To improve knowledge-sharing within and among international development organizations, USAID adopted the concept of Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) in 2012. CLA aims to help USAID partners address challenges related to planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming. Collaborating is a key component of CLA that aims to answer the question of whether organizations are working with the right partners, at the right time, to promote synergy over siloed efforts.
This webinar discussed how development programmers can monitor and assess collaboration. Speakers outlined findings from the literature and consultations with USAID Missions, translating them into actionable guidance for monitoring and assessing collaboration throughout the USAID Program Cycle. The webinar also highlighted concrete examples of successful collaboration monitoring from the USAID Mission in Rwanda, and allowed time for participants to share their own experiences and challenges with this process.
Webinar Recording
Webinar Resources
- Access the slide deck (PDF. 1.3 MB)
- View webinar transcript (PDF, 237 KB)
Speakers
Emily Cassio (moderator) is a Project Coordinator with the USAID Advancing Nutrition project, where she supports the Capacity Strengthening and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Teams. Prior to joining USAID Advancing Nutrition, Emily served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru, where she worked with Community Health Workers on projects to improve nutritional practices among women, children, and adolescents. She has a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the College of William & Mary.
Abby Conrad is an anthropologist with experience in research, evaluation, and program implementation. She is the Learning and Research Advisor for USAID Advancing Nutrition, providing support on Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) and research across the project’s multi-sectoral nutrition portfolio. Before joining Results for Development, she worked at Abt Associates, leading and contributing to external evaluations of donor funded programs including for USAID, the UK’s Department for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. She also supported Abt’s Feed the Future portfolio by providing technical assistance on nutrition-sensitive agriculture and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. She has worked in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, including in Malawi, Zambia, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. Dr. Conrad holds a PhD in anthropology from American University and a BA in anthropology from the University of Rochester.
Khatidja Naithani joined USAID/Rwanda in January 2019 as the Health Program Management Advisor. She has been providing technical support to the PEPFAR program and the Community Health and Improved Nutrition Project which was made up of the cross-sectoral nutrition activities of the Rwanda mission. Prior to joining USAID, she worked for Jhpiego in various capacities in Washington, DC and was the Senior Program Manager for USAID's Maternal and Child Survival Program in Rwanda. She has also worked for International Medical Corps in Washington, DC, Aga Khan Health Services in Afghanistan and Save the Children Canada in Ethiopia. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University.
Alphonse Nkusi joined USAID/Rwanda’s Health office in February 2007 and managed the Orphans and Vulnerable Children portfolio until April 2011 when he was promoted to Community Health and Empowerment Services Team Leader. Before joining USAID, Alphonse worked for five years as Chief Operations Officer for the World Bank-funded Rwanda Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Program. Prior to that, he worked for four years as the Head of Information, Education and Communication at the National AIDS Control Program. Alphonse has a Master’s degree in Social Policy from the University of York, in England.