Core Services
Resettlement Planning and Implementation
While development aims to benefit the human condition, the unfortunate reality is that in some instances people are also adversely impacted along the way. This diminishes the scale of the desired change envisioned by the project, which could otherwise have been transformative. With experience working with OP4.12 and IFC P55, AIZ’s approach is to work collaboratively with the engineers for solutions to avoid/minimize negative impacts to the community that is not only cost-efficient but of no harm or least harm to the community.
Program Management
The overall objective is to deliver a quality program within budget and timeline while transforming the community. Planning is essential for successful program implementation and AIZ’s experience and knowledge help identify critical paths, risks, and opportunities. The program management plan is developed early during the inception phase of any development project. The AIZ PM approach involves meaningful participation with project stakeholders, effective integration of plans to ensure sustainability, continuous coordination with clients and beneficiaries, and managing project-related risks to deliver the desired outcome on budget and within schedule.
Risk Management
Risk Management planning begins at the onset of program planning through a “pre-mortem” process that identifies threats and opportunities inherent to a project, and prepares plans to mitigate them and monitor their impacts through the program lifecycle. As the program evolves, it becomes vulnerable to new risks. Recognizing this, AIZ’s preference is to review risks periodically and develop mitigation plans, including identifying contingency levels in case a set of risks materialize.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
“Social inclusion and gender equality” are not just buzzwords. It is a development approach, and a lens through which we can better: 1) identify who it is that we are impacting through our investments; 2) ensure we are protecting the most vulnerable people; 3) transform communities through improved relationships at all levels that draw upon the strengths of all women, men, boys, and girls; and 4) maximize impact by understanding how people live, love, play, work, and communicate with one another.
AIZ has developed a rigorous and practical approach to social impact assessment, gender assessment and analysis, social/ gender auditing, resettlement action plans, gender costing and budgeting, evaluation and learning agendas, and training individuals and teams.
Water-related Infrastructure & Institutional Development
Coupling infrastructure development with institutional development is the fundamental shift that is needed in the development and management of water resources and sanitation to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. AIZ has found that developing water resources on a wider regional scale across political boundaries, and sanitation solutions on a smaller scale with a localized focus is effective in driving efficiency in resource management through “reduce and reuse” strategies to benefit sustainability. In this regard, effective institutions matter just as much as innovative solutions to water & sanitation in meeting SDG goal 6.
Skills Building/Development
AIZ’s approah to Skill building involves developing and enhancing technical skills and capabilities at the individual level through the transfer of relevant technological knowledge and expertise. AIZ aims to develop the skills and knowledge base of young, local professionals to increase local participation in future programs. The cooperative partnership approach puts local partners in the driver’s seat while AIZ facilitates the process. Mentorship involves observing, participating, and performing to improve performance and build confidence in young professionals to implement learned skills.
Why AIZ?
We are a platform for Zambian-based Engineers, Environmental specialists, Resettlement Practitioners, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Experts to collaborate toward a common goal of maximizing positive change in people’s lives through any investment. AIZ provides development program/infrastructure planning & management, risk management, resettlement planning implementation, and environmental assessment and management. AIZ’s current infrastructure development focus is on potable water supply and sanitation in urban areas and irrigation facilities. AIZ operates on the paradigm that successful development is fostered by investing in people and counters socio-economic and environmental constraints to development in the design and implementation of programs. AIZ is based in Lusaka, Zambia with the capacity to manage projects across the African continent.