Which of the following is a strategy to achieve program sustainability after initial funding?

• A. Community ownership, diversified funding, capacity building.
• B. Reducing monitoring.
• C. Focusing on a single donor.
• D. Limiting dissemination.

Answer: (A)

Sustainability after initial funding hinges on community ownership, diversified funding, and capacity building. When a program is owned by the community and integrated into local institutions, people are invested, governance is strengthened, and activities are more likely to continue after external support ends. Diversified funding reduces the risk of disruption if one source dries up, bringing in government support, local NGOs, grants, or in-kind contributions to keep momentum going. Building capacity—training local staff, developing strong management systems, and fostering champions—ensures there are skilled people and clear processes to operate, monitor, and adapt the program over time. Without these elements, sustaining impact becomes fragile: reducing monitoring removes valuable feedback and accountability; relying on a single donor creates a single point of failure; limiting dissemination restricts partnerships, replication, and longer-term uptake.