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Guidance

4.2 Gradual Withdrawal

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4.2.1 Gradual phase out of external support and project exit
4.2.2 Follow-up monitoring to assess sustainability of change

4.2.1 Gradual phase out of external support and project exit

Once the project is ready to exit, it is recommended to withdraw support gradually, establishing mechanisms for ongoing light touch support for 1+ years, or as your project resources and capacity permit. It is important to recognize that without ongoing incentives or compensation from the project, CCAs often do not continue directly supporting their peers through ongoing activities. However, we have found that their involvement with the project often results in their internalization of compassion for animals and animal owning households and has resulted in their continued indirect support and encouragement of animal welfare improvements within their communities. Through CCAs and their target peers’ behavioural modelling and built capacity, the proliferation of knowledge, skills, and social norms related to animal welfare can continue to be maintained and shared throughout their communities.

Consider adopting the following key steps to support a gradual withdrawal from the project area:

  • Hold discussions with CCAs and their target peers and other relevant stakeholders about how they can continue to support each other and their broader community upon the projects withdrawal of support. Consider including discussions on sustainable financing to promote continuation of any work desired by stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Conduct outreach with project stakeholders as well as the broader community to inform them about the project ending and withdrawal of project support, as well as promote public recognition of CCAs and any other relevant stakeholders’ efforts and expertise (e.g. government agencies, service providers) to promote their continued utilization by their community.
  • Leave essential resources with CCAs or other relevant stakeholders as appropriate to support their continued promotion of animal welfare improvements within their community (e.g. posters, training resources).
  • Ensure necessary linkages have been made between CCAs, target peers, and animal related resource and service providers and/or other relevant stakeholders (e.g. government agencies) to promote ongoing coordination of support for each other and the sharing of key messages. This should include the development and dissemination of a phone directory of CCAs, target peers, animal related resource and service providers and any other relevant stakeholders, which can also help the project team coordinate any follow up visits and/or periodic educational activities as needed.
  • Establish mechanisms for the community to contact your organization to share its concerns and highlight any emergent welfare issues. Consider the feasibility of establishing a one-way toll-free text/call option the community can use to contact your organization.
  • Schedule periodic communications with CCAs, target peer groups, and local animal resource and service providers either through mobile communications or site visits to discuss any challenges to the maintenance of desired behaviours and animal welfare improvements and provide support as needed to enable relevant parties to address them.
  • Conduct an annual CCA retreat to share success stories and discuss challenges and solutions to any issues faced during the project, and which may be anticipated upon project exit, and to celebrate and generate continued buy in for their participation, leadership, and lasting commitment to improving animal welfare in their communities.
  • Consider including outreach activities to support continued maintenance of desired behaviours, provide reminders to action at relevant times (e.g. regular animal health checks), and/or continue fostering social norms to encourage the long-term sustainability of behavioural change as appropriate (e.g. radio or TV shows, posters, mobile messaging etc.). The Societal Outreach and Campaigns Approach provides guidance on developing effective outreach strategies if needed.

4.2.2 Follow-up monitoring to assess sustainability of change

Animal welfare improvement projects are only truly a success if the desired behaviours continue to be practiced by target groups and the related improvements in animal welfare are sustained over the long term. As such, it is essential to conduct follow-up monitoring for a period after all support has been withdrawn. This will enable the project to use learnings from results to adapt its implementation strategies as needed, and potentially re-engage the community to support maintenance of desired change. Consider continuing monitoring activities on a yearly basis for up to 2-3 years before determining the extent to which the project has been a success.

It is recommended you develop post-exit re-entry criteria for providing spot interventions to address underperforming indicators identified through monitoring. For example, you may consider providing additional project support if results show two or three indicators are not being maintained, or if any indictor falls below a certain limit of acceptance. Continue periodic monitoring to assess improvement in underperforming indicators because of any re-entry activities.

Link to References Cited