Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) - Maturity Matrix Overview

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) involves strategic collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management. CLA approaches to development include collaborating intentionally with stakeholders to share knowledge and reduce duplication of effort, learning systematically by drawing on evidence from a variety of sources and taking time to reflect on implementation, and applying learning by adapting intentionally. The purpose of the maturity matrix 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 matrix offers examples of what CLA looks like at different stages of maturity. USAID staff can use the decks of cards to both assess current practice and plan for the future. The maturity matrix consists of two decks of cards corresponding to the dimensions of CLA: ● CLA in the Program Cycle: By using the matrix 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. Within these decks, the matrix covers 16 subcomponents of CLA. Each has one key concept card and five matrix cards that describe the component in practice, along a spectrum ranging from Not Yet Present to Institutionalized.