By utilizing rigorous tools during compact development, the key binding constraints and their root causes would have been better reflected in any program development. This, in turn, would have led to a theory of change grounded in relevant literature and evidence and appropriately reflecting the economic and political realities in Mali at the time. One would presume that this would have resulted in a better grasp of the implicit assumptions (e.g. causal links within the theory of change, projected changes in air traffic as a result of the interventions, impacts on tourism to Mali and on targeted beneficiary populations, etc.) on which the Project was predicated. These lessons remain important today, even with the improvements MCC has made in these areas, especially as they pertain to the real costs associated with failing to take a more rigorous and systematic approach to program design.
Lesson Learned