Sustainability. This session was open to all

This session focused on how USAID’s Research Division’s partners built unique sustainability into their USAID programs, adding continued value to their work even after the period of performance with USAID was scheduled to end. We talked with three representatives from the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) program’s development labs to learn about what actions they took to build sustainability and success into their respective projects. The discussion covered topics such as:

• Funding needs
• Research agendas and clients
• Staffing
• Institutional and researcher capacity
• Developing a unique value add
• Key stakeholder relationship development
• University buy-in/internal politics and policies
• Biggest obstacles
• Necessary components
• Required buy-in
• Starting the conversation with leadership
• Timing
• What resources did you wish would have been available sooner?
• What partnerships could have helped if they were formed earlier?
• What do you wish you had known sooner?

Panelists:

• Roy Mayega – ResilientAfrica Network (RAN – Makerere University)
• Kendra Leith – Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE – Massachusetts Institute of Technology Development Lab)
• Maryanne McCormick – Development Impact Lab (DIL – University of California, Berkeley)