New evidence on sustainable CBR/CBID

Why sustaining  community-based disability inclusion requires more than strong projects

Ensuring that disability inclusion efforts last beyond project cycles remains one of the most persistent challenges in international development.

New insights from the Breaking down Barriers programme explore this question, drawing on research in Zambia, Rwanda and Cameroon, as well as the experiences of 187 organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The findings show that sustainability is not only about how well programmes perform, but about whether responsibility, authority and financing gradually shift into government systems over time.

Sustainability is built into systems

Across all studies, one message stands out: sustainability does not start at the end of a project. It is shaped early on, through the way programmes are designed and embedded.

In many cases, programmes continue to rely on short-term external funding and operate alongside, rather than within, public systems. As a result, strong outcomes during implementation are not always sustained.

Programmes are more likely to last when they are:

• Anchored within a lead ministry, while maintaining CBR/CBID multisectoral design principals 
• Supported by public budgets
• Integrated into routine planning and delivery systems

This shift, from project-based delivery to institutionalisation, is central to long-term impact.

Four interconnected pillars

The research highlights four interconnected pillars that shape sustainability:

1. community engagement
2. financial sustainability
3. policy integration
4. operational capacity

Partnerships act as the linking force between these elements.

When these pillars are addressed in isolation, programmes risk remaining dependent on external support. When they are aligned, they create the conditions for lasting, system-level change.

From insights to practice

To support organisations in applying these insights, Liliane Fonds, together with partners, is organising an open webinar:

Sustaining disability inclusion: from research to practice

Date: 12 May 2026
Time: 10.00 – 11.00 CEST

Whether you are an NGO practitioner, government partner, OPD representative, donor or researcher, the webinar will equip you with actionable, evidence‑based guidance to strengthen the long‑term impact of your disability‑inclusion work.