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Exit Strategy: How to withdraw responsibly – by Sarah Justine
Packwood
Many aid programmes, particularly emergency ones, are established for a short or fixed period
of time. Their success may only be realised after the programme has ended. Often Aid workers
say 'We aim to do ourselves out of a job" but in achieving this, how do we ensure the
sustainable impact of our aid programmes? This article introduces some basic guidelines to help
you to plan an effective exit strategy enabling you and your organisation to withdraw
responsibly.
Why should you plan an exit strategy?
The transition from acute emergency to sustainability affects all stakeholders - local people,
your employees, civil authorities, community leaders etc. Reasons for planning your exit
strategy include: -
 The intensive focus of resources on an area for a limited period of time is expected to
catalyse self-sustaining development but the reality is that there are no quick fixes.
Development is a continuing process and it's important to maintain that continuity.
 When an aid programme comes to an end, there may be tasks left to do as community
expectations may not have been satisfied.
 Getting into an area is often easier than getting out! Remind yourself why the
programme was developed in the first place and what the programme was designed to
achieve.
 An exit strategy should be designed to secure the investment that has been made in the
area.
When have you reached the exit point?
Most aid programmes are limited to a specific period of time and have a known end date.
 Ideally the programme would be phased over a period of time; different projects within
the programme would have different exit points according to the achievement of
predetermined objectives.
 In a time-bound programme there should still be set targets. These would be regularly
monitored and evaluated, so that you can predict what is being handed over.
When should you plan an exit strategy?
 At the start of the programme. Don't wait until the end is in sight!
 As the aid programme develops and every individual project should incorporate an exit
strategy into its development.

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Beware of projects requiring continuous funding to keep running. Donors may not want to fund
them after the end of the programme unless they are willing to support a local NGO or
institution you are handing over to.
Who should be involved in the process?
 All stakeholders; e.g. recipients of aid, project partners
 Main organisations and bodies such as civil authorities or municipality departments that
will continue to have a management or maintenance function.
 Those responsible for looking after individual projects when the aid programme is
completed - these may be interim successors or local organisations.
What are the main points an exit strategy should cover?
There is no standard pattern. Each activity or project should be reviewed to consider what
should happen to it after the aid programme is finished.
A checklist would include:
 Who will be responsible for handling that activity?
 Is there a local NGO or agency e.g. the municipality or a community organisation to
which it should be transferred?
 How will the activity be transferred?
 Are there performance specifications to be maintained?
 How will it be funded?
 How will it be monitored?
 What will be the role of the community in managing or monitoring?
 How will the community role be support?
 What is the role of the local authorities?
 Do the successor organisations need any training?
 Which assets need to be retained by your organisation and which ones can be
transferred to a successor?
What needs to remain in the area?
One of the problems of aid programmes disappearing is that the momentum can get lost,
despite the best intentions of organisations responsible for taking on the activities.
There needs to be a focus within the area for development e.g. a community organisation,
which can monitor continuous improvement.

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How do you prevent a recurrence of the original problems?
There are no easy answers to this question, especially in chronic complex emergencies or
natural disasters when causes of the crisis are beyond control.
However some basic points to remember are:
 Your initial needs assessment, your regular programme monitoring and final evaluation
should form the basis of a few indicators. These should be agreed by all, easy to
measure and regularly checked to monitor progress.
 The local authorities and the local organisation should plan to meet on a regular basis to
review the results of the monitoring.
 Further deterioration in any of the indicators may lead to the need for further
intervention.
What are the handover processes?
The handover needs to be done formally, so that everyone is aware when it takes place and the
commitments, which new people are entering into, or re-commitments by existing partners can
be acknowledged.
For those living in the area and those who have worked for some time in the area, the point of
exit is a "Rite of Passage" and needs to be marked with celebratory events within the
community.
Have your say...
When does your current project end? How are you working to put yourself out of a job? Share
your success stories from previous projects. What have you learned? What will you do
differently next time? Contact Sarah Justine Packwood via Linked In to share your experiences.
Sarah Justine Packwood originally posted this article in Aidworkers Exchange in 2002. Since
then the article has been used in agency workshops and webinars, including a global webinar by
the University of Minnesota and UNEP for their joint programmes with other UN agencies and
actors.