Annual Report Year 1 – 23/12/2016 to 22/12/2017

Submission Date: 20 March 2018

Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Activity Start Date and End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 AOR Name: Jennifer Karsner

Submitted by: Alissa Karg Girard, Chief of Party Lutheran World Relief Boulevard Mali Béro, Avenue du Kawar, Niamey, Niger Tel: +227.96.26.73.26 Email: [email protected]

The content of this report is the responsibility of Lutheran World Relief and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

LIST OF ACRONYMS

AOR Agreement Officer Representative AE Auxiliaires de l’Elevage CBO Community-Based Organization CEB Contribution à l’Education de Base EMMP Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan F&A Finance and Administration FTF Feed the Future FMNR Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration FY Fiscal Year GCC Global Climate Change GDA Global Development Alliance GPS Global Positioning System ICT Information and Communications Technologies INRAN Institut National de Recherches Agricoles du Niger IR Intermediate Result LWR Lutheran World Relief MACF Margaret A. Cargill Foundation MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation MEL Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (Plan) MOU Memorandum of Understanding ONAHA Office National des Aménagements Hydro-Agricoles OPVN Office des Produits Vivriers du Niger PEA Producer Enterprise Agent PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheet RISE Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced SAREL Sahel Resilience Learning Project SVPP Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité TOT Training of Trainers USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government WFP World Food Programme

1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW/SUMMARY

Program Name: 12/12: An Alliance for Year-Round Resilience in Tahoua and Maradi, Niger Activity Start Date And End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Name of Subawardees: Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB) Major Counterpart Baharti Airtel Ltd, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud, Margaret A. Cargill Organizations/Alliance Partners: Foundation (MACF) and others Geographic Coverage Ajékoria, Birnin Lallé, Korahane Communes (Maradi Region) (communes) Konni, Bazaga, Tsernaoua, Dogueraoua, Illéla, Badaguichiri, Malbaza Communes (Tahoua Region) of Niger Reporting Period: December 23, 2016-December 22, 2017 (Year 1)

1.1 Program Description/Introduction

The 12/12 Alliance seeks to leverage new private-sector expertise and innovative solutions to improve the resilience of 12,760 households over all 12 months of the year in 10 communes and 115 villages located in agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones of Iléla, Konni and Malbaza departments (Tahoua region) and Dakoro (Maradi region)--and simultaneously help the 12/12 Alliance’s private sector partners expand their market share, mitigate operating risks and secure more reliable supply chains. Specifically, the 12/12 Alliance aims to:  Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity, and  Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities.

LWR launched 12/12 Alliance project operations in 2017: procurement of key equipment and materials, baseline data collection, banking operations, recruitment, launch events with Alliance partners and key stakeholders, gender and value chain assessments and initial orientation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and compliance workshops. LWR also submitted an Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP), MEL plan and Year 1 and Year 2 work plans. Alliance partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to outline planned collaboration; LWR also signed an MOU with the Ministry of Community Development.

LWR worked to build the project’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub and its technical extension content in the project’s first year. Following the design, field-testing and customization of the ICT Hub, LWR launched the ICT Hub with training for project staff and Producer Enterprise Agents (PEAs) and field-tested videos on cowpeas, sheep, millet and entrepreneurism. LWR also used the ICT Hub and external enumerators to collect and analyze annual performance data.

LWR supported Union partners on improved crop and animal production, savings and credit promotion and organizational capacity and marketing plans over the first year. Activities with LWR’s four implementing partners—Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB)—and performance measures are described in the sections that follow.

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1.2 Summary of Results to Date

Actual Results, Year 1 Annual On Baseline Annual Target FY18 Performance Standard Indicators Target 2017 (as of December 22, 2017) Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to the End of Period (%) Y/N Proportion of households resilient to a shock experienced 0 30% 0 0 0 47.92% 159.7% Y the previous year (Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced/RISE) Number of rural/vulnerable households benefitting directly 1,439 of 9,570 0 9,570 0 535 904 1,439 Y1 from USG interventions (Feed The Future/FTF) (15.0%) Number of people using climate information or 18 599 1,427 women, implementing risk-reducing actions to improve resilience 1,784 of 2,500 0 500 women; 2,000 men 0 women, women, 357 men (1,784 Y to climate change as supported by USG assistance (Global people (71.4%) 27 men 311 men people) Climate Change/GCC) Gross margins per hectare (for cowpeas, wheat and onion) $178 USD 161.8% cowpeas and animal (sheep) of selected product (FTF) $110 USD onions (men and cowpeas (men); (men), 123.3% women); $120 USD cowpeas $148 USD 0 0 0 0 cowpeas (women), Y (men and women), $11 USD cowpeas 181.8% sheep sheep (women) (women); $20 (women) sheep (women) Number of individuals who have received USG-supported 431 women, 341 772 of 1,100 short-term agricultural sector productivity or food security 0 500 women, 600 men 0 0 0 Y training (FTF)* men (70.2%) Number of hectares under improved management 3,038 ha under 1 3,038 of 1,625 ha technologies or practices as a result of USG assistance 0 1,625 ha 0 2.6 ha 0 or more Y (187.0%) (FTF) technologies Number of farmers who have applied new management 18 599 1,700 women, 0 2,439 of 2,500 technologies or management practices as a result of USG 500 women, 2,000 men 0 women, women, 739 men (2,439 Y (97.6%) assistance (FTF) 27 men 311 men people) Number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including farmers, receiving agricultural-related 0 3 0 0 0 0 0% N2 credit as a result of USG assistance (FTF)*

1 Data compiled from direct beneficiaries of training sessions, animal fattening operations and other project activities; however, farmer registration with a unique identifier (and grouping by head-of-household) in the ICT Hub must be completed in order to determine if some direct beneficiaries belong to the same household. LWR has suspended reporting on this indicator while farmer registration is pending in order not to double-count beneficiary households. 2 No loans were planned over the project’s first year (2017) and warehouse credit will not again be needed until late 2018.

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Value of agricultural and rural loans as a result of USG 3 assistance (FTF) 0 $200,000 USD 0 0 0 0 0% N Number of for-profit private enterprises, producers organizations, water users associations, women's groups, trade and business associations, and community-based 0 4 4 0 0 0 100% Y organizations (CBOs) receiving USG food security-related organizational development assistance (FTF)* Number of private enterprises, producer organizations, water user associations, trade and business associations, and community-based organizations (CBOs) that applied 0 4 0 4 0 0 100% Y new technologies or management practices with USG assistance (FTF) Note: The summary results table reflects the annual MEL update submitted on August 29, 2017 and additional FTF indicators (marked with *) added to the FY18 MEL Plan update in March 2018. Additional details are reported in Annex A.

3 No loans were planned over the project’s first year (2017) and warehouse credit will not again be needed until late 2018.

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2. ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 2.1 Progress Narrative

Operations: In January 2017, LWR held consultative meetings and surveys with regional, departmental and local authorities, technical service providers from the Ministries of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, community opinion leaders, 12/12 Alliance partners and the leadership of the farmer Unions and other organizations that are LWR’s implementing partners under the project to identify the 115 project villages. See Annex C for a list of these local authorities and stakeholders. Villages were selected based on the following criteria: a.) year-round accessibility; b.) administrative recognition; c.) relatively secure, with no prior conflicts; d.) productive and market potential; e.) residents are members of a cooperative of a Union partner working in one of the project’s targeted value chains (in Tahoua region); f.) prior investments and commercial or market infrastructure to leverage; and g.) in Tahoua region, good standing of the cooperative in the Union (regular payment of dues and attendance at General Assembly or other meetings). The list of selected villages was provided to partner Airtel to determine the potential mobile coverage and needed investments (either new towers or adjustments to the orientation of existing towers) to ensure adequate cellular and data coverage in the project zone.

In early 2017, LWR’s 12/12 Alliance project team set up the project’s Niamey office and the field office in Konni and ordered project equipment and materials. LWR also identified and contracted a Nigerien hiring firm to assist with recruitment, identifying candidates for all management and technical posts. LWR organized a project orientation meeting in Konni from February 13-18, 2017 to introduce LWR’s mission, vision and values, organizational policies and procedures, project strategies and roles and responsibilities in operations and reporting. However, several of the identified candidates later turned down the offers or left within the first month of employment, so LWR re-issued vacancy announcements in February 2017 and conducted new screening and interview processes.

Following a pre-award assessment process, LWR issued subaward agreements to all four implementing partners for activities beginning February 1, 2017 (for CEB, Union Amintchi and Union Nazari) and March 1, 2017 for Union Adaltchi. LWR also provided technical support to partners to implement a transparent hiring process; each of the partners had a fully staffed technical team as of March 31, 2017.

By June 2017, LWR and its implementing partners had concluded preliminary project set-up, including recruitment of all staff, project office opening, community-level education and mobilization on the project and developing community-level diagnostic profiles to inform targets for specific activities.

Over the first year, LWR also worked with farmers and partners to refine key project implementation strategies and approaches, like a manual for animal fattening operations, tools for value chain assessments and organizational capacity assessments for Unions. LWR held a Reflection Meeting with partners in October 2017 to promote learning and planning for Year 2. LWR also commissioned an external analysis and training session to help LWR and partners better understand participation, decision-making and benefits in project value chains by gender.

LWR submitted the Year 1 Annual Work Plan on January 21, 2017 and the draft MEL Plan on March 22, 2017. The revised MEL plan, including the project’s finalized baseline report and questionnaires as appendices, was submitted on June 27, 2017 and a FY18 update on August 29, 2017. USAID approved the project’s Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) on November 14, 2017.

Other key activities with farmers, households and stakeholders over the project’s first year are as follows:

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Objective/Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

IR 1.1: Diversified economic opportunities: Partners Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and CEB identified 12 existing market gardens managed by women’s groups in target villages and the input needs of the women working in these gardens; however, Union Amintchi needs to identify a new site when the first proved unsuitable. In the final quarter of the year, CEB supported two women’s groups with 45 and 32 members, respectively, working in a fenced plot around a pond with year-round water. Each group received moringa oleifera seed, training on planting, care and pruning and basic tools (watering cans, hoes, basins and other needs). CEB also purchased and provided seeds to 84 women and 3 men who built small fences and collected manure to start small, hand-watered, household-level plots with 3-20 plants of moringa oleifera. Beneficiaries have already begun harvesting moringa leaves from these small household plots. Union Nazari’s members also received moringa oleifera seed for 10 market garden sites, but only one group had planted by December 22, 2017.

With a pilot activity on functional literacy planned in 2018, USAID helped LWR solicit functional literacy training manuals from other RISE partners implementing literacy activities. However, given the need for specific modules focused on farming as a business and the project’s target value chains (content not necessarily included in the other manuals), LWR issued the terms of reference in December 2017 for a consultancy to help LWR engage with the Government of Niger’s division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education to develop approaches and manuals on functional literacy that meet the specific needs of farmers in the project zone.

IR1.2: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops

Improved crop production techniques: Over the first year of the project, the 12/12 Alliance reached men and women farmers with extension support on improved rain fed crop production through Training- of-Trainers (TOT) sessions and community sensitization, demonstration plots and facilitated demonstration visits, providing tools for soil and water conservation and promoting rain gauges for decision-making.

Prior to the start of the rainy season, each partner contracted local technical service providers to conduct four-day Training-of-Trainers (TOT) sessions on improved crop production techniques with 535 model farmers and community resource persons/TOTs (197 women and 338 men) from the 115 target villages. The training included topics such as: improved production techniques for cereals and cowpeas; sourcing improved seed; soil fertility management and conservation, including use of crop rotation, manures, compost, farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) and soil and water conservation techniques and non-chemical pest management. Following the training on improved production techniques, TOTs sensitized farmers in their respective villages on the techniques during general assemblies.

Model farmers from among the TOTs (18 women and 27 men) applied improved techniques on 45 demonstration plots totaling 2.6 ha. Each demonstration plot was located on a model farmer’s property; on some sites, one cereal or legume was grown, while on others, cowpeas were planted in alternating bands or in association once the cereal crop was thinned. The project provided improved seeds and compost to each model farmer. Each plot included demonstration (with improved seed, compost and spacing, thinning and other soil and water conservation and management practices) and control sections (without new technologies or techniques) to help show the differences between the practices. Demonstration plots were sited close to a village on an accessible route so that other farmers could easily see the new technologies in practice. The plots were planted in either June or July 2017, depending on when the first rainfall began.

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Between July and September 2017, LWR’s four partners began one-day facilitated visits to the 45 demonstration plots for 1,132 people (638 men and 494 women) to showcase improved techniques to other farmer association members. During each visit, the project team, village leaders and the model farmers explained the various techniques and inputs used on the demonstration and control portions of each plot and farmer participants were invited to compare crop growth in the two sections and ask questions about how the techniques were applied and what the expected yields would be. According to the partners’ reports from these facilitated visits, farmers were most interested in the use of compost and improved seed varieties and noted that many of the techniques are not costly, nor very time-consuming, and so there is broad interest from other farmers to apply the same practices next year.

Union Nazari organized one-day visits to the same demonstration plots for 444 women and 131 men farmers around the time of harvest; Union Adaltchi organized similar visits for 19 women and 141 men (463 women and 272 men in total), including some farmers who had participated in previous demonstration visits and others participating for the first time. During each visit, the project team, village leaders and the model farmers reminded farmers about the various techniques and inputs used on the demonstration and control portions of each plot and farmer participants were invited to compare growth, the size of the millet heads, the size and quality of cowpea and millet grains, the number of bunches harvested and any losses from pests or diseases in the two sections of the plot.

Union Nazari purchased soil and water conservation kits (pickaxes, shovels and crowbars) for 12 of its cooperatives to help members apply the techniques on their own fields. Union Amintchi purchased similar soil and water conservation kits for 5 of its cooperatives as well as 5 donkey carts for members to transport production inputs or carry goods to market. Each cooperative has a committee trained on how to use and manage the tools, including a register to track when the tools are used and returned. The committees set use rates for these materials; funds will be managed by the committees to pay for future maintenance or repairs.

This year, LWR’s three Union partners also purchased and installed rain gauges in 18 villages. Each rain gauge was installed based on the recommendations from the Ministry of Agriculture’s meteorology department; the department also trained a Producer Enterprise Agent (PEA) or other literate community member to read the gauges and record rainfall over the period from June to October. Recorded rainfall data was shared with local authorities in order to contribute to national weather forecasts and projections, broadcast on local radio stations and shared with community members to suggest the appropriate time to plant. However, a new project in Dakoro, ABC, provided rain gauges in the project’s target villages, so the activity was suspended in this zone to avoid duplication.

Improved animal production techniques: Over the first year of the project, the Alliance began sheep fattening and marketing operations, provided training on improved fattening techniques and supported animal health.

Sheep fattening operations: Union Adaltchi and Union Amintchi began sheep fattening operations with 170 women in 20 villages in May to June 2017. The Unions’ members fattened 340 sheep for sale in advance of the Tabaski (Eid al Adha) holiday in September. Union Nazari and CEB helped 250 women in 40 villages buy 500 sheep for fattening in July and August 2017, targeting buyers from Nigeria for the Christmas/New Year holidays.

For all project animal-fattening operations, women participants were selected in a general assembly within existing farmer cooperatives/groups (members of one of LWR’s partner Unions or affiliated with CEB) at the village level. Each woman selected formed a solidarity group with 4 other members and paid 20% of the estimated cost of two sheep and a start-up kit (of supplies like wheat bran, salt licks and/or tags) up-front to her local group. These funds were kept by the group’s management committee and used

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as insurance if members of the solidarity group decided to make a payout in the case of a sick, injured or lost sheep; management fees were deducted, but if no payout was made, the remaining funds were returned to the participants once the sheep were sold. Participants selected their own sheep or had their leader select the sheep on their behalf; following selection and negotiation of the price, the management committee and veterinary agent validated the choice and purchased the sheep and kit on their behalf. Following sale, the beneficiary reimbursed the cost of the animal and start-up kit to her management committee so that a new round of animal fattening, with new beneficiaries from the same local group, could begin. The process is outlined in Diagram 1, below.

Diagram 1: Animal Fattening Process

Project supervisors regularly monitored live animal prices on local markets to inform beneficiaries about the optimal time to start selling by telephone. All 340 animals owned by 170 women members of Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi were sold around the time of the Tabaski (Eid al Adha) holiday. Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi helped the local management committees to collect 100% of the planned reimbursements from beneficiaries from the first round of fattening operations and the partners are planning for subsequent rounds of animal fattening, using the reimbursed funds. Local management committees opened bank accounts to secure these funds (and the 20% contributions from new beneficiaries) while waiting for the next round of fattening operations to begin. As of December 2017, 379 of the 500 sheep for Union Nazari and CEB’s beneficiaries were sold on local markets--168 of 200 sheep (84%) for Union Nazari’s members and 211 of 300 sheep (70.3%) in CEB’s target villages.

Training on improved animal production techniques: To coincide with the start of project animal fattening operations by each partner, local veterinary/livestock agents trained 195 women leaders, animal fattening beneficiaries and management committee members over three-day sessions on improved animal production techniques. Training content included planning and timing of fattening operations for greatest profitability, selection, feeding, hygiene, basic first aid and disease recognition and who to contact with potential animal health issues. The training also included practical sessions on using locally available

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inputs in the optimal ratio to prepare animal feed and how to prepare a hangar to protect the sheep. Management committees were also sensitized on their roles and responsibilities and the tools to manage fattening operations.

To prepare for the next round of fattening operations, Union Amintchi and governmental veterinary agents trained 60 women leaders (fattening beneficiaries and management committee members) over 3- day sessions in November 2017. Management committees were also sensitized on their roles and responsibilities and the Union’s team helped the committees open bank accounts to manage fattening operations. Union Adaltchi also began planning and sensitization on the next round, but given the challenges they faced in recovering and securing the funds from fattening operations with groups in the city of Konni, the Union is considering redirecting these operations to rural project communities.

Animal health promotion: Of the 340 sheep purchased by Union Adaltchi and Union Amintchi, 14 animals were lost/stolen or became ill or injured and were slaughtered or sold and replaced over the entire 3-4 month round (4.1% of the sheep; all were replaced from the beneficiaries’ 20% contributions). Of the 500 sheep purchased by CEB and Union Nazari, 13 became ill, injured or were lost/stolen as of the end of 2017; all 13 were replaced from the beneficiaries’ 20% contributions. The support of veterinary service providers in the selection, vaccination and supervision of the animals—along with the training for fattening beneficiaries—helped limit these losses. However, Union Adaltchi received multiple complaints via the project’s community feedback mechanism about the quality of care provided by the communal agents and when the agents said they were unable to improve services or support, the Union negotiated an end to the agreement and contracted instead with the local Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité (SVPP) to provide health monitoring; changing the provider helped prevent a potential outbreak of anthrax, as all animals were vaccinated as a preventive measure following one confirmed case of the disease.

To promote future access to animal health services (and support to new rounds of animal fattening), the project has identified all authorized private veterinarians of the SVPP and their local networks of auxiliaries (auxiliaires de l’élevage or AE) in the project zone; where there is no current animal health coverage by an AE, the project will help expand the current SVPP network through the project’s PEAs and support training and provide basic first aid supplies and veterinary pharmaceuticals to PEAs and auxiliaries working in the project zone. In the final quarter of 2017, LWR and partners met with all SVPPs operating in the project zone to outline the terms of this collaboration and define the training needs of future PEA/AEs. Specifically, the PEAs will be considered “level 1” auxiliaries, who are able to provide basic first aid, deworming and treat minor illnesses for a fee per intervention, but will not be able to administer vaccines or other injections like “level 2” auxiliaries. The SVPPs will provide ongoing technical support to the PEAs/AEs and those who prove capable in care and management may be promoted to the next level. In total, there are 54 PEAs across the project zone who will be cross-trained as veterinary auxiliaries.

This collaboration will be outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the SVPPs per project zone; these MOUs are currently under development. However, to help maintain the project’s close collaboration with the Government of Niger’s department of Animal Husbandry, partners plan to sign a new MOU to work with communal agents on training on animal fattening for TOTs and animal health surveillance for Year 2.

The training for PEAs to become veterinary auxiliaries began over the final quarter of 2017 in partner CEB’s zone in Dakoro. The 3-day training reached 30 PEAs with initial training and 6 auxiliaries with refresher training. Training included understanding symptom and causes of frequent diseases for small and large animals, how diseases are transmitted, how to treat minor injuries and how to administer oral veterinary pharmaceuticals for deworming, diarrhea and other minor conditions. Following the theoretical session, the trainees went to the Dakoro market for a practical session on estimating animal weight,

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diagnosing possible conditions and providing care. Following the training, veterinary kits comprised of scissors, tweezers, cotton, disinfectants, a jacket and veterinary pharmaceuticals (de-worming agents, anti-diarrheal medication and vitamins) were distributed to PEAs and auxiliaries working in the villages where CEB currently has animal fattening operations.

Market outreach: In June 2017, LWR’s Marketing Officer and other members of LWR’s technical team began focus group discussions and key informant interviews with private sector input suppliers, producers, intermediaries, service providers and potential buyers in the project’s target value chains to better understand these actors’ interests, needs and opportunities to advance mutual business interests. In addition to local and regional intermediaries from Nigeria and Senegal, LWR met with l’Agence Nigérienne de Promotion des Exportations, la Société de Collecte, de Production, et de Commercialisation des Produits Agro-Pastoraux, seed companies Ainoma Seed and Sahelia Sem, compost supplier Doura ASE/Niger, input supplier AGRIMEX, wheat buyer Moulin de Tenéré, l’Office des Produits Vivriers du Niger (OPVN) the World Food Programme (WFP) and financial institutions (Ecobank, Yarda, Kokari, Banque Agricole du Niger, Bank Of Africa, Asusu Sa, Mutuelle Karhi de Kornaka and Crédit Mutuel) with agricultural credit lines. LWR’s Marketing Officer compiled this analysis in a market/value chain assessment in August 2017.

LWR’s Marketing Officer began meetings with Union leaders starting in September 2017 to further discuss what infrastructure and financial services are available to them, value chain standards, and the role of the private, public, and civic sectors that collectively constitute the market system--and the advantages of developing win-win relationships with those actors. LWR shared the results of the market/value chain assessment with Union partners and helped explore each group’s marketing strategy and plan, an exercise which culminated in expressions of interest by Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi and Union Nazari for sale of millet, cowpeas, corn and wheat to WFP and OPVN in late 2017/early 2018.

However, due to the relatively high market price of these products at harvest in 2017 and OPVN and WFP procurement strategies and proposed pricing, only Union Amintchi decided to move forward with a contract with WFP. To help Union Amintchi purchase its members’ production, LWR met with Ecobank and Union Amintchi to discuss warehouse financing, but given the additional requirements and fees required by Ecobank to secure an agricultural loan that would erode the Union’s margin from the sale, the Union opted not to pursue this credit line.

In early 2017, Union Adaltchi sold 54 tons of wheat through intermediaries from Nigeria and Union Amintchi sold 60 tons of millet to the WFP. Union Amintchi’s new contract for sale of 52T of millet was signed with WFP in December 2017; the contract includes an advance for the Union to begin purchases with its members (so a loan is no longer needed). Union Amintchi also distributed 50 Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage/PICS sacs to support cowpea bulking operations by 7 women’s groups that belong to the Union.

LWR also continues to discuss plans for collaboration with SH Biaugeaud on the onion value chain.

IR 1.3: Increased access to financial services Savings and credit management training: All partners provided training in savings and credit management for their members and affiliates over the first year of the project. In the second quarter of the calendar year, partners Union Adaltchi and Union Nazari hired a consultant from a local credit union to train 238 women and 2 men leaders (Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers), all members of existing village savings and credit groups, over 3-day sessions on savings and credit management. In quarter 3, CEB worked with consultants to conduct similar training for 120 Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers of 40 existing village savings and credit groups over two 3-day sessions. Union Amintchi conducted similar training for 90 Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers of 28 existing village savings and credit groups over

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two 3-day sessions in the final quarter. The training sessions each focused on fund mobilization, basics of loans and interest, reimbursement management, recording simple financial transactions (for the groups’ literate Secretaries and/or Treasurers) and the advantage of short-term, revolving credit lines and commercial banking services. Each savings and credit group received a kit of basic management tools and supplies (mats, transaction registries, calculators, pens, notebooks, plastic cups in different colors to help members differentiate reimbursements, fines and savings, etc.) for their ongoing savings and credit operations. The partners have reported the interest of some of the more mature savings and credit groups to open accounts to secure their funds and access larger credit lines and that several groups have already done so.

On October 10, 2017, Airtel trained 35 LWR project staff, partner leadership and members of the partner’ technical teams on Airtel Money (M’Koudi) mobile financial services and how to use them. Following the interest from LWR’ partners to extend this training to other members of their organizations, Airtel conducted individual training sessions with each partner. During these sessions, all partners agreed to open an M’Koudi account for the organization’s financial transactions and several partners expressed interest in having their own Airtel full-service boutique to generate additional income.

Objective/IR 2: Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities

IR 2.1: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Organizational capacity development: Over the second quarter of 2017, LWR drafted and finalized an organizational capacity assessment tool for use on the project. The tool includes a facilitated, appreciative review of an organization’s objectives, strategies, assets, experience, procedures, activities and relationships, as well as feedback from members on their perceived organizational strengths and weaknesses. The tool was used in focus group discussions led by LWR’s technical team with leaders and members of LWR’s 3 Union partners and in outreach with leaders and members of 14 other Unions (both affiliates of LWR’s partners and other Unions operating in the project zone).

Given that there are a number of existing Unions of producers organizations in Dakoro department, LWR developed selection criteria and worked to analyze which groups might have sufficient organizational capacity to be viable (and therefore strengthened) and how the project might best target the groups’ specific capacity development needs. This subsequent analysis identified two networks of cereal banks operating in Ajekoria and Birnin Lalle communes in target villages that each have the organizational maturity and prior experience in commercial transactions needed to grow into a viable farmer association; however, no organization operating at this scale and maturity was identified in Korahane. As such, the project will likely seek to facilitate development and structuring of a Union from among the interested farmer associations already operating in this commune. This will include a formal capacity assessment and participatory diagnostic of strengths, weaknesses and organizational capacity needs.

The results of initial organizational capacity assessments with LWR’s other Union partners are being used in discussions with other members to triangulate the information and start the process of developing a tailored organizational capacity-strengthening plan. Union Nazari began work on a draft plan in December 2017. However, based on the lessons learned in this process--that members had difficulty articulating their Unions’ organizational capacity needs due to the lack of understanding of the functions and actions of a mature producer organization--LWR is working with partners to facilitate training on the roles and functions of an organization, roles of leaders and members and the operating requirements of a cooperative (similar to “associative life” training) before deepening the organizational analysis. These training sessions are planned for January 2018.

ICT-enabled extension: See “3.9 Science and Technology and Innovation Impacts” for details.

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IR2.2: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity: Implementing partners have identified local contacts for potential alerts; these contacts will be entered into the ICT Hub to receive reports of individual alerts and trends in a given zone.

Other activities: LWR project staff participated in a number of other visits, meetings, training sessions and coordination with other RISE partners and other stakeholders over the year.

LWR participated in a post-award project orientation with USAID/Dakar on March 8, 2017 and in USAID’s Financial Management training from July 11-12, 2017. LWR also attended learning events for RISE partners organized by the Sahel Resilience Learning Project (SAREL) in January and September 2017 and reached out to Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel – Accelerated Growth (REGIS- AG), US African Development Foundation (USADF), Water Aid, Mercy Corps and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to discuss coordination and possible collaboration. In October 2017, the project team hosted LWR’s President and CEO, Senior Director for Africa and West Africa Regional Representative on a visit with Union Adaltchi and Union Amintchi and meetings with local authorities in Konni and in meetings with USAID, MCC and the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou. The AOR visited the project around Konni in November 2017, meeting with Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi and their members, visiting the dam and irrigation channels in Tcherassa that supply Union Adaltchi members with water and making a courtesy call to the Mayor of Konni. LWR also participated in the workshop on USAID’s Global Food Security Strategy in December 2017.

2.2 Implementation challenges

Several challenges affected implementation over the project’s first year, including operational issues and programmatic ones.

Operations:  Several implementation challenges affected project start-up: 1.) challenges with registering Union Adaltchi’s DUNS number resulted in a one-month delay in the signature of their sub-award agreement; 2.) early turnover within LWR’s project team led to re-opening the search for several staff positions and 3.) staff shared equipment or materials to cope with administrative delays related to shipping, tax-exemption and clearance of project equipment and materials (computers, motorcycles and vehicles/motorcycles purchased with funds from MACF) and implemented interim banking and cash management policies while waiting for the project bank account to be opened.  Intermittent internet and network connectivity for LWR and implementing partners affected coordination and timely communication, especially during training events, the ICT Hub rollout and the annual survey. LWR uses a VSAT connection in Konni and sought to change the provider, but the provider offered to increase the bandwidth at no additional cost, so the contract has been renewed on a short-term basis. LWR continues to communicate with Airtel on zones with limited network access.  Partner Union Adaltchi’s project Accountant resigned suddenly in September 2017, but a replacement was identified from among the short-listed candidates from the initial recruitment to fill the vacancy in early October 2017. Two of LWR’s project staff in Konni also resigned in December 2017: the F&A Manager’s last day in the office is January 5, 2018 and the Capacity Development Advisor’s last day in the office is January 31, 2018. LWR has already posted these vacancies, but the recruitment and orientation process will certainly delay implementation of certain organizational capacity development activities.  The strategy of collecting and migrating data on approximately 17,000 Union members to the ICT Hub will facilitate the farmer registration process in the future, but the team faced a number of challenges in the process (some partners had membership lists but these didn’t include all target

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villages or members, there are no national identity documents and members have different spellings of their name which can result in multiple entries for the same person, etc.) and therefore the collection and review process was very time-consuming for LWR staff and partners. LWR hired a firm on a short-term basis to enter the data from hard copies to Excel to facilitate the upload.  Airtel has yet to provide the SIM cards for project participants that will be used as part of the unique identifier for each person and the first step for farmers to access Airtel’s products and services. A unique identifier is also needed to complete the farmer registration process in the ICT Hub and report on project indicators (specifically, all household-related data, as individual household members will be grouped with a head-of-household by unique identifier). In the meantime, LWR has suspended reporting on households benefitting to avoid possible double-counting. Programming:  Below-average rainfall was recorded in pockets across the project zone this year, particularly in Iléla, Konni and Dakoro departments, which affected demonstration plots and placed additional stress on producers in these communities. The insufficient rainfall and limited recharge of the dam in Mozague (which feeds Konni’s irrigated perimeter) has led the Office National des Aménagements Hydro- Agricoles (ONAHA), which supplies water for irrigation, to recommend members of Union Adaltchi not produce wheat in 2018 due to lack of water.  Market prices for sheep did not increase following harvest in Dakoro or Iléla in advance of the holidays at the end of 2017 as anticipated. Below average rainfall, resulting high cereal prices and speculation on the market for cereals also contributed to the lower sheep prices. Prices only began to increase near the end of December 2017. In light of this challenge, some animal fattening groups adopted a strategy to sell the sheep locally for baptisms or other village events to limit losses.  Several animal fattening management committees struggled to open bank accounts as their leaders don’t have birth certificates or were reluctant to commit to commercial banking; sensitization and support in problem-solving with the groups has alleviated the issues, with the exception of one group in Union Adaltchi’s zone in Konni. Since this group remains unwilling to work within the project’s strategy, the revolving funds for animal fattening will likely be redirected to another group.

2.3 MEL Plan Update

In the first quarter of project operations, LWR contracted an external firm to conduct the project baseline study and enable LWR to understand and document the project’s context in the 115 target villages before the start of project interventions. A consulting firm was hired following an international call for applications and a competitive selection process to: 1. Review project performance indicators, sample definitions and draft baseline questionnaires so that they effectively gather baseline data and can be used to effectively collect life of project data. 2. Identify, recruit, train and supervise local survey enumerators to conduct household level surveys—with both men and women household members—and other short-term hires as needed. Data must be entered in a dataset and compiled and analyzed electronically. 3. Provide concrete suggestions for improvement to indicators and their detailed definitions according to the MEL Plan template provided by LWR and recommendations for data collection, assessment procedures and quality control mechanisms over the life of the project in order to help validate (confirm and/or update) assumptions and estimates made in determining annual targets and indicator definitions. 4. Compile findings in a series of reporting deliverables: inception/preparation report; data collection, synthesis and analysis report/updated MEL plan; and final report that includes the final performance indicators and definitions, training materials, questionnaires and other materials or tools developed under the assignment as appendices, including the final raw dataset.

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The proposed approach and sampling methodology was discussed between the team of consultants and LWR with technical support from SAREL in Niamey and the MEL team of USAID/Dakar. The chosen baseline study methodology included the collection of quantitative and qualitative data from primary sources, including farmers, heads-of-households and farmer associations (at the union level); fieldwork was completed in early March 2017. The draft MEL plan, including baseline data and revised targets, was submitted on March 22, 2017. Initial feedback on the draft MEL plan was provided by USAID on March 31, 2017, with a meeting to review the feedback on April 6, 2017.

Following that discussion, LWR held a project design, monitoring, evaluation and learning (DMEL) workshop from April 10-13, 2017 in Konni. This workshop for 27 LWR technical staff and partners (both partner leadership and technical teams) included: a) Analysis, review and early learning from the results of the baseline survey presented by the baseline consultants, including soliciting questions, concerns and feedback for the firm to finalize their report. This included a discussion about some of the contextual issues surrounding specific baseline findings and concrete recommendations to review certain findings. b) Understanding of the goals and expectations of the project’s MEL system. c) Understanding the project results frameworks and associated indicators such as the logic of the project design and indicator definitions. d) Recommendations for any adjustments needed in the selection of custom indicators, targets, and all elements of the detailed MEL plan to adjust to ground realities. e) Defining the flow of data to report on and consolidate progress toward activity and indicator targets and processes to maintain data quality (how, when, who). f) Roles and responsibilities of each party along the data flow (who collects what data, who verifies the data quality and how, who consolidates and reports up those data, timing of reporting, etc.). g) Development of data collection formats and accompanying instructions.

The results of this workshop helped provide needed input from staff and partners to revise the MEL plan and finalize the baseline report and to define the scope and processes of the data to be collected via smartphones and the project’s ICT Hub. While the ICT Hub was under developed, paper-and Excel-based documentation was used to collect and record any data that LWR plans to collect via ICT in the future. LWR’s project team also field-tested several of these new data collection tools/formats in target villages and made revisions to the formats as needed.

Following the DMEL meeting, LWR revised the MEL plan and had an in-person meeting with the AOR and the Regional M&E team from USAID/Dakar on May 16, 2017 to review proposed changes to project indicators, including a reduction in the number of indicators, revisions to some custom indicators to reflect numeric targets and inclusion of standard Global Climate Change (GCC), Feed the Future (FTF) and RISE indicators. The revised MEL plan, including the finalized baseline report and questionnaires as appendices, was submitted on June 27, 2017. LWR submitted the MEL plan for FY2018 on August 29, 2017; the few minor revisions to the MEL plan were those identified through from the ICT Hub design and testing process.

In November and December 2017, LWR used the ICT Hub and smartphone-based survey to collect performance data for the annual survey. Since the project used a beneficiary-based survey at the baseline, the same approach was used for the annual survey. As such, among the 2,439 direct beneficiaries (1,700 women and 739 men) reached with project activities4 as of September 30, 2017, 332 (101 men and 231 women) from 104 of the 115 project target villages were selected for the survey; a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. The questions for 14 of the 22 project indicators for which data is sourced under

4 For example, trained TOTs and model farmers, demonstration visit participants, animal fattening recipients, savings and credit trainees, management committee trainees and PEAs.

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the annual survey were uploaded into the ICT Hub’s Salesforce platform and a query and dashboard generated per indicator to help LWR’s management team review survey results in real-time.

However, with the time taken to correct member lists and migrate the records of approximately 17,000 farmers to the ICT Hub, extraction of the sample from the ICT Hub became impractical in the timeframe of the survey. Therefore, the project MEL team instead compiled the direct beneficiary lists for the 2,439 project beneficiaries in Excel and conducted systematic sampling--identifying a random starting point in the list and a fixed periodic interval to select subsequent records--to determine which individuals would be surveyed. Following the selection of the 322 beneficiaries to be surveyed, the PEAs and Supervisors completed these beneficiaries’ post-planting records (including plotting GPS coordinates and crops grown on their farms) in order for a team of external enumerators to begin the annual survey.

LWR recruited 11 men and women enumerators from across the project zone who had previously used smartphones to conduct surveys, conducting two-day practical training that included survey norms, how to use the smartphones (how to connect to the application and use its off-line capabilities, how to administer survey questions and continue to the next question, how to synchronize completed surveys, how to troubleshoot problems, etc.), definitions of key survey terms in Hausa, practice sessions administrating the surveys and a field pre-test of the survey questionnaire in a target village. The annual survey itself was conducted over five days per zone from November 28-December 2, 2017, with LWR’s MEL and ICT teams providing technical guidance and troubleshooting to the hired enumerators in the field throughout the process.

Following the survey, the project MEL team reviewed the data in the ICT Hub’s Salesforce platform, reviewing for outlying data and other errors; the most common errors were related to incorrect plotting of GPS coordinates and the conversion of numbers from French to English, which meant a value with a decimal was reported rather as a number in the thousands and some yield data exceeded production norms5, but the project’s ICT team was able to correct and/or filter out the data to address these issues. Key lessons and recommendations, including suggestions on timing the post-planting data collection and changes to survey questions for clarity, flow and logic, have also been compiled for the next annual survey to be conducted in November 2018.

Table 1.2: Summary Results to Date and Annex A: Progress Summary reflect the MEL plan and its FY18 update, including the inclusion of three new FTF indicators in March 2018 and results from project records and the annual survey.

3. INTEGRATION OF CROSSCUTTING ISSUES AND USAID FORWARD PRIORITIES 3.1 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

LWR commissioned a gender assessment and planning consultancy in early 2017 to a.) identify potential gaps and strategies for ensuring that both men and women benefit from the project’s activities; b.) provide training to project staff to increase capacity and ownership for successful gender-equitable implementation and c.) develop a monitoring plan for key gender considerations for each activity in order to assist with the team’s implementation and future gender monitoring. Fieldwork with famer association members, value chain stakeholders, farmer association leaders and training for project staff was

5 For example, survey records showing cowpea yields greater than 500 Kg/ha and millet yields greater than 900 Kg/ha were excluded from the analysis.

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conducted from July 23-August 9, 2017. The report was finalized and submitted by the consultant on December 1, 2017.

The principal gender constraints identified for the project’s target value chains include: more limited access to land by women; fewer opportunities to generate income and less ability to make decisions on use of that income by women; women are discouraged from doing certain agricultural tasks (and as a result, pay men to do so, which further reduces their income); women are discouraged from interacting with male buyers or input suppliers and some value chain actors don’t consider women as “real” producers. The consultant recommended that LWR encourage women to become TOTs and PEAs, promote use of mobile financial services (including training women on phone use), consider promoting access to credit for women to work in post-harvest processing and help the Unions develop policies and strategies for collection points for bulking operations, input provision and extension services that are more adapted to the specific needs of women members.

Many of these recommendations are already part of LWR’s overall strategy for the 12/12 Alliance, but LWR is planning to further review the recommendations and develop an action and monitoring plan to address them in January 2018.

3.2 Sustainability Mechanisms

LWR’s strategy of working with local farmer associations as implementing partners under the project will help lay the groundwork for sustainability; the project is working with the partners on their capacity development plans focused on member services (organizational governance, financial management, business planning and communication) and market integration (collecting and bulking, marketing and negotiation and market information exchange). See “3.6 Local Capacity Development” for further details.

In addition, developing the capacities of PEAs through their training in using Airtel Money products and their integration with the SVPP network to provide paid animal health services will offer new income streams for entrepreneurial PEAs to help boost sustainability of the services they provide.

3.3 Environmental Compliance

USAID shared the Initial Environmental Examination for the project on June 22, 2017. LWR hired a consultant to assist with development of the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP); the consultant worked with LWR staff and partners to develop the plan over two field sessions on July 28-30, 2017 and September 7, 2017. LWR translated and submitted the draft EMMP to USAID on September 28, 2017. After LWR incorporated suggestions made by the regional team, USAID approved the EMMP on November 14, 2017.

LWR is commissioning a subsequent consultancy to roll-out the initial training and planning necessary for EMMP monitoring over the life of the project; the terms of reference for this consultancy were posted in December 2017. Provisions from the EMMP are being incorporated into LWR implementing partners’ sub-award agreements and the MOUs LWR’s partners sign with veterinary service providers.

3.4 Youth Development

With the project’s focus on the use of ICTs and mobile technologies, a number of PEAs—as well as survey enumerators and other service providers—are young farmers and professionals. More data on the age of project PEAs will be collected following training of the second cohort in January 2018.

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3.5 Policy and Governance Support

N/A

3.6 Local Capacity Development

Over the first full quarter of the project, LWR worked with all four implementing partners (Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Union Nazari and CEB) to finalize each partners’ pre-award assessment and review planned project activities with their respective Board of Directors. Following the review of the pre-award assessments, LWR issued subaward agreements to all four implementing partners for activities beginning February 1, 2017 (for CEB, Union Amintchi and Union Nazari) and March 1, 2017 for Union Adaltchi. LWR also provided technical support to partners to implement a transparent hiring process; each of the partners had a fully staffed technical team as of March 31, 2017.

Three representatives of each partner organization (President, Treasurer and General Secretary or their equivalent), as well as their key project technical and financial staff (Technical Coordinator and Accountant) were trained from February 14-16, 2017 on key requirements of the subaward agreement with LWR, each partner’s respective activities and budget and key roles and responsibilities in project implementation. LWR and implementing partners began operations immediately, setting up offices and procuring supplies and materials, conducting community-level education and mobilization on the project, developing community-level profiles to inform targets for specific activities and planning for project operations (like developing manuals for animal fattening operations and agreements with technical service providers for planned training activities).

LWR trained 19 participants, including partner financial and management staff (Technical Coordinators and Accountants) and LWR’s F&A and management team members on financial management and compliance in June 2017. This training workshop included: configuration and roll-out of QuickBooks accounting software for use with all project financial transactions for both LWR and implementing partners (3 producer organizations and one Community-Based Organization/CBO); discussions on internal controls; and a review of cash and inventory management practices and required supporting documentation for specific project financial transactions. The sessions specifically for LWR staff included a review of LWR F&A policies and procedures and an overview of LWR’s implementing partner financial monitoring processes and tools. The workshop was also used to field questions and concerns on financial management from implementing partners—these issues, like challenges with the advance request and financial reporting templates, vendor screening and a lack of understanding about indirect costs, were discussed during the workshop. As a result of the workshop, several of the project’s financial management and reporting templates were simplified and amendments to the four partners’ award agreements were issued on June 30, 2017 to formally incorporate these changes. LWR held a practical refresher session for the partners’ accountants in August 2017 as follow-up to this workshop.

Throughout the project’s first year, LWR supported each sub-grantee to revise and implement policies and procedures as needed to assure their compliance with the requirements of their subaward, conducting regular monitoring to help ensure compliance. Over the year, LWR also helped the three Union partners (Union Adaltchi, Union Nazari and Union Amintchi) review and update their financial policy and procedure manuals to include procurement and petty cash policies. LWR’s first monitoring visits to the three implementing partners designated at the highest risk levels were conducted in late March 2017 with new visits conducted in accordance with the project’s monitoring schedule. A corrective action plan was developed during each trip to provide clear, actionable recommendations for improvements in the partners’ financial and administrative management. In October 2017, LWR conducted a review of all

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implementing partners’ operations, procedures and staffing to assess potential operating risks; based on this assessment, LWR developed a new risk register and monitoring plan for FY18.

In December 2017, LWR facilitated a budget variance analysis and planning process with all implementing partners’ leadership and technical teams. The review included a review of cost savings on specific line items in each partners’ budget, comparing the initial Year 2 budget against the proposed activities and identifying any needed budget adjustments. Several partners were able to prioritize additional activities from cost savings based on their members’ expressed interests, including additional support for rain gauges and functional literacy promotion. 3.7 Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Global Development Alliance (GDA) Impacts

Over the project’s first year, LWR met or spoke with all 12/12 Alliance partners (Airtel, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud and MACF) to discuss plans for the first year of operations and other start-up activities, like the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proposed by USAID for Alliance partners and planned project marking and communications strategies. During these meetings, few key changes to the MOU were made: a.) a reduced scope of investment by Airtel since there is already full mobile coverage across the project zone and as a result, anticipated investments in new mobile towers are no longer needed and b.) MACF’s preference not to be included as a signatory as the Foundation has an existing agreement with LWR in support of the 12/12 Alliance. As a result of these changes, the planned investments under the MOU for the Global Development Alliance total over $8 million US dollars in funds leveraged from the private sector in cash or in-kind over five years. LWR leveraged $2.6 million US dollars in the first year.

The MOU signature ceremony for Niger-based private-sector partners was held on June 6, 2017 at the Grand Hotel in Niamey with approximately 30 representatives from USAID, Airtel, Ecobank, LWR, I3N, the Ministry of Community Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and other USAID implementing partners in Niger. The ceremony included speeches from key attendees and the signing of the MOU. As SH Biaugeaud was unable to attend the ceremony, the MOU for the 12/12 Alliance was signed electronically and shared with all partners on July 19, 2017.

LWR initially planned a reflection meeting with private sector Alliance partners in September 2017, to coincide with a visit planned by SH Biaugeaud, but that visit was cancelled and the meeting then rescheduled. Over the last quarter of the year, LWR began planning for a reflection/steering committee meeting for Alliance partners to be held in January 2018. 3.8 Conflict Mitigation

N/A

3.9 Science, Technology, and Innovation Impacts

LWR is working with a contracted technology firm, TaroWorks (identified through a competitive bidding process in January 2017), to co-design, roll-out and maintain an ICT Hub, comprised of a data platform, applications and smartphones with solar chargers appropriate for Niger’s intermittent connectivity and bandwidth. The platform will help a.) private agents, PEAs, to work with Unions to promote quality crop extension services adapted to the needs of individual farmers, providing access to information on potential input suppliers and market outlets, b.) Unions better plan for bulk acquisitions, sales and timely communications with their members and c.) LWR compile and analyze project performance and management data. The ICT Hub includes text, images and video content on target value chains developed

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by the project.

In March 2017, LWR began working with TaroWorks to develop the technical process narrative— defining the various the ICT Hub users and their roles, how the various applications interact within the ICT Hub, processes and timing for key extension activities and data collection in each crop/animal production cycle and how the platform will be used to collect, analyze or disseminate information on other asynchronous events (like early warnings, accountability mechanisms, information on membership dues or meeting minutes, other surveys/data collection, etc.). TaroWorks conducted a two-week workshop in March 2017 to begin the on-site review and assessment for another LWR project in Burkina Faso using a similar platform in order to develop the prototype; LWR’s project ICT/Data Manager participated in the workshop to advance planning for a similar workshop in Niger.

From June 28-July 7, 2017, LWR and TaroWorks held an 8-day workshop with staff and partners (including LWR’s implementing partners and Airtel) to define the processes and timing for key extension activities and how the platform will be used to collect, analyze and disseminate early warnings, communications from the Unions, market information, supplier information and project performance data. Additional details on the scope of the project’s ICT Hub are provided in Annex C.

Following the design workshop, TaroWorks worked to customize the platform and solutions for field- testing, revision and validation by LWR. TOT sessions for LWR ICT staff to deploy and manage the ICT Hub were held from August 7-11, 2017. LWR lead the workshop to review and test the prototype with LWR staff and 14 partner coordinators and supervisors from August 16-18, 2017; this workshop used practical simulations to test the discrete tasks and get feedback about the ICT Hub’s process flow, content and tasks.

Following further customization of the Hub by TaroWorks based on this feedback, LWR began deployment of ICT Hub with a training/TOT session for partner coordinators and supervisors from September 6-7, 2017. This session also included training by Airtel on using the M’Koudi (mobile money) platform for project and other financial transactions and rollout of an Airtel closed user group for unlimited communications among key project staff and stakeholders.

After the PEA screening process revealed that only 76 (4 women, 72 men) of the 115 identified PEAs had the skills and experience to successfully provide extension services through mobile technologies, LWR re-designed the ICT Hub rollout and training strategy. The new strategy includes training different cohorts over multiple sessions and support from project coordinators and supervisors as co-trainers to be able to provide more individualized attention to each PEA; each initial 2-day training session includes training exercises on entrepreneurism/farming as a business, roles and responsibilities of PEAs, use of the mobile phone and executing a few initial tasks with the smartphone (completing registration and beneficiary data). The first two training sessions for the first cohort of PEAs began the last week of September 2017; training continued throughout October 2017 over five sessions. Each quarter following the deployment of the ICT Hub, new sessions for the PEAs are planned to refresh training, troubleshoot potential problems and train on new technical skills and tasks.

In mid-2017, LWR contracted a firm to develop technical extension content, drawings, photos and videos for use in the ICT Hub. The firm developed 35 short clips--with video, graphics and narration in Hausa-- on sheep fattening (selection, care, feeding and preparing sheep for sale), millet production (FMNR, planning, traction, spacing and natural pest management practices), cowpea production (planning, traction, spacing, natural pest management practices and post-harvest management), onion production (preparing beds, preparing the soil, seed multiplication, transplanting and post-harvest management and storage), wheat production (planting, weeding, compost production and application, natural pest management practices and harvesting) and entrepreneurism (banking, calculating profit and loss and

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marketing basics). Based on the initial feedback from farmers, partners and LWR’s technical staff, the firm revised the content and videos and shared the revised content in a workshop with 27 partners, local authorities and technical service providers from ONAHA, the national agricultural research institute (INRAN) and the departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and the Environment on November 2, 2017. The workshop featured small group sessions on animal production, crop production and entrepreneurism/farming as a business to review, provide feedback on and validate the various technical materials. Based on the recommendations and approvals from this field-testing and review process, a final session to validate the content is planned with national technical stakeholders on January 30, 2018 in Niamey prior to its migration to the ICT Hub.

The project team also collected, reviewed and revised the lists of approximately 17,000 potential beneficiaries in the target villages, migrating the completed lists to the ICT Hub so that each PEA has a list of the cooperative members in his/her zone. Airtel is planning to provide SIM cards to these potential beneficiaries and the assigned number will serve as the unique ID to help differentiate beneficiaries with the same name in the Hub.

The first cohort of PEAs began working in November 2017, with the task of collecting post-planting data in preparation for the annual survey. Each PEA was accompanied by his/her supervisor through the task with several farmers, then once mastered, the PEAs continued the task independently. The PEAs (or supervisors, in villages without a trained PEA at that time) also assisted the external team during the survey process, assisting with community information sessions and identifying the sampled farmers.

LWR concluded identification of the second cohort of PEAs in early December 2017, identifying PEAs for 32 of the 39 remaining project villages. 6 LWR began training the second cohort immediately, reaching 21 PEAs in this cohort over two sessions in December 2017 on the same initial training topics; the training for the remaining PEAs continues in January 2018. In addition to the technical and practical sessions on the ICT Hub, LWR brought together all the PEAs working for a given partner or Union (both cohorts of PEAs) in December 2017 for a one-day training session by Airtel on using mobile money products, as PEAs are expected to receive a stipend based on the services they provide to farmers (and farmers’ satisfaction with those services) via Airtel Money and promote use of mobile money products in their communities. Airtel will also continue these sessions in January 2018.

4. STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

In addition to the outreach with local authorities and stakeholders to inform village selection and plan for coordination, LWR plans for robust community accountability mechanisms that will be further enhanced through the use of ICT. In the project’s first quarter, village-level meetings were held in most of the 115 target villages to inform leaders and community members about project activities and how they can reach project staff with questions or concerns. Each of the four implementing partners developed an accountability and feedback plan. LWR also successfully applied for a “short code”, a four-digit, post- paid number that will be posted on signboards in each commune and project office to field potential questions or concerns from stakeholders via SMS.

6 Following this second round of confirmations, there are 108 PEAs (7 women and 101 men) in total. There remain 7 target villages (1 in Union Adaltchi’s zone, 2 in Union Amintchi’s zone and 4 in CEB’s zone) that have not been able to identify a PEA capable of using mobile technologies to provide technical extension services. LWR continues to work with partners on the strategy to cover the needs in villages with no qualified individual.

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LWR is working with Airtel to configure the project “short code” (5335) with the ICT Hub to field potential questions or concerns from stakeholders via SMS; project leadership will analyze these and any complaints reviewed via the community accountability mechanism in order to identify possible solutions. LWR drafted the operating procedures to be used in responding to these questions or concerns and production began on the signboards with this information. Unfortunately, the configuration between Airtel’s server and the ICT Hub has proven challenging and the code is not yet operational.

LWR launched the project with private sector partners, local authorities and stakeholders and implementing partners in the field on May 4, 2017 at the project office in Konni. This field launch event, attended by 95 representatives from Airtel, Ecobank, the departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, the mayors and traditional leaders of all target communes and implementing partner leadership also included speeches by the Governors of Tahoua and Maradi and a handover of project motorcycles to the partners’ technical teams. The MOU signature ceremony for Niger-based private-sector partners was held on June 6, 2017 at the Grand Hotel in Niamey. In August 2017, LWR signed an MOU with the Ministry for Community Development to outline collaboration and coordination, including the Ministry’s participation in steering and review activities with 12/12 Alliance partners.

LWR organized a Reflection Meeting with implementing partners’ leadership and technical teams, 39 people in total, from October 9-12, 2017. The meeting was an opportunity to present progress against activities, review, analyze and discuss successes, challenges and lessons, refine the Year 2 Work Plan and begin to develop the partners’ detailed budgets and activity plans for Year 2. The meeting began with a presentation by each partner on the activities they implemented over the first year of the project, followed by discussions on challenges lessons and next steps. Participants were then divided in small groups on different project activities (animal fattening, demonstration plots, animal health, use of rain gauges and soil/water conservation kits, community gardens, organizational capacity development and the ICT Hub, marketing, savings and credit) and were asked to share their experiences and develop operational suggestions for the activity. A gallery walk and discussion helped further refine and prioritize these recommendations. Each partner then worked in a small group with their members and staff on the Year 2 Work Plan to incorporate, where possible, these suggestions into their planning. LWR consolidated the findings into a summary report that was shared with partners and used the recommendations to refine the draft Year 2 Work Plan. The draft Year 2 Work Plan was submitted to USAID on October 31, 2017.

5. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

The AOR and regional USAID colleagues have followed up the few remaining questions from the post award orientation, with minor changes planned for the next anticipated award modification.7 Based on the results of the annual reflection, planning and budget review exercises conducted with implementing partners, LWR is in the process of drafting new sub award agreements for partner activities in Year 2.

6. LESSONS LEARNED

Some of the lessons from the first year of project implementation, including those identified during the baseline survey, implementation and the Reflection Meeting held in October 2017, include:

7 Specifically, related to title to key property and equipment under the award (p. 58, RAA8).

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 LWR learned through the baseline survey that there is broad coverage with social safety nets and wide application of techniques to manage annual household food stocks, as well as fairly wide use of mobile technologies across the project zone.  During the process of developing village profiles, LWR learned that there are a number of existing Unions of producers organizations in Dakoro department; the planned strategy to survey existing farmer groups and decide if a federated or Union structure would fit farmers’ interests and needs seems no longer relevant since these structures already exist. The project will instead deepen the analysis with these existing groups and their membership in the target villages and decide which groups might be strengthened and how the project might best target the groups’ specific capacity development needs.  Demonstration plots provided an opportunity to both reinforce the training for TOTs and for farmers to observe the results from applying new technologies and techniques; several varieties (HKP for millet and IT90K for cowpeas) were particularly appreciated and the training and input provision timed well, which contributed to the relative success of the activity, despite the limited rainfall in the project’s zone this year.  Engagement with traditional and administrative authorities has supported implementation and contributed to the government of Niger’s strategies; for example, the rain gauges help deepen the government’s analysis of meteorological trends and so the government has provided training, forms to fill out and prepaid envelopes so that the data can be mailed to their offices regularly. Rain gauges are also highly appreciated by communities, to the extent that Unions prioritized them above other project inputs and are planning to purchase additional ones with identified budget savings. The Unions are looking to place a new order early in 2018 to be able to benefit from the training planned by the department of Meteorology in March or April.  The project’s animal fattening manual is under review to incorporate the lessons learned from the first round of operations; this includes prioritizing groups with a working bank account, setting a minimum purchase price to avoid buying sheep less than 18 months old, planning for reimbursement immediately following sales and improving the quality and frequency of sensitization and technical support for management committee members. The roles of the SVPP and governmental animal health agents will also be outlined in the updated manual.  Private sector buyers and other actors are interested in several other value chains (garlic, corn and tomatoes). LWR is interested in exploring support to these activities, especially given that Union Adaltchi members will not be able to grow wheat in 2018 and SH Biaugeaud’s support to the onion sector with Union Amintchi will not likely begin until late 2018 at the earliest.  Now that LWR’s farmer association partners have financial operations manuals and staff trained on multi-account software for financial transactions, the Unions are better placed to pursue external funding. LWR’s Marketing Officer is helping Union Amintchi and Union Nazari develop business plans for proposals to USADF; the deadline is January 2018.  Although technical content is not yet migrated to the ICT Hub, PEAs are already providing technical support to farmers, either from training they received by the project, sharing market price information or sharing videos filmed during demonstration visits. LWR was surprised to learn that some men and women surveyed say they are making decisions based on information they received via ICT, which suggests that farmers trust the information they receive.  Deployment of the ICT Hub has also greatly facilitated the review of annual survey data, as the cloud-based Salesforce instance allows multiple users to review the data in real-time. With many annual performance targets met or exceeded according to the annual survey conducted in November and December 2017, as well as changes in production plans and target value chains, it may be useful to review the MEL plan FY18 targets with the AOR.

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7. PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER INCLUDING UPCOMING EVENTS

Key activities planned for the coming quarter (starting in January 2018) include steps to:  Continue organizational capacity assessments, planning and value chain actor outreach.  Complete the registration of farmers and upload of additional beneficiary data in the ICT Hub.  Hold a Reflection/Steering Committee meeting for 12/12 Alliance partners and stakeholders on January 30, 2018 in Niamey.  Conclude validation of technical modules and functional literacy modules and migrate approved content to the ICT Hub; develop additional technical content on using mobile technologies.  Conclude initial rollout of the ICT Hub with the second cohort of PEAs and training on Airtel Money products; begin quarterly refresher training sessions with PEAs.  Continue implementation of project activities (tailored capacity strengthening plans and support/training on identified capacity areas, animal fattening operations, training on savings and credit, support to local private veterinary service providers and market gardens managed by Union partners, work on marketing collective marketing of target crops, rolling out functional literacy) and conduct regular project monitoring and supervision with partners.  Finalize gender analysis and integration of findings and recommendations.  Rollout training and sensitization on the approved EMMP; begin monitoring.  Conduct recruitment and orientation for LWR’s project F&A Manager and Capacity Development Advisor.  Conduct training on compliance and financial management for project staff and partners.  Begin planning for value chain stakeholders meetings.

8. WHAT DOES USAID NOT KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO?

SH Biaugeaud does not plan to begin investments in onion production and marketing in the project zone until sometime in 2018, which will delay start-up of these activities with LWR partner Union Amintchi.

MCC is planning rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure in several project target communities in Konni in 2018-2019, which will affect farming activities in those communities during this period. In late 2017, MCC issued a contract solicitation to provide technical support services to farmers using the irrigated perimeters slated for repair in Konni, including functional literacy promotion, demonstration plots, support to access inputs and markets and facilitate cooperative development; many of the same activities being implemented by the 12/12 Alliance. The MCC strategy also includes formally separating the roles and functions of water user associations with those of farmer cooperatives. LWR’s partner, Union Adaltchi, whose membership is constituted from among the users of the irrigated perimeter in Konni and currently supports both its members’ use of water resources and cooperative services and is therefore slated for restructuring (or potentially risks being disbanded) under this strategy.

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ANNEX A: PROGRESS SUMMARY Table 1(a): PMP Indicator progress - USAID Standard/FTF Indicators and Project Custom Indicators* Goal: Increased ability of households in Niger’s agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones to adapt to climate shocks and stresses all 12 months of each year

Baseline data Actual Results – Year 1 Annual Comments Annual Annual Data Performance Indicator Cumulative Cumulative Source Achieved against Year Value Planned target8 Actual Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 target (in %) Proportion of households resilient to a shock experienced Survey 2017 0 30% 47.92% 0 0 0 47.92% 159.7% Q4 Survey data the previous year (RISE)* Proportion of individuals 41.6% men; 69.88% men; 69.88% men; 50% men; 40% 139.8% men; 149.6% reporting current household Survey 2017 22.6% 59.83% 0 0 0 59.83% Q4 Survey data women women resilience capacity (Custom) women women women Number of rural/vulnerable Project households benefitting directly 2017 0 9,570 1,439 0 535 904 0 1,439 of 9,570 (15%) Project records9 Records from USG interventions (FTF) Intermediate Result (IR): Leverage private-sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

272,442 CFA 314,712 CFA 280,000 CFA 314,712 CFA men; men; 204,564 men; 240,000 men; 204,564 112.4% men, 85.2% Average value of assets 225,961 CFA CFA women; Survey 2017 CFA women; 0 0 0 CFA women; women, 99.9% Q4 Survey data (Custom) women; households households households households households 519,276 520,000 CFA 519,276 CFA 384,159 CFA CFA10 Number of people using climate 910 information or implementing 1,427 women, 1,427 women, 45 (18 (599 risk-reducing actions to 500 women, 357 men 357 men 1,784 of 2,500 people Survey 2017 0 0 W, 27 W, Q4 Survey data improve resilience to climate 2,000 men (1,784 (1,784 (71.4%) M) 311 change as supported by USG people) people) M) assistance (GCC)* men men Average value of individual men 45,240 45,240 CFA 25,440 CFA; 27,000 CFA; 167.6% men, 191.2% savings accumulated by project Survey 2017 CFA; women 0 0 0 men; 22,943 Q4 Survey data women women women beneficiaries (Custom) 22,943 CFA CFA women 10,790 CFA 12,000 CFA

8 Quarter 4 of the project’s Year 1 falls in October-December 2017 (FY2018), so this table reports against FY2018 targets. 9 Data compiled from direct beneficiaries of training sessions, animal fattening operations and other project activities; however, farmer registration with a unique identifier (and grouping by head-of- household) in the ICT Hub must be completed in order to determine if some direct beneficiaries belong to the same household. LWR suspended reporting on this indicator while farmer registration is pending in order not to double-count beneficiary households. 10 The baseline survey estimated land prices at 1,000,000 CFA/ha, which overestimated total asset values in certain project zones (and resulted in reporting of total assets valued at 4,247,612 CFA for men and 2,190,556 for women) during the survey; survey data was therefore adjusted to remove land values from the calculation. As per the PIRS for this indicator, the estimated household value is the aggregate of these values. 25

Sub-IR: Diversified economic opportunities % of households reporting at least one new income source Survey 2017 0 50% 92.56% 0 0 0 92.56% 185.1% Q4 Survey data due to project interventions (Custom) Annual Annual Baseline data Annual Actual Results – Year 1 Data Cumulative Performance Indicator Cumulative Comment(s) Source Planned Achieved against Year Value Actual Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 target11 target (in %)

Sub-IR: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops 97,835 CFA $110 USD onions ($178 USD) $178 USD No reported (men and cowpeas men, cowpeas 161. 8% cowpeas production or Gross margins per hectare (for women); $120 81,370 CFA men, $148 men, 123.3% sale of onions or cowpeas, wheat and onion) USD cowpeas ($148 USD) USD Survey 2017 0 0 0 0 cowpeas women, wheat by Q4 and animal (sheep) of selected (men and cowpeas cowpeas 181.8% sheep survey product (FTF)* women), $11 women; women; $20 women respondents; USD sheep 11,246 CFA sheep 550 CFA=$1 (women)12 ($20) sheep women women Men: Men: Men: Millet: 333.2 Men: Millet: 431 Millet: 431 Kg/ha Millet: 360 Kg/ha Kg/ha Kg/ha Men: Cowpeas: Cowpeas: 180 Cowpeas: 145 Cowpeas: Millet: 119.2% Yields of targeted crops 168.3 Kg/ha Kg/ha Kg/ha 145 Kg/ha Cowpeas: 80.6% reported by project Survey 2017 Women: 0 0 0 Q4 Survey data Women: Women: Women: Women: participants (Custom) Millet: Millet: 280 Kg/ha Millet: 293 Millet: 293 Millet: 104.6% 259.92 Cowpeas: 130 Kg/ha Kg/ha Cowpeas: 80% Kg/ha Kg/ha Cowpeas: 104 Cowpeas: Cowpeas: Kg/ha 104 Kg/ha 119.9 Kg/ha Number of individuals who have received USG-supported 431 women, 431 women, Project 500 women, 600 772 of 1,100 short-term agricultural sector 2017 0 341 men 0 0 0 341 men Records men producers (70.2%) productivity or food security producers producers training (FTF)* Number of hectares under Project 3,038 ha improved management Records 3,038 ha under 1 or 3,038 of 1,625 ha technologies or practices as a 2017 0 1,625 ha 0 2.6 ha14 0 Q4 Survey data and under 1 or more (187.0%) result of USG assistance (FTF Survey technologies Indicator)

11 Quarter 4 of the project’s Year 1 falls in October-December 2017 (FY2018), so this table reports against FY2018 targets. 12 Due to limited rainfall and recharge of the dam in Konni’s irrigation scheme, there will be no irrigated wheat production in 2018. The FY18 target has been adjusted in the project’s MEL Plan. 14 Includes three Technology Types: Crop Genetics, Cultural Practices and Soil Fertility and Conservation (2.6 hectares for each type) 26

more technologies13

Number of farmers who have Project 1,700 women, applied new management 45 (18 910 1,700 Records 500 women, 739 men 2,439 of 2,500 technologies or management 2017 0 0 W, 27 (599 W, women, 739 Q4 Survey data and 2,000 men (2,439 (97.6%) practices as a result of USG M)16 311 M) men (2,439) Survey farmers)15 assistance (FTF Indicator) Volume per value chain 54 T 22,000 MT Contract signed marketed collectively by Project wheat; 0% onion; 0% 2017 0 onion; 200 MT 0 0 0 0 for sale of 52T smallholder farmer Records 60 T cowpeas cowpeas17 of millet in 2018 associations (Custom) millet

Annual Annual Baseline data Annual Actual Results – Year 1 Data Cumulative Performance Indicator Cumulative Comment(s) Source Planned Achieved against Actual Year Value target18 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 target (in %) Sub-IR: Increased access to financial services Proportion of project Men 6.2%; Men 25.3%; Men 25.3%; participants who used Men 25%; Men 101.2% Survey 2017 Women Women 0 0 0 Women Q4 Survey data financial services in the past Women 75%19 Women 96% 14.5% 72.0% 72.0% 12 months (Custom) Number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including farmers, Project No loans 2017 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0% receiving agricultural-related Records planned in 2017 credit as a result of USG assistance (FTF)* Value of agricultural and rural Project No loans loans by farmer associations 2017 0 $200,000 USD 0 0 0 0 0 0% Records planned in 2017 (FTF)* Intermediate Result (IR): Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities

13 Disaggregation by technology type: 2988 ha cultural practices, 1677 ha crop genetics and 3011 ha soil fertility and conservation (10588 ha in total). By gendered decision-making on hectares where one or more technologies was applied: 1463 ha male, 1022 ha female and 553 ha joint. Values are extrapolated from survey data as per the PIRS. 15 Includes application of at least one of four Technology Types: Crop Genetics (by 1,146 women and men), Cultural Practices (by 2,171 women and men), Soil Fertility and Conservation (by 1,146 women and men) and Improved Livestock Practices (by 2,439 women and men) or 6,902 people in total growing millet, sorghum and/or cowpeas and raising sheep or other livestock. For disaggregation by Value Chain type, all men and women are Producers. Values are extrapolated from survey data as per the PIRS. 16 Includes application of three Technology Types: Crop Genetics, Cultural Practices and Soil Fertility and Conservation (45 farmers for each type) 17 Targets for collective marketing of onions may not be met due to the delay in support to onion production and marketing operations by SH Biaugeaud and for wheat given that, due to the limited recharge of the dam in Konni’s irrigation scheme, there will be no irrigated wheat production in 2018. The FY 18 MEL Plan has been adjusted accordingly. 18 Quarter 4 of the project’s Year 1 falls in October-December 2017 (FY2018), so this table reports against FY2018 targets. 19 The target was exceeded in 2017 as per the annual performance survey, so the target for FY18/Year 2 has been adjusted accordingly in the MEL Plan. 27

Profitability of farmer Project 2,655,000 Not reported in 2017 3,000,000 CFA 0 0 0 0 0 0% associations (Custom) Records CFA 2017 Cash awards Value of new investments Project $2.6 from MACF and 2017 0 $3.5m USD $2.6m $0 $0 $0 86.7% leveraged (Custom) Records m Frehner/Murray family Annual Annual Baseline data Annual Actual Results – Year 1 Data Cumulative Performance Indicator Cumulative Comment(s) Source Planned Achieved against Year Value Actual Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 target20 target (in %) Sub-IR: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Proportion of members of farmer associations who say Men 96.4%; Men 96.4%; Men 2.7%; Men 70%; Men 137.7%; they have confidence in their Survey 2017 Women 0 0 0 Women Q4 Survey data Women 22% Women 80%21 Women 121.8% association's 97.4% 97.4% management/leadership Number of for-profit private enterprises, producers organizations, water users associations, women's groups, trade and business 3 Producer Project associations, and community- 2017 0 4 4 4 0 0 0 100% organizations, 1 Records based organizations (CBOs) CBO (all new) receiving USG food security- related organizational development assistance (FTF)* Number of private enterprises, producer organizations, water user associations, trade and business associations, and 3 Producer Project community-based 2017 0 4 4 0 0 0 4 100% organizations, 1 Records organizations (CBOs) that CBO applied new technologies or management practices with USG assistance (FTF)* Proportion of individuals 25% men; 25% 7.2% men; 7.2% men; 28.8% men; 77.6% using ICT-assisted extension Survey 2017 022 0 0 0 Q4 Survey data women 19.4% women 19.4% women women in decision-making (Custom) Number of hits to ICT Project extension support platform 2017 0 11,960 0 0 0 0 0 0% Records (Custom)

20 Quarter 4 of the project’s Year 1 falls in October-December 2017 (FY2018), so this table reports against FY2018 targets. 21 The target was exceeded in 2017 as per the annual performance survey, so the target for FY18/Year 2 has been adjusted accordingly in the MEL Plan. 22 As per baseline survey, 72.6% of men and 38.0% of women surveyed have previously used mobile technologies (mobile phones, SMS, electronic transfers or other mobile money products). 28

Sub-IR: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity Annual Annual Baseline data Annual Actual Results – Year 1 Comment(s) Data Cumulative Performance Indicator Cumulative Source Planned Achieved against Year Value Actual Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 target23 target (in %) Proportion of members who Men 27.4% ; Men 68.7%; Men 68.7%; feel their farmer association Men 70%; Men 98.1%; Women Survey 2017 Women Women 0 0 0 Women Q4 Survey data can help them in the event of Women 85%24 99.9% 38.0% 84.9% 84.9% a shock or a stress (Custom) Number of alerts referred to designated individuals by the Project 2017 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0% early warning system Records (Custom)* * New or revised indicator as per revised, submitted MEL plan, annual FY18 plan and additional FY18 MEL Plan update in March 2018.

23 Quarter 4 of the project’s Year 1 falls in October-December 2017 (FY2018), so this table reports against FY2018 targets. 24 The target was exceeded in 2017 as per the annual performance survey, so the target for FY18/Year 2 has been adjusted accordingly in the MEL Plan. 29

ANNEX B: KEY CONTACTS

Region Name Title Phone Number Email Abbas Baoua Préfet sortant de Tahoua 99999991 [email protected] Abdourhamane Moussa Gouverneur Dr. Magagi Ali Directeur Régional de l’Elevage 96273026 [email protected] Assane Foussani Directeur Adjoint Départemental Environnement de Konni 96575208 Abdou Mohamidou Secrétaire Général Préfecture de Konni 96665255 Moumouni Chaibou Vice Maire de Konni 96487164 Mamane Salifou Honorable Chef de Canton de Konni 96219949 Mamane Barthé Honorable Chef de Groupement Peulh de Konni 96597859 Tahoua Ibrahim Attawel Honorable Chef de Canton de Doguéraoua 96993195/90300037 Boubé Nomaou Maire de Tsernaoua 96568628 Ibro Mamane Maire de Bazaga 97551924 Souley Kiabeye Directeur Départemental Agriculture Konni 96298198 Dr Boubacar Moussa Moudi Directeur Départemental Elevage Konni 96288948 Ddeiatchintaahoo.fr Inoussa Zarama Vice Maire Malbaza 96492241 Yacoubou Ibrahim SG Mairie de Malbaza 96550904 Yacouba Mai Birni Maire de Doguéraoua 99213030 Ibrahim Dillo 2e Vice Maire Illéla 96568628 Oumarou Tawayé Adjoint au Maire de Badaguichiri 97334294 Zakari Oumarou Gouverneur 97383832 Mr. Laminou Adamou Resp. Régional Protection des Végétaux 96270545 Mme Issaka Ousseina Chef Service Statistique Elevage 96298082 Abdoulaye Issa Coordonnateur Projet Adaptation à Base Communautaire 96891014 [email protected] Maradi Mamoudou Maliki Coordonnateur Régional ONG-CEB 96337045 Abass Harou Préfet Sortant de Dakoro 96493512 Abdou Namaka Maire d’Adjékoria 96103015 Amadou Dan-Aî Maire de Birnin Lallé 96588200 Abdou Amani Ministre du Développement Communautaire 97 01 42 43 [email protected] Ali Betty Haut-Commissaire de l’Initiative 3N Niamey ElH Ibrahim Adamou Secrétaire General, Développement Communautaire 96 88 87 59 [email protected] Abdou Kasso Conseiller Spécial du Président auprès de l’Initiative 3N 99 77 28 21 Hadjara Boukari Direction des ONG et Associations de Développement [email protected]

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ANNEX C: SCOPE OF ICT HUB

User(s) Access information on: Provide information on: Application of information: Farmers via PEAs  Cultivation, harvest, and post-harvest  Acreage for anticipated production  Quality, consistent extension service techniques (text, videos and images)  Input needs delivery adapted to meet individual farmer  Individualized data “profiles” on farmers  Production projections needs and gaps in adoption to track technical adoption and  Actual production  Unions to aggregate input orders performance  Feedback on topics upon which unions  Unions to project harvest and negotiate  Local market prices need to make decisions prices with buyers  Farm management and entrepreneurship  Early warnings on hazards,  Authorities informed of real-time techniques community threats  Local input suppliers

Farmer Associations  Farmer input needs  Negotiated prices with buyers and final  Farmers to know commodity purchase (Union level)  Offers from buyers purchase price for commodity from price and how it was calculated  Market prices farmers  Farmers are informed of decisions made  Meeting scheduler to push out SMS  Details on collective loans/repayment during meetings reminders schedules and effective repayments  Buyers plan how much and where to  (Potential) satisfaction and other  Quantities of warehoused commodities purchase commodities feedback on union operations from  Meeting dates, board decisions  Credit worthiness known farmers  Membership due collection reminders  Estimate quantities unions will purchase to line up trade financing Project Management  Routine and evaluation data collection  Communicate data collection processes  Real-time performance data collection and Team (LWR and Union  Rapid surveys and timing to project team analysis, including trends on ICT use leadership)  Accountability management processes  Communicate other project  Promote transparency and accountability  Tracking management performance management information according to pre-defined dashboards

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ANNEX D: SUCCESS STORIES

Rain gauges: more than a simple tool

Ibrahima Adamou, born in 1968 in the village of Nadabar in Niger, is a Producer Enterprise Agent (PEA) with Lutheran World Relief’s 12/12 Alliance project. Ibrahima also reads the rain gauge in his village, a task that makes him an important and respected personality since he is responsible for collecting data that is transmitted to national authorities, an activity that may seem simple, but is full of meaning for him.

The 12/12 Alliance project has provided rain gauges in 18 villages thus far. Each rain gauge was installed based on the recommendations from the Ministry of Agriculture’s meteorology department; the department also trained a PEA or other literate community member to read the gauges and record rainfall over the period from June to October. Recorded rainfall data is shared with local authorities in order to contribute to national weather forecasts and projections, is broadcast on local radio stations and shared with community members to suggest the appropriate time to plant.

Knowing that the name of the village will be quoted on national radio is a source of pride for a whole village and for Ibrahima in particular, who feels that he has accomplished a noble mission in serving his village. "I am very proud of the work I do, since before there was a rain gauge in the village, we dug into the ground to have an idea of what rain fell. Now we know exactly how much rain we receive and how to use that information, but what I'm most proud of is to be known in my village, in my commune, in my country and even in the United States. I feel like I'm a very important person."

In addition to being a source of pride for his village, Ibrahima’s rain gauge also plays a very important role in estimating future crop performance in his region. According to Mr Tchiffa Mamane, head of forecasting at the national meteorology department, "Rain gauges are used to help estimate the country's agro-pastoral production. It is thanks to the data collected by people like Ibrahima that the department can predict and identify areas at risk.” Mr Tchiffa recommends that national authorities and NGOs provide all villages with a rain gauge, since this simple tool helps promote community development.

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“A Way Up”: Habi Oumarou is a widow from Bazaga in Niger’s Tahoua region. Habi is a member of Dan Awalchi, a small women’s cooperative that belongs to Union Adaltchi, one of Lutheran World Relief’s producer organization partners under the 12/12 Alliance project.

Habi was nominated to participate in the Union’s sheep fattening activities under the project during a village meeting by members of her cooperative because she is seen to be trustworthy and capable. She paid 20% of the estimated cost of two sheep and a start-up/feeding kit up-front to her group. Habi and other women participants went to a local market to select their sheep. Local veterinary agents from the government’s Department of Animal Husbandry checked the animals to be sure they were healthy and the Union’s management committee purchased the sheep for her. The Union explained that she would receive the sheep as a loan and that she would need to reimburse her cooperative once the sheep were sold so that other members could benefit from animal fattening in the future.

Habi learned about how to care for and feed her sheep from one of her neighbors who was trained as a trainer on animal fattening. “I followed her advice very closely and my animals remained healthy until it was time to sell them,” says Habi.

She fattened the animals for around three months, just in time for the Tabaski (Eid el Adha) holiday when sheep prices in Niger peak. When the prices started to rise, Habi asked her son to take the animals to a local market on her behalf; he sold both the sheep for around 135,000 FCFA ($230). With the proceeds from the sale, Habi was able to reimburse her cooperative for the cost of the sheep and kit and, with the 35,000 FCFA ($60) in profits, Habi had enough money left over to buy a little food for her grandchildren and a new lamb for herself.

“Thanks to God and this animal fattening activity, I now have a new, unexpected source of income. I am going to continue to fatten sheep because it’s like insurance against a poor harvest and a way up for me and my family,” says Habi.

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“More Profitable Than Sales”: Sawdi Zakari, member of Say De Hasarda cooperative and Union Amintchi, one of Lutheran World Relief’s producer organization partners under the 12/12 Alliance project in Niger, may not consider herself a businesswoman, but she knows what to do to make a profit.

Sawdi learned about selecting and fattening her animals from her next-door neighbor who had been trained as a trainer by the project. “The Union offered me a 100,000 FCFA loan to purchase sheep and animal feed, but I contributed a little extra to get large, healthy sheep with nice coats, as I thought it would help me sell them for a better price, “ says Sawdi.

Sawdi’s husband sold one of her sheep on the market and she sold the other sheep herself in the village just before the Tabaski (Eid el Adha) holiday when the prices were high. According to Sawdi, “My two sheep sold for 190,000 FCFA, and because I had a start-up kit for feeding and the animals were vaccinated and treated, I didn’t have other costs.” Sawdi was able to reimburse her cooperative for the cost of the sheep and was left with 90,000 FCFA (over $150, as much as many Nigerien farmers earn in a year) from the sale.

With the profits from animal fattening, Sawdi purchased a stock of food to cover her family’s needs through the end of the lean season and put aside money to buy a new sheep when prices are lower. “This activity really helped me. I was able to have income and savings that I never thought possible, earning more than I would have from selling goods in the market—and I didn’t even need to leave my family to do so. I feel happy and empowered to have my own income. I can only say thank you to Union Amintchi and the 12/12 Alliance project.”

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