Environment & Climate Change Window
CHECKLIST – EXIT WITH IMPACT!
Exit with impact! The purpose of this checklist is to help the joint Programmes hand over sustainable
activities to their chosen successors/partners to ensure a longer term impact on the stakeholders and
beneficiaries.
An exit strategy is needed so that we understand where the role of the JP ends and when it is a good
time to let the other stakeholders take more ownership and take over. Two overarching thoughts are
offered:
Consider the expected JP results: There is benefit in realising that we already have elements of exit
strategies in our JPs. Each JP has components that were identified as end-results in the original project
documents (e.g., products or skills or resources we have agreed to produce at project end).If those
results still meet the needs of the stakeholders they can be considered to be included in the exit
strategy.. Framing exit strategies as being closely linked to our original project goals will make it easier
and more efficient to frame the exit strategy in practical and actionable terms.
Appreciative Enquiry: An exit strategy should embrace an “appreciative enquiry” approach, the art and
practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten
positive potential. Crafting our strategy in such a positive and enquiring way involves formulating a
series of “unconditionally positive questions” which we hope are demonstrated in this check list. The
stages of appreciative inquiry are: (1) discover your successes, (2) dream where you are going – discover
the direction you want to take, (3) design ways to turn the dream into reality, (4) Do – actually
implement the changes. For more information see:
http://www.iisd.org/publications/publication.asp?pno=287, and http://www.iisd.org/ai/
Our checklist is divided into 16 sections of identified key elements. Because strong interlinkages exist
among these elements, no category should be dealt with in complete isolation of the others.
Please also refer to exit strategies prepared by other JPs, e.g. Turkey, Philippines, Colombia & Ecuador,
to stimulate your thinking on what type of exit strategy your JP needs. We will be sharing all the exit
strategies prepared by the JPs on Teamworks as and when they become available.
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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ELEMENTS OF AN EXIT STRATEGY
Element
Selection of activities
Key questions
Have you determined which JP activities should end with the project and which
activities should be sustained? Are you running out of time/ resources for any
activity?
Have you considered developing scenarios to illustrate the potential impact of
continued activities and why they would make sense?
Have you discussed the activities with the stakeholders to ensure mutual
agreement that the activities and objectives will be beneficial to the stakeholders
and their community?
For consideration
Spatial scale and scope of activities may change from the original programme; not
all project activities should qualify for continuation .
Which of the selected activities need what kinds of buy-in from the stakeholders?
Scenarios may be developed for better visualization of the anticipated outcome/
expected results, and to imagine what would happen if no activity was carried on.
Resources/
examples
Element
Selection of partners
Key questions
Did you prepare an institutional landscape at the beginning of the JP Project? (such
a landscape includes defining items such as mission, programme priorities,
funding, and power base)
If yes, has that landscape changed during the JP?
If no, do you need to assess your current and potential new partners?
Have you matched the identified sustainable activities with the mission/ priorities/
interests of the partner/s? eg. Poverty Environment Initiative, bi-lateral priorities
(“development /climate change partners group”), provincial development
priorities, national treaties, etc.
Have you considered the One UN requirements?
Have you considered political realities and been responsive to them? (e.g.
government priorities)
For consideration
The “right” partner/s provides an enabling environment for the programme
activities to continue both in terms of programme itself and the resources.
Those activities that the beneficiaries find important and will have capacity for
implementing have the potential for surviving. We can, of course help with
stimulating interest (through communication and education) and capacity building,
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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both of which require strong communication skills on our part!
Consider a “circular approach” where the programme and donors agree on the
next stage of the programme and its financing from the beginning. It is important
that all appropriate stakeholders be involved in this discussion.
Empowerment is important; that is, we succeed by linking people within a
community (however community is defined). Linkages among people within the
community are the key to identifying the project components that should be
contained in the exit strategy.
Resources/
examples
Element
Funding & resources
Key questions
Do you already have a co-financing mechanism for the MDG-F JP? If yes, are the
current co-financers willing to continue?
Whose responsibility is it to look for funding for the activities included in the Exit
Strategy?
Have you identified the potential donors at the country level (e.g., as part of the
partner landscape?) Have you considered holding a donor conference?
Have you identified regional/ international organisations with potential interest in
funding the programme?
Is there potential in the One Programme of the UN to secure funding?
For consideration
One of the One UN principles is that fundraising for the UN activities at the
national level should be done through the Resident Coordinator. Communication
with the RC will greatly increase the probability of success.
Resources/
examples
Presentation on funding opportunities for climate change adaptation in GEF (in
Teamworks currently).
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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Topic
Timing
Key questions
Did you make an exit plan in the beginning of the JP?
If yes, is the plan still valid or does it need to be adjusted?
If not, not to worry, it is never too late!
Do you have a schedule for handing over different activities so that not everything
happens at once?
For consideration
Ideally the exit strategy should be planned for in the beginning of the project but it
is never too late!
It is recommended that the hand-over of various activities included in the exit
strategy be done in phases to avoid rush and to enable monitoring of the success
of hand-over before the JP comes to close completely.
Resources/
examples
Element
Communication
Key questions
What are the core results and policy messages from the JP? Who needs to know
these core messages?
Do you have a communication plan that enables clear delivery of the core
messages in a right format (publications, videos etc.), and to the right audience
taking
gender, language and cultural sensitivities into account?
Have you planned for hand-over events (e.g., end of the programme and any other
event in line with your hand-over schedule)?
Who are your partners in delivering the communication plan (e.g. media) and how
have you/ will you involve them?
For consideration
Good communication is an essential element of an exit strategy, so that everybody
is very clear about what is handed over, why and how. We must communicate
clearly and frequently with our stakeholders to understand their values and goals,
and then to identify the project components that are sufficiently close to their
interests that those components will become “owned”.
In order for everyone involved to get a clear signal that the exit is happening, it’s a
good strategy to hold official hand-over ceremonies.
Partners’ interest in important topics can be stimulated through communication,
education and capacity building!
Resources/
examples
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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Element
Gender
Key questions
Have you conducted a gender needs assessment?
How should gender realities and concerns, e.g. community and decision making
roles, be taken into account in your exit strategy from communication and handing
over assets, information & resources to capacity development?
For consideration
Resources/
examples
The exit strategy and its development process should be sensitive to gender, age
and power considerations.
The nutritional standards of the families in a South-African community increased
drastically when the women were given the responsibility to fetch the food for the
family from the distribution point.
Teamworks, under “Gender” as a cross cutting topic, contains more resources!
Topic
Lessons learnt
Key questions
What are the successes and failures of the JP that are important and interesting to
capture for future learning by you, by other JPs and by other similar initiatives?
Which lessons will help you in the formulation of the exit strategy?
Have you allocated responsibilities and resources for capturing the lessons learnt?
Have you submitted your lessons for feedback and peer review?
For consideration
It is challenging to find the time for writing the lessons learnt, hence exit strategy
should systematize their capture. It is as important to learn from less successful
activities as it is to learn from successful activities.
Resources/
examples
Template for capturing lessons learnt & the lessons already developed by the JPs
(MDG-F Env & CC window)
Element
Roles and responsibilities
Key questions
Which organisation will be responsible and for what activity?
Within the organisation, who/ which position will be responsible and for what?
How will the activity be transferred and when?
Have you considered all stakeholders (e.g., government, civil authorities,
municipality departments, local community, UN partners, media, private sector,
other partners)?
Have you considered gender in allocation of roles and responsibilities?
For consideration
Clear roles and responsibilities are important for increased ownership and
accountability.
Resources/
examples
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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Element
Capacity development
Key questions
How will the capacity that has already been built be sustained?
Have you identified the gaps between the current capacity and that which is
needed to successfully carry out the expected activities?
How will the any capacity gaps be closed? Do you have a training plan? How else
will you address the gaps?
Do the stakeholders need assistance in fundraising though training in proposal
writing or other skills?
For consideration
Resources/
examples
Element
Knowledge transfer & IT
Key questions
Have you encouraged the relevant stakeholders) to clearly articulate what
information & knowledge they want and need?
Have you identified the gaps between the existing and the needed knowledge and
information?
How will you close the information gaps?
What will happen to the data & databases generated? Who do you hand it over
to? Are you keeping copies? Who will sustain it and how? Who owns them?
How will the IT infrastructure be maintained (where relevant?)
How will you transform the collected data and information, into useful knowledge
to be applied? (eg. between 100 year meteorological data towards climate
previsions/modelling)
For consideration
The information does not have to be limited to the scope of the programme and
the programme partners, as long as it is relevant
Resources/
examples
UNEP | MDG-F KM Project – Checklist for Exit Strategy
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Element
Risk assessment & management
Key questions
Have you prepared a risk assessment for the programme to be handed over &
prepared a risk management plan?
Have you prepared a risk assessment for the exit strategy itself & prepared a risk
management plan?
Have you included risk management aspect into your financial planning?
For consideration
Resources/
examples
Consider political, environmental, strategic & management, people, operational,
assets and financial risks, amongst others. Identify the likelihood and impact of risk
if it materialises. Identify the relevant action in the event that risk occurs (e.g.,
mitigate, ignore, avoid).
Research to be made for relevant literature & tools.
Topic
Asset management
Key questions
What are the assets to be retained by your organisation and what should be
transferred?
How will you transfer the assets and when?
For consideration
Each UN agency has its own rules and procedures for asset management. It has to
be clear who the assets belong to and then determine the appropriate action.
MDG-F Secretariat has been asked to clarify the hand-over procedures for JPs.
Resources/
examples
Topic
Monitoring & accountability (for the activities that are handed over)
Key questions
Have clear indicators been set for measuring the success of the implementation
and impact of the activities after the JP closes?
What information is collected and how to verify the achievement of indicators and
who is going to measure this achievement?
Who is responsible for the monitoring and who do they report to?
Are regular meetings held/ monitoring activities carried out to monitor the
implementation of these activities?
Should the UN still be involved and monitor the activities after the end of the JP? If
yes, how?
For consideration
Handing over activities in phases enables the monitoring of their success before
the JP ends.
Resources/
examples
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Element
Administrative Procedures
Key questions
Which UN rules and procedures do you follow in closing the JP?
Have you found out what is involved in the administrative closure & hand over
(from HR, assets, accounts, reporting etc.)?
Have you planned for an audit? If yes, what type (e.g., management, financial,
compliance)?
Who is going to conduct the audit? UN? Local accounting firm? What is the scope
of the audit and when is the appropriate time?
For consideration
The purpose of the audit is to get an independent opinion of the state of the
project activities to provide a clear cut off point for hand-over of responsibilities.
Resources/
examples
Further research will be done for the audit.
MDG-F Secretariat has been asked for advice on the administrative questions.
TopicElement
Legal & contractual obligations
Key questions
Do any legal or contractual obligations limit/ dictate/ direct the exit strategy?
Do you have any obligations in terms of HR, contactors etc.?
For consideration
Resources/
examples
Element
Implementation of the exit strategy
Key questions
Have you set milestones to assess if the implementation of the exit strategy is on
track? Are you prepared to adapt in case not all goes according to the plan?
Do you have the stakeholders involved in assessing the progress of implementing
the exit strategy?
For consideration
Provisions should be made to ensure that the exit strategy implementation is done
well. We do not suggest a heavy structure but something simple, yet regular with
the stakeholders to ensure continued commitment on all parties and success of
the implementation of the strategy.
Resources/
examples
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