RGA PHOTO

COLOMBIA REGIONAL GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019

JANUARY 31, 2020 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Management Systems International (MSI), A Tetra Tech Company.

COLOMBIA REGIONAL GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019

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Colombia Regional Governance Activity

DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS ACRONYMS ...... II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 4 NATIONAL CONTEXT ...... 6 KEY ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS ...... 7 COMPONENT 6 ...... 7 PROGRESS ASSESSMENT ...... 18 COORDINATION WITH OTHER USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS ... 19 ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER ...... 19 TRANSFORMING LIVES ...... 21 PLAYING SAFE ...... 21 UNDERSTANDING THE REALITIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS ...... 22 STRENGTHENING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES ...... 24 IMPROVING COORDINATION WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES ...... 25 THE PATH AHEAD ...... 25 ANNEXES ...... 27 ANNEX 1: NATIONAL CONTEXT ANALYSIS ...... 27 ANNEX 2: RGA-SUPPORTED PROJECTS THIS QUARTER ...... 29 ANNEX 3: DEPARTMENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS ROUTES ...... 30 ANNEX 4: RGA GRANTS TO CSOS IN ARAUCA, LA GUAJIRA, AND NORTE DE SANTANDER IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2020 ...... 33 ANNEX 5: CITIZEN OVERSIGHT GROUPS ...... 34 ANNEX 6: PROGRESS ASSESSMENT ...... 35 ANNEX 7: COORDINATION WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AID PROGRAMS ...... 36

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | i ACRONYMS

CBO Community-Based Organization

COMPOS Consejo Municipal de Política Social (Municipal Council for Social Policy)

CSO Civil Society Organization

ELN Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army)

FARC-EP Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)

FONPET Fondo de Ahorro Pensional Territorial (Territorial Pension Savings Fund)

GBV Gender-Based Violence

GIFMM Grupo Interagencial sobre Flujos Migratorios Mixtos (Interagency Group for Mixed Migration Flows)

GOC Government of Colombia

HCC Hagamos Control Ciudadano (Let’s Exercise Citizen Control)

ICBF Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (Colombian Family Welfare Institute)

IOM International Organization for Migration

LOP Life of Project

MEN Ministerio de Educación Nacional (Ministry of Education)

MOF Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público (Ministry of Finance)

NRC Norwegian Refugee Council

OTI Office of Transition Initiatives

PADF Pan American Development Foundation

PAHO Pan American Health Organization

PDM Plan de Desarrollo Municipal (Municipal Development Plan)

PEGR Planes Escolares para la Gestión del Riesgo (School Risk Management Plans)

PIC Plan de Intervenciones Colectivas (Collective Interventions Plan)

PMP Performance Management Plan

RGA Regional Governance Activity

RNEC Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil (National Civil Registry)

ii | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV SENA Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (National Institute for Learning)

SIMAT Sistema Integrado de Matrícula (National Admissions Information System)

SNG Sub-National Government

SOW Statement of Work

UAES Unidad Administrativa Especial de Salud (Special Administrative Health Unit)

UNFPA United Nations Fund for Population Activities

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Governance Activity (RGA) began on June 22, 2015, under Task Order No. AID-514-TO-15-00015, to be implemented over four and a half years. Its initial aim was to improve governance in 40 Colombian municipalities affected by the nation’s armed conflict through five program components: decentralization, public financial management, tertiary roads, citizen participation, and electoral reform. On April 23, 2019, RGA was awarded a six- month extension to June 21, 2020, to expand its work through a sixth component. Now RGA works with 10 sub-national governments (SNGs)1 in three border departments—Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander—to help them better cope with the challenges created by the influx of Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees in host communities.

This quarterly report covers RGA activities between October and December 2019, corresponding to the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. The document provides an overview of the national context; information about RGA progress, accomplishments, and impacts; a summary of RGA coordination with USAID implementing partners and international donors; progress on program indicators; and a summary of activities scheduled to take place between January and March 2020. The quarterly report also includes a success story, entitled “Playing Safe,” and seven annexes that provide detailed information on selected program elements. Highlights this quarter include:

• Support to SNGs to improve health service provision: RGA provided technical assistance to departmental and municipal health secretariats to develop public officials’ skills in registering migrants and returnees within the subsidized health care system. It did so by promoting the creation of census lists 2 and training officials in database maintenance in its three target departments. These efforts resulted in the registration of more than 1,200 migrant minors and returnees within census lists, which is needed for their registration within the subsidized health care regime.3 In addition, RGA worked with municipal health secretariats to conduct health care information sessions in Maicao and Uribia (La Guajira) to help migrants and returnees better understand requirements and documentation needed to be registered within the health care system. As a result of RGA’s support, more than 300 people have been directly registered within the health care system.

• Support to SNGs to improve education service provision: RGA assisted 16 public schools in its 10 target municipalities to draft school risk management plans (PEGRs)4 and helped 13 of these schools reactivate their risk management school committees,5 with the remaining 3 under way. RGA support to PEGRs helped schools identify the risks their students face, such as

1 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira); and Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). In the first four years of the program, RGA carried out activities in Arauquita (Arauca) and Tibú (Norte de Santander). The program had not worked with 8 out of these 10 municipalities: Arauca, (Arauca); Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira); and Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 2 Census lists are the legal instrument in Colombia to affiliate migrant minors and Colombians to the subsidized health care regime. 3 In Colombia, health care is a two-tiered system: one tier, the paid regime, covers citizens with the ability to pay for care, and the other, the subsidized regime, offers subsidized care for those unable to pay. 4 PEGRs are mandatory plans that public schools in Colombia must draft to identify risks and outline strategies that prevent or mitigate these. 5 A risk management school committee involves the participation of teachers, students, and senior managers.

4 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV xenophobia, and actions to prevent and mitigate them, such as workshops to prevent school violence. Moreover, once school communities identified risks, RGA assisted in reaching out to public entities, international agencies, and donors to implement actions to address these risks, such as coordinating efforts with municipal planning entities in two municipalities6 to draft public investment projects for USD $7,870 to reduce road accidents in front of public schools through educational campaigns, traffic signals, and pedestrian crossings.

• Support to SNGs to increase resources for health and education service provision: RGA worked with municipal governments to mobilize resources to increase funds for health and education service provision through Territorial Pension Savings Fund (FONPET)7 drawdowns, 2020 municipal budgets, and project formulation. First, the program provided technical assistance to nine RGA target municipalities8 in requesting FONPET drawdowns. As of now, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has certified USD $6.6 million available for FONPET drawdowns9 for general purpose public investment projects in six municipalities that RGA has been assisting.10 Second, RGA provided technical assistance to 911 of its 10 target municipalities to draft 2020 budgets, emphasizing resource appropriation for health and education service provision, which resulted in municipalities having a total projected budget of USD $351.7 million for health and education services. Lastly, the program assisted municipal administrations in designing or adjusting 10 public investment projects with the potential of benefiting migrant, returnee, and host populations in the first semester of 2020.

• Support to civil society to build capacities to improve health and education service provision and access: RGA trained 384 citizens and 37 public officials using an adaptation of USAID’s Let’s Exercise Citizen Control (HCC) methodology focused on health and education service delivery. From these trainings, the program identified and helped participants form 15 citizen oversight groups to oversee health and education services in all 10 target municipalities, 9 of which are already legally established, with the remaining 6 in the process of fulfilling requirements for legal recognition.12

• Support to civil society to execute projects aimed at addressing migrant, returnee, and host community concerns: RGA awarded [redacted] to local civil society organizations

6 Puerto Santander and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 7 FONPET is managed by MOF. The fund collects, manages, and allocates resources deposited by local administrations to pay public officials’ pensions. Municipalities that have saved more than 125 percent of the money destined for this purpose can access excess funds to make public investments. 8 During the first quarter of 2020, RGA supported FONPET drawdown processes in all its target municipalities except Cúcuta, where the program trained public officials to understand how to request a FONPET drawdown. In Cúcuta, RGA could not further support the drawdown process as the outgoing municipal administration chose not to work with the program. Nevertheless, the newly elected municipal administration of Cúcuta has already started working with RGA, and the program expects to fully support FONPET drawdowns in this municipality in the second quarter of 2020. 9 RGA Newsletter 18 reported USD $7.4 million available for FONPET drawdowns. As of writing, MOF has issued FONPET drawdown certificates for the six aforementioned municipalities, where it updates the final number of available funds to USD $6.6 million. 10 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca), Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 11 All except Cúcuta, where RGA could not work with the 2016–2019 municipal administration. 12 The process to legally establish an oversight group is as follows: 1) citizens interested in creating an oversight group hold a formal meeting to establish each person’s role and responsibilities; 2) citizens write an act of this meeting, formally known as a Constitution Act; 3) citizens submit their Constitution Act to their local ombudsman’s office; and 4) the ombudsman’s office reviews the Constitution Act and issues a Resolution Act whereby the oversight group is legally established.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 5 (CSOs) in its three target departments to carry out projects aimed at migrant, returnee, and host women and youth to address community concerns related to the Venezuelan migrant crisis, such as xenophobia and gender-based violence (GBV).

• Gender and vulnerable populations’ strategy: As a crosscutting component applying to all its activities, RGA has promoted the inclusion of women and vulnerable populations, especially migrant women, children, and youth, in the implementation of civil society strategies to address migration concerns. The program provided technical assistance to CSOs to better engage citizens, improve health and education services, and encourage citizen participation. To this end, RGA: 1) promoted citizen participation in activities that bring together public institutions and civil society, especially Municipal Councils for Social Policy (COMPOS);13 2) boosted CSO actions aimed at addressing GBV through [redacted]; and 3) supported civil society in identifying and raising awareness on key community concerns and risks, such as xenophobia, child abuse, and sexual exploitation.

NATIONAL CONTEXT14

The first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year was marked by local elections and nationwide strikes. The October 27, 2019, elections were the first held since the signing of the 2016 Peace Accords.15 Overall, Colombians in urban areas voted in independent and government opposition candidates,16 delivering a rebuke to mainstream political parties and prominent political figures such as Álvaro Uribe on the far right of the political spectrum and Gustavo Petro on the left.17 Additionally, voter abstentionism dropped by one percentage point, while blank votes surged by nearly 50,000 votes.18

According to the National Civil Registry (RNEC) director, this election day was among the most peaceful in the country’s recent history, and for the first time all voting stations nationwide were in operation. Nevertheless, prior to election day the national government prioritized several regions across Colombia due to security concerns, including RGA departments Arauca and Norte de Santander. In Arauca, the government issued a security alert due to a threatening National Liberation Army (ELN)19 presence in the department, though no incidents were reported on election day. In Norte de Santander, mayoral candidates were threatened by ELN, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) dissidents, and other illegal armed groups such as Los Pelusos,20 resulting in the assassination of Tibú mayoral candidate Bernardo Betancourt on September 15, 2019.

13 COMPOS involve civil society and have the goal of establishing, coordinating, and evaluating social policies to improve quality of and access to public services. 14 For more information, see Annex 1: National Context Analysis. 15 On November 24, 2016, the Colombian Government (GOC) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) signed the Peace Accords to put an end to more than 50 years of armed conflict. However, several FARC-EP members chose to remain raised in arms, and these are now known as FARC-EP dissidents. 16 Source: https://bit.ly/35ZoGP3 17 Source: https://bit.ly/2G1TTGY 18 Source: https://bit.ly/2FYIQ1b 19 Prior to the 2016 Peace Accord, ELN was the second-largest guerrilla force operating in Colombia. Now it is the largest active guerrilla force in the country. 20 Los Pelusos, also known as the Libardo Mora Front, is a dissident group of the former Popular Liberation Army left-wing guerrilla force, which demobilized in 1991. Following this demobilization, the Libardo Mora Front remained raised in arms, thus giving birth to Los Pelusos, which to this day still focus their actions on Norte de Santander, particularly in the Catatumbo region.

6 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV In November, Colombian worker unions called for nationwide strikes to oppose government measures, such as a tax reform, with large protests in urban areas throughout the country starting on November 21. Colombian worker unions were joined by student groups; women’s community-based organizations (CBOs); and the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, which joined protests to end corruption in the public sector and advocate for increasing resources in public education, preventing GBV, and increasing state protection for social leaders. The largest protests took place in Bogotá and other capital cities such as Barranquilla (Atlántico), Cali (Valle del Cauca), and Medellín (Antioquia). Demonstrations continued well after November 21, lasting through mid-December. According to [redacted], RGA’s security provider, 350 protests have taken place, with new ones expected in early 2020.

KEY ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

COMPONENT 6

Attention to Migrant, Returnee, and Host Populations

This quarter, RGA worked with SNGs and CSOs, citizen oversight groups, and public school communities to improve coordination among stakeholders and develop medium- and long-term solutions to the Venezuelan migrant crisis. The program: 1) trained 164 public officials (83 women, 81 men) to carry out successful government handovers; 2) helped six target municipalities21 receive MOF certification for a total of USD $6.6 million available in FONPET drawdowns; 3) promoted the creation of census lists, resulting in the registration of more than 1,200 migrants and returnees within census lists, which is needed for registration within the subsidized health care regime; 4) reactivated 13 school risk management committees in nine municipalities22 and finalized 16 PEGRs in all 10 target municipalities; 5) helped people form 15 citizen oversight groups that oversee health and education service provision in RGA’s 10 target municipalities, with 9 legally established;23 and 6) awarded [redacted] to local CSOs for the implementation of projects aimed at migrant, returnee, and host community youth and women to increase citizen participation, improve coexistence between communities, address GBV in communities, and strengthen CBOs.

EXPECTED RESULT 1: SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN TARGET REGIONS TO ACCESS NATIONAL-LEVEL FUNDS AND PROVIDE HEALTH AND EDUCATION SERVICES TO VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS AND COLOMBIANS

PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSITIONS. Successful handover processes between outgoing and incoming administrations accelerate the learning curves of new officials and help them address pressing migration concerns. RGA supported government handovers in its 10 target municipalities during three crucial stages: 1) training local teams to conduct efficient government transitions; 2) working with SNGs to create transition teams; and 3) including a chapter on migrants in

21 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca), Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 22 Committees include teachers, students, and senior managers. The 13 committees are located in nine municipalities: Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Uribia (La Guajira); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 23 In Arauquita (Arauca), Maicao, Uiribia (La Guajira), Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander).

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 7 outgoing municipal administration closeout reports. On this last point, RGA technical assistance focused on analyzing the context of education and health service supply and demand as well as other relevant data on migrants and returnees, such as the largest migrant concentrations in each municipality and current migration patterns. This analysis resulted in all RGA municipalities except for Cúcuta24 including a chapter on migration in their 2016–2019 municipal administration reports. It is expected that all target municipalities will include migrant issues in upcoming municipal development plans (PDMs).25

FIGURE 1. RGA SUPPORT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSITIONS

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES. To assist newly elected local governments in targeted municipalities, RGA analyzed incoming administrations’ development plans (Programas de Gobierno, which all mayoral candidates are required by law to create prior to elections), to understand administrative priorities and positions on migration concerns. The program found that health and education were recurring priorities in all government programs, but only six26 specifically included activities benefiting migrant and/or returnee communities in areas such as employment, education, health, security, and planning.

MOBILIZING RESOURCES TO ATTEND TO MIGRANT, RETURNEE, AND HOST POPULATIONS. RGA’s target municipalities lack resources to address the rapid and sustained influx of Venezuelan migrants into their territories. To support municipalities in facing this challenge, RGA

24 RGA could not work with the 2016–2019 municipal administration in Cúcuta. 25 A PDM establishes guidelines for a municipality’s growth and improvement, determining the processes and budget necessary to meet these goals. Mayors must submit their development plans within their first two months in office, as these will be the roadmap their administrations follow. Concerns and issues not included in these plans are unlikely to receive funding once they are finalized. 26 Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira), Villa del Rosario, Los Patios, and Puerto Santander (Norte de Santander).

8 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV provided technical support to municipal administrations under three lines of work: FONPET drawdowns, 2020 municipal budgets, and project formulation. RGA assisted nine target municipalities27 in undertaking the procedural requirements for requesting FONPET drawdowns, resulting in the MOF’s certification of USD $6.6 million available for unspecified public investment projects in six municipalities.28 Likewise, the program provided technical assistance to 9 of its 10 target municipalities (except for Cúcuta) to draft 2020 budgets, emphasizing resource allocation for health and education service provision. As a result, nine RGA municipalities have a total projected budget of USD $351.7 million for health and education services (Table 1). Lastly, in the first quarter of 2020 the program provided technical assistance to design and edit public investment projects29 with significant potential benefit to migrant, returnee, and host populations.

TABLE 1: RGA TARGET MUNICIPALITIES’ 2020 DRAFT BUDGETS (USD MILLION)

Department Arauca La Guajira Norte de Santander

Municipality Arauca Arauquita Maicao Riohacha Uribia Los Puerto Tibú Villa del Patios Santander Rosario

RGA TA Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Total $23.1 $15.1 $118 $119.8 $87.99 $20.2 $4.74 $14.9 $32.4 municipal budget

Health budget $9.7 $9.8 $65.5 $50.3 $39.6 $10.7 $3.1 $9.3 $22.3 in USD million (% of total (42.2%) (65.2%) (55.5%) (41.9%) (45%) (52.2%) (66.1%) (62.5%) (68.8%) budget)

Education $0.5 $0.56 $40.8 $51 $35.8 $0.85 $0.14 $1 $0.55 budget in USD million (2.2%) (3.75%) (34.6%) (42.6%) (40.7%) (2.4%) (2.9%) (6.85) (1.7%) (% of total budget)

INCREASING HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR MIGRANTS AND RETURNEES. In Colombia, the health care system comprises two tiers: one covers citizens who can pay for care, and the other offers subsidized care for those unable to pay. Although Venezuelan migrants and returnees have access to emergency care regardless of whether they are registered or not, any treatment beyond what can be offered during an emergency room visit requires registration within the system. The legal instrument to register migrant minors30 or returnees in the subsidized health care regime is a census list, which is

27 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca), Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira), Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 28 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca), Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 29 RGA supported the design of six new projects in Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira), Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander) for a total of USD $11.8 million and assisted municipal administrations in Cúcuta and Puerto Santander (Norte de Santander) in editing four existing projects for a total of USD $4 million. These 10 projects aim to improve health and education services, for instance, by strengthening rural school transportation in Uribia or implementing quality standards to improve health service provision in Puerto Santander. See Annex 2 for detailed information on projects. 30 Under current legislation, only Venezuelan minors are eligible for subsidized health care.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 9 created, managed, and updated by municipal health secretariats. RGA provided technical assistance to municipal health secretariats in its 10 target municipalities to develop public officials’ skills in census list management, resulting in the registration of more than 1,200 migrant minors and returnees within census lists, which is needed for their registration within the subsidized health care regime (Figure 2).

FIGURE 2. MIGRANT AND RETURNEE HEALTH CARE AFFILIATION

In addition, RGA supported municipal health secretariats in carrying out health care information sessions in Maicao and Uribia (La Guajira) 31 to help migrants and returnees better understand the procedural requirements and documentation needed to be registered in the Colombian health care system through a local health care provider. As a result of RGA’s support, more than 300 people have been directly registered within the health care system.

Finally, as the Venezuelan migration becomes a long-term phenomenon, the Government of Colombia (GOC) needs to implement a long-term approach to address migration concerns. To this end, RGA provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health’s Health Insurance Office to design a legal framework that enables migrants other than minors to be included within the subsidized health care regime. RGA is currently in talks to enable affiliation with the subsidized regime for all migrants with a valid special residence permit.

31 Sessions were held on September 25 (Uribia) and September 30 (Maicao). The Maicao session was not included in the 2019 annual report because of the report’s cutoff date and is therefore reported now.

10 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV CREATING HEALTHIER HABITS IN WOMEN, YOUTH, AND CHILDREN. RGA worked with municipal health secretariats to prioritize Collective Interventions Plan (PIC)32 provisions for the Venezuelan migrant crisis in Arauquita (Arauca) and Uribia (La Guajira). After identifying early pregnancy, transmittable diseases, and malnutrition as key public health concerns in migrant, returnee, and host communities, RGA provided technical assistance to municipal health secretariats to carry out workshops to address these concerns, in which close to 400 people participated.

WORKING AT DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE ACCESS. In RGA’s three target departments, departmental health secretariats have admitted that municipal public officials lack the skills needed to maintain their databases, particularly in terms of removing people who are deceased or who no longer qualify for the subsidized health care regime.33 Understanding this need, RGA carried out training sessions on database maintenance with public officials in Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), Arauca (Arauca), and Riohacha (La Guajira) on November 8, 12, and 29, respectively. During these sessions, the program implemented the “Learning by Doing” methodology to build municipal government capacity by training 29 public officials (17 women and 12 men) in database maintenance and census list creation.34

Moreover, the program participated in departmental health care roundtables in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander35 to disseminate and explain the roadmap developed by RGA for accessing health care. Migrants, Colombian returnees, and the government officials attempting to help them need to know that under Colombian law, the paths for accessing the Colombian health care system differ according to whether an individual has official documentation or not. These paths can be cumbersome and confusing for migrants and returnees not familiar with Colombian law and negotiating through its dense bureaucratic processes. On the basis of feedback from participants in these roundtables, RGA revised the roadmaps for health care access for each of its three target departments (see Annex 3) before providing the finalized version to departmental health secretariats.

PROMOTING SAFE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS. Public school students face daily risks that institutions fail to address. The rapid and sustained arrival of migrants and returnees has intensified certain risks, such as teen pregnancy, and led to new ones, particularly xenophobia. Moreover, there is a lack of coordination between public schools and municipal administrations, which hinders institutions’ ability to manage school risks.36 Given these circumstances, RGA worked closely with public schools and municipal and departmental administrations to ensure their participation in school risk management initiatives.

32 A PIC is a benefit plan that comprises interventions to promote health and manage risks. It aims to have a positive impact on social factors that affect health and reach the goals established in Territorial Health Plans. A Territorial Health Plan is a short- to medium-term planning instrument for health care at local level. It includes established strategies to address territorial health concerns over a four-year period. 33 People no longer eligible for subsidized health care regime affiliation are typically those who have found a job that pays for their health care or who have sufficient income to pay on their own. At the time of writing, health secretariats have not released the exact number of people that have been removed from the subsidized health care regime as they no longer meet the requirements for it. 34 Public officials from 9 out of RGA’s 10 municipalities: Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander); Arauca (both departmental and municipal officials); Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira). 35 RGA participated in several roundtables between October and November 2019. 36 Out of RGA’s 10 target municipalities, only Cúcuta is certified to operate its education services independently; the rest depend on departmental education secretariats. Knowing their work does not depend on municipal institutions, public schools often have little to no contact with municipal entities responsible for education, resulting in a lack of coordination between the two.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 11 At the departmental level, RGA approached departmental education secretariats in its three target departments prior to starting program activities. The program focused on working with departments to improve the quality of and access to education services in its 10 target municipalities. In the course of discussions, departmental education secretariats prioritized 16 public schools for RGA to work with based on their number of migrant students and the social conflicts arising in these institutions.

RGA then provided technical assistance to prioritized public schools to activate and strengthen risk management school committees, with 13 fully operational37 and the remaining 3 in the process of being organized. Through this work, RGA supported school communities in identifying risks students face and helping staff, students, and parents detect risks, including physical dangers such as crumbling walls or rivers that students must cross and social ones such as being forced into child labor or early pregnancy. In addition, RGA provided technical assistance to risk management school committees to establish actions to prevent and mitigate risks, such as establishing roadmaps for students and parents to contact relevant public entities such as the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) in case of suspected child abuse. This work resulted in all 16 public schools drafting their own PEGRs that contemplate a comprehensive set of risks and actions to promote safe education environments for students.

At the municipal level, RGA met with COMPOS committees in four target municipalities38 to discuss with them key PEGR findings that can help municipal administrations prioritize actions to protect students in their school environments. RGA also supported public schools in reaching out to municipal entities to plan and execute actions that contribute to preventing and mitigating school risks. As a result, municipal agencies have provided workshops on self-care, early pregnancy prevention, and violence prevention in school communities both within and beyond RGA’s areas of focus (Figure 3). By helping school communities reach out to public entities and enabling coordination between the two, RGA also addresses its Expected Result 2, “Strengthen civil society organizations’ capacity to advocate for community needs and work collaboratively with GOC institutions to tailor attention to migrant and host community priorities.”

37 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Uribia (La Guajira); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 38 Arauquita (Arauca), Cúcuta, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander).

12 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV FIGURE 3. COORDINATING EFFORTS BETWEEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

IDENTIFYING GBV IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Through RGA technical assistance, 16 public schools drafted PEGRs that identified 12 GBV risks39 as well as preventive measures, including the involvement of the ICBF (as the national government agency with jurisdiction in such instances) in case of suspected child abuse. Schools identified students vulnerable to child abuse, violence within and outside school grounds, child and early pregnancy, sexual abuse, and child labor. Moreover, RGA supported schools in implementing actions to prevent and mitigate these risks, such as helping the Gabriel García Márquez risk management school committee in Arauquita plan and conduct a workshop to prevent early pregnancy with the municipal health and education secretariats on September 19, 2019.40

INCREASING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. School-age children and adolescents arriving from Venezuela often lack the paperwork required to enroll in a Colombian public school, which has led to the denial of school registration. During the reporting period, RGA supported 16 public schools in 10 program

39 These are labor exploitation, violence within and outside school grounds, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, child prostitution, child abuse, sexual abuse, xenophobia, child labor, sexually transmitted diseases, child and early pregnancy, and child pornography and pedophilia. 40 Due to the cutoff date of the 2019 annual report, the Arauca workshop was not included in this document and is therefore reported now.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 13 target municipalities receiving high numbers of migrant students to guarantee education for all. To this end, the program promoted early school applications for the 2020 Colombian academic year41 to help public schools and education secretariats adequately plan and thus respond to student demand.

To further promote school attendance, RGA provided technical assistance to municipal education secretariats in its 10 target municipalities to identify and enroll school-age migrants in public schools and maintain the National Admissions Information System (SIMAT) database to distinguish migrant from Colombian students.42

Finally, through RGA’s risk management actions, the program helped public schools identify risks related to school dropout rates, such as lack of school supplies and students having to cross rivers on their own. With these risks identified, RGA coordinated actions with the donor community to meet these needs. In Arauca, RGA coordinated efforts with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to secure a donation of 385 life vests for students having to cross the Arauca River to get to school. In La Guajira, RGA negotiated with [redacted] a donation of more than 600 school kits, the first 70 of which were delivered by the organization on October 22 to migrant primary school students in Riohacha.

PROMOTING INSTITUTIONAL AND CSO PARTICIPATION IN COMPOS. COMPOS are official municipal councils that bring together local government and civil society. RGA has worked with COMPOS in its target municipalities with an emphasis on raising awareness of migrant, returnee, and host community concerns. In the past quarter, the program fostered the participation of local governments and CSOs in COMPOS in eight target municipalities43 by: 1) working with newly elected administrations in three municipalities 44 to share COMPOS methodologies, such as a toolkit to guide COMPOS operations,45 which resulted in public entities participating in COMPOS in Arauquita; and 2) strengthening civil society through citizen oversight groups in La Guajira to give them tools to effectively communicate community needs within COMPOS, resulting in Riohacha and Uribia youth participation to advocate for youth concerns such as reducing GBV and xenophobia. In addition, through RGA support, public schools in Arauquita, Cúcuta, Puerto Santander, and Tibú disseminated PEGR findings in COMPOS, which led RGA to coordinate efforts with the principal of a school in Tibú, even though it was outside RGA’s scope of work, to transfer the program’s risk management methodology.

41 The Colombian academic year for public schools starts in February and ends in November. 42 Distinguishing migrant from Colombian students is important for understanding migration patterns and public school needs. This, in turn, helps prioritize actions and programs that improve education services for migrant, returnee, and host populations. In addition, routes to access education are different for migrants and Colombians, so having an accurate diagnosis of students allows stakeholders to be better positioned to guarantee education rights. 43 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca), Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira), Cúcuta, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 44 Arauquita (Arauca), Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander). 45 This RGA-developed toolkit includes guidelines and tips for the municipal secretary in charge of COMPOS operations on how a COMPOS should be formed and run. To this end, it provides formats and matrices to ensure successful COMPOS operation, such as a format to identify population groups to be included in COMPOS, a matrix to prioritize population needs, a matrix to monitor social policy progress, and a format to outline subcommittee work plans.

14 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV Youth Help Stakeholders Understand Community Needs in Uribia

Photo 1. Youth interviewing community members in Uribia, La Guajira.

Five young members from two RGA-supported citizen oversight groups in Uribia, La Guajira, conducted 361 surveys between September and November 2019 covering migrant, returnee, and host communities (253 women, 108 men) to better understand community needs. They identified key community concerns in Uribia Airport settlements (La Florida, Villa Fausta, and Etnia Wayuu). Among their findings were the following: 1) the main barrier to access public services is a lack of identification; 2) there is little access to specialized medical services; 3) there is a lack of prevention programs to control diseases such as dengue and chikungunya; 4) there is a lack of information to access public services, even when migrants and returnees have all required paperwork; 5) migrants have difficulties procuring an income of their own; 6) sexual exploitation, especially in migrant women, has increased; 7) xenophobia, especially against women, has increased; and 8) there is a lack of available spots to access public school education.

With RGA technical assistance, these youth presented these findings and advocated for community needs in the Uribia COMPOS session on December 18, 2019, raising awareness of key community concerns before public institutions responsible for addressing these.

EXPECTED RESULT 2: STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS’ CAPACITY TO ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH GOC INSTITUTIONS TO TAILOR ATTENTION TO MIGRANT AND HOST COMMUNITY PRIORITIES

STRENGTHENING CSO CAPACITIES TO ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH. CSOs lack resources to implement strategies that go beyond humanitarian assistance and address medium- and long-term approaches to migration concerns with migrant, returnee, and host populations. Given these circumstances, RGA awarded [redacted] grants to local CSOs in its three target departments to implement projects aimed at migrant, returnee, and host youth and women for more than [redacted] (see Annex 4). Moreover, RGA conducted a workshop in Cúcuta on November 27 to strengthen civil society

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 15 capacities in project design, in which 22 people (15 women, seven men) participated, representing six CSOs.46

Helping Prevent Cervical Cancer in Indigenous Women

Photo 2. Posters to encourage participation in the cervical cancer prevention session in Uribia (La Guajira) on November 23, 2019

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 30 to 59 in Colombia, as reported by the Ministry of Health. With migrants typically able to access health care only in case of emergencies, preventive actions for this population have fallen to the wayside. Acknowledging this, RGA helped form and train a citizen oversight group in Uribia (La Guiajira) to oversee and promote actions to prevent cervical cancer.

Through RGA support, the Uribia citizen oversight group secured key partnerships to prevent cervical cancer with the municipal health secretariat; three local health service providers (Outtajiapulee, Supula Wayuu, and Palaima); and Malteser Colombia, an international donor working to improve health services. By coordinating efforts with public and private stakeholders, RGA helped Uribia’s citizen oversight group run a cervical cancer information session, followed by screenings for Wayuu migrant women on November 23, 2019. The municipal health secretariat provided assistance to run the session and assigned a health care professional to carry out cervical cancer screenings; local health service providers donated a stretcher, lamppost, and other medical supplies (gloves, mouth caps, etc.); and Malteser Colombia donated 100 speculums. One hundred Wayuu migrant women participated in the information session, and of these, 67 decided to get screened for cervical cancer.

PROMOTING INCLUSION AND IMPROVING COEXISTENCE. Lack of knowledge about public administration hinders civil society’s ability to develop strategies to improve access to public services for migrant, returnee, and host populations. To address this challenge, RGA adapted USAID’s HCC methodology to emphasize health and education service provision, resulting in 384 citizens and 37 public officials trained. Moreover, HCC trainings helped RGA work with 87 people (63 women and 24 men) to form 15 citizen oversight groups to oversee health and education service provision in its 10 target municipalities, 9 of which are legally established 47 and the remaining 6 under way.

46 These CSOs are Horizontes de Juventud, Funvecuc, Fundación Deredez, Actitud Resiliente, Jóvenes Gestores de Paz, and Fundación Nueva Ilusión. They are implementing projects serving children, youth, women, and migrant and returnee populations. 47 In Arauquita (Arauca), Maicao, Uribia (La Guajira), Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). See Annex 5 for detailed information.

16 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV In addition to creating citizen oversight groups, RGA promoted the creation of support committees for each of them. Support committees made up of 33 Venezuelan migrants (28 women, 5 men) contributed their experience and feedback to strengthen oversight actions. Together, citizen oversight groups and support committees, with RGA assistance, carried out activities such as garbage collection and waste management sessions with migrant, returnee, and host communities to address social tensions and improve coexistence.

DISSEMINATING INFORMATION TO ACCESS PUBLIC SERVICES. Lack of information is one of the main obstacles migrants and returnees face when attempting to access health and education services. Acknowledging this issue, RGA drafted roadmaps 48 based on current legislation on how Photo 3. RGA’s education access route for migrants. migrants and returnees can access these services. After receiving feedback from municipal and departmental health secretariats, RGA updated its health care roadmap to create department-specific procedures for health care access. RGA shared these health care and education access routes with local CSOs to help disseminate information on service access for migrants and returnees.

MOBILIZING YOUTH TO IMPROVE COEXISTENCE. Migrant and returnee youth are among the most vulnerable populations in the Venezuelan migration crisis as they face the risk of labor and sexual exploitation, xenophobia, and social and economic instability that leave them vulnerable to recruitment by illegal armed groups. To address this situation, RGA issued [redacted] to four CSOs that work with migrant, returnee, and host community youth (see Annex 4). Through art, sports, and culture, these projects will directly benefit more than 250 youth in RGA’s three target departments, strengthening their ability to advocate for their own concerns and achieve social transformation in their own communities.

Furthermore, RGA partnered with the National Institute for Learning (SENA) in Norte de Santander and La Guajira to improve access to employment training for migrants and returnees through SENA courses. To this end and in coordination with SENA, the program conducted two sessions with 63 migrants (51 women, 12 men) in three municipalities49 to facilitate access to SENA courses. Moreover, RGA drafted a roadmap for migrants and returnees to access courses based on current legislation. Photo 4. Cover page of RGA’s SENA access route for migrants

48 See Annex 3 for updated health care access routes. 49 Maicao and Uribia (La Guajira) and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander).

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 17 STRENGTHENING CSOs TO ADDRESS GBV. Migrant and returnee women in border municipalities are vulnerable to GBV practices such as sexual exploitation, survival prostitution, and human trafficking. To address GBV in its target municipalities, RGA awarded [redacted] to CSOs in Arauca and Norte de Santander (see Annex 4). In Arauca, RGA supports [redacted] in implementing the project “Women Weaving Sisterhood Networks.” This initiative will benefit 60 migrant, returnee, and host women and 10 public officials by promoting and strengthening women’s networks in Arauca and Arauquita to develop strategies that prevent, address, and protect women from GBV at community level and in coordination with local institutions responsible for gender issues. In Norte de Santander, RGA supports Corprodinco’s project “Empowered Women Advocate to Reduce GBV in Norte de Santander Border Areas” in Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario. This project will directly benefit 100 women, 40 public officials, five local CSOs, and five public schools through technical and educational strategies that strengthen civil society’s and public institutions’ ability to address GBV.

PROGRESS ASSESSMENT

RGA’s statement of work (SOW) was modified in April 2019 to include Component 6, focused on attention to migrant, returnee, and host populations. RGA proposed minor adjustments to fiscal year 2019 (FY19), FY20, and/or life-of-project (LOP) targets of 4 of the 17 RGA indicators, RGA-02, RGA-07, RGA-08, and RGA-15, to monitor Component 6 impact. In July 2019, USAID approved RGA’s proposed adjustments to the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP).

Table 2 presents RGA progress this quarter in reaching its indicators. For information about RGA’s progress in all program indicators, see Annex 6.

TABLE 2: RGA QUARTERLY PROGRESS

Indicator Name FY20 Q1 Prog. FY20 Actual LOP Total Prog. Total Target Target Prog. %

RGA-02: Percentage of women participating in 52% 73% 73% 52% 50 111% oversight of public investment 58% activities

RGA-07: Number of civil society organizations (CSOs) receiving USG assistance 16 15 15 223 422 189% engaged in advocacy interventions

RGA-08: Number of committees for oversight activities, conducted by 10 9 9 200 251 126% citizens, organized and supported as a result of RGA assistance

50 It is important to note that when the indicators correspond to a percentage the system does not average them. Instead, it records the final number reported. This is the case of the RGA-02 indicator. As such, the number reported for Q1FY2020 in the MONITOR system is 56%. However, the final number reported for project total/actual is 58%.

18 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV Indicator Name FY20 Q1 Prog. FY20 Actual LOP Total Prog. Total Target Target Prog. %

RGA-12: Value of Leverage N/A 2,740,000 2,740,000 N/A 4,213,11,908 N/A Funds (Yl)

RGA-13: Value of USAID investments linked to N/A 9,718,523 9,718,523 N/A 3,461,007,781 N/A Leverage Funds (XI)MSI

COORDINATION WITH OTHER USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS

The Venezuelan migrant crisis has prompted the arrival of multiple international agencies and donors to Colombia, particularly in border municipalities, such as RGA target areas. Taking this into account, RGA sought to coordinate activities with international agencies and donors to maximize impact, prevent duplication of efforts, and reduce unintended consequences, such as inadvertently increasing xenophobia. Furthermore, RGA worked to coordinate actions with agencies and donors to promote program sustainability by transferring RGA methodologies such as school risk management to other organizations.

Thus, this quarter RGA worked with other USAID implementing partners such as the Office of Transformation Initiatives’ (OTI) Colombia Transforma and United Nations agencies and international donors such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to discuss actions that address challenges related to the Venezuelan migrant crisis at municipal and departmental level in RGA’s 10 target municipalities and three target departments. RGA coordination meetings focused on actions to improve health and education service delivery, such as coordinating with the UNHCR to share demographic information on migrants and returnees to develop health care access routes.

For more detailed information about RGA coordination with other USAID implementing partners and international donors, see Annex 7.

ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER

In the second quarter of 2020, RGA will continue attending to migrant, returnee, and host populations by assisting SNGs and civil society improve health and education service delivery. This will include the following activities:

• Technical assistance to municipal administrations in drafting PDMs. This technical assistance will focus on including health and education service strategies in PDMs to improve service delivery to migrant, returnee, and host populations. To this end, the program will encourage municipal

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 19 administrations to adopt best practices to prioritize and monitor PDM execution, such as COMPOS operation tools.51 • Technical assistance to newly appointed municipal health secretariats in its 10 target municipalities to draft 2020–2023 territorial health plans.52 Here, the program will aim to include strategies that promote health care affiliation for migrant, returnee, and host populations. In addition, the program will help municipal administrations promote prevention campaigns on public health matters through PICs. • Work on addressing risks in public schools to implement strategies that prevent and mitigate identified risks that students face. To this end, RGA will continue bringing in municipal entities such as local police to participate in PEGR implementation and citizen participation spaces such as COMPOS to disseminate information on PEGR findings and foster coordination between schools and local government. • Train and strengthen citizen oversight groups and grantees to improve their internal operations and develop local long-term solutions to the Venezuelan migrant crisis. This will further encourage citizen participation and build civil society capacities to address migrant concerns. The program will continue fostering citizen oversight group participation in spaces that bring together civil society and local government such as COMPOS, especially during diagnosis stages, to raise awareness of key community concerns and prioritize actions that address these. Furthermore, RGA will start implementing communications strategies in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander to improve coexistence among migrant, returnee, and host communities. Lastly, to address lack of employment opportunities for migrant and returnee women and youths, RGA will continue partnering with SENA to increase access to SENA courses and trainings for these populations.

51 RGA developed a toolkit for COMPOS operation tools that includes a format to identify population groups to be included in COMPOS, a matrix to prioritize population needs, a matrix to monitor social policy progress, and a format to outline subcommittee work plans. 52 A territorial health plan is a short- and medium-term planning instrument for health care at local level. It includes established strategies to address territorial health concerns over a four-year period.

20 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV TRANSFORMING LIVES

PLAYING SAFE

Education is a right and a public service in Colombia. However, municipal and departmental governments in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander have historically struggled to provide this service as they lack institutional capacities and financial resources to do so. Structural problems were evidenced in the 2005 national census, where La Guajira and Norte de Santander had illiteracy rates of 31.4 percent53 and 11.1 per cent,54 respectively—higher than the national average,55 8.4 percent.56 The 2018 national census showed that while illiteracy rates declined overall, Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander rates remained above the national average. 57 Additionally, school attendance rates in populations aged 5 to 24 in these departments are in the bottom two categories, 58 further demonstrating the inadequacy of education service provision in these areas (Map 1).

This fragile education system faces additional pressure due to the Venezuelan migrant crisis. According to the Brookings Institution, since 2015 an estimated 4.6 million Venezuelans have left their country, with

53 Source: https://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/PERFIL_PDF_CG2005/44000T7T000.PDF 54 Source: https://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/PERFIL_PDF_CG2005/54000T7T000.PDF 55 Source: https://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/PERFIL_PDF_CG2005/00000T7T000.PDF 56 These illiteracy rates correspond to rates in populations aged 15 and older. Arauca’s illiteracy rate in this population range was 7.9 percent, putting it just below the national average. Source: https://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/PERFIL_PDF_CG2005/00000T7T000.PDF 57 According to the 2018 national census, illiteracy rates in population aged 15 and older in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander were 6.6 percent, 6.4 percent, and 17 percent, respectively. The national average was 5 percent. 58 School attendance rate categories are as follows: 1) more than 70 percent of population aged 5 to 24 attend some form of formal schooling; 2) between 67.6 and 70 percent of population aged 5 to 24 attend some form of formal schooling; 3) between 65.1 and 67.5 percent of population aged 5 to 24 attend some form of formal schooling; and 4) 65 percent or under of population aged 5 to 24 attend some form of formal schooling. Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander have attendance rates of 64.9, 66.3, and 66.7, respectively. Source: https://bit.ly/36Y7mvb

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 21 the number expected to rise to 6.5 million in 2020. 59 As of October 31, 2019, 1.6 million Venezuelans are living in Colombia, with Norte de Santander and La Guajira hosting the second- and fourth-largest migrant populations, respectively.60 Although the rapid and sustained influx of Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees61 did not cause the historical and structural problems of education service provision in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander, their arrival has increased pressure on an already deteriorated system. Furthermore, as more people compete for insufficient education services, tension has risen among migrant, returnee, and host communities, leading to increased xenophobia and risk of violence. Addressing the effects of the Venezuelan migrant crisis in education service provision in these departments requires actions that tackle migration concerns and structural problems, especially lack of institutional capacities and financial resources to provide education services. Map 1. School attendance rates per department according to the 2018 national Acknowledging this challenge, RGA works with local government census. Source: DANE [Spell out] institutions; public schools; and migrant, returnee, and host communities to improve education services in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander.

UNDERSTANDING THE REALITIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Venezuelan migrant crisis has increased the risks that students face in public schools in various ways: 1) host students are replicating their parents’ xenophobic behaviors, exhibiting prejudices against migrant and returnee students; and 2) socioeconomic instability that migrant and returnee students face is increasing the occurrence of child labor, labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, and early pregnancy, among other problems. Although school communities and public entities are aware of these issues, they often lack the institutional capacity to address them. In addition, there is a lack of coordination between school communities and municipal and departmental entities in charge of education service provision, so resources are not being used to their full potential.

Under these circumstances, safe learning environments that mitigate risks in school is fundamental to improving education services. Understanding this situation, RGA started its work in Arauca, La Guajira,

59 Source: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/12/09/venezuela-refugee-crisis-to-become-the-largest-and-most- underfunded-in-modern-history/ 60 According to Migración Colombia figures, Norte de Santander hosts 11.23 percent of the total Venezuelan population in Colombia, La Guajira hosts 9.55 percent, and Arauca hosts 2.68 percent. The top four host departments are, in order: Bogotá D.C., Norte de Santander, Atlántico, and La Guajira. Source: https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/infografias/231-infografias- 2019/total-de-venezolanos-en-colombia-corte-a-31-de-octubre-de-2019 61 Poor economic conditions and the Colombian armed conflict drove many Colombians to leave their homes and reestablish themselves abroad. According to official figures, more than 700,000 Colombians moved to Venezuela between 1970 and the early 2000s, fleeing violence and in search of better opportunities. Since 2015, however, an estimated 400,000 have returned due to the political, economic, and social crisis in Venezuela. Source: https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/gerente-de-la-frontera- con-venezuela-en-entrevista-con-vladdo-en-blanco-y-negro/624277

22 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV and Norte de Santander in July 2019 by reaching out to departmental education secretariats in each department. The program focused on presenting a proposal to address risks in public schools and ensuring the participation of departmental education secretariats in its strategies for risk management. This was a crucial first step as only 1 out of RGA’s 10 target municipalities,62 Cúcuta, is certified to provide education services on its own; the rest depend on departmental education secretariats to administer education resources. As a result of RGA dialogues, all three departmental education secretariats prioritized 16 public schools63 for RGA to work with, based on the number of migrant and returnee students and the social conflicts arising in these schools.

“We had identified risks, only to comply with Ministry of Education regulations, but these were physical and related to infrastructure, like dangerous staircases and the such. Then we worked with an international donor, who taught us to identify risks related to natural disasters, for example a flood from the Arauca river. We hadn’t thought about those.”

[redacted], Simón Bolívar Public School Principal in Arauca (Arauca) in January 2020

Teachers from Arauca public schools participate in a workshop to draft PEGRs at the Simón Bolívar Public School in Arauca (Arauca) on November 16, 2019. (RGA photo)

With these 16 schools prioritized, RGA set out to understand school communities and their approach to the risks students face inside and outside school. During this work, the program found three main challenges to school risk management: 1) technical skills to adequately identify and address risks; 2) insufficient or nonexistent mechanisms to identify and manage risks; and 3) inability to coordinate efforts with municipal and departmental entities to carry out risk management strategies.

RGA’s first impression was that although schools had identified some of the risks students face, the identified risks related mostly to physical or natural concerns, such as uneven floors, cracks in walls, and natural disasters such as floods. School risk management strategies failed to consider many of the social risks affecting students, such as early pregnancy and xenophobia. Moreover, schools were not making an efficient use of two key mechanisms for risk management: PEGRs 64 and risk management school committees,65 as most schools had outdated PEGRs and committees consisting only of teachers that met

62 Arauca, Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia (La Guajira); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 63 Three in Arauca, six in La Guajira, and seven in Norte de Santander. 64 PEGRs are mandatory plans that public schools in Colombia must draft to identify risks and outline strategies that prevent or mitigate these. 65 These committees are in charge of identifying school risks and proposing actions to prevent and mitigate them. They include students, teachers, and senior managers.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 23 on rare occasions. Lastly, although schools had attempted to reach out to municipal and departmental entities in the past to mitigate risks related mostly to infrastructure that needed changing, their efforts were unsuccessful.

STRENGTHENING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES

These shortcomings became RGA’s starting point to foster safe learning environments and for strengthening school communities. To this end, the program provided technical assistance to reactivate risk management school committees that include the participation of students and, wherever possible, parents so that their points of view are also represented and considered when identifying and addressing risks. As of December 2019, RGA has fully reactivated 13 committees, with the remaining 3 well under way.

RGA technical assistance to public schools also includes work sessions with school communities to build their capacity in risk identification. By bringing together stakeholders such as students, teachers, and parents, RGA strengthens school communities by transferring to them its risk identification methodology. The method includes detailed questionnaires to spark and guide discussions about the risks that students face. As a result of this work, all 16 public schools have drafted new PEGRs that take into account a comprehensive set of risks, such as child labor and early pregnancy. Students and teachers participate in a risk identification workshop in Once schools identified the risks students Riohacha (La Guajira) on October 2, 2019. (RGA photo) face, RGA supported them in outlining and implementing strategies that prevent and mitigate risks. These strategies have included establishing roadmaps to approach public entities such as the Colombian Family Welfare Institute in case of suspected child abuse and assigning student representatives as coexistence promoters to foster safe learning spaces.

Moreover, strategies to address risks have come from school communities themselves, which have been empowered by RGA’s work to delve deep into what they can do for their vulnerable students. This is the case of the Student Guardian Plan, a strategy proposed by senior managers in Puerto Santander (Norte de Santander) and implemented with RGA assistance. In the Monseñor Leonardo Gomez Serna Campus of the Puerto Santander Public School, senior managers noted they had more than 100 students who lived in Venezuela but crossed the border to attend class in Colombia. Diplomatic tensions between Colombia and Venezuela frequently led to closed border crossings, so students being trapped on one or another side of the border is a constant worry for parents, teachers, and students, who face the choice of: 1) risking their lives by traveling through unofficial entry points, where they can encounter additional dangers such as illegal armed groups or having to swim across a river; 2) skipping class if they are trapped in Venezuela; or 3) staying unaccompanied after school if they are trapped in Colombia.

24 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV Understanding that whatever choice students and their parents make leaves students vulnerable to danger, senior managers in Puerto Santander came up with the idea of the Student Guardian Plan. Under this plan, 117 students living across the border have a contingency plan in place to fall back on in case the border is closed. Through the plan, parents of 109 students were able to find relatives living in Colombia who agreed to care for students (i.e., picking them up from school and offering them a place to stay) if the border is closed. For the remaining eight, the school worked out a scheme with their parents where appointed teachers will transfer students to a designated family commissary, where parents can pick them up once the border is reopened. Additionally, the school also assigned student representatives in charge of helping the 117 students catch up on their schoolwork if they miss class due to border closure.

Through the Student Guardian Plan, the Monseñor Leonardo Gomez Serna Campus school community prevents the risks that come with border closures, fostering safer learning environments for its students. As [redacted], campus coordinator, said, “Before RGA came to work with us, our risk management strategy was very basic and existed mainly to comply with regulations. It was not an active task.…Now, the school community has changed. Parents are more involved and active participants in spaces like the school for parents. I congratulate and thank RGA’s team and its work!”

IMPROVING COORDINATION WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES

[redacted], teacher director in the Almirante Padilla Public School in Riohacha, said that prior to RGA’s work, “the school did not coordinate preventive actions with public institutions. Coordination was reactive instead of proactive and related to physical risks, such as old ceiling fans that could break down.” Lack of coordination with public entities, especially at municipal level, has hindered public schools’ ability to effectively address risks students face. Acknowledging this challenge, RGA has focused on bringing to the table local government entities when addressing risks at school. The program first did so in its approach to departmental education secretariats to prioritize public schools and has continued doing so with municipal entities to raise awareness of school risks and coordinate actions to address these.

RGA participates in municipal coordination mechanisms such as COMPOS in four target municipalities66 to disseminate risks identified through PEGRs. In addition, the program has assisted public schools in reaching out to municipal entities to implement strategies that address school risks. RGA’s technical assistance and the work of school communities have resulted in municipal entities coordinating concrete actions with RGA school communities—and several beyond RGA’s scope of work—to address school risks (see Figure 3).

THE PATH AHEAD

RGA’s work has proven that building local capacities and improving coordination between stakeholders in education service provision contributes to promoting safe learning environments. Challenges remain, especially in securing financial resources for projects. Stronger school communities capable of coordinating actions with other stakeholders in education service provision can make a difference in students’ lives. As RGA looks at the road ahead, it is aware that strengthening coordination will be a key part of its technical assistance.

66 Arauquita (Arauca), Cúcuta, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander).

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 25 This will include bringing to the table actors from various corners of the education system to strengthen its 16 prioritized schools and broaden RGA’s impact by transferring its methodologies in risk management to school communities outside its scope of work. RGA has already started this work by reaching out to the donor community and partnering up with several agencies, donors, and CSOs to help schools address risks. RGA partnered with [redacted], a CSO, to help schools in Riohacha and Uribia (La Guajira) reduce school dropout rates. In these municipalities, school committees from the Almirante Padilla Public Students receive school kits in Riohacha (La Guajira) on October 22, School (Riohacha) and the Kasutalain Rural 2019. (RGA photo) School (Uribia) identified that migrant and Colombian students alike were at risk of dropping out as they were unable to buy school supplies (pencils, erasers, notebooks, etc.), which prevented them from adequately participating in day-to-day school life. To help both schools, RGA coordinated efforts with [redacted] to secure a donation of more than 600 school kits on behalf of the organization, the first 70 of which were delivered on October 22 to migrant primary school students in Riohacha. In Arauca, RGA coordinated efforts with UNICEF to secure a donation of more than 300 life vests for students who risk their lives on a daily basis to get to school as they have to cross the Arauca river to attend class.

Transferring RGA risk management methodologies and helping schools forge strong partnerships with stakeholders in every corner of the education system will foster stronger school communities and safe learning environments for all students. This is and will continue to be a cornerstone of RGA’s work to improve education services in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander.

26 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV ANNEXES

ANNEX 1: NATIONAL CONTEXT ANALYSIS

This quarter, Colombia held its first local elections since the signing of the Peace Accords on October 27, 2019. Overall, Colombians in urban areas voted in independent and government opposition candidates,67 while they rejected candidates sponsored by prominent political figures like Álvaro Uribe (right-leaning politician) and Gustavo Petro (left-leaning politician).68 Additionally, voter abstentionism declined by one percentage point, while blank votes surged by nearly 50,000 votes.69

Although election day was among the most peaceful according to the National Civil Registry (RNEC) director, several security incidents, such as seven candidate murders, preceded elections. The GOC raised security alerts in Norte de Santander and Arauca due to illegal armed group activity in these departments, primarily from ELN, FARC-EP dissident groups, and Los Pelusos. Moreover, according to the Electoral Observation Mission, between July 27 and October 25, seven candidates running for office were murdered, 110 candidates reported threats, one was kidnapped, and there were 17 murder attempts against candidates.70 Lastly, between October 24 and 26, the GOC closed all official border crossings with Venezuela until October 27 at 4:00 pm71 to guarantee total normalcy on election day and mitigate electoral risks such as identity fraud.

Four of the largest illegal armed groups in Colombia72 run operations in Norte de Santander, particularly in the Catatumbo region, where there is a large concentration of illicit coca crops.73 This resulted in departmental security concerns this quarter, such as threats to municipal candidates and the murder of Tibú mayoral candidate Bernardo Betancourt on September 15. Moreover, [redacted], RGA’s security provider, reported 39 security incidents in Norte de Santander, the highest in RGA’s target departments this quarter.74 In Cúcuta, police deployed 500 officers in several communes on November 6 to fight drug trafficking. In Tibú, 92 people were murdered as of December 22.75

ELN has a strong presence in Arauca, increasing security risks in the department. On October 7, the National Army clashed with guerrilla forces in the rural area of Arauquita, leaving one soldier dead, another injured, and one civilian casualty. On October 15, a social leader from Saravena was murdered. On December 9, the police and the Attorney’s General Office arrested two ELN political leaders in Arauquita and Saravena who coordinated ELN operations mainly in Arauquita, Saravena, and Tame.

La Guajira faces a high degree of instability: in the past eight years, the department has had 12 governors, and the capital, Riohacha, has had nine mayors in four years. On election day, 15 people were arrested for electoral crimes, such as voter fraud and identity fraud. Moreover, ELN and other illegal armed groups

67 Source: https://bit.ly/35ZoGP3 68 Source: https://bit.ly/2G1TTGY 69 Source: https://bit.ly/2FYIQ1b 70 Source: https://moe.org.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20191025-_Informe_ViolPol.pdf 71 Source: https://www.rcnradio.com/colombia/cerrada-frontera-con-venezuela-por-las-elecciones-del-domingo-en-colombia 72 ELN, FARC-EP dissidents, Clan del Golfo, and Los Pelusos. Clan del Golfo, also known as Los Urabeños, is a right-wing illegal armed group that currently runs one of the largest drug trafficking networks in Colombia. 73 Source: https://bit.ly/385SafR 74 In Arauca and La Guajira, [redacted] reported 22 and 23 security incidents, respectively. 75 Source: https://www.laopinion.com.co/region/mindefensa-preside-consejo-de-seguridad-en-tibu-190099

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 27 in La Guajira, such as Los Pachenca, control drug and human trafficking and smuggling of goods such as weapons, cigarettes, and liquor. This has increased risks for social leaders: between October and November 2019, four social leaders were murdered, including three Wayuu community members.

In addition to the security incidents mentioned above, 2019 was marked by the murder of social leaders and former-FARC-EP fighters. Cauca, Antioquia, and Nariño have the highest number of murdered social leaders, though the number of murders is unclear: the United Nations reported 86 murders in 2019, whereas Somos Defensores, a nongovernmental organization, reported 110 and the Institute for Development and Peace reported 250. Furthermore, more former FARC-EP fighters were murdered in 2019 than in any other year since the signing of the Peace Accords.76

Lastly, in November 2019 Colombian worker unions called for a nationwide strike to oppose government measures, such as a tax reform, with demonstrations starting on November 21. Student movements, women’s CBOs, and the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia also joined these demonstrations to reject corruption in public education and advocate for increasing resources in public education, preventing GBV, and increasing state protection for social leaders. The largest demonstrations took place in Bogotá and other capital cities such as Barranquilla (Atlántico), Cali (Valle del Cauca), and Medellín (Antioquia). Demonstrations continued well after November 21, lasting through late December. According to [redacted], 350 demonstrations have taken place, though in RGA municipalities and departments the nationwide strike did not interrupt program activities.

76 Seventy-seven former FARC-EP fighters were murdered in 2019. In contrast, 65 were murdered in 2018 and 31 in 2017. Source: https://nacionesunidas.org.co/onu-internacional/2019-el-ano-mas-violento-para-los-excombatientes-de-las-farc-en- colombia/

28 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV ANNEX 2: RGA-SUPPORTED PROJECTS THIS QUARTER

Municipality Project Title Project Amount

Riohacha (La Guajira) Situation analysis for public schools in Riohacha in USD $31,246 2019.77 BPIN Code:78 2019440010108.

Uribia (La Guajira) Implementing strategies to prevent early USD $56,250 pregnancy in Uribia in 2020.

Uribia (La Guajira) Strengthening rural school transportation in USD $4.66 million Uribia in 2020.

Uribia (La Guajira) Implementing a school meals program in Uribia in USD $7.1 million 2020.

Cúcuta (Norte de Strengthening public health response in USD $251,562 Santander) emergencies and disasters in Cúcuta. BPIN Code: 201954001000.

Cúcuta (Norte de Building, extending, improving, maintaining, and USD $843,750 Santander) furnishing public school infrastructure in Cúcuta. BPIN Code: 2019540010015.

Puerto Santander (Norte Installing traffic signals around the campuses of USD $4,445 de Santander) the Puerto Santander Public School in Puerto Santander.

Puerto Santander (Norte Implementing quality standards to improve health USD $2.8 million de Santander) service provision in Puerto Santander. BPIN Code: 2017545530010.

Puerto Santander (Norte Strengthening programs to improve education USD $156,250 de Santander) service quality and access in Puerto Santander. BPIN Code: 2018545530006.

Tibú (Norte de Santander) Installing vertical and horizontal traffic signals USD $3,424 around six public schools in Tibú.

77 Although the municipal administration of Riohacha at the time had estimated project execution for 2019, the project has yet to be carried out. 78 A BPIN Code is a sequence of numbers used to identify a project and is issued once a project has been registered in the National Bank for Programs and Projects.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 29 ANNEX 3: DEPARTMENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS ROUTES

ARAUCA

30 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV LA GUAJIRA

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 31 NORTE DE SANTANDER

32 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV ANNEX 4: RGA GRANTS TO CSOS IN ARAUCA, LA GUAJIRA, AND NORTE DE SANTANDER IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2020

[redacted]

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 33 ANNEX 5: CITIZEN OVERSIGHT GROUPS

Date Resolution Department Municipality (MM/DD/YYY Objective Sector Number Y)

Arauca Arauquita 178 11/12/19 Oversee school transportation service for Education the Juan Jacobo Rousseau School.

La Guajira Maicao 026 10/03/19 Oversee actions to prevent preventable Health diseases.

La Guajira Maicao - 10/21/19 Oversee public health actions on Health coexistence and mental health.

La Guajira Uribia 089 09/20/19 Oversee security and coexistence Health campaigns.

Norte de Santander Cúcuta 019 09/18/19 Oversee outpatient appointments of the Health Toledo Basic Care Unit in Commune 6 in Cúcuta.

Norte de Santander Cúcuta 023 10/02/19 Oversee outpatient appointments of the Health Comuneros Basic Care Unit in Commune 7 in Cúcuta.

Norte de Santander Los Patios 011 09/26/19 Oversee the correct use of public Health resources assigned to the local public hospital for outpatient care and appointments.

Norte de Santander Puerto Santander 128 11/06/19 Oversee and monitor Municipal Health Health Post of Puerto Santander outpatient care and appointments.

Norte de Santander Villa del Rosario Constitution Act79 08/26/19 Oversee emergency service provision at Health the Jorge Castro Saihum Hospita.

79 This Constitution Act has no number.

34 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV ANNEX 6: PROGRESS ASSESSMENT

As presented in the Progress Assessment section above, in July 2019, USAID approved additional changes to RGA’s PMP to reflect Component 6 new activities and thus FY20 and/or LOP targets for 4 of the 17 RGA indicators. The following describes RGA progress on its indicators for the first quarter of 2020.

RGA-02: Percentage of women participating in oversight of public investment activities. This quarter, the percentage of women participating in the oversight of public investment activities reached 73 percent. This result is calculated as the average percentage of women participating in the nine newly formed oversight groups80 in seven municipalities81 that monitor the execution of public resources on health and education that benefit migrant, returnee, and host populations. This represents 58 percent of the LOP target, which is 52 percent. This significant increase in women’s participation is a result of RGA’s efforts, which have prioritized increasing CSO capacity to empower youth and women, as well as protecting vulnerable women. Moreover, RGA has supported CSOs and CBOs that specifically advocate for the needs of vulnerable migrant women settled in Colombia, strengthening the capacities of these organizations to define and implement routes for women to access care and basic services.

RGA-07: Number of CSOs receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions. During this quarter, RGA helped 15 CSOs strengthen their capacities to participate and advocate for the interests and needs of migrant, returnee, and host populations. CSOs supported include nine citizen oversight groups and eight grantees82 from Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander. RGA support aims to execute projects that benefit migrant, returnee, and host women and youth to improve access to health and education services. Projects will achieve this by strengthening women and youth citizen participation through arts, sports, and culture strategies that promote peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution; create spaces for social inclusion, safe environments, and employment and social opportunities; and prevent GBV. With the 15 CSOs strengthened this quarter, RGA reached an LOP total of 422 CSOs strengthened versus an LOP target of 223, reaching 189 per cent. In FY17 and FY18 this indicator was substantially exceeded, but RGA is meeting its goal for FY20.

RGA-08: Number of committees for oversight activities, conducted by citizens, organized and supported as a result of RGA assistance. This quarter, RGA implemented the HCC methodology and helped form nine citizen oversight groups in seven target municipalities to monitor the execution of public resources on health and education that benefit migrant, returnee, and host populations. With this progress, RGA reached 90 percent of the target established for FY20: 10 committees. This indicator has an accrued LOP of 251 versus a target of 200, achieving 126 percent. In FY16 and FY17 this indicator was substantially exceeded, but RGA is meeting its goal for FY20.

RGA-12: Value of leverage funds (Yl) and RGA-13 value of USAID investments linked to leverage funds (xi). This reporting period, RGA leveraged COP $2,740,000 (approximately USD $913). This mobilization supplements USAID’s initial investment of COP $9,718,523 (approximately USD $3,240). These funds respond to investments from the program’s counterparts to share costs of activities.

80 See Annex 5 for the list of RGA-supported oversight committees. 81 Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Uribia (La Guajira); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 82 See Annex 4 for the list of RGA grantees.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 35 ANNEX 7: COORDINATION WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AID PROGRAMS

Date Location Meeting Matter Discussed

Thursday, UNHCR Office Meeting with UNHCR to establish Participants drafted a flowchart for the health care October 10, 2019 methodology to draft a health care access access route for migrant and returnee populations, to route for migrant and returnee populations. be shared on October 17 during a health care Arauca, Arauca roundtable with a focus on migrant population.

Thursday, UNICEF Office Meeting with local government RGA shared its risk identification methodology for October 17, 2019 representatives and humanitarian public schools with meeting participants. organizations such as UNICEF to design a Riohacha, La Guajira strategy to prevent violence and human trafficking.

Thursday, UNHCR Office Coordination meeting with UNHCR and Participants edited the route flowchart and October 17, 2019 representatives from Special Administrative established a methodology to disseminate the route Health Unit (UAES) Arauca to finalize the and validate its information with other international Arauca, Arauca health care access route for migrant and donors and municipal and departmental health returnee populations. secretariats.

Thursday, RGA Office Meeting with the Pan American Development PADF presented its current projects with migrant October 17, 2019 Foundation (PADF) to coordinate strategies to population. Together with RGA, participants attend to migrant and returnee populations in identified coordination opportunities in three citizen Bogotá Norte Santander and La Guajira. initiatives that RGA developed with CSOs or institutions. PADF also expressed interest in RGA achievements in Tumaco that could inform PADF activities in this municipality.

Thursday, OTI Colombia Transforma 2 Event to share RGA RGA presented bottlenecks in the General System of October 17, 2019 experience in municipal and departmental Royalties, resource mobilization, government government transition processes and securing transitions, and development plans. Bogotá resources.

Wednesday IOM Office USAID communications meeting to Different USAID programs exchanged ideas to October 23, 2019 coordinate actions for the 16 Days of Activism establish a communications strategy for the 16 Days Against GBV campaign. of Activism Against GBV campaign. Bogotá

36 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV Date Location Meeting Matter Discussed

Monday October Torre Unika Meeting organized by [redacted], a former [redacted] presented the goals, activities, and key 28, 2019 RGA grantee, and USAID’s Human Rights results of the RGA grant “[redacted]” executed by Activity to study the possibility of establishing [redacted]. The Ministry of Education (MEN) Bogotá partnerships to strengthen governance and expressed interest in grant results as these are coexistence in Tumaco. strategic and could be replicated in other areas of the country. Considering the opportunity of continuing its partnership with [redacted], MEN also noted that they will review its current Memorandum of Understanding with [redacted] to propose MEN support in 2020 and disseminate grant experience and guidelines with incoming local administrations. Participants also agreed to schedule a meeting to share project results with MEN officials. Participants also discussed opportunities for coordination with [redacted]’s work in Tumaco in areas such as a municipal youth platform to strengthen smaller organizations.

Thursday October UNHCR Office Meeting with UNFPA and other donors to UNFPA shared actions conducted in Venezuela and 31, 2019 coordinate and exchange health care services. Arauca to coordinate strategies. Arauca, Arauca

Thursday Civil Defense Office Departmental health care roundtable with a Participants expressed concern over five newly November 14, focus on migrant and returnee populations, reported cases of tuberculosis in the migrant 2019 which included the participation of GIFMM indigenous population. Participants agreed to Arauca, Arauca members, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinate actions to profile these cases and offer Police, Migración Colombia, and local treatment guarantees in all five cases. government representatives.

Wednesday UNHCR Office Meeting with Doctors without Borders, UAES Participants agreed to schedule an in-person meeting November 20, Arauca, UNHCR, the Pan American Health with the Ministry of Health (who joined the meeting 2019 Organization (PAHO), and Ministry of Health via videocall) to establish a route to attend to HIV Arauca, Arauca officials to coordinate actions to attend to patients. migrant and returnee populations with HIV.

Wednesday Municipal Health Roundtable with the Ministry of Foreign Participants discussed bottlenecks; current response November 27, Secretariat Office Affairs, the World Bank, municipal health care to migration; and short-, medium-, and long-term 2019 officials, and PAHO.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 37 Date Location Meeting Matter Discussed solutions to address health in migrant and returnee Arauca, Arauca populations.

Friday November La Inmaculada N° 2 Municipal Roundtable for Education in Participants prioritized actions for 2020, which 29, 2019 Public School Emergencies in Maicao, which included the include actions in RGA-supported public schools participation of the municipal education prioritized as these were the only public schools in secretariat, NRC, and UNICEF. Maicao to have submitted their PEGRs. Maicao, La Guajira

Thursday Departmental Departmental Roundtable for Education in The goal of the meeting was to prioritize roundtable December 12, Education Secretariat Emergencies in La Guajira, which included the actions for 2020. RGA prioritized concerns identified 2019 Office participation of the departmental education through risk management activities in public schools secretariat; municipal education secretariats of to address these through strategies that bring Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia; NRC; and together international agencies and donors, as well as Riohacha, La Guajira UNICEF. public institutions.

Thursday UAES Arauca Departmental health care roundtable with a The deputy director of the San Vicente Hospital December 12, Auditorium focus on migrant and returnee populations, presented the hospital’s financial crisis, which has 2019 which included the participation of GIFMM been marked by: 1) four months of debt owed to members, UAES Arauca, and the San Vicente health care officials, 2) four to eight months of debt Arauca, Arauca Hospital. owed to the PAHO, 3) the closure of the neonatal intensive care unit, and 4) the closure of specialized consults. Likewise, UAES Arauca shared its plan to address health care in the Venezuelan migrant crisis, which RGA supported by providing technical assistance for its update.

Monday UNHCR Office Coordination meeting with UNHCR to RGA presented its results achieved in Arauca and its December 16, include RGA participation in the GIFMM to activity plan for 2020. 2019 coordinate actions with other international Arauca, Arauca agencies and donors.

Tuesday Police Station Departmental health care roundtable with a Participants analyzed migration concerns in different December 17, focus on migrant and returnee populations, sectors: 2019 which included the participation of GIFMM Arauca, Arauca - The Ombudsman’s Office expressed a need for members, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, public institutions to address migration concerns. RNEC, Police, the Ombudsman’s Office, ICBF, It added that although there are no massive Migración Colombia, municipal and deportations, there is a health crisis that requires departmental health secretariats, and expediency in payments to health care providers.

38 | QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 USAID.GOV Date Location Meeting Matter Discussed municipal and departmental government - ICBF expressed concern over child labor, which secretariats. has increased according to the institute’s data. In addition, ICBF reported that 95 families in the department are homeless. - RNEC reported that of the children and youth at risk of becoming stateless, the Registry has already issued 350 birth certificates granting Colombian nationality.

Thursday Departmental Departmental Roundtable for Education in The goal of the roundtable was to review results and December 19, Education Secretariat Emergencies in La Guajira, which included the plan a schedule of activities for 2020. RGA presented 2019 Office participation of the departmental education program progress on PEGRs and safe education secretariat, NRC, UNICEF, and the environments in public schools supported by the Ombudsman’s Office. program. RGA also provided recommendations to Arauca, Arauca update the SIMAT database and prioritize international aid actions in Arauca.

USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2019 | 39