OL 341 Assignment 6 CBA Discussion
Online Learning: OL 341: Climate Change Adaptation: Design, Fund & Manage Projects
Center for Sustainable Development
https://csd-i.org/climate-change-adaptation-online-course/

This week’s resources:
Assignment 6 Homework
Magee Example Project Assignment 6

Assignment 6. How will you present your CBA component to be most attractive to a donor?
The development world is abuzz about climate change, adaptation and REDD+. From reading newsletters it seems like there is quite a bit of funding out there.

But community-based adaptation is only five or six years old—and it is still changing and maturing—and many donors aren’t completely familiar with it.

Plus, over the next few months, in this course, this simple project that you have developed will go through a fair amount of fine tuning.

So I would be tempted in meeting with the donor (or one of your colleagues) to introduce the concept of your adaptation component—but in a manner that will allow them to show their hand—so that you can see better what their position is.

If they’re skeptical—it’s good to find out early. If they’re enthusiastic—this is the chance for you to find out what their specific requirements are—now, today, while your project is still maturing and developing.

Be sure in working with a donor who shows interest in an adaptation component, to find out if they’re comfortable with simply one component of your project being an adaptation component, or if they would like to see the whole project be nothing but an adaptation project.

Also, be sure to find out about the scale of funding they’re comfortable with. It’s good to find out now, at this stage of your project, if their comfort level is $10,000—or $100,000. Also be sure to find out what level of investment they’re willing to make per beneficiary in your community—and over what time frame. They might say something like $25 per beneficiary per year—or $50 per beneficiary over a three-year project.

Also try and find out if this is in addition to your normal development project costs, or if this is the entire allowable investment range for the full project which includes the adaptation component.

It’s really very useful to get this kind of information early on so that you can make some strategic decisions over the next few weeks. Good luck!

I look forward to seeing you in the next course where among other things we will begin working on your project’s budget.

Enjoy this week’s assignment. Click on homework for Assignment Six to get started.

Tim Magee