The CLA Maturity Tool: Identify your CLA Needs and Plan and Prioritize future efforts (ADS 201 Additional Help)

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) involves strategic collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management. The purpose of the maturity tool is to help USAID Missions think more deliberately about how to plan for and implement CLA approaches that fit the Mission’s context and needs. Through a set of easy-to-use cards, the CLA maturity tool offers examples of what CLA looks like at different stages of maturity. USAID staff can use the deck of cards to both assess current practice and plan for the future.

The maturity tool cards correspond to the two dimensions of CLA:

• CLA in the Program Cycle: By using the cards to guide a conversation, teams can explore how well CLA is incorporated into the planning and implementation processes of the Program Cycle.
• Enabling Conditions: The cards encourage discussion of the conditions that can significantly influence how CLA and the Program Cycle are implemented at a Mission, including operating processes, organizational culture, and resourcing.