverty and social injustice. This goes beyond the scope of projects to achieve positive changes in human conditions, in social positions and in the enabling environment.

8 Characteristics of a Program

1. A clearly defined goal for impact on the lives of a specific group, realized at broad scale.

2. A thorough analysis of underlying causes of poverty and social injustice at multiple levels with multiple stakeholders.

3. An explicit theory of change that is rigorously tested and adapted to reflect ongoing learning.

4. A coherent set of initiatives that enable CARE and our partners to contribute significantly to the transformation articulated in the theory of change.

8 Characteristics of a Program

5. Ability to promote organizational and social learning, to generate knowledge and evidence of impact.

6. Contribution to broad movements for social change through our work with and strengthening of partners, networks and alliances.

7. A strategy to leverage and influence the use and allocation of financial and other resources within society for maximizing change at a broader scale.

8. Accountability systems to internal and external stakeholders.

SELECTING IMPACT GROUPS

• IGs are at the heart of the strategic design process

• We need to know who is most affected by poverty and social injustice in Sudan and design our programs around them

• Different from target group

IMPACT GROUPS & TARGET GROUPS

Sub set Population of the impact group: A disaggregated group(s) included in your impact group. Program strategies or initiatives may need to be focused specifically on a subset population.

Impact Group:The population group upon which the program (CARE and its partners) aims to have a positive impact with a long-term commitment to overcome their underlying causes of poverty and social injustice.

Target Population:A group of people who are deliberately engaged in the program as a means for CARE and its partners to achieve impact on the intended impact group. While their lives may also be favorably impacted, it is the “impact group” and its subset populations to whom CARE’s commitment is long-term and focused and where we will measure our impact .

Stakeholder Groups:Any group of people or insitutions who may affect (positively or negatively) or be affected by the program in some way and with whom we will collaborate (either closely as partners or more remotely)

SELECTING IMPACT GROUPS (continued)

• Must be as specific as possible with limited sub-groups • Align with our mission/vision (be among most

vulnerable and poorest people)• Potential to leverage impact at broad scale on poor

people (even if it is a small ethnic minority)• Ensure we have considered women & girls • Align with MDGs• To the extent possible, align with host governments’

vision and poverty reduction strategies (if existing and if non discriminating!)

• Informed by analysis but donor conscious

SELECTING IMPACT GROUPS (continued)

• Selecting our Impact Groups is the very first decision we make in a strategic planning process

• It informs the rest of our strategic decision making (how we work, what we do and where we work)

• This exercise will take place in all field offices and be complemented by the macro analysis: we are generating candidate impact groups today, not making final decisions

Uncovering UCPs for our candidate Impact Groups

- Understanding UCP for the selected IG candidates & at national level is a key element of the Strategic Planning process;

- UCPs inform our strategic directions and should shape / frame the discussion around our role and relevance in Sudan;

- Link with macro analysis at national level and similar exercises in other field offices

- Will be deepened once IG selection is finalized, as part of the program design process. So this is just the beginning of the reflection!

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