Lessons learned

Key lessons identified by the evaluation are illustrated here to be considered for the upcoming HIVOS-IICD MoU. They may also separately help HIVOS, IICD or other actors  to prevent/address problems, increase probabilities of success, or up-scaling or replicating projects/processes..

Programme Management

• Operational difficulties need to be identified and acted upon rapidly.

• Mid-terms reviews often prove valuable.

• A minimal physical presence is needed to ensure corporate visibility.

• Administrative problems can have an important effect of project performance, even if they lurk beneath the surface of the overall project cycle.

• The complexity of project documents should be in line with project size and duration, management capacity, and expected formulation timeframes.
  

Capacity Development

• Training is necessary but not sufficient for capacity building.
  
• Awareness raising on substantive ICT topics needs to be an ongoing process.
  
• Well-rounded capacity development requires attention to strategic/institutional aspects, like knowledge management or e-learning. 

Information Networking

• Proper information services cannot be adequately provided without a proper information needs assessment.

• Project partners need to perceive clear benefits from participating in the INs.

• The INs should be advised that they are there partly to harvest project experiences in order to properly provide policy advice.
  
  

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Rigorous project performance monitoring is part of good project management.

• In the IICD project schemes, ‘end users’ need to be clearly differentiated from ‘final beneficiaries’.

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