​Grouping multiple projects together can enhance leverage through joint action, or allow you to compare how something works across different contexts. But they can be costly, dilute focus and sometimes create confusion.

This paper helps donors and development workers to clarify:

• why they have chosen a multi-project approach, being explicit about the purpose and rationale for using it compared to other forms that fulfil similar functions;
• what types of coordination and interactions are needed; and
• when programme-wide activities should take place.

The paper concludes with a practical tool to assess when it may be more – or less – useful to have a multi-project programme model.