MSD programmes operate in complex market systems and rely on interventions designed to adapt over time through ongoing learning. In the early phases of a programme it's especially important to experiment and embrace trial and error.
Fixed interventions often fail to produce lasting impact in such environments. Alternatively, the adaptive management approach can be effective in complex contexts. This is an iterative, learning-based method that allows programme teams to adjust strategies in response to changing conditions and new insights.
What is adaptive management?
Adaptive management refers to a structured, iterative process for decision-making in complex environments. It originated in the area of natural resource management and environmental conservation but has since been widely adopted across the international development sector. The core principle is ‘learning by doing’ - making decisions, monitoring outcomes and adjusting actions based on what you learn.
Practical introduction to adaptive management draws together lessons and good practice in adaptive management.
Key principles of adaptive management
- Make peace with uncertainty: recognise that systems are complex, unpredictable and cannot be controlled entirely.
- Admit mistakes and failures for faster learning: interventions will fail and need to wind down. This is normal and should not be minimised or spun positively in ways that allow non-systemic practice to persist.
- Pivot when needed: allowing the strategy to shift while keeping the programmatic vision.
- Do it with discipline: pivoting should involve structured, data-driven changes.
The Global Alliance for Adaptive Management (GLAM), which ran from 2018-2022, was a global learning alliance network that aimed to actively identify, operationalise and promote rigorous evidence-based approaches to adaptive management
Is it AM or BAM? explores the differences between an iterative approach to management aimed at reducing uncertainty over time and a reactive, knee-jerk operation that gets labelled as ‘adaptive management’ to avoid criticism.
Key enablers of an adaptive approach
Adaptive management requires considerable adjustments to the underlying scaffolding of how development programmes operate, such as robust coordination and management .
Staff should be skilled in monitoring, decision-making and facilitation. It involves having a flexible funding mechanism with your donor that allows for major changes such as the removal of an intervention area. It also requires a MEL system that tracks process indicators, i.e. signs of change happening, rather than simply activity and output indicators, which can be superficial.
How to put an adaptive management approach into practice
For adaptive management to work well you need to invest in structures that prioritise learning and flexibility; a culture that gives staff the confidence and creativity to make decisions quickly and responsibly; as well as new tools and processes that prioritise flexibility. The following provides some practical actions you can take to put an adaptive management approach into practice.
1. Design for learning
Start by creating a learning framework that allows you to gather data and insights continuously. This should include:
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress.
- Feedback mechanisms from various stakeholders.
- Regular reflection sessions with your team.
- A system for documenting lessons learned.
2. Implement pilot interventions
Start with small-scale pilot interventions (sometimes called probes) to test your hypotheses and strategies. These should be designed to generate quick learning while minimising risks.
3. Monitor and evaluate continuously
Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system that allows you to track the outcomes of your interventions in real-time. This should include both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.
4. Analyse and reflect
Regularly analyse data and accumulated insights. Hold frequent team meetings to reflect on what's working, what's not, and why. Be open to challenging your initial assumptions and hypotheses.
5. Adapt and adjust
Based on your analysis and reflections, be prepared to adapt your strategies and interventions. This might involve:
- Scaling up successful interventions.
- Modifying underperforming initiatives.
- Abandoning approaches that aren't yielding results.
- Exploring new opportunities that emerge.
6. Foster a culture of adaptability
Encourage a team culture that embraces uncertainty, values learning, and is comfortable with change. This includes:
- Rewarding innovation and calculated risk-taking.
- Encouraging open communication and constructive criticism.
- Providing training on adaptive management principles.
AdaptScan Plus provides an overview of the AdaptScan framework, along with guidance on how to share it with teams over a 'co-assessment' workshop. The core of the AdaptScan framework rests on a set of 'adaptive factors': capacities, structures and practices that make adaptation possible in a programme.