ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXIT STRATEGIES IN SUSTAINING LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM OUTCOMES: THE CASE OF MAKHANGA E.P.A

Abstract

The study objective was to assess exit strategies and the essential role they can play in sustaining project outcomes beyond closure. It was thus expected that insufficient exit strategies contribute to the persistent paternalistic relationship between INGOs and their beneficiaries alike in the disaster-prone areas of Makhanga in Malawi. Special focus was on the WALA and the UBALE projects. Systems Theory and Social Constructionism Theory were used to guide the investigation. Qualitative data was both secondary and primary, with secondary data collected using document analysis while purposive, snowballing and focus group discussions generated primary data. A household survey was conducted using cluster and simple random sampling to collect quantitative data. While the findings confirm existence of basic exit strategies and subsequent resilience to shocks directly proportional to their strength, the strategies were largely implemented top-down by the INGOs acting unilaterally and lacked clarity. Exit was handled as a once-off activity instead of a well-planned process. Activities such as capacity building, farewell meetings and handover of assets to government agencies were emphasized more than the actual resilience-sustaining strategies. Worse still, the implementation of the purported exit strategies was untimely and haphazard. Consequently, the synergy around the noticeable livelihood improvement was not consolidated over time. It is recommended therefore that explicit exit strategies that reflect real-time exigencies in the target community be considered essential and mandatory for INGOs.