Adaptive Collaboration with Stakeholders in the Time of COVID-19 in Senegal

This case explores the CLA approach of the USAID-funded Governance for Local Development (GoLD) activity in Senegal and the way the team leveraged strong relationships to collaboratively adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GoLD used a CLA approach to support partner stakeholders to design and deliver a COVID-19 response plan. Collaboration featured heavily in the development of these plans, and the team drew on strong relationships to design tailored approaches and innovative methods to continue implementation despite pandemic-related restrictions. The GoLD strategy of improving government partners’ ability to adapt and respond to crises fosters sustainable change and strengthens resilience to future crises.

Concurrently, GoLD convened a major coordination effort among 17 multi-sectoral projects in Senegal. GoLD proposed a new multi-project collaboration model to strategically share ideas and resources and boost the impact of interventions. Roughly 75 staff members representing each project formed five working groups and enabled each project to amplify its efforts in a way it could not do alone. Multi-project committees conducted far-reaching public service announcements, mobilized the private sector, joined capacity building efforts, shared learning, and ensured social inclusion in their COVID-19 response.