INTRODUCING M4SDI

CHANGING CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY

WHAT M4SDI IS ABOUT

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand what M4SDI is

• Appreciate the need for managing for sustainable development impact within a changing context

This chapter sets out what M4SDI is about and how it connects to challenges in the management of development initiatives/organizations, which aim to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals). SDGs represent a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 interconnected SDGs build on the successes and setbacks of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and their scope has been broadened to include new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice. The SDGs call for an integrated approach to address these global challenges. M4SDI, an integrated approach to managing organizations and development initiatives, can help governments, the private sector, NGOs, civil society and individuals respond effectively to these challenges and contribute to the achievement of set goals.

This approach provides ideas on strengthening the capacity of initiatives/organizations, including the competencies of individuals, to get their act together in responding effectively to complex (global) challenges.

INTRODUCING M4SDI

The M4SDI approach has evolved within the context of international development to contribute to the (collective) capacity and competencies of leaders, development practitioners and other change agents to guide development initiatives/organizations towards fulfilling their mission. M4SDI can be applied in various development settings including projects, programmes, organizations, networks, alliances, as well as in business enterprises. Each form of organization will have its own structure, context, management style and mission, so M4SDI in a development project setting will look quite different from M4SDI in the context of a business enterprise.

The approach was developed particularly for leaders and development practitioners engaged in more complex change processes, where the context is dynamic and unpredictable, requiring a need to respond quickly. It is part of a family of approaches used for well-informed planning and decision-making processes in initiatives/organizations. Others include results-based management (RBM) and managing for development results (MfDR). M4SDI differs from these approaches by actively engaging people in processes of understanding and adapting to the context, partnering in making explicit and adapting the Theories of Change (ToC) and turning M&E into an active instrument for learning and decision-making. M4SDI incorporates ideas and practices from other approaches, and draws on a range of readily available methods/tools. 'Managing' in M4SDI is about navigating complexity towards sustainable development impact.

The M4SDI approach consists of core processes, underpinned by key orientations that determine the nature and scope of these processes, and supported by communication and capacities and conditions to implement these core processes (see Figure 1.1). The core processes include strategic guidance, effective operations and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

Management processes take place in a specific context and involve people from very diverse backgrounds in terms of their interests, values and perspectives. In M4SDI, it is important to deal with this diversity, and to engage people in a process of shared learning, to gain their commitment, support and perspectives for informed decision-making. This requires people and learning orientation. Further, it is necessary to keep a close eye on the context in order to learn from what emerges, and respond or adapt to any changes in the environment (context orientation). For these processes to function smoothly, key orientations, capacities and conditions and communication are crucial.

Strategic guidance is about managing strategic processes towards sustainable development impact. It includes understanding the situation and its context, making explicit assumptions about how change happens (ToC) and developing strategies towards agreed (visions of) changes. It also includes navigating within a complex and changing context, using information generated through M&E, as well as providing leadership with strategic thinking, strategic foresight and systems thinking.

Effective operations are about turning your strategic plans and ideas into action, and include project management, finance management, human resource management, operational planning, procurement and contract management, maintenance management, information management, and coordination and communication.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are about informing strategic and operational decision-making. This includes monitoring what works and doesn't and what emerges in a complex context.

People orientation is about acknowledging the central role that human interactions play in complex development processes. This involves engaging people meaningfully to understand and work with others in contexts involving different interests, perspectives, relationships, and power dynamics. Strong leadership competencies and facilitation skills are crucial.

Learning orientation is about enhancing learning and creating an environment where learning takes place at the individual, group, organizational and societal levels. This includes not only understanding, but also sense-making to inform strategic and operational decision-making. Engaging people in planning processes and M&E makes these processes more meaningful and enhances the utility of M&E findings and related processes.

Context orientation is about understanding and responding to the internal and external environments in which an initiative/organization operates. This includes understanding: the wider setting (e.g. political dynamics, policies, future trends, key actors, etc.); the specific context (e.g. community setting); organizational structures and processes underpinning the initiative/organization; and the dynamics of staff and stakeholders. Responses to these dynamics need to be situational specific, and require strategic and systems thinking.

Capacities and conditions are about shaping to the readiness of leaders and practitioners to...