A case study for the project ‘Capacity, Change and Performance’
P. Morgan, ECDPM Discussion Paper 57J, 2005. This case looks at the Environmental Action (ENACT) Programme, a collaboration between Jamaica’s National Conservation Resources Agency and the Canadian International Development Agency. ENACT’s mandate was to work with Jamaican public, private and non-profit organisations to improve their capabilities to identify and solve national environmental problems. Programme design began in 1990 but field activities only got under way in 1994. It took until 1999, to put in places all the pieces to make ENACT a high-performing support unit. ENACT’s work was guided by four key aspects: a process approach based on responsive entrepreneurship; working across a wide spectrum of capacity development initiatives; working with a wide variety of stakeholders and partners; working at a variety of levels. ENACT did not push involvement and compliance in its programme, but rather looked to add value to the programmes of others. The donor played a facilitating role and generally took a hands-off approach. The programme generated its effectiveness by achieving ‘fit’ both internally and with the conditions and demands of the surrounding environment. Making that happen in the ENACT case took the better part of seven years.