These efforts, which typically have several objectives, including sustainability of livelihoods, economic development and environmental management, typically evolve by identifying needs and opportunities while considering the available resources, investment requirements and the synergies among the various stakeholders. A crucial part of programmes, regardless of the scope and theme, is the alignment of the stakeholders on the programme objectives, as a misalignment could derail the impact and the quality of outcomes. In some cases, for programmes to achieve their objectives, it may be necessary to formalize the activities of certain value actors, which enables them to be effectively regulated. Such is the case in Nigeria, where, as part of the ongoing support to standardize the RE/EE market, several value chain actors are engaged to establish defined structures and promote best practices for used battery end of life management. 

Overall, a guiding principle for programmes is the sustainability of processes, for which several questions have to be considered. These include, when should programme proponents disengage from established initiatives? How can the assimilation of processes be encouraged? What are the long-term impacts and consequences for specific outcomes? Answering these questions is vital to fully utilizing the potentials of the holistic programmatic approach to sustainable development.