46335 Capacity Building 293 August 2008 Findings reports on ongoing operational, economic, and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region. It is published periodically by the Operations Results and Learning Unit on behalf of the Region. The views expressed in Findings are those of the author/s and should not be attributed to the World Bank Group. Burundi Investing in Leadership Development through the Rapid Results Approach This Findings is based on a case study from the volume Leadership for Development Results. This volume is a compilation of country case studies from the "Leadership and Change Forum," Marseille, France, October 2007. The complete case studies as well as more information on the Forum can be found at the World Bank Institute (WBI) Leadership Development Services website: www.worldbank.org/ capacity/leadership. I n August 2005, at the end of a require more than the traditional devastating political and classroom method of leadership economic crisis that lasted over training. Instead, the following 12 years, newly elected President approaches were needed: Pierre Nkurunziza pledged -- as part of a five-year plan -- to provide Training programs adapted to free primary education, child care, the needs of leaders and health care. He also called upon A learning-by-doing approach to the international community to step capacity development up its support to help the country A participatory approach to preserve the peace, assure a level action planning, work planning, of political and economic stability, and defining modalities for and work together toward resource management development. The government of Burundi Background for the intervention/ appealed to the World Bank initiative Institute (WBI) for help in In the (2005­2010) five-year plan, strengthening the capacities of the president stated his leadership to implement policies commitment to improving the and programs that would achieve economic situation brought on by measurable results. the conflict, which destroyed the The new government needed to socioeconomic infrastructure and make tough decisions on competing devastated the capacities of priorities, including allocating an surviving Burundian leadership. estimated US$12 billion to achieve The civil conflict of 1993 threw the Findings the Millennium Development Goals, country into a downward cycle of and carrying out reforms to ensure impoverishment and insecurity. efficient allocation of public During the conflict, 300,000 citizens resources. lost their lives, and about 1.2 The government understood it million were either internally would need to invest in leadership displaced or made refugees. This development in order to drive brought with it a decade of change at the institutional level and economic decline, and by 2003 achieve results, and that this would Burundi's GDP per capita was about US$83. In 2002 a peace and reconciliation The event was deemed a success Results Matter accord was signed and a new from the start. There was high-level government formed. The period of participation from the government RRA process: Desired outcomes political transition came to a close team, including the president, his In November 2006 two RRA in 2005 with the approval of a new two vice presidents, and most initiatives were launched and constitution by national referendum government ministers. In addition, implemented on a pilot basis. The (February 2005), successful local representatives from Parliament, pilots, using the leadership skills elections (June 2005), and including the presidents of the and other learning from the parliamentary elections (July 2005). Senate and the National Assembly government retreat, set about The government decided that the took part, and there was wide implementing key tangible results donor roundtable planned for May representation from civil society. on the ground in education and 2006 should be preceded by a The results of the first 100-day health care. cabinet retreat, where political pilot RRAs were shared at the leaders would meet with leaders from retreat. The government began to Education Education. The goal of the civil society to examine the barriers show greater ownership. On the education pilot was to help the to institutional change and set clear basis of the two successful pilots, government distribute 250,000 first- objectives for change. the government gave the go-ahead year textbooks to primary schools to begin 12 new pilots in 10 in 60 days. In the past it had Change agent/entry point ministries. One of the vice sometimes taken an entire school When WBI first recommended use of presidents agreed to be the year to distribute the books. the rapid results approach (RRA) to champion of the large-scale effort. The RRA teams soon learned that help advance measurable the logistical and transportation development outcomes, the Leadership and Change challenges to achieving this were suggestion met with considerable significant. Available resources skepticism. To address this, WBI How leaders emerge as drivers of the proved inadequate to transport the brought RRA coaches from the process books to the towns and villages Central African Republic to meet At the highest level, political beyond the capital. their counterparts in Burundi. leadership left its mark: the The RRA teams decided to tap the The coaches shared their personal involvement of the head of community work program, whereby experiences, describing both the state at the roundtable was central each Saturday morning citizens successes and challenges of to the success of the RRA pilots. engage in voluntary work for the managing ambitious change Beyond this, the involvement of country. Taking advantage of this, initiatives in security and customs strategic leaders in various stages the RRA teams engaged village men sectors. On the basis of this, the of the process was also a and women to move the books (by government of Burundi agreed that precondition for successfully foot) from distribution centers in the it would initiate two pilots, one each translating the large-scale vision for towns to remote village schools. in the ministries of Education and development into short-term (100- Because many of the men and Public Health. day) goals. women transporting the books were The first government retreat took The RRA pilots worked to identify also parents of school children, place in May 2006 in Bujumbura. strategic leadership within the they were enthusiastic supporters The main objectives of the retreat ministries, leaving aside the of the plan. were to: involvement of the minister himself. One of the RRA coaches remarked, Health Care. The goal of the health Lead the government team to a "When you have the right level of care pilot was to increase the better understanding of the roles general direction that you want, it number of pregnant women who and responsibilities of leaders in is as if you had the whole ministry visited health centers and were terms of driving and promoting behind you" (Neuron Global 2007). screened for HIV/AIDS. However, change The second stage of the RRA the RRA teams soon learned that Elicit consensus among various application had the full backing of many women were not using these political and social groups, the president, the vice presidents, services because of their beliefs and including civil society and the whole government. fears, primarily a fear of Develop more effective methods for Strategic leaders were found at the stigmatization and social ostracism. the implementation of strategies director general level. A successful communications and programs campaign was launched to convince women that the services would be confidential. Once the women accepted this, their fears were allayed. They soon realized the value Leaders play a critical role in and raise awareness about the of the service (if they tested positive, articulating the strategy that methodology and results of the first antiretroviral drugs were provided), translates development vision into generation of RRA initiatives among and the project's success grew by rapid results. a number of ministries. word of mouth. The number of RRA coaches play an important Following this workshop, the pregnant women who visited health role in moving the process forward. government committed to launching centers exceeded 482 in the first Peer-to-peer exchange among RRA initiatives in 12 ministries, month, as compared to 71 in the government leaders can be an including programs in planning and month before the pilot began. effective modality for sharing development, civil service, national experience and stimulating solidarity, environment, health, Final outcome and impact behavioral changes and creativity. national defense and former The two RRA pilots achieved tangible Leaders at all levels should combatants, information, results. With the help of the RRA, engage in leadership development agriculture, transport, and trade. the government distributed 250,000 (from the highest level in the The next government retreat first year textbooks to primary hierarchy to the operational level -- which took place at the end of 2007 schools in the country in 60 days, that is, the level of those who aimed to expand the number of which was a big improvement over manage programs and projects) and initiatives. The government also past years when delivery sometimes should work toward a collective planned to increase ownership, took the entire school year. leadership. starting with studying the lessons In the health care pilot, 482 The success of RRA first requires learned, sharing experiences, and pregnant women visited health the stability of political leaders and developing a monitoring and centers and were subject to HIV/ continuity of operational leadership. evaluation plan. AIDS screening in one month, a All stakeholders should be large increase from the average of accountable. Moving the Leadership and 71 such screenings in the months Pilots must have targets and a Results Agenda Forward leading up to the pilot. strategy. Based on these experiences, the Stakeholders can avoid The government is committed to value of investing in leadership frustration by focusing on gaining scaling up the use of the RRA in development became clear to all good results. twelve ministries, as described those attending the government Team work is key! above. More details are forthcoming. retreat. The retreat also enabled Currently, no institutional or participants to develop a vision for Role of capacity building in achieving regulatory obstacles exist that the country. Despite the constraints change and results would restrict the scope of applying and challenges, decision-makers At the government retreat, the RRA RRA in Burundi. were able to prioritize and reach a methodology was introduced, and consensus regarding the allocation the leadership team reviewed the Sources of public resources. results achieved in previous pilots. It was the way the RRA teams dealt Participants explored the benefits of Government of Burundi. 2007. with the constraints to making applying the RRA methodology to "Country Note: Leadership to the change operational that produced other programs, projects, and Service of Burundi Development." some of the most striking and sectors. Bujumbura, Burundi, October. important improvements in The retreat also showed how the Neuron Global. 2007. "High performance. This practical hands- methodology could be replicated in Performance in Development." on learning resulted in greater other ministerial departments. October 9­10. Available at: leadership capacities and gave Through their exposure to the RRA http://www.neuronglobal.com/. participants new tools and the methodology participants began to World Bank. 2007a. "Final Report experience of putting them into change the way they addressed on First Government Round practice. problems. This led to changes in Table." World Bank, Washington, behavior among civil servants, and D.C. Lessons from Experience new ways of doing business. ------. 2007b. "Burundi Country It is possible to achieve targeted Brief." World Bank, Washington, results that are above current Sustainability and demand D.C. Available at: http:// national performance levels. In order to expand and build on the www.worldbank.org/burundi. Results build on results when past RRA experience, the steering capacity is unleashed and committee for the leadership participants become motivated and program organized a workshop in confident. September 2007 to sensitize, inform,