The success of an international development project: lessons drawn from a case between Morocco and Canada

Abstract

According to the literature on decisive criteria for the success of international development projects, this article presents a case of cooperation between Morocco and Canada on the implementation of projects to institutionalize gender equality within the Moroccan public administration. Based on a triangulation of data and starting from an analytical framework on the factors decisive for the success of international development projects, this case study illustrates the limited success of the project. Although the elements that are decisive for the success of Tier 1 of the FAES projects have resulted in the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of the projects, the creation of local expertise and the production of tools and strategies that aid institutionalization of gender equality, this study highlights significant barriers to institutionalization. These relate mainly to the difficulty of involving stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle, the lame functioning of the projects’ governance structures and the struggle to take ownership of projects designed on the basis of a management by results logic based on models specific to the donor. This case feeds the critical reflection on the various issues and challenges inherent to the management of international development projects and suggests various avenues of research.

Points for practitioners

The case presented in this article involves the implementation of projects to institutionalize gender equality within the Moroccan civil service supported by the Canadian cooperation agency. Although its success requires the involvement of the stakeholders, the development of local expertise and the production of institutionalization tools, this case brings to light significant obstacles to institutionalization, such as the difficulty of involving the stakeholders in the project, the limited functioning of the governance structures and the struggle to secure the ownership of the projects, designed according to models specific to the donor. It also reveals the limits of a management by results style and its consequences.

Keywords

civil service good governance international administration modernization partnership transition

Introduction

In the field of international development, project success is important because it shores up the socioeconomic progress of the beneficiary countries, but also the effectiveness of the contribution of donor countries and development agencies (Khang and Moe, 2008). Understanding the critical factors that impact on the success of projects helps predict the sustainability of projects, diagnose problems and prioritize resource allocation. However, it is not easy to pinpoint the criteria that are decisive for the success of a project given the limited empirical research conducted on this subject (Baccarini, 1999; Diallo and Thuillier, 2004; Khang and Moe, 2008; Lavagnon, 2007; Lim and Zain, 1999).

The same conclusions are reached by researchers on a number of theoretical and practical elements. Studies into the success of development projects (Diallo and Thuillier, 2004; Khang and Moe, 2008; Lavagnon, 2007; Lavagnon et al., 2010; Lientz and Rea, 2003; Lim and Zain, 1999; Munns and Bjeirmi, 1996) have underscored success factors such as the need to adhere to three basic conditions (technical specifications, time and cost), satisfying needs and cooperation between stakeholders, achieving the real impact of the project, awareness of the local culture and the performance of the project team. Other studies (Cleland and Gareis, 1994; Lilin, 2009; Madaule, 2005; Muriithi and Crawford, 2003; Ramaprasad and Prakash, 2003; Youker, 1999) have identified the causes of project failure, such as lack of a shared vision and commitment to the project by the team and the stakeholders, poorly defined, unrealistic and out of date planning, inadequate analysis of the risk factors, bureaucratic management by the donor, the lack of internal capacity and an approach that omits local knowledge from the rollout of a project.

In order to better understand the success factors for international development projects and their application at the organizational level on the basis of practical experience, this article proposes an analysis of projects conducted by the Canadian cooperation agency within the Moroccan civil service. The purpose of these projects is to institutionalize gender equality within three Ministries, Communication (MC), Public Sector Modernization (MMSP) and School Education (SEES).

Inspired by a conceptual model for international development projects which identifies the different success criteria according to the phases of the project lifecycle (Khang and Moe, 2008), the objective of this case study is to assess the nature of the success of projects carried out by the Support Fund for Gender Equality (FAES II – Tier 1). More specifically, this study aims to identify the elements of success and obstacles encountered in the course of the projects, as formulated by the key stakeholders in the projects. This article proposes to examine the issues and challenges raised by this experience of managing an international development project. It is important to mention that this article does not specifically address the institutionalization of gender equality, this aspect being the subject of a separate article.

Theoretical aspects

Existing studies into the success of international development projects agree on elements that can be grouped together under four headings, namely, the involvement of the stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle, achieving results, the impact of the projects, the skills of the project team and the method of implementation and management of projects in the community.

According to Aaltonen et al. (2008), Jepsen and Eskerod (2009), and Lim and Zain (1999), the success of a project depends on how stakeholders' needs were met. The importance of the stakeholders in project management is such that a project can be seen as a temporary coalition of stakeholders aimed at creating something together (Jepsen and Eskerod, 2009). Khang and Moe (2008) also focus on the dynamic ties and the role played by the project stakeholders.

Youker (1999), citing the results of project evaluations carried out by the World Bank, notes the lack of commitment by stakeholders and their failure to develop a shared vision of the objectives of the project as factors that contribute to the failure of an international development project. Lavagnon et al. (2010) also show that the project manager and the other stakeholders are above all involved in the implementation of the project. Muhirwa (2008), in a study of remote learning projects in sub-Saharan Africa, also noted that the performance had suffered significantly from a needs analysis that failed to take on board the realities of stakeholders to a sufficient extent. Munns and Bjeirmi (1996) argue that stakeholders also have an interest and a role in the project rollout and that the project management team should not be totally accountable for the success or failure of a project.

From the point of view of development aid agencies, the success of a project is also measured according to the efficiency and effectiveness of the management and the development action in terms of deliverables (Lavagnon, 2007). For the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to assess the criteria decisive for project success, it is necessary to measure outcomes, outputs, effects or impacts. According to Baccarini (1999), the use of the logical framework approach provides a detailed model for defining and understanding the success of a project and the logical framework is a useful tool for describing success as it is hinged around the project management process (costs, deadlines, quality objectives and the success achieved).

However, for Lavagnon et al. (2010) and Muriithi and Crawford (2003), there is no significant correlation between the tools and procedures linked to the management of a project and the success of an international development project. Giovalucchi and Olivier de Sardan (2009) acknowledge that the logical framework can provide a consistency check in the project design phase but consider that it has a purely administrative perspective, too focused on quantifiable factors with a linear and mechanical vision of causality. The logical framework thus ignores the political and cultural factors, the conflicts, the roles of the players or strategic adjustments. Diallo and Thuillier (2004) consider that it is much more difficult to determine the success of a project by evaluating its real impact, because even when the management process has been successfully completed, the projects may be failures in terms of impact.

The success of international projects is also based on a collaborative approach, proper organization, the presence of a competent manager and team performance (Lientz and Rea, 2003). Khang and Moe (2008) cite several studies identifying the need to carefully recruit project managers for their expertise and that of their team. For Diallo and Thuillier (2004), international development projects are dynamic systems in which perception becomes ‘the reality’ and they cannot be effective without the project manager and his or her team establishing a relationship of trust with the stakeholders. For Youker (1999), the lack of commitment of the project team, poorly defined lines of authority/responsibility and a poorly structured project will undermine the success of a project.

Youker (1999) puts forward some criteria that lead to the failure of projects that are related to their method of management and implementation in the community, among other things, poorly defined, unrealistic and out-of-date planning, the lack of feedback and weak monitoring mechanisms to detect problems early, poor analysis of the risk factors and, finally, the bureaucratic management of the donor. Youker notes for this purpose the lack of interaction between the funding institutions and the local agency in charge of the project, especially during the planning of the project where the local organization and the project stakeholders are scarcely involved.

Cleland and Gareis (1994), as well as Muriithi and Crawford (2003), attribute the failure of international projects to the lack of internal capacity and the difficulty of beneficiaries to coordinate the speed of change brought about by the projects, whose principles are not always in line with the local culture and traditions. According to Ramaprasad and Prakash (2003), several international development projects end in failure due to the ‘top-down’ approach of the donor, which often omits to inject local knowledge into a project. They feel it is important to include this local knowledge to achieve what they call Emergent Project Management.

Madaule (2005) observes in this regard that donors often tend to reproduce an external model (‘off the peg’), not taking sufficiently into account the diversity of their environment. According to Madaule, ‘developed’ countries impose their value system, even today, take a short-term view of their projects and try to develop or impose a one-size-fits-all model. Thus, although public development aid pursues a long-term objective, the implementation of some projects demonstrates a short-term perspective with, in most cases, objectives that are beyond the actual possibilities of the environment. Lavagnon (2007) claims that too much time and energy is spent by the aid agencies on accountability and evaluating project performance at the expense of the organizational decision-making process, as well as the socio-political and cultural context.

On balance, one of the dominant features of the relevant literature is that, to our knowledge, there are few publications based on empirical data that study in depth the factors that are decisive for the success or failure of a project based on concrete experiences relating to the implementation of projects in developing countries. When it comes to international development projects, the current literature consists mainly of quantitative analyses or standard documents that present a reflection on all the projects in which they were involved. During the literature review, it was not possible to find case studies on projects similar to this one with empirical data, whereas the variation in the actual completion of the projects makes it necessary to closely analyse this empirical evidence which, if studied at a distance, may seem much more effective than the case study shows.

Case description

As mentioned, this case study focuses on Tier 1 of the FAES II projects. The particularity of FAES II lies in its approach to the institutionalization of gender equality. Institutionalization is a long-term transformation process involving a complex and multidimensional approach to overhauling institutions in order to enable them to actively promote equality between men and women in the development and implementation of projects or programmes of a given organization. Taking equality into account must therefore become the normal way of doing things, integrated into all activities for all staff. The FAES projects consisted of accompanying the aforementioned Moroccan Ministries (MC, MMSP, SEES) in their efforts to make gender equality a guiding principle in the context of the reforms undertaken and to develop the implementation capacities in their policies, programmes, structures, methods and systems (Tier 1).

Tier 1 of the fund has adopted a strategy that allows each of the Ministries involved to develop its own programme to support the institutionalization of gender equality and to develop local expertise and a pairing with Canadian expertise with a view to sharing institutional experiences within government structures and to transferring technical and organizational know-how. Although reporting to the head of the Canadian cooperation agency, the fund is managed in a decentralized way by a local team, which is supported by a Canadian expert specializing in gender equality. The role of the FAES team is to support the partners who implement projects and to manage different projects in a results-driven manner.

The projects that make up this part, which covers the period 2005–10, were allocated a budget of $CAD 1,280,000,000, distributed among the three Ministries according to a medium-term action plan for each ministry involved (Adams et al., 2008; Lagacé and Lamhaidi, 2006; Paquet and Alami Mchichi, 2006) and the projects to be funded. The planning of the various projects was carried out using a participatory diagnosis on gender equality conducted in each of the Ministries. These plans were the main output of the Tier 1 projects and were to be part of the budgets drawn up. As presented in Appendix 1, each of the plans proposes projects distributed according to strategic priorities that focus mainly on the integration of gender equality in the structure and practices of the Ministries, the access of women to decision-making positions, the improvement of the image of women in the media and equal access of girls and boys to schooling. In total, there were 26 projects to be funded across the three Ministries and, at the time of the research, 13 projects had been completed.

Appendix 1.

List of the projects implemented in the three Ministries

MMSP-Ministry for public sector modernization

Integration of gender equality in the ministry’s structure and practices

• Support and capacity building of the steering committee and of the strategic committee for the institutionalization of GE.

Reduction in gender disparities in the field of human resource management

• Implementation of an awareness-raising programme involving training and support to integrate gender equality within the reference framework of jobs and skills.

• Implementation of an awareness-raising programme involving training and support to integrate gender equality within the recruitment, selection and appointment process.

• Implementation of an awareness-raising programme involving training and support to integrate gender equality within the yield assessment process.

Greater representation and participation of women in decision-making functions

• Determination of the jobs where women are underrepresented within the MMSP and the Civil Service.

• Institutional measures to encourage the access of women to decision-making functions and all jobs within the Civil Service.

• Study into the needs of men and women in order to reconcile work and family and the development of institutional measures.

MC – Ministry of Communication

Building the capacity of the Ministry and partner institutions to take equality into account in their structures and practices

• Institutional support and capacity building of the IGE (institutionalization of gender equality) support committee.

• Support for the creation and capacity building of the GE relay bodies within the key partner institutions of the communication sector.

Building the capacity of the relevant players within the sector to improve the image of women in the media

• Drawing up and implementation of a training programme ‘towards equality in the media’.

• GE training of journalists and journalism students.

Promotion of equality within the Ministry and in media bodies and access of women to decision-making circles

• Strategic studies into gender equality and the media.

• Development of institutional measures in the partner institutions.

SEES - Department in charge of School Education

Development of an institutional capacity to anchor equality in the governance of the educational system

• Setting up and reinforcement of the organizational mechanisms in charge of IGE at central level (gender project team, IGE steering committee, CCDHC).

• Integration of gender equality in the organizational design of the SEES (organizational attributions and mechanisms) in the various tiers of the educational system.

• Support to the coordination mechanism of the IGE in the AREFs (Regional Education and Training Academy) and the provincial delegations.

• Development of systems and skills in the fields of planning and budgeting hinged on results and gender-sensitive.

• Modernization of the GHR through the development of institutional measures designed to accelerate access of women to decision-making functions and jobs in the educational sector.

• Organizational (internal) and institutional (external) communication strategy of the Ministry of Education, presenting an image that conveys egalitarian values and designed to bring about a change in mentalities and behaviour in the field of GE in the educational system and within Moroccan society.

Fair access of girls and boys to the educational system

• Support to the SEES in the consolidation of measures to support generalized access to education to girls in the pre-school, primary and secondary system.

• Development of incentive support measures to reduce school dropout rates in the primary and secondary cycles.

• Annual merit prize at regional and/or provincial scale for innovative initiatives in the field of promotion of gender equality.

Development of the school environment as a place to learn about the values and behaviour inked to equality

• Eradication of sexist stereotypes and unfavourable images of women and girls in the curricula and the school manuals, in the teaching and in the organization of school life.

• Initial and continual gender equality training aimed at the educational players so that they acquire the required skills and become key agents of change in the field of GE in the educational and professional environment.

• Representation and leadership of women and girls in the educational environment via measures that encourage their involvement in professional and trade union organizations, the parent teacher associations, the pupil committees, etc.

• A programme to eradicate violence based on gender in the school environment and in the educational system.

In its implementation, although reporting to the head of the Canadian cooperation agency, the fund was managed in a decentralized way by a local team (Moroccan project manager and administrative assistant), supported by a Canadian expert specializing in gender equality and a Canadian consultant in charge of the system and procedures for recruiting Canadian experts. The role of the FAST team was to support the partners implementing projects. A governance structure was created composed of three committees: a steering committee in each of the Ministries, a more strategic committee bringing together the key decision-makers within the Ministries and a FAES advisory committee.

Given the limited knowledge of the nature of the project, a large part of the activities consisted of transferring expertise through training and consulting seminars on various topics related to the field. This training strengthened the project management team and the committees in charge of the institutionalization through a pairing between Moroccan and Canadian consultants.

For the implementation of the projects in the Ministries, the CIDA opted for a results-driven project management style which took the shape of an implementation plan (FAES II, 2005b), action plans with fixed budgets for each of the Ministries, activity reports, a guide to the institutional partners and annual participatory reviews.

Methodology

For the purposes of this study, we chose a qualitative methodology case study, as this method is particularly relevant in the exploration of a new phenomenon, certain aspects of which are not clearly established in the literature (Yin, 2003). This inductive-type research used the experiences of the participants in the FAES II (Tier 1) projects to better grasp the thrust of their points of view. Far from claiming an exhaustive review of all the elements and results of the project and sub-projects, this case study aims to highlight elements considered significant in the eyes of the main players encountered.

The data were collected by means of a triangulation strategy, characterized by the superposition and the combination of several data collection techniques so as to offset the biases inherent to each of them (Mucchielli, 2009). To do this, the literature was compared with a new survey conducted in Canada and Morocco (January–June 2010) among all key stakeholders of the project. As a stakeholder is any individual, group or institution likely to influence the success or failure of a project, we chose to meet with members of CIDA staff, consultants to the project, members of the FAES II team in Morocco, staff involved within the Ministries and donors associated with these projects in line with their involvement in the project. In total, 32 people (25 women and seven men) were met during semi-structured individual or group interviews.¹ Lasting approximately 60 minutes, these interviews took place within the Ministries, the FAES offices and those of donors. Finally, one of the authors of this article participated as observer in her capacity as a consultant and trainer for various Tier 1 projects.

Data collection took place with the utmost confidentiality and with respect for the specificities of the Moroccan context. The identity of respondents was protected when processing the results, which is why the presentation and analysis of results is not differentiated according to the group met. Moreover, this research carries no value judgment on the reality described or on the actions carried out to date by the governmental authorities.

Analytical framework

For the purposes of this study, an analytical framework developed following Khang and Moe (2008) was specifically designed for data collection. It includes a conceptual model for international development projects, identifying different criteria and success factors according to the phases of the project lifecycle, as well as the dynamic relationships between these criteria and the role of stakeholders in the project. It provides a complete representation of the stages of the project and incorporates the criteria and factors identified for both the success of the project management and for the success of this project in the context of international development.

Appendix 2 presents the main variables used for each stage of the project lifecycle, as developed by Khang and Moe. These are mainly related to consultation, participation and stakeholder commitment, the skills of the project team, the relationship between the management method of the donor and project resources.

Appendix 2.

Analytical framework of the success factors of international development projects according to the project lifecycle*

Results

Project conceptualization and planning

In terms of project design, the results show, according to most of the people met, that the environment was conducive to the institutionalization of gender equality in Morocco. For the manager of the Moroccan part,

The project fits in well with the Moroccan political will that is expressed in particular by the adoption in 2004 of the strategy to combat violence, the quota in the parliamentary legislative elections and the family code.

Indeed, the project was commissioned from the highest authority in the country. According to a representative of the Canadian part,

The government requested CIDA’s support with the reforms to be introduced, and this included equality.

However, the results show that the design of Tier 1 and of the projects that resulted from it was largely carried out with Canadian cooperation, and that the Moroccan stakeholders consequently had very little involvement in the project design. A quotation from an official effectively conveys the general opinion of the Moroccan contingent on this subject.

There were consultations, but the Canadians were the ones who formulated the project.

Project design could not be taken on by the Moroccan contingent because it did not yet have a full grasp of the thrust of the project, i.e. institutionalization. In the view of a representative of the Moroccan contingent,

The role of the Canadian side was crucial due to the lack of expertise of the Moroccan side.

A Canadian representative attributed this situation to delays and low level of expertise:

We might have been able to take more time for people to prepare the plans, but they did not have the required knowledge.

Drawing criticisms from the Moroccans about the process:

The plan should have been drawn up by the Ministry … We did not take the time at the start-up of the project to build the vision and values. We should no longer cut corners during this phase.

For the planning of the various Tier 1 projects, participatory diagnoses on gender equality were conducted in each of the Ministries and required the participation of stakeholders from the Ministries and partner organizations. The majority of those interviewed believed that they were highly appreciated.

Project implementation

The implementation was carried out by a project structure. According to the testimony of a representative of the Moroccan contingent,

The Head of Cooperation at the time, … had drawn lessons from the first phase. … She insisted that there was a real project structure with a project manager and methods.

To this end, the research shows that the project manager was first and foremost selected for their expertise in project management as, at the time, they had a limited knowledge of the institutionalization of gender equality. According to a Canadian representative, the interpersonal and strategic skills of the project manager and their team with key players in the project were particularly useful for the project.

The manager knows the Civil Service, knows a lot of people, knows how things are done, which gave the project a great deal of credibility … They have the ability to negotiate with partners at institutional level.

Given the limited knowledge at the outset, a large part of the project was taken up by the need to strengthen the project management team and of the committees entrusted with institutionalization within Ministries.

According to a Moroccan manager,

The added value of the project lies in the creation of a network of people behind the project and who provide training sessions … The advantage of this project [is] … the exchange of experience, the documentary resources and statistical databases.

The principle of pairing consultants was perceived in two ways. According to a Moroccan consultant,

The pairing was very useful … We were able to generate national expertise that is used in the case of another department.

But according to another,

It was not always easy … to have people work remotely, who do not know each other, who have different backgrounds and different personalities too.

And some Moroccan consultants felt they were badly perceived.

Sometimes the briefs were clear, but some consultants do not understand that we are working on an equal footing.

However, some difficulties were raised about the workings of bodies related to project governance. One of the problems was the representativeness of those sitting on the institutionalization committees within the Ministries. According to a representative of the Moroccan contingent,

They did things backwards and did not always allocate the right resources.

In addition, the various committees were not attached at the right level within the structure of the Moroccan civil service. According to a Moroccan representative on one committee,

To implement the institutionalization, it is necessary to have a place in

an organization, have a formal legal existence.

In terms of structure, the lack of involvement of the heads of the Ministries in the governance of the different projects was also raised. This explains the feedback from Moroccan representatives sitting on the committees,

We can talk of political will, but for a real institutionalization, each Ministry should have its committee with decision-makers.

As regards project monitoring according to the plan, the difficulties raised in the strategy, the implementation of activities and the transfer of expertise include in particular the appropriate choice of participants for training seminars, where the urgency outweighed the relevance of resources. According to the testimony of this Moroccan civil servant,

Are these people followed up after the training? … It’s everyone for himself, it is in the culture.

Also in the view of a representative of the Canadian contingent on this subject,

Sometimes we had the right people, but the problem is that we were not with the same people each time.

There is a feeling that too much effort was put into training and educating at the expense of support. According to the testimony of a Canadian representative,

We should do the training and go back to see its application in the field.

The change management strategies that were to accompany the implementation of the project are therefore questioned, as revealed by this feedback (Moroccan manager),

When one wants to change the rules only with tools, it is difficult. For example, the tools that we have are very well done, but what kind of support was offered to bring about a real change?

According to the Canadian contingent, there were also difficulties with the profile of Canadian experts. According to a Canadian representative,

FAES opted to go for resources that had garnered expertise in the civil service of Canada and Quebec and to try to make them consultants overnight, we had a lot of problems with that.

For the implementation in the Ministries, CIDA focused on results-driven project management based on its guidelines. For some respondents, this management method sometimes resulted in a lack of flexibility in project plans. In the opinion of a Canadian representative,

It’s as if we had involved people a lot in the early diagnosis and after there was no more flexibility in the plan.

In this context, some respondents even expressed their incomprehension with regard to the plans drawn up. According to a consultant involved in the projects,

I cannot understand the chain of results with the short, medium and long term and no one at the Ministry could give me an answer.

Also, some concepts of the project do not fit in with the culture of Morocco’s civil service, as was the case for planning. According to one Canadian representative,

In the South, people have no grasp of the concept of planning. People sign the contribution agreement, the plan is good, but once it is signed, it is forgotten and it becomes useless.

For many, these projects were first and foremost implemented by the Canadian contingent with its own management and control mechanisms, as revealed by the testimony of a consultant,

The working framework was very rigid and highly bureaucratic … We had to do things in a certain way and in a certain order.

Project closure, impact and sustainability

The research shows a positive perception of results from a Canadian perspective, with a sense of efficiency.

I think we’re on the right path towards a major change in behaviour.

We have opened doors, have supplied the tools where there is a political will.

According to a Moroccan manager, the FAES has made it possible to create a dynamic network that Morocco can now finance through OECD good governance programmes in particular.

It is true to say that, individually, capacities have been strengthened in terms of training. They have reached out to a lot of people and it's interesting to see how people have changed their attitudes to the issue.

The key output of the Tier 1 projects, the establishment of an institutional strategy for gender equality adapted to the respective context of the Ministries, has been achieved. According to one Moroccan respondent, this success is linked to the plan:

The plan was well worth it. It is a plan that has a long-term future.

For some representatives, the results are difficult to measure. According to some Canadians, it is important to put the achievement of results in the context of the specificities and the internal management of each of the Ministries involved given the resistance encountered. One representative mentioned on this matter,

A lot of risks were taken, however, given the resistance we faced in the Ministries. There was no guarantee of coming up with established programmes … It has to be said that Morocco has a very heavy civil service and before changing an organizational chart within a Ministry …

Many criticisms are voiced about the ambitious, theoretical nature of the plans. According to one Canadian representative,

The plans were too ambitious.

According to a Moroccan official,

The action plans were a positive element because they have created a momentum within the Ministry, but we do not know how to roll out the project throughout the Ministry.

However, according to the results obtained, the main effect identified in the Tier 1 projects, ‘that the Ministries involved adopt an institutional approach to gender equality in their policies, programmes, structures, methods and systems’, has not been achieved. As these testimonies of the Moroccan side show,

FAES has tried, but there is no institutionalization, it is not consolidated.

It is difficult to measure the results … even through the committee … We need to come up with a product, with results.

For some, it is nevertheless too early to say whether institutionalization has taken place. According to a Canadian representative,

Institutionalization takes place in the long term and it is a question of generation and cultural change … It is difficult to measure … and will be in two or three years, depending on the Ministries, but the strengthening of partners is on the right track, we have achieved important milestones.

It thus remains for the Ministries to actually take ownership of institutionalization. According to a Moroccan representative within a committee,

There has been consultation … The project was managed and designed in a participatory manner … There was a diagnosis of needs … The people were involved in the identification of the needs, but for the rest, it is a CIDA project that has not been custom fitted for the Moroccan context.

This problem of ownership is due in part, according to some Moroccan respondents, to dimensions related to the functioning of the Ministries. The interest in the project is criticized as, one Moroccan representative puts it,

There is no ownership and I would even go so far as to say that there is a total lack of interest in the issue … We presented the programme … there was an awareness-raising measure … Sometimes there were one or two people.

In the opinion of one Moroccan manager, involvement was not significant,

The committee members have not taken ownership of the project. They get going only when Canadians are there. There is a leadership problem because people did not choose this mandate.

Some believe that the future of these projects is uncertain, as evidenced by a Moroccan respondent,

As for the next step, to be honest, when the FAES will stop, things will slow down a lot in the Ministries … [They] will not inject money into it because it is not their priority.

Some Moroccans believe there is still a need for technical support in the future:

This is not the time to withdraw and work alone, you’re not there to do a job for a period of time and then leave … Project ownership is up to the Moroccan side, nobody can do it for us, but I think that Morocco needs technical support and this is where the work of donors becomes important.

Among Canadians, opinions are divided. Some believe that the Ministries will continue and others that the follow-up will be lacking.

It will be difficult, but I think that at the MMSP, they will continue. … This is part of the emergency plan.

The problem is who will be the project carrier?

The consultation with the other donors involved in equality between men and women in Morocco was deemed to be insufficient, which may jeopardize institutionalization, according to the Canadians,

If I had one gripe, it is the problem of coordinating projects with other Canadian cooperation projects and those of other donors.

For the implementation of certain measures, … the Ministry had already begun on a process with the World Bank and that would have required a major shift.

In line with these results, Figure 1 shows in fact the main success factors and barriers identified by the analytical framework established for data collection.

Figure 1.

Main results according to the success factors and project lifecycle

Analysis of results

This research focuses on the projects of Tier 1 of FAES II on the institutionalization of gender equality in the three targeted Ministries. We propose to analyse the results in relation to the success factors put forward by different scientific literatures and to highlight issues and challenges arising from this case study.

The success of a project is measured via the involvement of stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle (Khang and Moe, 2008; Lim and Zain, 1999) and our results show their involvement. Staff from each of the Ministries have channelled their energies into the project governance structure within various committees by participation in the implementation of various activities. The significant involvement of the Moroccan project manager and the participation of Moroccan experts in securing the pairing activities with Canadian experts also reflect this involvement of Moroccan stakeholders in these projects, despite their limitations. For the project teams within Ministries with very little experience of the institutionalization of gender equality, the opportunity to develop local knowledge important to Ramaprasad and Prakash (2003) was limited.

As described by Lavagnon et al. (2010), the results show, on the other hand, that the Moroccan stakeholders and the project manager have been more involved in the implementation, except for their participation in institutional diagnosis and the involvement of the project manager in the plan. On the one hand, the project approval document was prepared mainly by the Canadian contingent and, on the other, the results show that despite a major consultation exercise within the Ministries, various plans were above all drawn up by Canadian consultants, for the sake of saving time and given a lack of knowledge within Ministries.

For Madaule (2005), the short term generally prevails in the implementation of projects while public development aid should be part of a long-term logic. These results thus demonstrate an initial challenge to the success of international development projects: how to reconcile the constraints of time, the expertise of the stakeholders and their effective participation at all stages of the lifecycle of a project?

We observe that the Moroccan stakeholders struggled to implement the projects and sub-projects at their level for various reasons related to the structure of governance, insufficient involvement on the part of senior officials of Ministries, a lack of recognition of the work done by the committees within the structure, a limited interest in the project and a sometimes inadequate choice of the resources allocated to projects. Limited commitment and poorly defined responsibilities affected the success of the project (Youker, 1999).

That being said, this study does not make it possible to specify whether these difficulties are related to the method of implementation of the projects, their nature or the fact that these projects were specifically established for the first time within the government. For some, these difficulties stem from the organizational resistance and cultural elements specific to a sensitive topic such as equality between men and women and, for others, this resistance is typical of projects rolled out within a bureaucratic machinery.

The FAES projects were rolled out using a management by results method and a comprehensive framework for successful planning and implementation (Baccarini, 1999). This model, with its monitoring tools, is useful for project management, in particular the dimensions linked to costs, time and quality objectives. From the point of view of development aid agencies (Lavagnon, 2007), the results show first that the FAES Tier 1 projects represent a success in terms of achievement of project outputs since all Ministries have been provided with an institutional strategy for gender equality in the form of an action plan in the medium term, thus allowing some people to be informed and better equipped to institutionalize gender equality and develop a network of expertise in this area.

However, this type of management is perceived differently by local stakeholders, who express a certain lack of understanding of the documents produced, including logical frameworks and the results chain. These documents, designed from a management by results perspective, sometimes remain theoretical and stakeholders find it difficult to take them on board.

Giovalucchi and Olivier de Sardan (2009) have criticized this approach, whose logical framework is in a management perspective focused on quantifiable factors, the legitimization of the intervention and a linear and mechanical view of causality. All this may explain the difficulty experienced by partners in taking ownership of the projects and plans, as is the case here. Several testimonies show that certain project concepts do not go hand in hand with the administrative culture of Morocco, which ties in with the results of Muriithi and Crawford (2003).

Three elements illustrate this observation. First of all, project managers within Ministries are not independent and rarely take it on themselves to follow up plans. Thus, the success of the project depends on a non-discounted planning and low feedback during the implementation of projects (Youker, 1999). Second, the Ministries struggle with the current tools to manage risk and change management strategies intended to support the implementation of the projects, given their weak control mechanisms to detect problems and analyse risk factors appropriately (Youker, 1999). The logical framework does not sufficiently highlight the political factors, the conflicts, the roles of the players or the strategic adjustments (Giovalucchi and Olivier de Sardan, 2009). Finally, according to Munns and Bjeirmi (1996) and Diallo and Thuillier (2004), it is difficult to determine the success of projects by assessing the actual impact and their credibility within the local community. Here we cannot speak of successful institutionalization within the Ministries, and the ambitious strategic objectives of the FAES Tier 1 projects may have a deterrent effect on the motivation of resources and the effectiveness of the results.

This is consistent with the writings of Lavagnon et al. (2010) and Muriithi and Crawford (2003) for whom there is no significant correlation between the tools and procedures related to the management of a development project and its success. The efforts that the aid agencies inject into accountability and evaluation of project performance can affect the integration of local decision-making processes, and the analysis of the socio-political context and the local culture (Madaule, 2005). These results pose a second challenge to the success of international development projects: how to reconcile the tools of a results-driven project management that the donors demand with their unfamiliarity among local partners and the necessary follow-through with adaptation to the local context of more flexible management tools.

Here, the environment was conducive to the institutionalization of projects, but they remained under the leadership of Canadian cooperation. For Cleland and Gareis (1994), difficulties in managing international projects can be imputed to limited internal capacity, particularly for beneficiaries who need to respond quickly to changes required that are unsuited to the local traditions and ways of doing things.

For Lavagnon (2007), the direct and responsible participation of the partners in the development effort and the relevance of the project to the local context represent for some aid agencies the factors that will govern the success of their projects; however, this principle is difficult to apply and constitutes an important challenge. These results highlight a third challenge to the success of an international development project: how to reconcile, in a favourable context and for innovative projects, an approach based on the predominance of donor models with change strategies better adapted to the capacity of the environment.

Conclusion

The theoretical references and empirical evidence show pitfalls for the success of the projects conducted by FAES II, Tier 1. Although this research has limitations in terms of generalization of the results, it does make it possible to illustrate the many issues and challenges for the management of international development projects. The result is measured here by the achievement of outputs (plans), but the aim of institutionalizing gender equality is not achieved. The postulate that seems to be put forward is that, given that the plans are necessary for the implementation in one country, they should be sufficient in another, whereas the reactions illustrated in this study show the opposite.

In this case, the institutionalization is rolled out technically, as an object, but not as an organizational change that involves the stakeholders, culture and traditions. The means of the theory of change – steps to prepare for the change, to create the new situation and the subsequent institutionalization – are not present in this project, which involves changes in attitudes and social dynamics. We take advantage of a favourable political environment, we involve players in an important step in the process, but we try to take a short-term approach in conflict with the obligations of such a situation.

In this regard, the use of models such as management by results can also be part of the problem. It provides a normative framework to guide action on the results, and we observe an induced effect where the outcome is short term, which is consistent with a constraint of the project, but is inconsistent with the long-term impact sought. The project was a success because the ‘produce a plan’ output was achieved, leaving strong doubts about the success of institutionalization: the latter, far from being achieved, would require a time perspective that is not even intended for this type of project, because its outcome is too long-term and focuses on the skills of the local team.

This study highlights the limitations of an approach based on results and contradictions between the need to ensure a long-term impact for changes involving a deeply rooted cultural dimension and short-term approaches, even if the budget was high and reached a large number of people. Here, the involvement of stakeholders was a critical success factor, but was not taken into account by the type of results targeted, which, to some extent, were contrary to the search for impacts. Management by results is not a bad system, it is the nature of the results measured that is put into question, something that projects should take into account. Institutionalization is effective when the desired change is achieved without external effort.

Given the qualitative nature of the research, it is not possible to generalize the data from this study, but its results (Figure 1) are research topics that could serve other comparable case studies in Morocco or other countries. It would be useful to document projects that are known to have involved stakeholders at all stages of the lifecycle of the project, developed mechanisms for the organizational monitoring in the light of the local context and established local models and change strategies adapted to the capacity of the environment in order to determine how this was made possible.

Footnotes

Note

Sophie Brière is Assistant Professor at the Department of Management of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences of the Université Laval. She holds a doctorate (PhD) from Quebec’s École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP).

Denis Proulx PhD is a professor at the École nationale d'administration publique of the University of Quebec. His research focuses on public management and the international and intercultural dimensions of management.

References

Aaltonen

Jaakko

Tuomas

(2008) Stakeholder salience in global projects. International Journal of Project Management, 26(5): 509–516.

Adams A, Martin L and Haddouche N (2008) Plan d’action stratégique à moyen terme pour l’égalité entre les sexes dans le système éducatif, 2009–2012. Programme de la coopération canadienne au Maroc, Maroc.

Baccarini

(1999) The logical framework method for defining project success. Project Management Journal, 30(4): 25–32.

Cleland

Gareis

(1994) Global Project Management Handbook, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Diallo

Thuillier

(2004) The success dimensions of international development projects: The perceptions of African project coordinators. International Journal of Project Management, 22(1): 19–31.

Fonds D’Appui à L’Égalité entre les Sexes (FAES II) (2005a) Guide des partenaires institutionnels, volet 1 institutionnalisation de l’égalité entre les sexes dans les réformes publiques stratégiques. Programme de la coopération canadienne au Maroc, version actualisée en 2007, Maroc.

Fonds D’Appui à L’Égalité entre les Sexes (FAES II) (2005b) Plan de mise en œuvre (2005–2010)-plan de travail an 1 (2005–2006). Programme de la coopération canadienne au Maroc.

Giovalucchi

Olivier de Sardan

(2009) Planification, gestion et politique dans l’aide au développement: le cadre logique, outil et miroir des développeurs. Revue tiers monde, 198: 383–406.

Hafner-Burton

Pollack

(2002) Mainstreaming gender in global governance. European Journal of International Relations, 8(3): 339–373.

10.

Jepsen

Eskerod

(2009) Stakeholder analysis in projects: Challenges in using current guidelines in the real world. International Journal of Project Management, 27(4): 335–343.

11.

Johnson I and Aquil F (2008) Fond d’appui à l’égalité entre les sexes (FAES II), évaluation à mi-parcours. Rapport final présenté à l’ACDI.

12.

Khang

Moe

(2008) Success criteria and factors for international development projects: A life-cycle-based framework. Project Management Journal, 39(1): 72–84.

13.

Lagacé

Lamhaidi

(2006) Programme à moyen terme pour l’institutionnalisation de l’égalité entre les sexes dans le secteur de la communication, Royaume du Maroc, Maroc: FAES.

14.

Lavagnon

(2007) Les agences d’aide au développement font-elles assez en matière de formulation des facteurs clés de succès des projets? Management Prospective Editions. Revue management et avenir, 2(12): 165–182.

15.

Lavagnon

Diallo

Thuillier

(2010) Project management in the international development industry: The project coordinator’s perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 3(1): 61–93.

16.

Lientz

Rea

(2003) International Project Management, San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

17.

Lilin C (2009) Du Nord au sud: prudence et sens du jeu dans la gestion de projet. Gérer et comprendre mars: 46–55.

18.

Lim

Zain

(1999) Criteria of project success: An exploratory re-examination. International Journal of Project Management, 17(4): 243–248.

19.

Madaule

(2005) L’aide publique au développement. In: Madaule

(ed.) Le développement en projets, Conception-Réalisation – Études de cas, Paris: L’Harmattan.

20.

Ministère de la Communication (2010) Étude relative aux attentes de la femme marocaine en matière de représentation de son image dans les médias audiovisuels, Royaume du Maroc. FAES.

21.

Mucchielli

(2009) Dictionnaire des méthodes qualitatives en sciences humaines et sociales, Paris: Armand Colin.

22.

Munns

Bjeirmi

(1996) The role of project management in achieving project success. International Journal of Project Management, 14(2): 81–87.

23.

Muriithi

Crawford

(2003) Approaches to project management in Africa: Implications for international development projects. International Journal of Project Management, 21(5): 309–319.

24.

Paquet

Alami Mchichi

(2006) Programme stratégique à moyen terme pour l’institutionnalisation de l’égalité entre les sexes dans le secteur de l’administration, Ministère de la modernisation des secteurs publics, Royaume du Maroc, Maroc: FAES.

25.

Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD) (2006) Guide pour l’institutionnalisation de l’approche genre. Bureau du PNUD en Algérie.

26.

Ramaprasad

Prakash

(2003) Emergent project management: How foreign managers can leverage local knowledge. International Journal of Project Management, 21(3): 199–205.

27.

Youker

(1999) Managing international development project success. Project Management Journal, 30(2): 6–7.

28.

Yin

(2003) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.