In 2017 CBM began developing its partnership principles in line with its programme commitments; these aim to build on locally driven development agendas and ensure local ownership of projects. Participatory approaches are applied throughout CBM’s project cycle management and country planning processes to further increase ownership. This leads to outcomes which often last beyond the project cycle.

Sustainability is a key aspect of CBM’s partnership approach, with capacity assessments of prospective partners informing capacity development planning throughout the lifetime of partnerships. Sustainability is measured through specific quality criteria, which guide both project planning and assessment.

Another positive aspect of CBM’s approach is their efforts to expand their understanding of sustainability. Organisation-wide webinars were held on the topic of responsible exit, with exchanges from other organisations, and a guidance note is being prepared for staff.

Next steps?

CBM identifies the ability to sustain outcomes beyond the project cycle as a success indicator, though there haven’t been any systematic assessments of this to date. For 2019, CBM is looking into conducting ex-post evaluations of some projects to increase accountability and drive learning.