Hand-over Strategies
Since OTI knows that its involvement in any one country will be short in duration, it works with the relevant regional bureau, issue area experts and the local USAID mission from the very start of each program. Not only does this help to clarify roles and ensure proper coordination, but also it enables the continuation of programs that may be needed for longer than OTI is able to stay.
For each of its country programs, OTI develops a "hand-over strategy" that defines goals and objectives, how and when they will be met, and plans for transferring management of successful projects to the USAID mission or other donors when OTI leaves. Although most of OTI's projects are short-term in nature, they often require sustained follow-up in order to have maximum impact. For this reason, it is important that other offices participate in program discussions and develop a stake in their success.
An Example of Hand-over in Kosovo
When OTI began its assistance program in Kosovo, there were no formal institutions of local governance. Elections were yet to be held, and for years it had been the Serbian government that made all decisions for the province. OTI established Community Improvement Councils (CICs) as the basis for citizen political participation and economic rehabilitation. The CICs were so effective that other donors began using them to channel assistance to local communities.
After local elections, however, it was essential that the CICs learn to work with their government representatives, rather than substituting for them or competing with them. OTI engaged in consultations with the USAID Mission to determine how future assistance could build on these networks without undermining the electoral process. When OTI concluded its operations in Kosovo, the Mission hired many of OTI's local staff in offices around the province, and pledged to continue supporting CIC activities as a way of facilitating more transparent local government and of ensuring a participatory approach to development.
According to an independent study by the Center for Development Information and Evaluation, "USAID/Kosovo's buy-in to the OTI activities meant that longer term mission programs could build on OTI's short-term investment, experience, and contacts with more than 3,000 Kosovars directly associated with the CICs. USAID mission leadership indicated that OTI's work at the CIC level, spurred by the October 28, 2000, elections, would create sufficient momentum for achieving the longer term results of the mission's democracy/governance program."
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