FROM THE FORUM ON OPERATIONALIZING SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS APPROACHES

Annex 3

Case study strategy/discussion notes

The case strategy/discussion notes presented in this annex were made available to all the participants of the SLA Forum to help facilitate their case study discussions. The notes were intended to give direction to the discussions, however, the discussion groups were given the freedom to choose their own strategies, provided they agreed to abide by the outcomes and schedules offered in the notes to ensure synchronization of discussion among the groups and sharing of learning.

DAY 1

8 MARCH 2000

LEARNING OBJECTIVES


Diagnostic & design	Guiding questions	Expected outcomes	Facilitation methods	Backup documents
*Session 1: Introduction to the project*
08.30-10.00 Case groups
1.Get to know each other 2 Get a broad overview of the project	What were the context and the core problem that the project had to address? Who were the stakeholders of the project? Why were they selected? What was the main strategy adopted by the project?	A common understanding of the project's elements	Ice-breaking exercise Brief case presentation by case writer or group member Brainstorming & discussion Using a storyboard of the project to visualize the flow	Case materials
*Session 2: Understanding the diagnostic/design process of the project*
10.30-13.00 Case groups
3.The diagnostic/design process of the project	How were the problems diagnosed in the project? How was the project designed to address the problems? What were the problems raised in the diagnosis that the project chose not to address in the design? Why?	Poster: diagram of project's diagnostic/design process Poster listing problems diagnosed that were not addressed in the design, with reasons	Reflection on project's problem analysis using problem tree Visualization of diagnostic/design process as schematic diagram (for later comparison with SLA) Brainstorming & discussion Drawing pre-project capital pentagon	Case materials
*Session 3: Comparing the project's diagnostic/design process with that of SLA*
14.30-16.30 Case groups
4.Similarities and differences of the project's approach and SL approaches to diagnostic/design process 5.Potential benefits of SLA in diagnostic/design process of projects	How similar was the project diagnostic/design process to an SLA diagnostic/design process? Did the project in its diagnostic/design stage adopt/utilize SLA? Analyse. Would an SLA improve diagnostic/design outcomes?	Poster comparing characteristics of project with checklist based on SLA principles Poster listing potential benefits and risks of using SLA for diagnostic/design process	Compare project characteristics with checklist based on SLA principles and rank the project on a scale (ranging from SLA to not-SLA) Comparison of the diagnostic/design process frame work schematics Brainstorming	Case materials SLA Guidance Sheets SLA framework schematic project's SLA Checklist of SLA principles
*Session 4: Understanding the process of diagnosis/design in an SLA project*
17.00-18.00 Plenary
6.Diagnostic/design process of an SLA project an example			PowerPoint presentation on DFID-supported FAO West Africa Artisanal Fisheries Project, by Jock Campbell, followed by discussion
*Session 5: Consolidation and sharing of the day's learning*
18.00-19.00 Plenary
7.Consolidation of the learning of the day			Walk-about in poster session and comparing and discussing outcomes of the case study groups
*Session 6: Gender issues, natural resources management & microcredit in the context of SLA*
21.30-22.00 Parallel session 1 in plenary
8.Institutionalization in the context of natural resources management and gender issues			Presentation of mini-case study on FAO's PUCD Project in Pakistan, by Marilee Kane, followed by discussion in plenary	Case materials
21.30-22.00 Parallel session 2 in plenary
9.Institutionalization in the context of microcredit for the poor			Presentation of mini-case study on IFAD's P4K Project in Indonesia, by Mattia Prayer, followed by discussion in plenary	Case materials

DAY 2

9 MARCH 2000

LEARNING OBJECTIVES


Diagnostic & design	Guiding questions	Expected outcomes	Facilitation methods	Backup documents
Session 1: Introduction to the project
08.15 Plenary session
Reporting team present summary of learning/issues from previous day
*Session 1: Understanding the implementation process of the project*
08.45-10.30 Case groups
1.Broad overview of how the project was implemented and the critical issues and moments along the way 2.The strengths and weaknesses of the project's implementation process 3.Where there opportunities to apply SLA in the project's implementation? Could these have added value?	Which are the moments along the process of implementation that required a major decision and a change of strategy or tactic? What were the strengths and weaknesses of the project either overall or at selected moments? How would an SLA have made a difference by anticipating problems and voiding problems, in the a first place, through design?	Poster: checklist of the types of problems during implementation that may have been better addressed by an SLA and how an SLA would have addressed them	Reflection on the time-line of the project and discussion to identify critical moments Analysis of project implementation or of selected critical moments Brainstorming & discussion Draw end project "capital pentagon"	Case study materials SLA Guidance Sheets T. Frankenberger review paper
Session 2: The importance of "transforming structures and processes" to a project's success
11.00-13.00 Plenary
4.The importance and potential usefulness of SLA's transforming structures and processes (TSP) to a project 5.Application of SLA in projects with sectoral entry points	How can a project be structured better to address institutional and policy concerns? How can a project with a sectoral entry point address factors that affect the sustainability of the sectoral objectives?		Presentation of mini-case study on the DELIVERI project, Indonesia, by Dil Peeling Panel discussion on holistic approaches vs. sectoral entry points	Case materials SLA Guidance Sheets
Session 3: Operationalizing SLA in the implementation process
14.30-17.30 Case groups
6.Ways and means of making SLA work in the field 7.Potential benefits of using SLA in the implementation process of projects 8.Obstacles that the project may face in applying SLA	Given the understanding of the process and performance of the project, what are the opportunities to redesign the project (or selected phases of it) using SLA? How would you actually make SLA work in field conditions? What are some of the obstacles the project may face if it applied SLA? Would an SLA improve implementation outcomes?	Poster: checklist of opportunities for and obstacles in applying SLA in the implementation process Poster with recommendations for operationalizing SLA in the field	Group undertakes a "virtual" redesign and strategy development exercise of the project (or selected parts of it) using an SLA Brainstorming & discussion on how to make an SLA work in the field and what are the obstacles it may face	Case materials SLA Guidance Sheets
*Session 4: Consolidation and sharing of the day's learning*
18.00-19.00 Plenary or post-dinner session 21.30-22.30
9 Consolidation of learning from the day 10.The implementation process in the context of SLA	What does an SLA implementation strategy look like, as compared with a conventional approach? Elaborate		Walk-about and free discussion in poster session, followed by discussion in plenary on the key learning objectives of the day

DAY 3

10 MARCH 2000

LEARNING OBJECTIVES


Sustainability & internalization	Guiding questions	Expected outcomes	Facilitation methods	Backup documents
08.15 Plenary session
Reporting team present summary of learning/issues from previous day
*Session 1: Institutionalization and sustainability*
08.45-10.30 Case groups
1.Steps taken by the project to ensure the sustainability of its efforts beyond the project period 2.Opportunities SLAs could have provided to better ensure the sustainability of the project beyond the project period	How did the project go about institutionalizing its approaches, processes and activities? What were the key institutions and organizations that could have assisted in ensuring sustainability but that were left out of the process? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the project's strategy for sustainability? Does SLA provide opportunities for better ensuring institutionalization?	Poster listing what SLA can add to ensure institutionalization of the project and its outcomes	Brainstorming & discussion Venn diagrams Livelibelts	Case materials SLA Guidance Sheets
*Session 2: Sharing of the learning on institutionalization and sustainability*
*10.30-11.30 Plenary*
3.Consolidation of learning on institutionalization and sustainability	Do SLAs provide opportunities for better ensuring institutionalization? How?		Walk-about and free discussion in poster session
*Session 3: Pulling it all together*
11.30-13.00 Case groups
4.Consolidation and summary of main learnings of the case groups during 8-10 March		Posters listing main learning of group over three days	Brainstorming Reflection on outcomes of previous days	Group work outcomes Summary posters
*Session 4: Changing the way development is practised: thoughts on internalisation*
*14.30-15.30 Plenary*
5. How organizations change their ways of working in development			Changing the way development is practised: some thoughts on the internalization of SLA, presented by Mary Hobley, followed bydiscussion in plenary
*Session 5: Thinking through change - discussion in new group formations (by agency)*
16.30-18.00 Agency groups
6.The opportunities each of us has to promote SLAs in our work 7.Implications of using SLAs on agencies and their way of functioning	What can you do to promote the use of SLAs in your work? What are the collective opportunities in your agencies for the promotion of SLAs? What would an agency need to do to use SLAs more widely in its efforts?	Back-home plans Step-wise strategy for creation of an enabling environment in agencies for SLA	Brainstorming & discussion
*Session 6: Sharing of lessons learned on internalization*
18.30-19.30 Plenary
8. Lessons learned by agency groups on internalization shared among all participants			Walk-about in poster session Panel discussion (by representatives of agency groups)