Achieving sustainability at the individual and community levels through development assistance

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study uses a Saemaul Undong overseas development assistance (ODA) project in Rwanda as a case study to develop a new theory regarding aid recipients achieving sustainability. Although sustainability has emerged as a major concern in the international development community, there is still limited research on the sustainability of development interventions and means of practically achieving sustainability. This study fills this gap in the literature by exploring the process of achieving sustainability and assessing the dynamics among the factors that contribute to this process. Our findings reveal that sustainability is an accumulative continuum from the individual level to the community level, with different interventions and governance structures required to advance from one level to another. This study offers practical lessons for donor governments and agencies regarding the types of interventions that they should provide and the roles that they should play depending on the relevant level of sustainability.