Monitoring, Evaluation and Gender Consultant/Trainer
Posted on 07/04/2025
In certain thematic areas, big projects are indeed effective at delivering effective solutions, particularly in emergency response, humanitarian aid, and large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and major construction efforts.
However, in most other thematic areas, especially those relating to social development, big projects often struggle to achieve sustainable effectiveness. Examples include healthcare programs addressing Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), certain types of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) interventions, and Agriculture and food security initiatives. Despite their substantial financial resources, technical expertise, human resources, and capability to scale activities broadly, big projects frequently face challenges such as limited local context sensitivity, reduced community ownership, and difficulties in maintaining long-term sustainability.
In contrast, smaller projects implemented by local organizations, despite having fewer resources and a limited operational scope, demonstrate a notable advantage. They tend to be highly responsive to immediate community needs, deeply anchored in local knowledge and cultural practices, and foster strong community ownership and relevance. These small-scale projects possess an inherent flexibility and agility that allow rapid adjustments based on direct feedback from community members, significantly enhancing their overall sustainability and effectiveness in addressing complex and evolving social issues.
Therefore, while big projects play a crucial role in specific contexts, the complementary strengths of smaller, locally driven initiatives are indispensable for achieving sustainable solutions in the complex social domains of development.
RE: Do Big Projects Deliver Effective Solutions in a Complex World?
Kenya
Eddah Kanini (Board member: AfrEA, AGDEN & MEPAK
Monitoring, Evaluation and Gender Consultant/Trainer
Posted on 07/04/2025
In certain thematic areas, big projects are indeed effective at delivering effective solutions, particularly in emergency response, humanitarian aid, and large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and major construction efforts.
However, in most other thematic areas, especially those relating to social development, big projects often struggle to achieve sustainable effectiveness. Examples include healthcare programs addressing Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), certain types of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) interventions, and Agriculture and food security initiatives. Despite their substantial financial resources, technical expertise, human resources, and capability to scale activities broadly, big projects frequently face challenges such as limited local context sensitivity, reduced community ownership, and difficulties in maintaining long-term sustainability.
In contrast, smaller projects implemented by local organizations, despite having fewer resources and a limited operational scope, demonstrate a notable advantage. They tend to be highly responsive to immediate community needs, deeply anchored in local knowledge and cultural practices, and foster strong community ownership and relevance. These small-scale projects possess an inherent flexibility and agility that allow rapid adjustments based on direct feedback from community members, significantly enhancing their overall sustainability and effectiveness in addressing complex and evolving social issues.
Therefore, while big projects play a crucial role in specific contexts, the complementary strengths of smaller, locally driven initiatives are indispensable for achieving sustainable solutions in the complex social domains of development.