"Change-oriented approaches must be used in all development projects because they are human-centered."
In your opinion, what distinguishes change-oriented approaches (COAs) from other project monitoring approaches?
Very often during the implementation of a project, we realize that the planned activities do not contribute, or no longer contribute, to the achievement of the objectives, without having the possibility of readjusting them. We feel stuck in the implementation of the project, with no room for maneuver. Often, at the end of a project, it is difficult to measure its impact on the target or on the area of intervention. AOCs are a response to this situation. What is interesting about AOCs is their ability to focus on people rather than quantitative values, which ultimately leave a feeling of incompleteness after the project has been implemented.
Unlike many monitoring approaches, AOCs enable significant participation by stakeholders. They make them the drivers of the desired changes. They also differ from other approaches in their dynamic nature.
What do they offer you today?
AOCs give us the opportunity to carry out projects in a more humane and realistic way. They bring us closer to the target actors in the community we work for. They also give us the strength to continue. By allowing us to measure small steps and changes, they fully integrate the dimension of change that takes place over time. They enable us to readjust activities in order to achieve ultimate results. They bring us closer to the community and promote ongoing dialogue.
What challenges remain to be overcome in your experimentation with AOCs?
I would express my challenges in the form of questions: How can we obtain enough information to illustrate the changes observed? How often should changes be collected? How can we adapt AOCs to the realities of each territory?
What advice would you give to teams that want to get started with AOCs?
First, learn about AOCs: good documentation is important, even if nothing beats practice.
Next, involve the various stakeholders in learning about AOCs at an early stage to facilitate the collection of changes.
Don't hesitate to use everyday stories to facilitate understanding of AOCs.
Accept that change takes time. When collecting changes on a project, it can sometimes feel like things are stagnating and that changes are not progressing. This is normal!
Finally, learn from the experiences of those who have already tried AOCs, even if it is also a personal adventure.
