In 2010, CDKN was established as a demand-led initiative, bringing the best resources available from across the global market to support decision-makers in developing countries to develop the necessary policies and plans to tackle climate change. Although at first CDKN took a broader geographic approach in 70 countries, from 2013 onwards, CDKN focused its resources on 12 priority countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda and Uganda; and on one subregion: the Caribbean.

CDKN is a £130 million programme, funded primarily by the United Kingdom and Netherlands governments, and more recently, by a growing number of public and private donors.

This ‘Essential’ briefing presents CDKN’s top six tips for ensuring impact in country programmes, based on the in-depth approach to country assistance that CDKN developed with its partners. CDKN’s lessons from experience can inform other donor programmes that are seeking to support climate compatible development.

Key findings

1. Country programmes should be led and managed in-country, preferably by nationals of that country.
2. A Theory of Change and Impact Pathway can be an effective way of communicating a country programme’s goals and focus to a wider group of stakeholders.
3. The Theory of Change and Impact Pathway should be co-developed with key stakeholders, and remain flexible to changing demands.
4. Budgets need to be aligned with the goals and time frames of the country programme in order to enhance impact.
5. Local suppliers should always be used where possible. If local technical expertise is not available, a combination of local and international expertise can be an effective solution.
6. Monitoring, evaluation and learning for the country programme should be part of ongoing strategic planning, not just a once-a-year exercise.