DRG Integration: Case Study Synthesis Report

Recently, the DRG Center presented the findings from six DRG Integration Case Studies (Ethiopia, Indonesia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Malawi and Nepal) to 50 representatives of key USAID offices, universities, and implementing partners. Now we present our Synthesis Report, which gathers all of the evidence and synthesizes lessons for the entire agency. Also included are Tip Sheets for Integrating DRG in the Field and Two-Pagers on each of the six Case Studies.

The case studies were part of a larger effort to uncover the factors that enable or inhibit integrated programming, cull lessons learned and best practices from Missions, and gain a better understanding of the country contexts and the internal USAID Mission incentives that lead to (or block) integrated programming. The case studies revealed that some missions incorporated integrated approaches because of their potential to create more local ownership over development processes and more sustainable service delivery. The case studies also showed what factors enable integration to be successful. They found that DRG integration is most effective when DRG offices are able to contribute to jointly-funded activities or pooled funding, and that DRG integration is strongest when intentional from design through implementation. The studies revealed that ntegration is most successful when DRG specialists understand the language, issues, and goals of other technical sectors, so that they can proactively work in partnership with other sectors and provide relevant DRG solutions to sectoral challenges. Finally, and most importantly, we learned that leadership is essential to the success of integrated programming. Missions where integration is most successful are those with a strong front office convinced of the importance of DRG issues across their mission's portfolio.

To learn more about how to promote integration at your missions, contact the CSP Team at [email protected]