RTI at the 2022 Society for International Development-Washington Annual Conference

SID-Washington's annual conference brings together international development professionals around the world to discuss ideas, trends, and challenges facing the international development community. The theme of this year’s conference is Inclusive Development: A Healthy, Prosperous, & Resilient Planet for All. Join the conversation online by using #SIDWConference. 

Thursday, May 26, 3:00 – 3:50 p.m.

Sponsored by RTI International

A Systems Approach to Climate Change Programming: Understanding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Transformative Change

​​Taking a systems-focused approach to international development programming can lead to transformational change that is locally-led and sustainable. However, this approach can also have unintended outcomes that are often not considered, monitored, or learned from.

Climate change programming, in particular, deals with complex systems that span economic, natural, cultural, and social systems. As we embark on urgent climate adaptation and mitigation programming, rigorous consideration of unintended consequences is essential. What specifically should we as the development community be doing differently? How can we evaluate available solutions in terms of the potential for unintended consequences in addition to the desired benefits, so that today’s solutions do not become tomorrow’s problems?

In this session, learn from experts about how to anticipate and mitigate unintended consequences of systems change interventions, with a focus on new tools and how they can be utilized in climate programming to inform systems approaches that produce powerful, positive change.

Speakers:

• Mariah Mateo Sarpong, Director of Communications & Knowledge Management, MicroInsurance Centre at Milliman
• Tracy Mitchell, Senior Resilience and Food Security Advisor, RTI International
• Tawanda Muzhingi, Innovation Advisor, RTI International
• Edgard Ngaboyamahina, Innovation Advisor, RTI International
• Ciara Remerscheid, Deputy Energy Lead, 60 Decibels
• Amanda Rose, Innovation Advisor, RTI International

Thursday, May 26, 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.

Sponsored by DAI

Practical Pathways to Localizing Aid: Can TWP Help Distinguish Appropriate Opportunities and Approaches?

​The session looks at how principles of Thinking and Working Politically (TWP), such as strong political analysis, insight and understanding, detailed appreciation of and response to the complexity of the local context, and tools, for example Applied Political Economy Analysis (APEA), inform the localization discussion, particularly from the vantage point as local project implementers. Can it inform the "when, where, how and with whom" for a more nuanced approach?

Moderator:

• Laura Zambrano, Chief of Party, USAID Colombia

​Speakers:

• Eva Matsiko, Chief of Party, RTI International
• Adanu Christian Oyigocho, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager, USAID Nigeria, Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria (NE Connection) program
• Caterina Valero, Chief of Party, Unidos por la Justicia (United for Justice) project