Activity Exiting Guideline
Implementing the Exit Action Plan during the Activity
An exit strategy should be a sign of success not failure
The implementation of an Activity should include the exit action plan. Preparing for an exit or transition does not start at the end of an activity but at the beginning and steadily through implementation. The implementation should specifically include managing and monitoring the exit/transition and managing risks.
Managing the exit or transition
- Focus on the graduation/transformation process as a priority; be proactive in identifying synergies with other activities to support the process.
- Ensure sufficient management resources to manage the transition.
- Support the capacity development for exit/transition that was identified in the project design (and modified as needed during the Activity implementation).
- Find the right balance of managing the administration of exiting and managing relations for sustainability.
- Undertake exit as a gradual process with sufficient time for consultation and hand-over.
- If scaling up for graduation, concentrate the effort of the administrative resources on ensuring continuity and a policy focus rather than a more project level activity.
- Ensure on-going strategic communication to partners and NZ Inc to ensure understanding and support of exit/transition progress and decisions. Include the exit/phase out in the Activity’s communication plan.
- Prepare detailed phase out and disbursement plans for each agreement in the Activity.
Monitoring the exit/transition
- Assess the progress towards the exit/transition based on good, regular monitoring of performance [a monitoring and evaluation framework that includes the exit action plan should have been included in the design, see above] against milestones.
- Revisit the exit action plan in the light of changes in the external or internal environment to ensure the action plan is still appropriate. Monitoring should identify factors that may enhance or constrain a successful exit and make recommendations to improve the action plan. For example, are partners actively engaged in the exit action plan and reaching the outcomes? If not, what are the recommended actions for improvement?
Managing risks
- Ensure that neither the activity nor NZAID’s reputation and relationships are put at risk by exit/transition decisions;
- Ensure that the partners’ reputation and relationships are not put at risk by exit/transition decisions, especially when the partner has been a ‘good performer’;
- If there is to be a transition to a multi-donor instrument, avoid being overly-focused on donor harmonisation and risk alienating partners.
- Make the exit action plan sufficiently flexible to adapt to levels of uncertainty.