Fostering Accountability and Transparency in Zambia (FACT) Cooperative Agreement AID-611-14-L-00001 FY20 Q2 Report
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Fostering Accountability and Transparency in Zambia (FACT) Cooperative Agreement AID-611-14-L-00001 FY20 Q2 Report January 1, 2020 - March 31, 2020 Members of the SMAGs and SFAGs in Kamona. Submitted : May 4, 2020 Submitted by: Agreement Number: AID-612-L-14-00001 Chilufya Kasutu Submitted to: Chief of Party Emily Fitzsimmons: USAID AOR, Zambia Counterpart International, Zambia Email: [email protected] This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development and prepared by Counterpart International, Inc. Zambia Office. Table of Contents Acronyms .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 5 Country Context ............................................................................................................................... 6 Project Overview .............................................................................................................................. 8 Program and Activity Implementation Progress ............................................................................ 10 OBJECTIVE 1: Strengthen capacity of local CSOs to enhance delivery and oversight of public service delivery in the education, health/HIV, sustainable rural livelihood, extractive industries, transparency, and environmental sectors ...................................................................................... 11 OBJECTIVE 2: Improved engagement between citizens and government service providers in the education, health/HIV, sustainable rural livelihoods, extractive industry transparency and environment sectors to improve service delivery ........................................................................... 14 Program Challenges and Lessons Learned ..................................................................................... 16 Agreement Management ............................................................................................................... 17 Annex A: FACT Civil Society Partners ............................................................................................. 18 Annex B: FY20 Indicators Performance Table & Analysis .............................................................. 20 Acronyms 7NDP Seventh National Development Plan CAG Cluster Advisory Group CAGs Community Action Groups COMACO Community Markets for Conservation CBNRMB Community Based Natural Resources Management Board CRB Community Resource Board CSO Civil Society Organization CSPR Civil Society for Poverty Reduction CSR Corporate Social Responsibility CPTD Centre for Policy Trade and Development DAC District Advocacy Committee DDCC District Development Coordinating Committees DEBS District Education Board Secretary DIP Detailed Implementation Plan DQA Data Quality Assessment EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative FACT Fostering Accountability and Transparency FQM First Quantum Mining GRZ Government of the Republic of Zambia GSI Gender and Social Inclusiveness ICT Information and Communication Technology IODF Institute of Organizational Development Facilitators JCTR Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection LBGT Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender LWA Leader with Associates MEL Monitoring, Evaluating, and Learning MELP Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan MNCH Maternal, Neo-natal, Child Health MoF Ministry of Finance MoH Ministry of Health MSC Most Significant Change MSG Multi-Stakeholder Group NGO Non-Government Organization NHC Neighborhood Health Committee NRM National Resource Management OD Organizational Development ONA Organizational Network Assessment PCSC Parent Community School Committee PDCC Provincial Development Coordinating Committee PDF Public Dialogue Forums PEPFAR President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PLWH People Living with HIV/AIDS PODA Participatory Organizational Development Assessment PTA Parent Teacher Association PTT Policy Tracking Tables REFLECT Regenerative Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques RFA Request for Applications RICAP Rise Community Aid Program SFAG Safe Fatherhood Action Group SMAGS Safe Motherhood Action Groups 3 SMS Standard Messaging System TALC Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Coalition ToR Terms of Reference USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government WDC Ward Development Committee WfC Women for Change ZAMI Zambia Alternative Mining Indaba ZANEC Zambia National Education Coalition ZEITI Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ZINGO Zambia Interfaith Networking Group ZOCS Zambia Open Community of Schools 4 Executive Summary This report provides a summary of the Fostering Accountability and Transparency (FACT) program progress for interventions implemented from January to March 2020 (FY20 Q2), the final quarter of the program. During this reporting period the FACT team focused on operational and programmatic closeout as per Counterpart and USAID regulations. In February 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Zambia; however, government restrictions related to the pandemic did not go into effect until April, and therefore did not impact FACT’s ability to continue closeout as planned. In addition to managing the operational closeout processes, the FACT team continued to support extractive industries partners to build on progress made building bridges between the mining communities, public sector, and private sector. • Strengthening Partnerships: Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSRP) and Extractive Industries Transparency Alliance (EITA) continued to work on ensuring that local governing institutions could directly collect mining revenues to invest in mining communities, including making substantial steps in Kasempa district to normalize legal provisions in the valuations rolls and improve their rating status. Based on an agreement made with the Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Finance in December 2019, work continued on examining the scope for revenue collections in the districts of Kalumbila and Kasempa. Ensuring tax collection authority by local government in Kasempa and Kalubmila is critical, as both districts have high business and tourism interests. • Strengthened Engagement for District Planning: EITA launched the Citizen Charter in the Kalumbila district, which identifies priority areas for collaboration and calls for higher levels of engagement by local authorities, mining companies and host communities. The launch was a critical step in holding all key stakeholders accountable, and the local community action groups – groups receiving capacity building assistance from EITA – will be critical to monitoring stakeholders’ adherence to the charter. This launch is a reflection of the sustainable impact that EITA has made in the mining communities and will further embed EITA as a pillar of accountability in these communities. Next steps will include integration of the Citizen Charter into the Integrated District Development Plan and the district Social Corporate Responsibility plans. 5 Country Context Three key contextual elements impacted Zambia in recent months: the emergence of the global Coronavirus pandemic and slow government response to mitigate the impact; the uncertainty in the rain patterns affected by climatic conditions, resulting in flooding, loss of homes and loss of livelihoods; and rising levels of violence. The lock-down restrictions brought about by Coronavirus exacerbate the issues of inadequate responses and prevent many CSOs from providing support to communities and engaging with the Government. Escalating Violence During this reporting period Zambia saw unprecedented levels of violence targeted at schools, public places and even individuals, including the gassing of schools and homes. To date the incidents have not be investigated or explained by the authorities. Without clear police action, communities resorted to mob justice that led to killings. The Daily Mail reported on February 23, 2020 that “Forty-three people are now confirmed to have been killed across the country by instant justice mobs after being suspected to be behind the gas attacks reported in various places. A total of 23 have been seriously injured”1. COVID-19 Zambia has been severely impacted by the effects of the Coronavirus. As of April 29, 2020, Zambia recorded 97 cases and three deaths. In response to the pandemic and following WHO global guidelines, Zambia initiated a partial shutdown from March 27, in which all schools, bars and restaurants were closed. However, businesses have remained open, specifically to allow the informal sector to continue operating. The Government declared it has no resources to cover a lockdown and avert riots or massive public resistance. With support from the UN and other cooperating partners, Zambia developed a Multi-Sectoral National Response and Emergency Plan. Businesses and the general public have been mobilized to help raise the much-needed resources to ensure a comprehensive response. There are challenges in ensuring that Zambia responds adequately to the pandemic. Chief among them is the lack of sufficient resources to procure medical and clinical equipment and materials, including testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders. Other challenges have included the relative passivity of civil society organizations; insufficient information