John Harper and Janine R. Wedel

Editor's Note:  Christian ministries can learn a lot from what has and has not worked in Western governmental assistance in post-Soviet societies.

Donors should be aware that the way in which local people view aid consultants and projects can affect the implementation and effectiveness of aid.  Delivering effective technical assistance requires having a planned entrance and exit strategy.  The key points of an entrance strategy are:

• selecting in advance properly qualified people whom you can trust and joint participation between local people and project organizers in the selection of tasks;
• using local people, local resources, and local networks wherever possible;
• ensuring local ownership by giving a clear description of the responsibilities, the evaluation criteria, and the rules for accountability; and
• training the local players in advance so that they have the relevant skills and know-how for carrying out their tasks.

The key points of an exit strategy are:

• transferring training to committed local institutions and developing the cascading principle of training through training-the-trainer programs; and
• embedding in the local institutions and culture new learning from the project.

General characteristics of the former Soviet Union that need to be taken into account in all aid projects [include]:

• resistance to change, which can be strong;
• high levels of confusion about the transition process;
• lack of local experience in running projects;
• considerable suspicion about Western aid agencies;
• unanticipated events and crises that can inhibit progress; and
• the close intertwining of politics and business.

Source:  John Harper and Janine R. Wedel, Western Aid to Eastern and Central Europe: What We Are Doing Right, What We Are Doing Wrong, and How We Can Do It Better, A Conference Report (Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1995).

Excerpt reprinted with permission.  To order a complimentary copy of the report, contact Kristin Hunter, Woodrow Wilson Center, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20024-2518; tel: 202-287-3000, ext. 330; fax: 202-287-3772; e-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 John Harper and Janine R. Wedel, "Western Aid to Eastern and Central Europe:  How to Make It Work," East-West Church & Ministry Report, 4 (Summer 1996), 10.