our approach

We firmly believe that for development to create lasting change, partner-country stakeholders and beneficiaries must be empowered to claim it as their own. This belief guides our in-house technical experts in every step of their project management approach. From beginning to end, our project designs and implementation encourage participation and collaboration. We work with developing country partners at the outset to define goals and indicators, as well as at regular intervals throughout the project lifecycle.

alinea offers a range of services to our clients and partners, which can be provided on a stand-alone basis or combined in different ways within a larger project or program.

project & investment feasibility studies

A core Alinea capability is providing our clients with the information they require to finalize their decisions to start or expand their business, or to determine the feasibility of an investment or projected plan of action. Our technical specialists possess extensive industry experience and can conduct physical and economic feasibility studies, social/gender assessments, site assessments, industry analysis, environmental scans; and provide contacts with local and national governments.

project design & planning

We believe that a successful project can usually be traced back to the effort, care and skill that were applied to its initial planning. Alinea has developed a methodology in planning and design that is framed by the principles of results-based management (RBM), appreciative inquiry, and capacity building, including: inclusion of local expertise; identifying and building on local successes; self-assessment practices; and participatory methodologies.

project implementation & management

At Alinea, we undertake project activities as a means to an end—results—and measure the success of our work on this basis. We do not consider project activities and inputs as sufficient in and of themselves—they have to produce developmental outcomes that respond to the stated needs of our clients and partners. We work with our partners to identify the results they want to achieve, reach consensus on the methodology for achieving them and together, we determine the roles and responsibilities each stakeholder needs to fulfill to reach goals and measure success. With desired results articulated and shared, we adjust activities and inputs so that developmental change can progress in a timely fashion.

capacity development & institutional strengthening

Alinea is strongly committed to a capacity development approach in our work. This means we design and implement our projects in a way that empowers our partners to set their own development goals, improve their ability to meet these goals, and continue to apply best practices and knowledge gained through the project long after it ends, and thus take charge of their own development path

monitoring & evaluation

Our approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is characterized by participation: we work with stakeholders to look at both developmental results and success factors. We conduct an objective analysis of issues affecting performance including: achievement of results; cost effectiveness; relevance; sustainability; partnership; appropriateness of design; and resource utilization and timely action. We have developed and implemented numerous M&E frameworks for projects that we manage, and provided M&E services for other projects, programs and organizational assessments.

our process

project & investment feasibility studies

monitoring, evaluation & learning

project implementation & management

adaptive
management

capacity & institutional strengthening

facilitation

project design & planning

strategic
advice

project implementation & management

project & investment feasibility studies

capacity development & institutional strengthening

project design & planning

monitoring & evaluation

adaptive management

facilitation

strategic advice

priorities & guiding principles

Every successful project must address issues related to gender equality, human rights, good governance and environmental sustainability. In all projects implemented by Alinea, we incorporate these themes and more.

localization & partnership

Alinea works with local civil society organizations and experts, international NGOs, partner governments, donors, universities and colleges to strengthen local ownership of and participation in the decisions that affect lives and build community resilience.

women's empowerment & gender equality

As a feminist organization, Alinea applies a gender lens to all aspects of development programming to support clients and communities to address barriers to women’s empowerment and gender equality challenges – economic, socio-cultural and political.

social & environmental safeguards

Alinea works with all levels of government, civil society organizations and vulnerable communities to explore and identify the potential social and environmental impacts from development programs, positive and negative, to establish appropriate frameworks and action plans of management.

disability & social inclusion

Recognizing inclusion as both a process and an outcome, Alinea works with clients to develop practical strategies to reach people with disabilities and other marginalized groups and ensure they benefit from development programming.

governance

Alinea develops strategies to promote inclusive governance, and to inform and empower people living in poverty to know and act upon their rights. We provide expertise in the areas of public sector reform, systemic change, decentralization and civil society engagement, among others.

political economy analysis

Sustainable development often involves change, which requires an understanding of existing political and economic power relationships. Alinea conducts analysis that places technical development issues within this broader political economy context to inform practical strategies.

innovation

Alinea works every day to identify and apply new ideas to meeting the world’s changing challenges. Our in-house technical experts incorporate innovative models and methods across their projects to deliver smart solutions that are at the forefront of development programming.

climate resilient development

With a focus on supporting the most vulnerable, Alinea applies a systems thinking approach, considers future climate scenarios and integrates practical solutions into strategies and across programming to support resilient development and environmentally sustainable policy.