How adaptive management is challenging the monitoring and evaluation of complex programmes

Adaptive management is a broad approach designed to support development or humanitarian programmes in complex or uncertain environments. Complex programmes are by their nature unpredictable and are subject to many different influences.

This means that similar programmes operating in different environments can generate widely different results, even though the plans developed and actions taken were the same.

Adaptive management is often contrasted to traditional approaches to planning and implementation. In traditional approaches, programmes are designed and planned at the start, and implementation largely adheres to those plans throughout the programme lifetime.