Alps: accountability, learning and planning system

This booklet presents a brief overview of a technique used by ActionAid (an International Development organisation) for project planning and reporting. This new system emphasises the importance of attitudes and behaviours that promote participation and inclusion of all affected (focussing especially on the poor and on women) in decision-making as well as project planning and execution. The different parts of the system are described briefly by purpose, process, time planning and output: Appraisal, where the feasibility of the proposed project is discussed with key internal and external stakeholders; Project strategies by region, function, country, programme and ActionAid itself; Reviews for each strategy; Three year plans; and Annual reports. Alps does not require any annual reports from countries , programmes or functions but instead asks each responsible party to carry out a set of participatory reviews with stakeholder groups. References are given to documents that contain further information on different systems linked to Alps, and guidelines for submissions for ActionAid funding are appended.