Development in action

Helping nations to recover from war and build fairer societies

Creating sustainable solutions to foster economic development

Working worldwide to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality

2 I Development in action I English in Action

Contents

4 Consultants with a causeMott MacDonald is committed to improving people’s lives through tailored development solutions.

6 New technology can be the key to unlocking equalityIn developing countries technology is emerging as a key enabler in the quest to raise standards of education and health provision.

14 Seeking out hidden hungerWe are tackling malnutrition in Pakistan by improving access to nutritious food for more than half of its population.

42 Meeting your challengesWhatever challenges our clients face, and wherever in the world they are located, we can deliver the right combination of expertise.

32 Helping to keep the peace after the warWe are at the forefront of delivering interventions in recovering nations that improve the lives of people in need.

26 Healing a nation through educationBy overcoming stigmas surrounding girls’ education we are contributing to the development of South Sudan.

10 10 ways we engage communitiesCommunity engagement is vital to the long-term sustainability of international development projects.

38 ‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’Transport and urban infrastructure projects are essential building blocks for improving social outcomes.

20 Closing the gender gapTackling gender inequity is a moral imperative but also crucial to building sustainable nations.

An individual can find a better job by learning to speak another language. A nation will transform its economic prospects if it can improve the language skills of its workforce. We have changed the landscape of English language learning in Bangladesh by developing innovative ways of using low-cost accessible technologies to aid teaching in the classroom and the community. By 2017, our programme, funded by UK aid, will have improved the English proficiency of 7M students, supported 51,000 government teachers and given more than 28M adults access to learning.

Front cover image (foreground)Hanoi Photography/Shutterstock

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Big issues

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Smartinfrastructure

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Education

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Project/programmemanagement

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Cost consultancy

Studies & design

Managementconsultancy

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The Mott MacDonald Universe

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Consultants with a cause I Development in action I 54 I Development in action I Consultants with a cause

We work in developing countries to alleviate poverty, establish good governance, and increase access, capacity and resilience in healthcare, education, water, sanitation, transportation, infrastructure and renewable energy – while safeguarding the environment and promoting human rights and gender equity.

What makes us different is that we approach problems from a fresh perspective. As an employee-owned company, we have the freedom and independence of mind to find new ways to enhance human wellbeing and foster social and economic development through connected thinking.

Innovative, sustainable solutionsWe constantly stretch our thinking to seek out innovative, sustainable solutions for the world’s toughest challenges: population growth, urbanisation, food security, climate change and local/regional conflicts. At the start of every project, we search for the opportunity to add value in our designs and outcomes.

Our multidisciplinary teams of experts work in close collaboration with governments, NGOs and communities in two broad areas: strategic thinking and actual delivery of a project or programme.

We believe our solutions provide the best life chances for the present and future generations, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, because we never forget our responsibility to the people who should ultimately benefit from what we design and deliver.

Consultants with a causeMott MacDonald is committed to improving people’s lives through creating and delivering tailored development solutions.

DFID Commercial High Recognition Award – Micro Organisations Support and/or Engagement

2016

Sectors

Expertis

e

Clients

InternationalDevelopmentServices

GovernanceEnvironment andclimate change

Food security and agriculture

Economicdevelopment

Education

Health andnutrition

Socialdevelopment

Urban development

Water infrastructure andresources management

Water and sanitation

Power and renewable energy

Transport

Programmemanagement

Technical advice

Participatoryplanning

Governments

Beneficiaries

Multilateraldonors

Bilateral donors

Monitoring andevaluation

Gendermainstreaming

Knowledgemanagement

Procurement

Grant fundmanagement

Programmedesign

Capacitydevelopment

Skillsdevelopment

6 I Development in action I New technology in health and education

New technology can be the key to unlocking equality

Excellent education toolsAround 90% of the world’s poorest regions are now covered by a mobile signal. We’re breaking new ground by taking advantage of this to transmit learning content to teachers and students.

Low-cost mobile phones and tablets can make excellent tools to support teacher training and improve classroom practice in countries like Ghana and Nigeria. They are also being used to register pupil attendance at schools in remote areas including war-torn South Sudan, an innovation yet to be seen in many developed countries.

Mobile learning (mLearning) can support education reforms and investment in skills that increase employment opportunities and stimulate economies, opening up a route out of poverty and into work.

In Bangladesh, meanwhile, we are pioneering smarter uses of established mass media platforms – radio and TV, as well as the internet – to create learning opportunities for millions of people who have previously had little or no schooling.

Better health outcomesAffordable technology can improve health outcomes in developing countries too.

We view the mobile phone as a platform from which new and existing health initiatives can be delivered better, cheaper, faster and at scale, widening access to quality healthcare for all.

Yet the mobile phone is more than an mLearning or mHealth tool. It can be used in development projects to empower women – for example, by training them to be health workers – and promote gender equality.

Around 90% of the world’s poorest regions are now covered by a mobile signal.

In developing countries technology is emerging as a key enabler in the quest to raise standards of education and health provision and improve life chances for all.

New technology in health and education I Development in action I 98 I Development in action I New technology in health and education

ProjectTB REACH

LocationWorldwide

ClientSTOP TB Partnership

Tuberculosis (TB) is a curable disease but it still kills three people every minute. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital. TB REACH is a global programme that provides grants to organisations that make use of innovative technologies to improve detection rates among poor and hard to reach populations in low income countries. Our role is to assess whether the programme is delivering real value for money and achieving its intended outcomes – effective care for all who need it and the progressive eradication of TB. In the first year alone the programme achieved a 33% increase in case detection and to date close to 2M people have been treated in nearly 50 countries.

ProjectTransforming Teacher Education and Learning

LocationGhana

ClientUK aid

Getting well-trained teachers into Ghana’s schools is critical for upskilling its population and strengthening its economy. Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL), a four year programme managed by us, is harnessing cutting-edge technology to transform the delivery of teacher training in the country. The Raspberry Pi, a low-cost credit card-sized computer, will enable student teachers to make the most of limited internet connectivity at colleges and access quality teaching materials. This is believed to be the first time that a UK aid-supported international development programme has used technology of this kind. T-TEL is also providing colleges with tablets to enable trainees to access resources that support their professional development and learn how to use mobile computers as teaching aids in the classroom.

ProjectStrengthening South Africa’s Revitalised Response to AIDS and Health (SARRAH)

LocationSouth Africa

ClientUK aid

MomConnect aims to improve maternal health and reduce child mortality in South Africa by registering expectant girls and women on a national database and sending regular text messages to their mobile phones to help them during their pregnancy and look after their baby’s health. It was launched after research revealed that, with 95% of pregnant women and mothers having access to a mobile phone, it was a more effective channel for communicating public health advice than radio or television. MomConnect was rolled out as part of the UK aid-funded SARRAH programme of mHealth initiatives.

Project School inspection system

Location Jamaica

Client World Bank

Years of a child’s education can be ‘lost’ if bad teaching goes undetected. Our consultants are helping Jamaica to make sweeping improvements to its school inspection system that will improve life chances for young people and boost the island’s economic prospects. We developed an innovative software portal to schedule inspections, capture data in the field, and create and share reports, the ultimate benefits of which are more and higher quality inspections to support school improvement plans.

Delivering better outcomes by using the right technology

Building healthier communitiesTraining community health workers at Efaye clinic, KwaZulu-Natal, to capture data using mobile phones for the SARRAH programme.

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10 I Development in action I Engaging with communities

Community engagement is key to the long-term sustainability of international development projects. Carole Lelarge, one of our social development consultants, explains how we achieve it on our programmes.

10 ways we engage communities

1. Investment in research

Engaging with communities requires insight and understanding of the realities on the ground where programmes are to be delivered. We invest time and money in learning about the challenges people face, the environment they live in, and their cultures and traditions.

2. Working in partnership

We develop strong, long-term partnerships with NGOs, stakeholders and community groups, and draw on their local knowledge. This helps us to develop relationships with communities based on respect, trust and openness.

3. Effective communications

We make extensive use of different kinds of communication to keep communities fully aware of a project’s aims and progress. Making information widely available promotes buy-in and encourages volunteers to come forward and participate in projects.

4. Evidence-based management

During the course of a programme we gather evidence of what works and what doesn’t to drive continuous improvement. It helps us to keep communities informed of how our interventions are achieving results.

5. Empowerment of local communities

Devolving decision-making fosters a sense of ownership among beneficiaries. Communities are able to identify their priorities and needs themselves, and feel empowered and become proactive about tackling the issues that affect them the most.

6. Gender and social equity

To engage all sections of a community it is essential that girls, women and vulnerable and marginalised groups are given a voice. Several of our projects stipulate that decision-making bodies must include female members.

7. Strengthening accountability

Local accountability fosters buy-in and ownership and is especially important in fragile or conflict affected nations with weak government structures. In Nigeria, for example, we are strengthening school governance frameworks to enable education reforms and raise standards.

9. Creating demand for services

The success of our English in Action teacher training programme in Bangladesh led to demand from other teachers for similar services. They organised themselves into groups and sourced funds locally to deliver training.

10. Highlighting benefits of resilience

We demonstrate how projects designed to strengthen the resilience of communities to withstand climate change can contribute to economic prosperity, encouraging participation in their day-to-day management.

8. Co-ordination with government

We sustain new practices by finding ways to embed programme activities in local and regional government systems and structures. This means that when a project ends, its work can continue, and even be scaled up, as part of a government-led initiative.

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12 I Development in action I Engaging with communities

Towering challenges An estimated 2M childrenin South Africa have lostone or both parents toAIDS. They face challengesthat tower above theiryears – an absenceof parental protection,the burden of loss andgrief, and heightenedvulnerability to child abuse,neglect and exploitation.Thousands of people havestepped up to volunteerin their communitiesto care for and protectorphans and othervulnerable children, butthey often lack the skillsto help them effectivelyand need emotionalsupport themselves.

Taking care of the carers

Thogomelo means ‘caring’ or ‘taking care’ in Venda, one of South Africa’s 11 national languages. It is a fitting name for a project we co-managed that aims to care for and protect the Rainbow Nation’s vulnerable children by increasing the knowledge, abilities and wellbeing of those who are responsible for them.

Sustainable solution We partnered with PATH and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance to design interventions that are cost-efficient, sustainable, and relevant to tackling South Africa’s HIV crisis and the needs of people living in poverty. The Thogomelo project maintains a dual focus on delivering child protection training and psychosocial support to community caregivers. We helped to draw up three nationally accredited skills development programmes, incorporating exemplar training practices, and develop the capacity of training service providers.

Enduring outcomeThe five year project was extended by three years, and then for a further year, and is set to become an enduring part of South Africa’s child protection efforts now that the government has agreed to take over the project. In eight years the Thogomelo project has trained 3650 people. The wealth of training materials and learning aids produced can be accessed by providers across South Africa, and are applicable in any setting or country where there are community-based initiatives to support vulnerable children.

Project Thogomelo

Location South Africa

Client USAID

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Seeking out hidden hunger I Development in action I 1514 I Development in action I Seeking out hidden hunger

Seeking out hidden hunger

Malnutrition caused by micronutrient deficiencies threatens the lives and life chances of children and adults across the globe. We are tackling this form of hunger in Pakistan by improving access to nutritious food for more than half its population.

Special report by Lucy Palmer, Mott MacDonald health specialist, and Radhika Srivastava, Micronutrient Initiative regional communications manager – Asia

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16 I Development in action I Seeking out hidden hunger

The effects of poor nutrition on healthRazia Bibi fears for her two-year-old daughter, Atiqua. The toddler has a poor appetite and does not play as much as the other children in her family’s home village. Atiqua is less active because she is malnourished, a victim of ‘hidden hunger’.

Lack of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, iodine and iron is the main cause of ‘hidden hunger’, so named because it tends not to show any outward symptoms. This form of malnutrition affects more than 2bn people worldwide.

Pakistan is one of the countries worst affected. The last national nutrition survey revealed that 50% of women of reproductive age were anaemic. In children under five, 44% had stunted growth and 32% were underweight.

New hope for the malnourished Now there is hope for children like Atiqua. UK aid is funding the Food Fortification Programme (FFP) as part of its five year Supporting Nutrition in Pakistan scheme, which will complement the Government of Pakistan’s own efforts to combat malnutrition.

The FFP initiative will be jointly implemented and run by Mott MacDonald, which has managed large-scale health improvement programmes in Pakistan for more than 10 years, and Micronutrient Initiative (MI), a Canadian not-for-profit organisation which has run a wide range of nutrition and fortification projects in Pakistan for a similar length of time.

Food fortification involves adding micronutrients to foods that are widely consumed. The aim of FFP is to enhance the lives of millions of vulnerable women and children by improving their access to sufficient nutritious and safely fortified wheat flour and edible oil.

Nearly half of the programme’s £46M budget will go towards equipment for wheat and oil millers and subsidies on premix they can add to their products.

Food fortification for the massesIn Pakistan, the Universal Salt Iodisation programme, supported by MI, helped to increase the number of Pakistani households consuming iodised salt from 17% to 60% since 2006, contributing to a reduction in iodine deficiency disorders such as mental impairment in newborns, goiter

(swelling of the thyroid gland) and stillbirth.

FFP is on a much bigger scale. The ambition is to get 57% of Pakistan’s 190M population consuming fortified flour and 72% of the population consuming fortified oil (or ghee). When combined with nutritional education, improved food safety and micronutrient supplementation, food

Effective enforcement of standards We are engaging with key Pakistani public and private sector players, such as district, provincial and national governments. Our remit includes providing support to strengthen fortification standards, mandatory legislation and regulatory frameworks, and making certain there is effective government enforcement

against businesses not adequately fortifying food or guilty of supplying adulterated or counterfeit goods. The backing of the food industry is equally important and we will be working closely with industry associations, mill owners and managers to obtain buy-in and build capacity.

For food fortification to work, it is necessary

to ensure that the food, once fortified, retains its original properties – in particular its appearance and taste – in order to be easily accepted by people. Advertising and marketing campaigns will be needed to persuade consumers to pay a little extra for genuine products and not buy cheaper products that may be adulterated or fake.

44%of children aged under five in Pakistan have stunted growth

72%of Pakistan’s population could benefit from FFP

33% FFP aims to reduce iron deficiency anaemia among women of reproductive age by a third

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fortification can yield sustained improvements in nutritional health. It is estimated FFP could contribute to a one third reduction in iron deficiency anaemia among children under five and women of reproductive age, a 50% reduction in neural tube defects in newborns and a one third reduction in vitamin A deficiency.

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Seeking out hidden hunger I Development in action I 19

ProjectSouth Sudan Agribusiness Development Programme

LocationSouth Sudan

ClientGovernment of the Netherlands

More than 25 years of conflict have destroyed much of South Sudan’s agricultural production capacity, making the nation highly dependent on food imports and causing 51% of the population to live below the poverty line. With the lack of public funds to invest in the sector, the South Sudan Agribusiness Development Programme (SSADP) is promoting entrepreneurship to reduce poverty and improve food security. By improving access to support and lending from commercial banks, the project aims to establish or strengthen 250 small and medium agribusinesses and farms by 2017.

How we are alleviating hunger in other parts of the world

ProjectFramework for Resilience and Effectiveness of Irrigation Systems

LocationNepal

ClientUK aid

Agriculture supports the majority of Nepal’s population and contributes 30% towards the country’s GDP. However, the sector’s infrastructure is vulnerable to climate change while population growth means land holdings are now so small that they struggle to meet even the subsistence needs of most families. We are developing a framework to improve the planning and delivery of resilient, effective irrigation systems that suit the requirements of small- and medium-scale farmers. Our study will help direct investment to where it is needed most to boost the country’s agricultural productivity and its economy.

ProjectChar Development and Settlement Project Phase IV

LocationBangladesh

ClientGovernment of the Netherlands/IFAD

Every year flooding, cyclones and erosion destroy the homes and livelihoods of up to 30,000 Bangladeshi families. Many of these uprooted, destitute people are forced to resettle on vast banks of sedimentary material that build up in river deltas and along the coastline. Known as ‘chars’, this marginal land is regularly flooded, making it difficult to grow crops. The objective of the Char Development and Settlement Project Phase IV is to reduce poverty and hunger by building climate-resilient infrastructure that offers protection against tidal and storm surges, and by providing households with a legal title to land.

Food fortification is a very cost-effective public health intervention. According to the Copenhagen Consensus, a team of Nobel laureate economists, for every US$1 spent on reducing chronic undernutrition, there is a US$30 return on investment through greater productivity and reduced healthcare expenditure. The team also found that micronutrient interventions – fortification and supplementation with vitamins and minerals – were the most cost-effective investment. The international nutrition community agrees, and the FFP initiative was designed with this in mind. The road ahead appears both promising and challenging. Nevertheless, a first step has been made towards ending hidden hunger in Pakistan – and ensuring that its most vulnerable people can look forward to a brighter and healthier future.

Follow FFP’s progress on Twitter @ffp_pk

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Closing the gender gap I Development in action I 2120 I Development in action I Closing the gender gap

For decades gender equity has been a core element of all the projects designed by Mott MacDonald – across governance, education, health, private sector development, water, environment and social protection – creating pathways to empower girls and women in developing countries around the world. In each of these programmes, we strive to improve the economic and social status of women and strengthen their resilience to sustainably manage their own lives and livelihoods.

Here’s how we are working to promote gender equity and equal access to rights and opportunities across all sectors of society:

Collecting better data on women enables us to learn more about their needs and design projects that are more effective at reducing inequality.For the RWASH programme in Nepal we developed a monitoring and evaluation framework and a web-based management information system that were gender sensitive. This had a major impact on raising awareness of gender issues at national and district levels in a nation where women play a key role in rural water supply and sanitation.

By employing a certain percentage of women in leadership and decision-making roles, our projects help to promote women’s interests.As part of a water treatment plant project in Bangladesh, we consulted local women on the design and installation of new piped water supply systems. It had a positive effect on women’s livelihoods – spending less time collecting water meant women could take up paid employment.

Closing the gender gap

Tackling gender inequity is a moral imperative, says Mott MacDonald consultant Tahmina Shafique, but it is also crucial to alleviating poverty and building sustainable societies.

Closing the gender gap I Development in action I 2322 I Development in action I Closing the gender gap

Investing in sexual and reproductive health services gives girls and women more control over their fertility, improving their ability to finish school and find jobs.We were commissioned to evaluate the Nepal Ministry of Health’s initiatives to increase access to quality family planning services to particular groups of women and young girls who have the highest need and demand for family planning. This included studies to better understand factors affecting access to, and use of, family planning services among four selected population groups in Nepal: migrant couples, the urban poor, young people, and muslim communities.

10%When 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases by an average of 3%

150MClosing the gender gap in agriculture could lift 100M to 150M people out of hunger

$120Achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health services could yield a return of $120 for every dollar spent

Source: High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (2015)

“We can’t close the gender gap without closing the data gap.” Melinda Gates Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Promoting female entrepreneurship helps women to contribute to the family income, which increases their status in households.The Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development Project in Bangladesh has boosted employment opportunities for women excluded from society due to cultural stigma. Outcomes include: 2500 women employed as labourers with equal wages for men and women; separate sanitation facilities and day-care for women with infants; 50% of market spaces allocated to women sellers and entrepreneurs; training courses in vegetable production for women.

Improving women’s official recognition within agriculture gives them morecontrol over their livelihoods.We are currently implementing the South Sudan Agribusiness Development Programme, which aims to help establish or strengthen 250 small and medium businesses and farms. Gender equity is being promoted in this programme, not just through the explicit inclusion of women on training courses, but also through the inclusion of the South Sudan Women Entrepreneurs Association on the project steering committee, which meets twice a year.

Widening access to education not only improves young women’s employment prospects, they learn more about their rights and how to enforce them.The EQUIP-Tanzania programme is strengthening the quality of primary education, especially for girls, in seven educationally disadvantaged regions of Tanzania. It will deliver better education outcomes for more than 2M children and high-quality training for 48,000 teachers.

Better education outcomesThe EQUIP-Tanzania programme is improving the quality of teaching and learning in primary schools, especially for girls.

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Closing the gender gap I Development in action I 2524 I Development in action I Closing the gender gap

ProjectBlue Gold

LocationBangladesh

ClientGovernment of the Netherlands

The Blue Gold programme will stabilise an area of 115,000ha across four of Bangladesh’s coastal districts and improve the safety of the population by strengthening dykes and clearing silt from drainage channels.

Management of the fragile land is crucial to the region’s long-term socio-economic development

Think water management is just about water?

Think again.

and the alleviation of food and water insecurity.

We formed water management organisations (WMOs) to give local people control over the work affecting their lives and stipulated that women make up 30% of the membership, including at executive committee level.

By allocating almost a third of places to women, we ensure their voices are heard and that they can shape the future of their communities. This has a positive effect in the villages more generally. With visible female leaders, women

and especially young girls feel empowered to take on other roles in the community.

The WMOs are complemented by Farmer Field Schools (FFS) which equip people with skills in horticulture and aquaculture, helping them to improve the quality and diversity of their produce and create new streams of income.

One of the women to benefit is Mahinoor Begum, who used to struggle to grow enough vegetables on her homestead in Dakshin-Purba Kalbari to just feed

herself and her family. She attended the FFS in her village and learnt how to grow a wider range of crops: country beans, sweet gourd, papaya and brinjal (aubergine). She is now able to harvest produce every week, and she has also begun rearing poultry, again using skills taught by the FFS.

The steady income from her fruit and vegetables and poultry has enabled Mahinoor to start clearing her debts, pay for her daughter’s education and plan for a brighter future. In her words: “Blue Gold has been a blessing to my family.”

ProjectAmaqhawe

LocationSouth Africa

ClientUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

‘Nothing for us without us’ has become a popular slogan. The Amaqhawe programme puts it into practice – it is designed by and for the sex workers it seeks to help.

Amaqhawe aims to reduce HIV infection among sex workers who frequent taverns in Gert Sibande, Mpumalanga, a district experiencing a severe epidemic and one of the worst affected by South Africa’s HIV crisis.

The area straddles several major trucking routes and has numerous drinking places where drivers stop and local women, who have few employment opportunities, engage in sex work.

Despite a clear need for HIV prevention initiatives, our research found that there were no projects targeting this high-risk population. In response, we developed the five year Amaqhawe programme.

Amaqhawe delivers risk reduction workshops which offer advice on health, safe sex and nutrition, and guidance

on protection from the threat of crime, rape and gender-based violence.

Every quarter the programme publishes a glossy ‘Cosmopolitan’-style magazine, the first high-end health promotional material of its kind for sex workers, which combines articles on beauty and fashion with key messages around HIV risk reduction and sex workers’ rights if arrested.

Research has revealed that the magazine resonated with sex workers and they were acting on the advice provided in the articles.

‘Nothing for us without us’

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Girls’ Education South Sudan I Development in action I 2726 I Development in action I Girls’ Education South Sudan

Healing a nation through educationMott MacDonald is leading an innovative education programme in South Sudan designed to transform the lives of 200,000 girls and help lift their families and communities out of poverty. By tackling ingrained stigmas surrounding the education of girls we are contributing to the long-term development of the world’s youngest country.

ProjectGirls’ Education South Sudan

LocationSouth Sudan

ClientUK aid

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28 I Development in action I Girls’ Education South Sudan Girls’ Education South Sudan I Development in action I 29

Barriers to successSouth Sudan, a young nation where 51% of the 10M population live beneath the poverty line, faces huge practical challenges in rebuilding itself following decades of civil war and now new internal conflict. By giving an education to girls, communities gain a tool to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Yet, the barriers to success are high in a country where only one girl in ten completes primary education, and girls comprise just a third of the secondary school population.

The primary aim of Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) is to transform the lives of a generation by improving teaching and learning in schools, and increasing access, retention and completion among primary and secondary schoolgirls. A key challenge has been changing perceptions about female education in patriarchal communities.

Girl-friendly learningGESS is rooted in a communication campaign, which aims to bring changes in social and individual behaviour towards girls’ education, and a whole-school development approach. Working with schools and community-based organisations, our specialist team is helping to build partnerships with governments to create safe, girl-friendly learning environments in schools.

A key component of GESS is to encourage enrolment and retention of girls by providing cash transfers to girls in education. In addition, capitation grants to all not-for-profit schools help supplement running costs and improve learning environments to make them more attractive and student-oriented. So far, 120,000 girls have received direct payments, freeing them to stay in school by supporting their families, while over 3000 schools have received grants.

Rapid progressThe programme aims to benefit at least 150,000 girls in primary school and 50,000 girls in secondary school, and share the lessons nationwide. To date more than 240,000 girls and 300,000 boys have benefited from the programme’s broader package of support, a million other girls will be reached through communications to families, communities and leaders, while learning outcomes will improve and drop-out and repetition rates will decrease across South Sudan.

Progress has been rapid. On 7 July 2015, National Girl Education Day in South Sudan, the combined enrolment at primary and secondary schools broke the 1M barrier for the first time, of which 417,116 were girls.

Putting communities on the same frequencyOne of the most innovative aspects of the GESS project is the use of radio broadcasts – created by BBC Media Action – to tackle prejudice and raise awareness of the importance of education for girls.

Broadcast in seven local languages on 29 radio stations, ‘Our School’ is a series of 15 minute factual programmes that includes real-life stories of girls, families and schools to highlight the benefits of girls staying in school. 

The producers use local voices to discuss the negative cultural attitudes and practices that can hinder girls’ education. These barriers range from leaving girls to walk to school on their own – where they will often face harassment – or giving them too much housework to do when they come home. At the same time, through positive role models, the programme shows girls how they can succeed.

For those ‘media-dark’ areas – where there is no radio network – GESS has found ways to help audiences listen on wind-up or solar-powered media players.

South Sudan is a melting pot of different tribes and languages, so the outreach teams organise listener groups, street theatre and debates – which mirror the themes set out in each radio programme – for those communities that speak a different language from the one broadcast.

Transforming lives through educationPosikina, a student in the 8th grade, takes part in a lesson under a tree at Genain Girls Primary School in Wau.

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30 I In Development I Girls’ Education South Sudan Girls’ Education South Sudan I Development in action I 31

‘‘The thirst for education is turning things around’’

“I’m genuinely staggered by the success

of this project in a context where

conflict has re-emerged in what was a

post-conflict nation, with schools closing

and attendance falling. The local

thirst for education is turning the

situation around in a way that might

surprise people who are sceptical

about international development.

“Before we tendered for the contract,

ten of us spent time in South Sudan

to find out what each of the individual

states really wanted. We spoke to

children, parents, carers, chiefs

and administrators in person. We

asked them what they needed, and

how best to make that happen.

“We learnt that lack of education

in South Sudan is tied to poverty,

rather than cultural taboo. By putting

money directly in the hands of girls

and schools – without strict conditions

– we were told that this could provide

opportunities that weren’t there

before. Indeed this has proved

to be the case. Every day, our teams

need to think on their feet. This initiative

succeeds through the efforts of local

people who know the best way to

engage local communities.” John Shotton Design team leader, Mott MacDonald

One of the outcomes of GESS has been to help South Sudan achieve the United Nations-backed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In particular, it addressed MDG1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, MDG2: Achieve universal primary education, and MDG3: Promote gender equality and empower women. GESS runs until 2018 and will therefore also contribute to the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals on education and gender.

The experiences of GESS may provide best practice for similar projects worldwide. For example, the production of radio dramas in local languages has shown to create awareness and

stimulate discussion about girls’ education. The use of direct cash transfers to girls who regularly attend school is tackling poverty barriers to education, and injecting money into communities where it is needed most. Likewise, the cash grants for schools ensure that infrastructure and teachers are prioritised. The distribution of both of these economic measures depends on accurate attendance data and the application of real-time SMS technology to accomplish this can be replicated elsewhere.

The programme is also generating valuable knowledge and evidence about girls’ education in a post-conflict context.

A benchmark for innovation

Looking smartSchoolgirls wearing the new uniforms they bought with the money they received through the project’s cash transfer scheme.

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Helping to keep the peace after the war I Development in action I 3332 I Development in action I Helping to keep the peace after the war

Helping to keep the peace after the warManaging development programmes in war-torn parts of the world requires innovation and flexibility. We design tailor-made interventions that enable recovering nations to provide the basic services that improve the lives of people in need.

Special report by Bert Koppers, senior consultant, Mott MacDonald

Working in fragile, conflict and post-conflict affected states presents some of the toughest challenges that we are ever likely to face in international development.

In these scenarios we face challenges to the design, planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes as we are confronted with high levels of risk and uncertainties compared to working in more stable parts of the world.

Governance is often ‘absent’, with a lack of will and/or the resources to provide people with even the most basic services – clean water, healthcare, and education, in a secure environment, and where there is transparency and accountability of those who take decisions.

Such states where we are currently working include Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan and Yemen.

Flexibility is keyWorking in volatile, governance-light environments requires an approach to programme design and management that allows for maximum flexibility so that interventions can be quickly adapted or redirected, scaled up or down, or, if necessary, even discontinued.

If we are to succeed at supporting large-scale systemic change, we need to know what works, under what conditions, why and how. More importantly, we need to learn from our mistakes, and then adapt and change quickly.

This ‘learning by doing’ approach is more effective than offering a fixed technical solution at the outset. Operational flexibility, along with adaptability and experimentation, enables us to develop innovative, sustainable solutions

that provide donors and financial institutions with optimum value for money.

Flexibility, however, can still be combined with predetermined administrative and financial demands, such as mitigating against fiduciary risks through robust systems and procedures.

Our main focus should always be on the achievement of results rather than just the delivery of outputs or ticking boxes. Close and systematic monitoring is necessary to assess whether outputs are contributing to improving people’s lives. Contracts with subcontractors should set down payment mechanisms based on achievement of milestones and adherence to key performance indicators.

If we are to succeed at supporting

large-scale systemic change, we

need to know what works, under

what conditions, why and how.

More importantly we need to learn

from our mistakes, and then adapt

and change quickly.

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Helping to keep the peace after the war I Development in action I 3534 I Development in action I Helping to keep the peace after the war

Improving accountabilityIrrespective of their content, projects and programmes in fragile, conflict and post-conflict states are ultimately all aimed at rebuilding a responsive state that is accountable to its citizens.

Limited provision of services and the absence of legal and regulatory frameworks prevent the development of a strong, accountable relationship between a government and the population. This hampers efforts to build political stability, social cohesion and economic prosperity.

Improved governance is intrinsically linked to increased accountability and transparency, which is vital as these states not only have to be seen as being capable but also trustworthy. Better governance will help to strengthen the state-citizen relationship.

By increasing accountability and transparency, we help governments and institutions to build up levels of trust among their citizens and stakeholders for spending public funds wisely and fairly, and achieving clear and sustained outcomes. This is essential to attract international aid and bolster domestic revenue generation.

We are currently working in Somalia where accountability for spending of public funds and achieving effective outcomes is limited due to the political situation and the legacies of its long-lasting conflict. We are tasked with shaping the definition of accountability, translating ideas into practical results-oriented actions that are acceptable, workable and affordable. We’re also responsible for evaluating performance of subcontractors so that good practices can be rapidly replicated and repeat failures avoided.

Reaching out to communitiesFunding from international donors and lenders often also hinges on the provision of effective social protection. This encompasses cash transfers, social insurance, school meals, health insurance, micro credit and skills development. We provide support to governments to take over responsibility for the planning and delivery of these basic services, helping them to reach out to communities most affected by conflict.

We design social protection programmes that will deliver consistent standards of service – by, for example, improving the reliability of benefit payments – which will help to reduce extreme poverty. It’s all part of the nation-building process.

Improving water access for communities in Somaliland

The Government of Somaliland, which proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991, currently lacks the skills, systems and resources to ensure effective delivery of services to its citizens. In fact, most services are provided by the private sector, communities, NGOs or development partners.

Abdi Hashi, an agro-pastoralist, lives in Laalayska, a village about 24km west of Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa. Lack of water in the region has turned the trees black and the soil dry.

Over recent years, persistent water scarcity, recurrent droughts and soil erosion have led to poor harvests and killed many of the livestock he owned.

A project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, and funded by the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF), aims to improve access to water in the area through the construction of soil bunds – conservation structures that reduce hillside run-off, increase water infiltration and prevent soil erosion. Berkads, underground water tanks designed to store water, are also being renovated.

“The project was launched at a crucial time when severe land degradation had already occurred,” Hashi says. “It had become so bad that we were very worried about the future of our land which is quickly turning into a desert in front of us.

“Before, most of the people used to travel a long distance, up to 6km, to fetch water. This is no longer necessary.”

Even if rain fails, they can now call for water trucks to fill the berkad. “This is more sustainable and makes life easier,” he adds.

Managed by us, the SDF is supporting the Government of Somaliland in the delivery of basic services and the communication of results to build accountability and transparency.

At the same time, this will strengthen the state-citizen relationship and enhance domestic revenue generation. This, in turn, should lead to more stability and prosperity in Somaliland.

Improved governance is intrinsically

linked to increased accountability and

transparency, which is vital as these

states not only have to be seen as

being capable but also trustworthy.

Collecting water is a daily task for manyLack of basic services, such as clean water, prevent the development of a strong, accountable relationship between a government and the population.

36 I Development in action I Helping to keep the peace after the war

It is common for people to walk for hours to gather water in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the least developed countries in the world following years of bitter civil war and intra-regional conflict.

It’s a daily, backbreaking chore typically undertaken by girls and women, who often have to travel through unsafe areas in their search for water – many are victims of rape or assaults. They have no choice because they cannot afford the prices charged for water by street vendors.Even when they find a natural source of water so they can cook, wash and drink, it is not clean, which can make them sick.

More than half of DRC’s population are in need of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services. Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian NGO,

is being funded by UK aid to improve access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for the residents of the two largest urban centres in Eastern DRC – Goma and Bukavu.

We provided technical advice and quality assurance on the Mercy Corps proposal for the design and implementation of the infrastructure needed to deliver potable water at a reasonable cost.

We supply critical independent review and insight on current best practices with respect to design, public private partnerships, tariff

Some parts of Pakistan are extremely fragile and conflict affected, which include the southern districts of Punjab and the northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where we are supporting the UK aid-funded Provincial Health and Nutrition Programme (PHNP). Other regions are prone to natural disasters, particularly earthquakes and floods.

Stronger health systems and robust health and nutrition services can help to reduce the impact and vulnerability that conflict and disasters cause. We are improving resilience in Pakistan’s health sector by working with relevant public and private service providers to build capacity to respond to emergencies, and develop ways to aid recovery following major incidents.

A key part of our work involves drawing up health reform roadmaps to drive delivery of immediate health sector priorities and harness political commitment. This puts senior political leaders firmly and visibly in the ‘driving seat’ and enables them to demand improved performance and accountability from managers and service providers, helping to strengthen the relationship between government and citizens, a key building block of stability and resilience.

We have made substantial progress: the number of deliveries with a skilled birth attendant present in primary healthcare clinics has increased by more than 20,000 a month, and immunisation coverage increased from 52% to 70% during the first half of 2015.

Stronger health

systems and

robust health and

nutrition services

can help to reduce

the impact and

vulnerability

that conflict and

disasters cause.

setting, procurement and payment systems, along with guidance on the new governance mechanisms necessary for communities to hold providers accountable for the delivery of WaSH services. We also provide recommendations on how to make improvements to infrastructure and services to promote gender equality.

The five year Mercy Corps programme, which runs until 2019, will have significant and sustainable impacts on the region as the scheme will initiate a transition from post-conflict emergency

New infrastructure creates cleaner and safer places to live in DRC

Strengthening health systems will bolster Pakistan’s resilience

recovery work to long-term development planning.

With the installation of tap stands linked to reliable water networks and located close to their homes, the gathering of water now takes minutes for families. It means children are free to attend school, more time for mothers to earn an income, and improved health for everyone.

It all adds up to a safer, cleaner environment and a better place to live for the residents of Goma and Bukavu.

‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’ I Development in action I 3938 I Development in action I ‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’

‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’

Transport and urban infrastructure projects are essential building blocks for improving social outcomes, writes Mott MacDonald consultant Farook Chowdhury.

A new road or bridge represents far more than a quicker way for people to get from A to B.

Improved transport connections are routes to prosperity for areas of poverty, creating economic corridors and helping to rebalance economic growth. This is especially true in developing countries.

This is what shapes our thinking when we plan and design transport schemes. We don’t build roads for roads’ sake. Our thinking goes further. We look at how connectivity canalleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and bring other social and economic benefits.

Improved mobility will help people of all ages to travel more efficiently, more quickly, and give farmers in rural areas greater access to markets in towns and cities.

With more than half of the world’s population living in cities and urbanisation advancing rapidly, our approach to urban development places priority on improved resiliency and sustainability, healthier lifestyles, and better provision of essential services to all income groups, particularly the poor.

Inclusivity is high priorityIf infrastructure schemes are to bring wider economic and social benefits, they have to be inclusive. This is why we pay particular attention to women, indigenous communities and marginalised groups to learn how we can improve their lives.

We conduct in-depth surveys and collect vast amounts of data to understand the issues faced by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. We invite them to participate in workshops and focus groups. The findings from our public consultations heavily influence the final designs we put forward.

This ensures the business objectives of a project are aligned with the development goals of the local people. Having a shared vision results in an economic return for both investors and the community.

We believe the impact of any investment in infrastructure should not be measured purely in financial terms. Its full value will only be realised if you consider all the human, societal and environmental benefits it brings.

‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’ I Development in action I 4140 I Development in action I ‘We don’t build roads for the sake of it’

ProjectClimate Change Adapted Urban Development Programme

LocationBangladesh

ClientKfW Development Bank

When tasked with identifying ways to strengthen the climate resilience of the coastal town of Satkhira in Bangladesh, our assessment paid particular attention to the needs of its most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens. Following public consultations, we recommended investments that would benefit the poor and women in particular. These included improvements to drainage, water supply and sanitation, urban roads, housing and transport facilities. We also identified climate resilience measures that would bring benefits to the population not only during extreme weather events but also during normal periods – for example, providing adequate water supply and sanitation facilities in schools likely to serve as temporary shelters for residents made homeless by flooding.

ProjectSustainable Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project

LocationBangladesh

ClientAsian Development Bank

Better transport infrastructure is crucial for the expansion of Bangladesh’s national economy. A key outcome of this project has been widening access to economic opportunities by upgrading 800km of roads and building cross-drainage structures, such as culverts and bridges. The facilities of 92 markets, known as hats or bazaars, have also been improved including the construction of dedicated sections for women in 50 of them. The project has raised incomes in more than 20 districts.

ProjectChaglla Hydroelectric Power Plant

LocationPeru

ClientInter-American Development Bank

The Chaglla hydroelectric plant not only provides clean electricity – 6% of Peru’s total energy requirements – it has also created 2500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs in the local town. A training programme called ‘CREER’ was established to develop local skills capacity for the project. More than 1500 local people have acquired masonry, carpentry and driving skills at no cost to them. Other positive social impacts include a new road which has improved local residents’ access to health services, education and trade. Travelling to the nearest main town previously took six hours on a substandard road, with no reliable public transport available. Now the journey takes one hour and two local transport companies provide a regular bus service on the new road.

ProjectInstitutional Capacity Building for the Transport and Roads Sector

LocationKenya

ClientEuropean Commission

Improved transport links promote trade which leads to economic growth which in turn alleviates poverty. This was the objective of our work in Kenya to improve the management, development and maintenance of its national, rural and urban road networks. We supported a range of government institutions in Kenya, including the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Nairobi City County. Our technical assistance encompassed asset management, public private partnership best practice, transport planning, traffic management, public transport, road safety, institutional reforms, and legal and procurement processes.

We apply our lateral thinking to all kinds of infrastructure projects

“This nationally significant project

will impact Peru’s economic

development considerably by creating

thousands of jobs and increasing

its electric generation capacity to

meet the needs of the country’s

rapidly growing economy.”Clare Rhodes-JamesChaglla project director, Mott MacDonald

Meeting your challenges I Development in action I 4342 I Development in action I Meeting your challenges

Integrated Water Resources Management Programme, Rwanda

Promoting social equity among 13M people

Sexuality and HIV Prevention Education Project, South Africa

Nearly 4000 young people have benefited from this HIV/AIDS project

National Cash Transfer Programme, Pakistan

Alleviating poverty for 7M women and their families

Teacher Development Programme, Nigeria

Enhancing the life chances of 2M young Nigerians every year

Resilient Urban Development, Sudan

Improving water, waste and sanitation services for 0.5M residents

Roads PPP Programme, Brazil

Part of a US$66bn logistics investment programme to stimulate economic growth

Skills for Employment, Mozambique

Training provided for more than 5000 graduates

Meeting your challenges

Mott MacDonald’s creative and connected thinking is centred around our clients. We’re joined-up across sectors and geographies, giving you access to a vast array of specialisms and capabilities, encompassing education, health, infrastructure, urban development, economic and social development, water, environment, renewable energy and climate change.

Working with us, you get the advantages of size and stability that come from being one of the world’s top engineering, management and development consultancy firms.

Yet, you will benefit from the kind of openness, friendliness and personal commitment you might associate with a much smaller business.

Whatever challenges our clients face, and wherever in the world they are located, we can deliver the right combination of expertise.

Global know-how, local deliveryTo help you meet your challenges, we can draw on decades of experience in international development, the resources and skills of more than 16,000 staff around the world and a vast network of 180 offices.

We are proud of the teams we put together and of the results they achieve.

In 2015/16 we worked on over

230 international development projects in more than

45 countries

Opening opportunities with connected thinking.

ids@mottmac.com mottmac.com/international-development