Our direct implementation approach is management-intensive, but it works. We understand that it requires up-front costs that over a period of time, generate a return on the investment. With this, we ensure a low-cost, simple, achievable approach that makes sense. Our technical skill and thinking and understanding of the local situation – are part of our risk management and project processes that supports our management.

We keep operations’ costs down which just makes business sense. And that means we are realistic about our costs. Because we have local resources – staff, materials, and supply chain – to the extent possible – we reduce the “middle man,” a heavy security apparatus, and rework. We are able to do things right the first time because we have the right people and the right resources working together to deliver which ultimately creates cost savings. While this sometimes takes additional time, our tested and replicable community-based model allows us to work quickly, especially in new and complex areas to respond.

We offer project management services in key sectors throughout West Africa and have experience in Asia and Latin America. We value solid project management with processes and systems that guide us throughout the project lifecycle.

And, we are investing more of our own resources into making our processes and systems better so that we can be an even better partner.

We are carrying over this investment to our monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) services. With sound project management and delivery, we are focusing on MEL as a fundamental component to achieving program goals and learning. And, we understand we are all making an investment. That investment has to be nurtured. Systems and MEL are pillars to supporting that. We look forward to our donor/client feedback and interest in this expansion of this focus. In Liberia, we conducted extensive MEL on the application and impact of skills learned by 660 heads of households. We c collected data on the development of their small businesses and level of access to markets. We learned how to improve programming to improve market access.

We actually know communities – we do not just say it, we practice it. We are working intimately with communities from Day One. For us, it does not make sense to work in communities without understanding them – their people, social structures, cultural practices, and interactions. When the situation calls, we work quickly so that we do not lose time further down the road when problems arise.

And we learn from them. We learn what they need, what drives them, what influences them, and what works for them to make things better.

We build trust. Fundamental in any community anywhere in the world – we value humans and what each person brings to their community.

We help build meaningful community ownership to ensure our projects are responsive and generate a positive impact that lasts. This requires a quality approach and quality delivery to ensure that the community trust that has been built is able to sustain and communities feel their needs are being addressed for the long term.

We incorporate sustainability at the start – this is fundamental to the way we do business. The way we engage, design, and implement an intervention is framed with sustainability in mind.

Our Operational Footprint

We are in places where no other organization or few organizations operate. This matters not only for delivering assistance, but for learning what is going on in these places – who is in charge, what assistance resonates with needs, what dynamics are at play, and what does not work. Communities are at the center of our learning.