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Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
PERIOD: APRIL 1, 2015 – JUNE 30, 2015
For Submission to: USAID/Washington
Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-OAA-LA-14-00004
Leader Cooperative Agreement Award Number: DFD-A-00-09-00141-00
Grantee: Counterpart International Sub-Awardee: IREX
Table of Contents
A. Executive Summary ...... 4 B. Progress and Accomplishments ...... 5 I. Program Updates ...... 5 1. Structured Networking Opportunities within the MWF Community ...... 8 2. Access and Introduction to External Networks that Support Fellows’ Individual Goals ...... 13 3. Hands-on Learning Opportunities ...... 17 4. Individualized Leadership Development ...... 19 II. Administrative Updates ...... 21 C. Communications ...... 24 D. Monitoring and Evaluation ...... 25 E. Lessons Learned ...... 29 F. Conclusion ...... 30 G. Attachments ...... 30
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Acronyms
ABSIP Association for Black Securities and Investment Professionals ALA African Leadership Academy AU African Union DOS Department of State ECA Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (State Department) FGD Focus Group Discussion IREX International Research and Exchanges Board LDP Leadership Development Plan M&E Monitoring and Evaluation LeadAfrika Afrika Leadership Development Institute MWF Mandela Washington Fellowship NEPAD The New Partnership for Africa’s Development PAS Public Affairs Section (State Department) POC Point of Contact (USAID) PV&MSC Participatory Video and Most Significant Change RAB Regional Advisory Board STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
STG Speaker Travel Grant UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USADF United States African Development Foundation USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government VSO Voluntary Service Overseas WACSI West Africa Civil Society Institute YALI Young African Leaders Initiative ZAN Zimbabwe AIDS Network
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A. Executive Summary This represents the fifth quarterly report for YALI/USAID, a Cooperative Agreement under the prime Counterpart International, Inc. to engage the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) as the sub-awardee and implementer. IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally. IREX enables local individuals and institutions to build key elements of a vibrant society: quality education, independent media, and strong communities. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $70 million and a staff of over 400 professionals worldwide. IREX employs field-tested methods and innovative uses of technologies to develop practical and locally-driven solutions with our partners in over 125 countries.
As part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), USAID’s Mandela Washington Fellowship builds the skills of young African leaders to improve the accountability and transparency of government, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities. The program supports the Fellows as they develop the leadership skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to become active and constructive members of society. It achieves this through Leadership Development Plans (LDPs) that the Fellows complete and post online for comment, professional practicums1 in Africa that provide the Fellows with practical experience, and individualized mentor matches that allow the Fellows to further develop their identities as leaders. The program also helps the Fellows establish broad and enduring networks to support, sustain, and multiply the impact of the Mandela Washington Fellowship programming. It achieves this through the selection of Regional Advisory Boards comprised of Fellows who communicate regularly with their peers and provide USAID and IREX with feedback, Regional Conferences that allow the Fellows to network with one another as well as with external organizations and companies, and Speaker Travel Grants that elevate Fellows’ voices on the world stage by providing them with funding to speak at international, high-profile conferences.
To support and enhance these activities, IREX ensures the empowerment and inclusion of women, the disabled, LGBTIQ individuals, and other marginalized youth. It also emphasizes the participation of the Fellows in the creation and development of programming so as to be fully responsive to their needs and interests, and establishes significant partnerships with the private sector to leverage resources, increase impact, and enhance sustainability of planned activities.
This quarterly report covers all program achievements and activities from April 1 to June 30, 2015. Since the last quarterly report, IREX held three Regional Conferences in Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya for the 2014 Fellows, of which 375 attended. IREX also made significant progress towards achieving planned targets. IREX continued to match Fellows with professional practicums and professional mentors, finalizing 62 professional practicums and 32 mentorships this quarter. IREX continued to award Fellows with Speaker Travel Grants, and nine awardees spoke at nine events in six countries with this funding, reaching a combined audience of over 4,000 individuals. IREX held eight co-sponsored events in Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya both alongside the Regional Conferences and separately.
1 Based on feedback received from Fellows and internship hosts in Year 1, “internships” have been renamed “professional practicums.”
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B. Progress and Accomplishments
I. Program Updates
Regional Advisory Boards
In Quarter 5, the Regional Advisory Boards (RABs) focused on driving the Regional Conference agendas and identifying speakers who would strengthen discussions around regional integration, servant leadership, and sustainable development. RAB members also proactively addressed Fellow feedback during the Conferences. IREX will host nine RAB representatives (three from each region) in Washington, DC ahead of the 2015 Presidential Summit to participate in a facilitated feedback and hand-over planning session.
RAB Members Attending: West Africa Gerald Afadani (Cameroon) Adama Kouyate (Mali) Christiana Okyere (Ghana)
Southern Africa Christopher Lespoir (Seychelles) Charlene Bangwe (Zambia) Russell Mulamula (South Africa)
East Africa RAB Chairperson, East Africa Charlene Migwe, convening the East Charlene Migwe (Kenya) Africa Regional Conference Godfrey Nyombi (Tanzania) Junior N'kshama (DRC)
The attendance of these RAB members will allow IREX to capture valuable feedback on the overall efficacy of the RAB structure, the RAB’s involvement in M&E processes, and Regional Conference planning and outcomes. At the end of the meeting, an outline for an RAB toolkit will be completed. IREX will use the outline to develop a best practices toolkit that will be shared with the 2015 RABs prior to their inaugural meetings in the fall of 2015.
To support additional continuity across MWF cohorts, up to three RAB members from the 2014 cohort will continue to serve in non-voting, advisory roles to each RAB.
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Staff Networking and Outreach
IREX has used every opportunity when traveling within Africa to network with external institutions to further partnerships, meet with USAID and other USG staff, and check in on Fellows.
Zimbabwe IREX’s Senior Partnerships Manager traveled to Zimbabwe from May 25-30, 2015 after the Southern Africa Regional Conference to meet with Fellows along with current and potential program partners. The Senior Partnerships Manager traveled with the Director of LeadAfrika, IREX’s local implementing partner for Southern Africa, and with a LeadAfrika local NGO partner, Rural Unity for Development Organization.
In Harare, the Senior Partnerships Manager met with a group of five Fellows to discuss their experiences since returning home. The Fellows were enthusiastic about the impact the program had on their lives, but also felt frustrated with the economic situation in Zimbabwe and the resulting difficulty in implementing new ideas or starting businesses. David Chakombera was very vocal about his passion for YALI and the impact it has had on his life; he said that he still stays in touch with Microsoft after his Africa-based professional practicum. Melissa Mazingi discussed her positive experiences receiving a Speaker Travel Grant, and shared that she has been very busy with her business since returning home. Takunda Chingonzo expressed that he is looking forward to his Microsoft professional practicum, starting in August, and that his Speaker Travel Grants were excellent opportunities for networking and exposure. In Harare, the Senior Partnerships Manager also met with current and potential partners, including Tag a Life International, the Confederation of Zimbabwean Industries, CBZ Bank, Zimta Cooperative Credit Union, the University of Zimbabwe, and Econet Wireless.
The Senior Partnerships Manager conducted a site visit in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with Mweta Katemba from Malawi, who has a professional practicum with the Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN), the coordinating board for Zimbabwe’s AIDS organizations. ZAN’s Director shared that they currently have a funding drought and are rebuilding the organization. As a result, Mweta is now the coordinator for the Bulawayo region, leading regional activities and managing an intern. Mweta shared that, with ZAN, he will gain the perspective of working at a coordinating body, provide technical support to smaller NGOs, and learn best practices from ZAN and its members. The ZAN Director shared that he appreciates the “south to south” approach for skills transfer and learning that Mweta’s professional practicum embodies. He said that Mweta is passing on his strengths to local organizations and will build capacity among members during his professional practicum.
The Senior Partnerships Manager also met with a number of other current and potential partners in sectors including HIV/AIDS, radio, and tourism. She observed that in a country in economic crisis with a challenging political situation, Fellows can and are having a large impact through professional practicums with local organizations, particularly as many organizations are experiencing staffing shortages during a time when their work is critical. As a result of the trip, IREX anticipates an increased number of professional practicum placements and mentorships in Zimbabwe for the 2015 Fellows.
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Namibia In May, an IREX/DC staff member traveled to Windhoek, Namibia as part of other IREX programming. She leveraged her presence in Namibia to arrange meetings with potential partner organizations as well as Fellows. She met with representatives from the Legal Assistance Centre–Namibia, Sister Namibia, Katatura Youth Enterprise Centre, Physically Active Youth, and Gender Links to discuss the Mandela Washington Fellowship. As a result, at least three organizations have expressed concrete interest in hosting professional practicums in the 2015 programming year. Follow-up meetings have been scheduled for August and September 2015.
During her visit, the IREX/DC staff member organized a meeting with the 2014 Mandela Washington Fellows. Many were engaged in the Connect Camps being held in Windhoek or were out of the country participating in USAID-funded professional practicums; however, four Fellows were able to attend and give updates about their personal and professional experiences over the past year.
Rachel Kalipi has been growing her property investment business in Namibia and South Africa. She said that her professional practicum with Lions Africa helped her to better understand the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Africa. She is looking to start a mentorship program for young people in secondary school. Gregory Feris and Regional Advisory Board member Petrina Auino have continued to run healthy businesses in Namibia. Gregory has expanded his tourism business and Petrina just moved her alternative medicine practice to a larger space in Windhoek. Fransina Shivute runs a mentorship program for secondary school students in northern Namibia. All four Fellows discussed partnering to bring the 2014 Namibian Fellows to Fransina’s project site, and committed to working with their networks to connect Fransina’s mentees with individuals who can provide professional advice.
Mozambique The Southern African Regional Manager attended the Islamic Development Bank’s Youth Development Seminar that took place during its Annual General Meeting on June 8 in Mozambique. The objectives of the Seminar were to bring together local, regional, and international institutions in order to share their experiences on how effective networks can have an impact on youth development challenges; create awareness of networking opportunities that are available in the areas of entrepreneurship, skills development, education, and social contribution; and highlight the challenges that networks face from an enabling environment perspective. The Regional Manager spoke on a panel alongside Africa 2.0, Impact Hub, and TeachforAll—all institutions that are developing partnerships with the MWF. Interest was expressed about the program, and the Chairperson of the African Agency for Integrated Development was e-introduced to the East Africa Regional Manager for follow-on partnership discussions.
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1. Structured Networking Opportunities within the MWF Community
Regional Conferences
The Regional Conferences, which were held one per month from April–June 2015, provided opportunities for Fellows to Regional Conferences by share their experiences; network with each other; and the Numbers showcase their work, expertise, and achievements with each other and external stakeholders. The Regional Advisory Boards worked closely with the MWF team to develop Regional 375 - # of Fellows who Conference agendas that were tailored to the needs and attended interests of Fellows in each region. Full Regional Conference 78 - # of USG attendees reports will be shared as attachments to the next Quarterly Report. 209 - # of external attendees
West Africa Regional Conference The West Africa Regional Conference took place in Accra, Ghana from April 26-28, 2015, at the Alisa Hotel. The theme for the Conference was “Mandela Washington Fellows Give Back: Collaborating for Sustainable Transformation in West Africa.” There were a total of 288 attendees, including 145 Fellows, 13 speakers, 29 U.S. Government employees, 46 Partnership Expo participants, and 22 members of the press.
The Fellows chose to leave the Sunday morning open in order to observe religious customs and have time to meet with each other more informally. In the afternoon, there were three Lightning Talk sessions on “Nurturing Growth Sectors in West Africa,” “Approaches to Inclusive Development,” and “Promoting Sustainability through Entrepreneurship.” There was also a Fellow Expo at which the Fellows, organized by country, were able to showcase their own work to each other. In the evening, the Fellows hosted a talent show including a competition that was won by Johannes Arthur of Ghana for his chair made out of recycled water bottles.
On Monday, April 27, Ambassador Gene A. Cretz and the Deputy Minister of Education in Ghana, the Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, officially opened the Conference. Following their remarks, Parminder Vir, OBE, the Director of Entrepreneurship at the Tony Elumelu Foundation, spoke on behalf of Mr. Elumleu who was meant to give the keynote address but was unable to attend at the last minute. That morning also featured a panel entitled, “Forum on the Future of Africa,” with panelists representing the Future Africa Project, Ashesi University, WACSI, and McKinsey & Company. In the afternoon, Fellows led Community of Practice conversations on topics such as gender, the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, and energy.
The Partnership Expo that afternoon was well-attended, with representatives from the public, private, and non-profit sectors such as the Accra and Dakar Regional Leadership Centers, NAYMOTE, Microsoft, and FHI360. Following the Expo, Fellows attended a screening of the stories of change that were filmed as part of the Participatory Video and Most Significant Change M&E activity (see Section D below for
8 | P a g e further information). That evening, the Fellows had a choice of two side events, one co-sponsored by PYXERA Global, and the other by Women in Tech Ghana (see the section below on Co-Sponsored Events for further information).
On Tuesday, April 28, Theo Sowa, CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund, spoke on “The New Face of Philanthropy.” Her remarks were one of the highlights of the Conference as she addressed the long tradition of philanthropy in Africa. She said that, “Philanthropy is in the heart of [Africa’s] local communities” and emphasized the fact that “Philanthropy is not all about money,” but rather that it can take many forms, from adopting a neighbor’s orphaned children to donating one’s time or ideas.
Following Sowa’s remarks, Rachel Cintron of Theo Sowa giving remarks on USAID/West Africa moderated a panel on the Ebola “The New Face of Philanthropy” crisis with Fellows from Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. They discussed their experiences returning home from the United States and discussed the importance of building trust and creating an enabling environment for health workers. In the following panel, “Life After YALI: What Comes Next?” representatives from CareerCore, the YALI Network, and the U.S. Department of State’s Alumni Office discussed the opportunities available to the Fellows after their year of USAID-funded programming comes to a close. In the final session, Dr. Chinwe Effiong, President of Junior Achievement Africa, charged Fellows to be true transformational leaders. Christopher Runyan, Senior Coordinator of YALI at USAID, gave closing remarks and then invited all the Fellows up for a group photo to close out the Conference.
For the final Conference program, please see Attachment I.
The West African Mandela Washington Fellows
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Southern Africa Regional Conference The Southern Africa Regional Conference took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from May 17-19, 2015, at the Southern Sun Hotel. The theme for the Conference was “Mandela Washington Fellows as Collaborative Servant Leaders Contributing to the Integration and Development of the Region.” There were a total of 234 attendees, including 121 Fellows, 31 speakers, 20 U.S. Government employees, and 34 Partnership Expo participants.
On Sunday, May 17, there were welcome remarks from the Southern Africa Regional Advisory Board, IREX, USAID/Southern Africa, and a Minister of Gauteng Province. Following the welcome, H.E. Monica Geingos, the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia, gave the keynote address. Her remarks and the ensuing panel discussion were a highlight of the Conference. She told the Fellows that, “Leaders need to be led by the people who elect them.” During the panel discussion that followed her remarks, fellow H.E. Monica Geingos giving remarks on “Leadership st panelist Verne Harris of the Nelson Mandela Lessons for the 21 Century African” Foundation echoed this statement, saying “We need leadership that is profoundly accountable.” That afternoon, there were six Fellow-led Community of Practice conversations on topics including regional trade and investment, green enterprise, and youth employment. In the evening, there was a reception at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (see the section below on Co-Sponsored Events for further information).
On Monday, May 18, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Patrick H. Gaspard, welcomed everyone back for the second day of the Conference and opened the Partnership Expo. Once again, there was a diverse group of attendees at the Partnership Expo, including McKinsey & Company, South African Red Cross, Mara Foundation, and the United Nations Population Fund. In the afternoon, Dr. Serges Kamga of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute moderated a panel discussion on “Challenges of Migration in Africa.” The panelists tackled difficult topics in light of the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa, and they challenged the Fellows to overcome the discomfort of looking inward to investigate the root causes of xenophobia. Following the panel, there were three Lightning Talk sessions on “Promoting Economic Development in Southern Africa,” “Education and Human Rights–Core to Southern Africa’s Development,” and “Sustainable Development in Southern Africa.” The Fellows then attended a screening of the stories of change that were filmed as part of the Participatory Video and Most Significant Change M&E activity (see Section D below for further information). That evening, the Fellows had a choice of two side events, one co-sponsored by the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP), and the other by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) (see the section below on Co-Sponsored Events for further information).
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On Tuesday, May 19, Joyce Warner, Senior Vice President of IREX, moderated a panel discussion on the “Pitfalls of Poor Leadership” with the former President of the Seychelles, Sir James Mancham, and Moeltsi Mbeki of the South African Institute of International Affairs. Kofi Obeng-Asiedu of the U.S. Department of State then gave the Fellows an overview of how their feedback had been incorporated into changes to the U.S.-based portion of the Fellowship for the 2015 cohort. In the following panel, “YALI into the Future: What Comes Next?” representatives from USAID, CareerCore, Mara Foundation, the YALI Network, and the U.S. Department of State discussed the opportunities available to the Fellows after their year of USAID-funded programming comes to a close. In the final session, Mayur Patel of Econet Wireless Global showed a video from Econet’s founder, Strive Masiyiwa, and announced the launch of Econet’s African Business Fellowship to bring young American entrepreneurs to learn in Africa. Lutz Ziob of Microsoft4Afrika then spoke on Microsoft’s commitment to YALI. To close out the Conference, Christopher Runyan, Senior Coordinator of YALI at USAID, invited all the Fellows up for a group photo.
For the final Conference program, please see Attachment II.
The Southern African Mandela Washington Fellows
East Africa Regional Conference The East Africa Regional Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya from June 7-9, 2015, at the Safari Park Hotel & Conference Center. The theme for the Conference was “Regional Integration: Inclusive Development, Youth Entrepreneurship, and Peace and Security across East Africa.” There were a total of 263 attendees, including 109 Fellows, 12 speakers, 29 U.S. Government employees, and 51 Partnership Expo participants.
On Sunday, June 7, there were welcome remarks from the East Africa Regional Advisory Board, IREX, USAID/Kenya and East Africa, and USAID/DC. Following the welcome, there were three Lightning Talk sessions on “Inclusive Development,” “Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship,” and “Peace and Security.” In the afternoon, there was a panel discussion on “Service Leadership: Giving Back as a Young Leader,” featuring speakers from Safaricom Foundation, Kenya Airways, MasterCard Foundation, VSO Jitolee, Impact Africa Industries, and Equity Bank. The panelists spoke on the various ways Fellows can
11 | P a g e give back to their communities. Henry Kilonzo of the Safaricom Foundation said, “You need not be old or rich to give; you just need to have the dream and live by it. Be accountable to yourself and to the community you serve.” Following the panel, five Fellows presented on their leadership trajectories using the framework of the Leadership Development Plan. The attendees then broke out into five Community of Practice conversations on topics around inclusive development such as refugees and IDPs, LGBT communities, and mainstreaming disability. In the evening, the Fellows hosted a talent show with traditional dances, film, and songs.
On Monday, June 8, Sahm Venter of the Nelson Mandela Foundation opened the second day of the Conference by discussing Nelson Mandela’s legacy. She quoted Mandela as saying that “leadership is falling in love with the people you serve and the people falling in love with you.” Her remarks were followed by those of Liberat Mfumukeko, Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community. Following Mr. Mfumukeko, five Fellows participated in a Pitch Competition where they presented their ideas and products to a panel of judges from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mara Foundation, Deloitte, iHub, and GE. Hope Mwanake of Kenya won the competition for her business using glass and plastic waste to Fellow Hope Mwanake presenting on construct eco-friendly roof tiles that address Kenya's waste her “Eco-Tiles” business management issues, but also serve a growing real estate market. She won the first prize from iHub, which includes co-working space and consultancy services for market research human-centered design, and project management—a prize worth approximately $2,000. The second place prize from Deloitte went to Mitiku Gabrehiwot Tesfaye of Ethiopia for his collapsible bamboo walking sticks; Deloitte will provide up to 15 hours of consulting time of a manager or senior manager to assist Mitiku in developing a business plan for his concept. The third place prize from Mara Foundation went to Immaculate Katushabe of Uganda for her company, FarmHort Africa; Mara Foundation will provide Immaculate with three months of weekly mentorship from a high level expert.
Following the Pitch Competition, the panel for “YALI into the Future: What Comes Next?” included representatives from USAID, CareerCore, Mara Foundation, the YALI Network, and the U.S. Department of State. They discussed the opportunities available to the Fellows after their year of USAID-funded programming comes to a close. In the afternoon, the Partnership Expo included attendees such as Grameen Foundation, the East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, and Counterpart International. The Fellows then attended a screening of the stories of change that were filmed as part of the Participatory Video and Most Significant Change M&E activity (see Section D below for further information). That evening, the Fellows learned about the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa during a dinner and feedback session with the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa team.
On Tuesday, June 9, Todd Haskell, Director of Public Diplomacy for the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, opened the final day of the Conference. He expressed that the State Department’s vision for Africa is an “African vision, which is for there to be democracy, security, and
12 | P a g e prosperity on the continent.” Following his remarks, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Robert F. Godec spoke. Ambassador Godec charged the Fellows to leverage their network, reach out to each other, and share their knowledge and expertise with each other. He explained that the Conference did not mark an end but rather a beginning of the work to come. The Fellows then broke out into five more Community of Practice Conversations, this time centered on peace and security. The topics included food security, natural resources, and countering violent extremism. The Fellows came back together for closing remarks. Christopher Runyan, Senior Coordinator of YALI at USAID, closed out the Conference and invited all the Fellows up for a group photo.
For the final Conference program, please see Attachment III.
The East African Mandela Washington Fellows
Planning Meetings Following each Regional Conference, IREX convened a one-day planning meeting for Year 2. Regional and bilateral USAID missions and U.S. Embassy staff from the respective regions were invited to stay an additional day after each conference and participate in the planning meetings.
For a summary of the Planning Meeting Notes, please see Attachment IV.
2. Access and Introduction to External Networks that Support Fellows’ Individual Goals
Co-Sponsored Events
In addition to the Regional Conferences, IREX responds to more immediate Fellow interests and needs by co-sponsoring events with companies and organizations.
Microsoft 4Afrika Coaching Session As part of Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative, in April, IREX’s Ghana office worked with Stephanie Peters, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Microsoft, to co-host two events. The first event was aimed at
13 | P a g e providing targeted, individualized coaching to Fellows in Ghana. The session included tools and tips on business development, networking techniques, public speaking, and presentations styles—the soft skills that contribute to professional success and growth.
Microsoft 4Afrika Women in Tech Luncheon A companion event to the above coaching session was a luncheon with women in technology, which brought together 25 women, including the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, Patricia Aslup, the President of Junior Achievement Africa, Dr. Chinwe Effiong, and two Fellows representing their peers. This event was a great networking opportunity; it was a platform to discuss the engagement of Microsoft in Africa as well to candidly discuss the challenges and opportunities women face in their work and how they
can capitalize on one another’s expertise and talents. Christiana Okyere from Ghana speaking at the Microsoft 4Afrika Luncheon PYXERA Global With its headquarters in Washington, DC, PYXERA Global is a 25-year-old organization that works with individuals, communities, and institutions across the world to address complex development challenges through sustainable and community-driven programs. At the 2015 West Africa Regional Conference in Ghana, PYXERA Global hosted a special event, entitled “Multinational Investment in West Africa.” Facilitated by Augustus Boateng, the Deputy Chief of Staff of PYXERA Global, and Ken McGhee, Chief of Party at Ghana Supply Chain Development, this event afforded Fellows an opportunity to network with experts in the oil and gas sector as well as engage in hands-on activities such as case studies to deepen their knowledge in oil and gas multinational investments in West Africa and how local communities can maximize the benefits of such investments to bring about sustainable, community-driven, and community-owned solutions.
Women in Tech Network, Ghana Chapter The Women in Tech Forum was the second special event hosted during the 2015 West Africa Regional Conference; it highlighted the meaningful and growing contributions of African women in the technology sector, and encouraged female African youth to penetrate this traditionally male-dominated sector. Facilitated by Mandela Washington Fellow, Ethel Cofie, founder of Women in Tech Africa, this event drew the participation of organizations and professionals in the technology and communications sector in Ghana such as Women and the Web Alliance; Pearl Esua-Mensa, the Deputy Managing Director of UT Bank in Ghana; David Hutchful, Director of Technology Innovation at the Grameen Foundation; and Ruka Sanusi, CEO of Allsden Lane. Presentations and discussions were aimed at encouraging girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, and support women to succeed in the technology sector.
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Mandela Centre of Memory As a part of the Southern Africa Regional Conference, a networking event was held at the Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, South Africa. 75 Fellows attended this event. The purpose of the event was to educate the Fellows about the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, while giving them an opportunity to interact with each other. They were also able to experience the Mandela Centre of Memory’s permanent and temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibition showcases Mandela’s life and the temporary exhibition looked at the involvement of frontline states, including Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique in the struggle against apartheid. The Mandela Centre of Memory provided the venue at no cost. Verne Harris, the Director of Research and Archives for the Nelson Mandela Foundation, welcomed the Fellows. The U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Patrick H. Gaspard, then spoke, followed by Mandela Washington Fellow, Petrina Auino. As a result of the event, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has offered to host an online discussion on leadership and identity with the Fellows in September 2015.
African Leadership Academy One of the special events held alongside the Southern Africa Regional Conference was hosted by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Honeydew, South Africa. 51 Fellows attended this event. The purpose of the event was to expose Fellows to ALA’s work and its cadre of students that represent the continent. Fellows ate dinner alongside the ALA students and learned about their projects. An ALA student along with Mandela Washington Fellow, Ulrichia Rabefitiavana, gave the vote of thanks. They were followed by Dr. Frank Aswani, Vice President and Director of Strategic Relations at ALA; Michael Nehrbass, Deputy Coordinator of YALI at USAID; and Sir James Mancham, Former President of the Republic of Seychelles. As a result of the event, ALA will work with IREX to explore linking alumni of the academy with MWF Alumni as well as providing professional practicum opportunities for Fellows.
Association for Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP) The second special event during the Southern Africa Regional Conference was hosted by the Association for Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP) in Johannesburg, South Africa. 17 Fellows attended this event. The purpose of the event was to allow the Fellows to network with the members of ABSIP—business leaders with whom they can build institutional and professional relationships. ABSIP’s focus is on the financial sector, which has cross cutting relationships in other sectors such as ICT, social entrepreneurship, and agriculture. Speakers at the event included Mandela Washington Fellow, Mohammed Zuhyr Panchoo; Modise Motloba, ABSIP Advisory Council Member and Chief Executive Officer of Quartile Capital; and Sibongiseni Mbatha, ABSIP Secretary-General and Senior Business Support Manager, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
ABSIP Youth Economic Indaba In June, ABSIP hosted a Youth Economic Indaba in Johannesburg to engage young people, government, business and civil society on tackling youth unemployment. The event gathered 80+ youth from various institutions and universities, including two Fellows who participated in panel discussions on entrepreneurship and access to finance; education and skills development; women's development; and energy sustainability. The purpose was to explore career and entrepreneurship opportunities that young people could exploit.
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Speaker Travel Grants
The Speaker Travel Grants (STG) program is another of the ways that the Mandela Washington Fellowship enables Fellows to “The conference helped me access external and international networks to amplify their voice, network and identify support their continued networking, and showcase their ‘enablers’ like Cisco who will innovations and achievements. Though only 25 Speaker Travel Grants were planned for the 2014 cohort of Fellows, thanks to an help me magnify my work in approximate cost share of $24,000 and effective budget liberating the internet.” management, IREX has been able to approve a total of 45 STG recipient Takunda Speaker Travel Grant applications (five were ultimately canceled due to visa difficulties and other logistical issues beyond the Chingonzo control of IREX and the Fellow). 17 of these have been approved since April 1. Nine of these approved awardees have already participated in events, presenting at nine different events in six countries, reaching a combined audience of nearly 4,000 individuals. Eight more Fellows are scheduled to present at events.
Speaker Travel Grants are issued to Fellows who have been invited to speak or present at key industry events and conferences across Africa and beyond. The grants cover costs including visa fees, airfare, airport transfers, per diem and lodging, and registration fees. Grant applications are received on a rolling basis and approved based on criteria that balance supporting the individual passions and professional goals of Fellows with a strong emphasis on promoting African leadership across the continent and throughout the world. All applications recommended for funding are sent to the relevant USAID YALI Regional Coordinator for concurrence before final funding decisions are made.
One of Quarter 5’s awardees, Takunda Chingonzo, travelled to Morocco in May 2015 and participated in the first ever Middle East and Africa meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. As part of a panel entitled, "Harnessing Youth Entrepreneurship for Job Creation," Takunda discussed strategies for the Middle East and Africa to generate the 180 million new jobs that will be needed to absorb the currently unemployed and new graduates who will enter the workforce in the next five years. It was an excellent opportunity for Takunda to Takunda Chingonzo at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Middle East and Africa Meeting share insights from his start-up, Neolab, which has trained over 200 young entrepreneurs and generated 26 new businesses in the last three years. Speaker Travel Grant funding enabled Takunda to engage Mara Mentor, who has asked him to help launch its mentoring platform in Zimbabwe, as well as Cisco Systems, which is interested in acquiring technology developed by Takunda’s company.
In Year 1, the 2014 Fellows demonstrated a tremendous interest in Speaker Travel Grants and as awareness of successful grants spreads throughout the MWF network, this interest is only expected to
16 | P a g e increase in Year 2. To manage the expected increase in applications, IREX will streamline the application process and require Fellows to submit applications a minimum of two months before the proposed speaking opportunity. This additional time will allow IREX to be more selective and fund the opportunities that will be most impactful. In addition to funding individual applications, IREX will also leverage its regional staff and partners to develop targeted Speaker Travel Grant opportunities by connecting Fellows to high-profile international events based on their own interests as well as the priorities of the Mandela Washington Fellowship and USAID. In order to strengthen the larger MWF network, Speaker Travel Grants will continue to be available to 2014 Fellows who are invited to speak at exceptional events; however, preference will be given to 2015 Fellows starting this August.
A list detailing all Q5 Speaker Travel Grant awards can be found in Attachment V.
3. Hands-on Learning Opportunities
Professional Practicums
In Quarter 5, IREX continued to work with a variety of organizations from the private, public, and non- Professional Practicums profit sectors, as well as multilateral institutions, to by the Numbers host Fellows for Africa-based professional 241 – Professional practicums offered to Fellows practicums. IREX conducted outreach to organizations both from headquarters as well as 174 – Professional practicums finalized from IREX’s regional offices through its 62 – Professional practicums finalized in Q5 implementing partner networks. IREX is on target 11 – Professional practicums in negotiations to reach its goal of 200 professional practicum 64 – Professional practicums declined by Fellows placements for the 2014 cohort of Fellows. 11 – Fellows who requested a professional In Quarter 5, IREX offered 40 professional practicum and still need a placement offer practicum opportunities to Fellows: 31 accepted the opportunity and nine declined. To date, IREX has finalized 174 professional practicums with 62 finalized this quarter. IREX will continue to place interested Fellows until the focus switches to the 2015 cohort in August 2015. IREX has received 11 new professional practicum requests since April 1 and has since confirmed placements for four of these Fellows. IREX will work to identify professional practicums for the remaining seven Fellows who requested in Quarter 5 along with four others who requested previously.
In Quarter 5, 56 Fellows started USAID-supported professional practicums with organizations including African Disability Alliance, the African Union, the East African Community, Jet Education Services, Panzi Hospital, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
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Microsoft continued their commitment to hosting Fellows for Africa-based professional practicums both virtually and in their offices across the continent in Quarter 5. 24 Fellows started Wave 3 professional practicums with Microsoft in April and the final Wave for 2014 Fellows will begin in August. Microsoft funds monthly stipends for Fellows, and because most professional practicums in Wave 3 were conducted virtually, has covered the cost of travel and lodging for brief visits to the city/country where their supervisor is located for face-to-face learning and interaction. Estimated cumulative cost contributions for professional practicums are over $179,000. This number includes all reported cost contributions for all finalized professional practicums in Quarters 1-5.
Please find a full list of Quarter 5 professional practicums in Attachment VI.
Most Microsoft professional practicums in Wave 3 were conducted virtually, as the majority of Fellows do not live in cities with Microsoft offices. While some Fellows have thrived during a virtual professional practicum, others have found it challenging, and IREX is working with Microsoft to find ways to address this issue with 2015 Fellows who engage in professional practicums with Microsoft.
IREX received feedback from Microsoft that Wave 3 professional practicums went smoothly and that they experienced fewer concerns/issues than previous waves due to implementation of lessons learned. IREX will work with Microsoft to continue to address challenges that supervisors and Fellows face during their professional practicums.
For 2015 Fellows, IREX is modifying the professional practicum application process to mirror the application process for mentorships, which IREX found to be more effective. In July 2015, Fellows will receive access to the State Department’s Alumni website (www.alumni.state.gov), and can submit a request for a professional practicum, indicating their availability, the sectors they are interested in, and other key factors that IREX can use to identify a professional practicum placement. This change in process will ensure that Fellows provide enough details for IREX to identify a professional practicum placement fitting their interests and skills and that Fellows who are interested in an opportunity proactively request one.
Professional practicum participants of note in Quarter 5 include Martin Muganzi and John Ilima, who are both working with the U.S. Peace Corps in Uganda. Martin, who is the founder of an organization called the Youth at Work Initiative, is working with Peace Corps staff to prepare Regional Youth Technical Trainings for Peace Corps Volunteers. John, who has five years of experience working in education at the university and secondary school levels, is working with Peace Corps’ Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting team, planning John Ilima (left) and Martin Muganzi (right) working together at Peace Corps Uganda and implementing trainings for volunteers and host country nationals, and working to improve Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Systems. Peace Corps has shared that the Fellows are exceptional and are doing extraordinary work.
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4. Individualized Leadership Development
Mentoring
In Quarter 5, IREX has continued to identify mentors for Mentorships by the Numbers Fellows who request a mentor through the State Department’s
Alumni website, both identifying matches through IREX DC’s 159 – Mentoring matches offered to networks as well as through IREX’s regional offices and Fellows implementing partners. 141– Mentoring matches finalized In Quarter 5, IREX identified mentors for 32 Fellows, for a total of 141 mentorships placed to date for 2014 Fellows. Since the 116 – Organizations providing mentors start of April, nine Fellows have requested mentors. IREX is still to Fellows working to identify mentors for eight Fellows who have 8 – Fellows with outstanding mentor confirmed their interest in being matched with a mentor. requests
Please find the full list of the Quarter 5 mentor matches in Attachment VII.
In their Memorandum of Understanding with USAID, Microsoft committed to providing up to 100 mentors for Fellows. IREX spoke with Microsoft regarding this issue in February and learned that, because of the intensive commitment Microsoft has made to the program through professional practicums for Fellows and the Regional Leadership Centers, at this time it is not possible for them to provide staff as mentors. However, IREX and Microsoft discussed the possibility of integrating mentoring into professional practicums for 2015 Fellows, and will explore this and other creative mentorship opportunities.
In Year 2, IREX will continue to ask Fellows to request a mentor through the State Department’s Alumni website, which allows Fellows to provide information about the objective of their mentorship and mentor preferences (gender, location, etc.). In 2014, IREX found this process to be efficient as it ensured that Fellows proactively requested mentors and provided the necessary information to identify a mentor who fit their skills and interests.
An exemplary mentorship from Quarter 5 is that of Harenae Patricia Tahirindray from Madagascar, who reported that having Hermine Zossoungbo as her mentor “is truly one of the best things that ever happened to me.” Patricia is a bank manager but spends a significant amount of time volunteering with the Girl Scouts and is also pursuing her PhD. Hermine, who is based in Washington, DC but is originally from Benin, is the founder of the diaspora organization African Immigrant and is also a PhD professor, lecturer, and researcher, as well as a lifelong Girl Scout. Patricia told IREX that during the mentorship, she and Hermine have focused on her pursuit of a PhD, how she can more effectively work with the Girl Scouts, and how she can create a business and non-profit organization.
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Leadership Development Plans
During Quarter 5, the 2014 Fellows continued to submit their Leadership Development Plans (LDPs), which helped guide their LDPs by the Numbers professional development experiences, including professional practicums and mentorships. Since April 1, five new LDPs have 349 - # of completed LDPs been posted and five new comments were made, all by women. As of June 30, nearly 70% of Fellows have completed their LDPs posted on Moodle and over 900 comments have been made. 922 - # of comments made by During the Regional Conferences, the LDP was prominently Fellows on posted LDPs featured in Fellows’ stories of change told during the Most Significant Change story collection. The impact of the LDP on 2014 Mandela Washington Fellows was cited as a significant change in all three regions. Several direct quotes from Fellows can be found below.
“After coming back and after working on the Leadership Development Plan it gave me clear goals and guidelines as to how I could actually go on to implementing my plans….it gave me the confidence and the structure to implement the plan that I always had to become a media entrepreneur. To take control of my life and to do things my way” – Nketso Tlhasana, Botswana
“Working with the Leadership Development Plan helped me focus and say, this is the one thing that I can do and this was working with women… It has become that everything I do is focused on women. How do I change the life of women? How do I change the whole community through women?” – Magdalene Naseyian Kelel, Kenya
“The most significant change in me was what I learned in the process of writing my Leadership Development Plan…My LDP made me make commitments to myself, my community, the whole of Africa and the world at large to be the best that I can be...my Leadership Development Plan is my blueprint, it is my compass. I have used it to do things that I would never have done.” – Clara Okorie, Nigeria
The updated LDP for 2015 Fellows was finalized in Quarter 5. 2015 Fellows received a hard copy version of the LDP at PAS-led pre-departure orientations held in-country as well as the PDF version upon their arrival in the United States. Changes to the Moodle platform are underway and Fellows will receive log- in information for this website during the Presidential Summit in August where there will also be a session specifically addressing the LDP process for 2015 Fellows.
Please find the updated LDP for 2015 Fellows in Attachment VIII.
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II. Administrative Updates
Local Implementing Partners
In Quarter 5, IREX was able to cement its working relationship with each of its three regional partners, WACSI (West Africa), LeadAfrika (Southern Africa), and VSO Jitolee (East Africa). The three Regional Conferences offered excellent opportunities for IREX and partner staff to work as one unified team. The partners’ expertise and local connections proved indispensable as they helped IREX identify and engage world-class speakers and panelists as well as reliable local service providers. IREX’s regional offices are now fully staffed with IREX and partner employees working hand-in-hand to manage the program’s day to day activities. Specifically, the partners are making significant contributions to the professional practicum and mentoring programs. They have proven a reliable source for mentorship matches, and their strong regional networks have bolstered IREX’s ability to place Fellows across the continent, not solely in the hub countries of Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. Not only will these organizations expand the Mandela Washington Fellowship’s network of professional practicum hosts and mentors, but now that IREX has been able to train them on the Fellowship, these organizations will be able to actively contribute to developing new professional development opportunities and partnerships to support Fellows.
WACSI Since IREX executed its sub-award with WACSI, they have greatly contributed to the implementation of all program activities, namely, the West Africa Regional Conference, professional practicum placements, mentorship matches, and co-sponsorship events.
WACSI facilitated the operational and logistical management of the Regional Conference by leveraging the expertise of its staff members, its resources, and its network. WACSI CEO, Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, contributed her expertise in leading and managing a civil society organization for the opening plenary session of the conference, “The Future of Africa Forum.” WACSI Capacity Building Officer, Charles Kojo Vandyck, moderated a panel of Fellows presenting on “Nurturing Growth Sectors in West Africa.” Several WACSI partners contributed to the success of the Regional Conference in various roles as moderators, guest experts, and Partnership Expo participants. As well, WACSI contributed to the identification of a pool of volunteers who served in multiple roles in the implementation of the conference.
Currently, a total of six Fellows from Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia are benefitting from professional practicum placements with WACSI’s partners, including NAYMOTE in Liberia, IMANI-Ghana, and SEND-Ghana. As well, WACSI facilitated the relationship between IREX and Youth Bridge, a Ghana- based civil society organization, which has led to a co-sponsored event being held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August; twelve Fellows from West, East, and Southern Africa will participate in this conference.
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LeadAfrika Since finalizing its sub-award, LeadAfrika has been an excellent partner; they have helped develop relationships with various institutions, contributed to the planning of the Southern Africa Regional Conference, and worked on supporting the Fellows with professional practicums, mentors, and co- sponsored events.
In anticipation of the Southern Africa Regional Conference, LeadAfrika gave substantial input into the development of the Conference program, particularly the objectives and outcomes the panel and breakout sessions. In addition, LeadAfrika invited many of the participants, including representatives from the Centre for Scientific & Industrial Research, the International Labor Organization, and the Thabo Mbeki Leadership Institute. Following the Conference, Dr. Hendrick Cronje, Executive Director of LeadAfrika, accompanied IREX’s Senior Partnerships Manager on a partnership building exercise to Zimbabwe. During the visit, Dr. Cronje introduced IREX to various private sector and civil society institutions that can potentially engage with Fellows (for more details, please see the section on “Staff Travel and Networking” above). LeadAfrika has also introduced IREX to a number of other partners that are interested in providing professional practicums, including NEPAD, the Institute of South African Municipal Accounting Officers, and the African Union Youth Council.
VSO Jitolee As a member of the international VSO Federation, VSO Jitolee has been able to leverage its extensive network to support the Mandela Washington Fellowship since finalizing its sub-award with IREX. VSO has recruited 26 mentors from VSO chapters in Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Netherlands as well as from other institutions such as USADF, Global Peace Foundation, Bankers without Borders, Kiva, and Agha Khan University. VSO has also been instrumental in placing a number of Fellows with professional practicums, and developing long-term partnerships with institutions such as the Coca-Cola Foundation.
VSO Jitolee was a critical part of the planning and implementation of the East Africa Regional Conference. George Awalla, Head of Programs at VSO Jitolee, spoke on a panel discussing “Service Leadership: Giving Back as a Young Leader.” A number of the other Regional Conference participants were also VSO Jitolee contacts, including representatives from Farm Concern International, the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya, Natural Justice, Safaricom Foundation, and Kenya Airways.
Partner Capacity Building IREX is committed to creating mutually beneficial partnerships and building the capacity of our regional partners, each of whom has expressed a particular interest in building its capacity to partner with the U.S. Government. IREX has agreed to sponsor each partner to attend local trainings on USAID Rules and Regulations. Additionally, in South Africa, IREX’s Regional Finance and Operations Manager led an introduction to USAID policies for LeadAfrika since not all the staff can attend the outside training.
However, recognizing that each of our partners has unique cultures and goals for growth, IREX has not created a static one size fits all plan for capacity building. Rather, IREX is working with its partners to identify specific interventions that will not only strengthen their capabilities, but also maximize their contributions to the project. Below are the capacity building activities initiated this quarter:
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WACSI: In implementing the first West Africa Regional Conference, IREX worked closely with WACSI staff to enhance their event management capacity for large conferences. For instance, the IREX communications team worked alongside the WACSI team to assist with livestreaming, videography, and photography, which enriched their expertise in this area.
LeadAfrika: The Southern Africa partner is the smallest of IREX’s Regional Partners, and has requested specific assistance with developing a plan for institutional growth and sustainability. IREX’s Regional Manager is working closely with LeadAfrika to develop a strategy for this need.
VSO Jitolee: IREX’s staff is fully integrated into VSO Jitolee; rather than sitting separately as an MWF team, they are spread throughout the organization and seated according to functional area. In this way, VSO Jitolee’s accountants are able to learn from the IREX Finance and Operations Manager and vice versa. This structure not only builds inter-organizational cooperation, but it creates an environment of learning and exchange that directly benefits the Fellowship’s local implementation.
Staffing Updates
In Quarter 5, IREX brought on three local Program Coordinators to support its regional offices in Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. Please read more about their experience and qualifications below.
Millicent Atana, Program Coordinator Millicent Atana started in April 2015 as the Program Coordinator for the IREX West Africa team. With a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Ghana and a Master’s Degree in Conflict, Peace, and Security from the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Millicent also brings her passion for youth engagement and women’s empowerment to the team.
Candy Smith, Program Coordinator Candy Smith started in May 2015 as the Program Coordinator for the IREX Southern Africa team. Candy joins IREX from Barclays Africa where she spent the last six years working in marketing and communications, coordinating employee volunteer programs and campaigns.
Abdul Agukoh, Program Coordinator Abdul Agukoh started in May 2015 as the Program Coordinator for the IREX East Africa team. He holds a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation, a Bachelor’s degree, and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management at the University of Nairobi. He has over five years of professional experience and most recently worked as a Governance Program Manager with Plan International Kenya. He has experience with grants management, program design, social policy research and advocacy, social justice, gender equity, and managing donor funded projects as well as deep understanding of working with donors such as USAID.
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C. Communications
In Quarter 5, the program communications strategy focused on leveraging social media tools to amplify the impact of the Regional Conferences and to tell the Fellows’ stories of change from Year 1. Through Twitter, the Mandela Washington Fellowship was able to reach new audiences and showcase the work of Fellows while highlighting important discussions taking place at the Conferences. The IREX team also installed “Twitter walls” at the Conferences to encourage both Fellows and guests to join the conversation and discuss key issues affecting each region. Ndrifreke Andrew-Essien discussing how the Fellowship has impacted her life The Regional Conferences were extremely successful on social media. Below is a table demonstrating the “reach” (number of unique Twitter users that tweeted about the search term) and “impressions” (number of Twitter accounts on whose stream the search term appeared) for #MWFCon15 at each Conference. Reach Impressions
East 932,000 accounts 19 million
Southern 435,000 accounts 6.4 million
West 450,000 accounts 5.1 million
IREX created social media summaries for each Conference through Storify. The summaries can be accessed through the links below:
West Africa: https://storify.com/IREXintl/ghana-conference Southern Africa: https://storify.com/IREXintl/mandela-washington-Fellowship East Africa: https://storify.com/IREXintl/mwfcon-east-africa
Fellows were also interviewed at the Regional Conferences to understand how their professional practicums, mentors, Leadership Development Plans, Speaker Travel Grants, membership on a Regional Advisory Board, and/or participation in the Regional Conferences have bolstered their work. To watch these stories of change, please visit https://www.irex.org/resources/mandela-washington-fellowship- stories-change.
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Conference photos are available on IREX’s Flickr site and can be accessed using the links below:
West Africa: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irex/collections/72157652031470038/ Southern Africa: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irex/collections/72157653062748745/ East Africa: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irex/collections/72157653890553270/
Video footage can be accessed at IREX’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/irexdc/videos.
D. Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a key component of program implementation as it allows for results-based management, decision-making, accountability, and learning throughout program implementation. IREX’s M&E strategy includes the creation and use of systems that are practical, effective, and timely to provide information to USAID, program staff, and partners that assists them in measuring progress, identifying potential opportunities and obstacles at an early stage, and, based on the results, making programmatic adjustments. IREX applies a mixed methods approach to ensure that project performance and impact are captured accurately and comprehensively. This section provides a summary of key evaluation activities implemented in Quarter 5 and a description of progress against relevant indicators.
Key Evaluation Activities
Pilot Participatory Video and Most Significant Change Technique From April to June, IREX piloted the use of Participatory Video (PV) and the Most Significant Change technique (MSC) for understanding the impact of YALI activities in building the skills of young African leaders to improve the accountability and transparency of government, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities. Use of a participatory evaluation technique engaged Fellows in evaluation, encouraged networking and teambuilding, and allowed for collection of data from the perspectives of Fellows. The idea behind participatory video is that making a video is an accessible and engaging way to bring people together to converse about, and eventually share with a larger audience, their experiences. MSC added a structured selection process as well as the capacity to extract and quantify the qualitative data. IREX piloted PV & MSC when Fellows convened at the Regional Conferences in East, West, and Southern Africa. For each conference, IREX pre-selected 3-5 Regional Advisory Board members to lead the process. These Fellows were trained and supported by IREX and an expert trainer from InsightShare to facilitate the MSC storytelling and selection process, film the selected stories, and engage in analysis of all stories told during the process. A total of 56 Fellows shared stories of significant change, of which 12 were selected by Fellows as representing Most Significant Change. Summaries of all stories were documented in writing. The 12 selected stories were captured on video and then compiled into an
25 | P a g e impact film2 that was shared with Fellows, USAID, and the public. IREX and InsightShare are also creating video reports that document the process and results of the evaluation at each conference and one final written report describing the entire process and results across all three conferences. The video reports and written report will be finalized and shared in Quarter 6.
Conference Satisfaction Surveys To assess satisfaction with the three Regional Conferences, IREX administered Regional Conference Satisfaction Surveys on the last day of each conference. Overall, results were extremely positive. Fellows were asked in an open-ended question which part of the conference was most valuable for them and why. Across all three conferences, Fellows most often reported placing the highest value on networking and reconnecting with each other. The most commonly cited reason for placing the highest value on a session was because the Fellow believed it inspired him/her to be a better leader.
Fellows in East and Southern Africa expressed some concern around air travel logistics with the travel agent, Satguru. IREX is investigating this further to identify the cause of the issues. If possible, IREX will work with Satguru to address those issues. IREX may also consider alternative strategies, such as contracting with one travel agent per region.
Please find summaries of the Conference Satisfaction Survey results in Attachments IX, X, and XI.
Finalized RAB Outreach Report In December 2014, IREX, in coordination with the M&E Committees of each Regional Advisory Board, conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with a representative sample of Fellows from across Africa in order to increase our understanding of what programming would be most useful to Fellows as they return home. A total of nine FGDs were planned: three for each region and, within regions, one for each track of study. To provide Fellows from all countries a chance to provide input, these discussions were conducted virtually. These FGDs were participatory in that RAB M&E Committee members led the discussions and IREX then collaborated with the RAB members to analyze and write up the results. The RAB Outreach Report was finalized in Quarter 5. Please find the complete Regional Advisory Board Outreach Report in Attachment XII.
Administration of the 2015 USAID Baseline Survey In June 2015 prior to Fellow arrival in the U.S. for their Academic Institutes, IREX asked all 500 of the 2015 Fellows to complete a USAID Baseline Survey. Response rates were extremely high. Of the 500 Fellows, 485 began and 477 completed the survey. This survey was similar to the USAID Baseline Survey administered to the 2014 cohort to allow for comparability across time.
The 2015 USAID Baseline Survey asked questions according to the following key areas: professional background of Fellows, community experiences prior to the Fellowship, training and education, use of technology, professional relationships, international experiences, and demand for Africa-based professional practicums and mentorships. Information gathered from the baseline survey provides an
2 Please find “Our Change: Fellow Impact Stories” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcsJlm1LFRA
26 | P a g e understanding of who the 2015 Fellows are as a cohort and will also be used to evaluate program progress in the future. Additionally, responses to questions regarding demand for Africa-based professional practicums and mentorships help IREX staff understand interest in these program components, which is useful as we gear up to assist Fellows along their leadership trajectories over the next year. IREX is in the process of finalizing a 2015 USAID Baseline Report that draws data both from responses to the USAID Baseline Survey and program records.
Please find a draft of this report in Attachment XIII; IREX will finalize this report in Quarter 6.
Progress against Indicators
The program goal is to build the skills of young African leaders to improve the accountability and transparency of government, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities. One high level indicator of progress towards achieving this project goal is participation in follow-on activities in Africa. In Quarter 5, 412 Fellows participated in follow-on activities in Africa, which is 82% of the 2014 Fellows.
The first program purpose is to establish broad and enduring networks to support, sustain, and multiply the impact of Mandela Washington Fellowship programming. In terms of progress against this first program purpose, there were eight networking events in which 1,057 people participated. 66 Fellows participated in multiple networking events. 15 Fellows participated in conferences and events in Africa and beyond in which they were accepted as presenters. The program co- sponsored eight events, in which over 20% of Fellows participated. Fellows received nearly 10,000 hours The second program purpose is to develop young Africans’ leadership of workforce skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to become active and development constructive members of society. Excellent progress was made on several indicators against this second program purpose. In Quarter 5, 40 training at their professional practicums were offered to Fellows and 62 professional professional practicums were used3 by Fellows. Fellows received 9,947 hours of practicums during training in workforce development at their professional practicums. A Quarter 5 total of 30 mentoring opportunities were offered to Fellows and 32 mentoring opportunities have been used4 by Fellows. 30 Fellows actively participated as Regional Advisory Board members.
See the table on the next page for information on progress towards relevant indicators.
3 Professional practicums are defined as ‘used’ on the date when both the host and the Fellow agree to the terms of the professional practicum. 4 Mentorships are defined as ‘used’ on the date when Fellow and mentor sets are sent their mentor packets, commencing their mentorship.
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Project Goal: To build the skills of young African leaders to improve the accountability and transparency of government, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities
Indicator Quarter 5 Progress
Indicator G2: % of Fellows who participate in 82.0% of Fellows (410 out of 500) participated in follow-on activities in Africa follow-on activities in Africa
[Follow-on activities include local and regional events, internships, and the mentoring program]
Project Purpose 1 : Establish broad and enduring networks to support, sustain, and multiply the impact of Mandela Washington Fellowship programming
P1.1: % of Fellows participating in multiple local, 13.2% of Fellows (66 out of 500) participated in regional, or online networking events multiple local, regional, or online networking events O1.1.1a: # of participants in local and regional 1057 participants in local and regional networking networking events events O1.2.1a: # of Fellows participating in conferences 15 Fellows participated in conferences and events and events in Africa and beyond in which they in Africa and beyond in which they were accepted have been accepted as presenters as presenters
O1.2.2: # of events co-sponsored for Fellows The program co-sponsored 8 events, in which 108 Fellows participated5
Project Purpose 2: Develop young Africans’ leadership skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to become active and constructive members of society
O2.2a: % completion of Leadership Development 0.01% of Fellows (4) posted LDPs Plans (LDPs) among Fellows
O2.2b: Proportion of Leadership Development 100% of LDP comments (5 out of 5) were posted Plan (LDP) feedback comments posted by women by women
SP2.1a: # of virtual and offline professional 3 offline professional development opportunities development opportunities offered that are were offered that were tailored to women or tailored to women and other marginalized groups other marginalized groups
SP2.1b: Person hours of training completed in 9,947 hours of training in workforce development
5 Two of the side events for the West Africa Regional Conference – Multinational Investments in Africa co-hosted with PYXERA Global and Women in Tech Network co-hosted with Women in Tech Africa – were co-sponsored events. Unfortunately, Fellow attendance at these events was not recorded. The number reported here does not include Fellows that attended these two co-sponsored events.
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O2.1.1a: # of mentoring opportunities offered to 30 mentoring opportunities were offered to Fellows Fellows
O2.1.1b: # of mentoring opportunities used by 32 mentoring opportunities have been used by Fellows Fellows
SP2.2: Number of youth participating in Mandela 30 Fellows are Regional Advisory Board members Washington Fellowship Regional Advisory Boards
O2.2.1a: # of internships offered 40 internships were offered to Fellows
O2.2.1b: # of internships used by fellows 62 internships were used by Fellows
Please find the cumulative Indicator Progress Matrix in Attachment XIV.
E. Lessons Learned
The 2015 Regional Conferences were extremely successful. The Fellows expressed their immense satisfaction with the conferences and their appreciation at having the opportunity to reconnect with each other. These sentiments were clear from the satisfaction surveys, as indicated above. However, as this was the first year of the Regional Conferences, there is room for improvement.
One of the benefits of having the three Regional Conferences occur one after another was that there was a sharp learning curve from one to the next. For example, in Ghana the IREX team realized that having the Fellows collect individual papers and items at registration slowed down the process. In South Africa, therefore, the IREX team pre-stuffed the Mandela Washington Fellowship bags with all materials the night before. As a result, registration at the Southern Africa Conference went very smoothly. In addition to incorporating lessons learned in each subsequent Conference, the IREX team was also able to experiment with different kinds of sessions and formats so that next year it will be clear which were most successful. For example, a number of different room configurations were used for the Community of Practice Conversations. The most successful was having chairs in one large circle with no tables and no presentation technology in order to encourage conversation and participation from all attendees.
In order to codify these best practices and lessons learned, IREX is developing a Regional Conference toolkit. This toolkit will contain a master work plan as well as templates and examples of all materials developed for the 2015 Regional Conferences. Moreover, since IREX will be able to start the planning for the 2016 Regional Conferences much earlier, have already vetted a number of local vendors, and have
29 | P a g e fully-formed field teams who have been through a Regional Conference before, the 2016 Regional Conferences will be able to build on the success of the 2015 ones.
F. Conclusion
In Quarter 5, IREX connected over 80% of the Fellows to professional development and networking activities through USAID funds. IREX finalized professional practicums for 62 Fellows, introduced 32 Fellows to mentors, approved 17 Fellows for Speaker Travel Grants, and hosted 108 Fellows at co- sponsored events. Moreover, Fellows received nearly 10,000 hours of hands-on training through professional practicums, and nine Fellows presented at high-profile events, reaching a combined audience of over 4,000 individuals as a result of the Speaker Travel Grants. Most significantly, IREX held three successful Regional Conferences in Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. 375 Fellows attended the Conferences and were able to reconnect with each other, reenergize themselves, and recommit to the leadership vision of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
In Quarter 6, IREX will launch the USAID-funded year of follow-on programming for the 2015 cohort of Fellows at the Presidential Summit in Washington, DC. The 2015 Fellows will be able to post their Leadership Development Plans, develop their platforms for the Regional Advisory Boards, and indicate interest in professional practicums and mentoring.
G. Attachments
All attachments are included as separate documents
I: West Africa Regional Conference Program II: Southern Africa Regional Conference Program III: East Africa Regional Conference Program IV: Summary Planning Meeting Notes V: Speaker Travel Grant Awards Q5 VI: Finalized Professional Practicum Placements Q5 VII: Finalized Mentoring Matches Q5 VIII: 2015 Leadership Development Plan IX: West Africa Conference Satisfaction Survey Results X: Southern Africa Conference Satisfaction Survey Results XI: East Africa Conference Satisfaction Survey Results XII: Regional Advisory Board Outreach Report XIII: Baseline Survey Report XIV: Indicator Progress Matrix
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