APPROACH: ADAPTIVE PROCUREMENT PRACTICES

CLA is a mandatory set of practices within the USAID Program Cycle and should not be considered as “optional”. It is discussed here to highlight the fact that it encompasses other AM approaches, which can be used to operationalize CLA.

CLA is a set of practices that help us improve our development effectiveness. Learning has always been part of USAID’s work, and most USAID Missions and implementing partners are already practicing CLA in some way. Integrating CLA into our work helps to ensure that our programs are coordinated with others, grounded in a strong evidence base, and iteratively adapted to remain relevant throughout implementation.

The systematic application of CLA approaches, led by people who have the knowledge and resources to carry them out, enables USAID to be an effective learning organization and thereby a more effective development organization.

• Integrating CLA throughout the Program Cycle can help development practitioners address the following:

• Collaborating: Are we collaborating with the right partners at the right time to promote synergy over stove-piping?

• Learning: Are we asking the most important questions and finding answers that are relevant to decision-making?

• Adapting: Are we using the information that we gather through collaboration and learning activities to make better decisions and adjust as necessary?

• Enabling Conditions: Are we working in an organizational environment that supports our collaborating, learning, and adapting efforts?

Download the full report for findings, conclusions and recommendations.