Operational Guide: Developing Sustainability Plans for Strengthening Social Contract Programme

This learning document on effective partnership and shared ownership is part of a series under the Programmatic Learning Instrument (PLI). The PLI is an instrument designed to stimulate and facilitate cross-programmatic learning at both the program implementation level and the portfolio management level. This instrument supports co-created learning trajectories, where stakeholders jointly decide the learning objectives and the pathway to achieve them. Within the PLI framework, Media INK and the Knowledge Platform for Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL) are collaborating on a project titled "Learning Support for the Dutch SROL Program in Somalia."

The government of the Netherlands, through its embassy in Nairobi, supports the implementation of various programs within the SROL framework. The overarching objective of this SROL program is to contribute to the improvement of the social contract in Somalia and Somaliland. This is achieved through three different projects implemented by three different consortia:

1. Damal Program: Implementing partners: IDLO, NAFIS Network, Legal Aid Clinic (LAC), and Media INK. The program's objective is to improve the social contract through increased legitimacy of justice sector institutions in Somaliland.

2. Miisaan Program: Implementing partners: Interpeace, Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, and Media INK. The program's objective is to contribute to inclusively developed, locally informed, and widely supported transitional justice frameworks endorsed by key stakeholders in Somalia and Somaliland and integrated with national implementation plans.

3. Danwadaag Program: Implementing partners: VNG, Care, Free Press Unlimited, and Media INK. The program's objective is to improve the social contract through inclusive and transparent Disaster Risk Management.

The four-year SROL program in Somalia began in 2020. The consortia are currently in their third year and have gained a valuable trove of learnings. The primary aim of the PLI learning trajectory is to support Damal, Miisaan, Danwadaag, and the Embassy in fostering collaborative partnerships and facilitating inter-program learning exchanges.

This specific learning document focuses on how to sustain the strengthening social contract programs supported by the Netherlands government for Somaliland, it is imperative that the three programs are expanded and maintained, that government contributions will be sustained, that partnerships will be strengthened, that a comprehensive policy framework will be established, that community support will be gained, and that the program will be adaptable to changing circumstances. This document is a practical guide that provides direction to effective sustainability. This document builds on the experience gained by the Damal programme. The Damal programme achieved noteworthy success in sustaining the programme achievements. These achievements include adding the social contract programmes such as the ADR (Alternative Dispute resolution) program in the National Development Plan (2023-2028) as a top priority; second-line ministries that the three programmes are working with plans to detail its contribution to the existing and expansion in the Implementation Plan in mid-2024.

The approached presented in this document were by the three SRoL consortia in a meeting held on the 25th of November in Nairobi. After stakeholder meetings were held, a draft guide was developed and distributed to participants for comment, and staff involved in implementing strengthening social contract programmes held meetings to share experience, document lessons learned, and acknowledge any challenges faced while working to address how to overcome them in future meetings. The key findings from these meetings were documented and then incorporated into the iteration of the guide, which includes updated matrices and strategic methodological adjustments to better engage stakeholders and provide more thorough planning opportunities and which seeks to increase the probability of successful country transition and sustainability of programme outcomes.

Achieving sustainability requires an approach geared towards the continuity of successful interventions from the outset of programmes. As programmes come to an end, it becomes increasingly important to maintain and further mainstream programme achievements within countries through strong Sustainability Plans. Sustainability is defined as the continuation of benefits from a development intervention after major development assistance has been completed. In order to maximize the likelihood of continued program outcomes, local stakeholders must actively plan the transition from strengthening social contract programmes and co-implemented activities to full country responsibility.

A key objective of this guide is to organize and inform key stakeholders about continued activities, sustainability initiatives, and roles and responsibilities. This guide is intentionally designed to be flexible to ensure responsiveness to local context, allowing for increased ownership of the planning and transition process.