HONDURAS LOCAL GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL REPORT January 1 – March 31, 2020 Activity Title: Honduras Local Governance Activity Sponsoring USAID Office: Democracy and Governance Office IDIQ Number: AID -OAA -1-14 -00061 Task Order Number: AID -522 -TO -17 -00001 Contractor: DAI Global LLC. Date of Submission: April 30, 2020 This report is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of DAI and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. ii | FY 2020 // QPFR I TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive summary 1 Result 1 - Civil Society Influence, Through Evidence Increased 2 Sub-Result 1.1 Citizen participation in service delivery decision-making strengthened 3 Sub Result 1.2 Evidence-based citizen oversight of service delivery increased 4 Result 2 Local Service Provider Performance Improved 6 Sub Result 2.1 Accountability of Service Providers Increased 6 Sub Result 2.2: Service Provider’s Capacity to Manage Service Delivery Improved 8 Sub Result 2.3 Local Government administrative management capacity increased 11 Local Government Management to Reduce Migration and Promote Local Economic Development: 15 Coordination with USAID IMs, IPs and Other Donors 18 Crosscutting Themes 19 Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Agenda 21 Financial Report 25 Annex 1: Technical Assistance Summary by Sector (FY 2020 Q2) 27 Annex 2: Progress by Sub-Activity, divided by Sector 28 Annex 3: Status of Municipal Transparency Plans 29 Annex 4: Status of CAM Law Implementation 29 Annex 6: Lower Level Indicators 29 Annex 7: Coordination with other IMs (Lower Level Indicator 10) 29 Annex 8: Counterpart Contribution and Leverage Report 29 iii | FY 2020 // QPFR I ACRONYMS ACS Alliance for the Dry Corridor ACJ* Alliance for Christian Youth ACL Advancing with Books (USAID Quality Reading Materials Activity) AMHON* Association of Honduran Municipalities APF* Parents and Family Association CAM* law Municipal Administration Career law CEN Nutritional Training Centers CENISS National Center for Social Sector Information CEB* Basic Education Center CCT* Citizen Transparency Commissions CIT* Indigenous Transparency Committee CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting CM Municipal Commissioner CNA National Commission on Anti -Corruption COMAS* Municipal Commissions of Water and Sanitation CONEANFO* National Commission for Non -Formal Education in Honduras CSO Civil Society Organization DDE* Departmental Education Directorate DLAL* From Readers to Leaders (USAID Honduras Reading Activity) DME* Municipal Education Directorate DME* Municipal Education Directorate DO2 Development Objective 2 DR Director of School Networks FHIS* Honduran Fund for Social Investment FUNIDE Initibucan Foundation for Development* FY Fiscal Year GEMA* Governance in Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Water Activity HLG Honduras Local Governance Activity HR Human Resources IAIP* Institute of Access to Public Information ICT Information and Communications Technology IM Implementing Mechanism iv | FY 2020 // QPFR I IP Implementing Partner ISO International Organization for Standardization IT Information Technology LED Local Economic Development LEPP Local Education Performance Plan LGBTI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex MESCLA Monitoring and Evaluation Support for Collaborative Learning and Adapting M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non -Governmental Organization ODK Open Data Kit OMM* Women’s Municipal Office POA* Annual Operating Plan Q1 First Quarter Q2 Second Quarter Q3 Third Quarter Q4 Fourth Quarter Red ITC Community Technical Institute Network RENTCAM* National Registry of Municipal Administration Career Technicians RFA Request for Applications SAFT* Integrated System for Municipal Financial Tributary Management SAMI* Integrated Municipal Administration System SEDUC* Secretariat of Education SETCAM* Technical Secretariat for the Municipal Administration Career SIARED* School Networks Administrative System SIARH* Integrated System of Administration of Human Resources SGJD* Secretariat of Governance, Justice and Decentralization SMI Service Management Index TSC* National Audit Institution UDEL* Unit of Local Economic Development UMA* Municipal Environmental Unit USAID U.S. Agency for International Development USG United States Government WMB Water Management Board *Acronyms with an asterisk are in Spanish. The meaning of most Spanish acronyms has been translated for the clarity of this report. v | FY 2020 // QPFR I Executive summary During the second quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the Activity continued support to citizens, local governments, and service providers across 41municipalities of western Honduras to increase transparency and implement effective administrative management practices. Until mid-March, the Activity provided direct technical assistance to 41 local governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and school networks to increase self-reliance and decrease citizen’s intention to migrate by promoting local economic development and community rootedness (LED). Under Result 1, as a result of citizen influence, local governments and service providers not only made commitments to improve service delivery but also acted on those commitments. This citizen influence proved critical leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in response to citizen oversight recommendations key service improvements in water and nutrition service delivery were made. Specifically, water management boards (WMBs) strengthened water resource oversight and school networks improved distribution of school snacks ( merienda escolar). Also this quarter, 32 public policies, all Municipal Transparency Plans, were approved. These plans allowed local governments and citizens to take advantage of January Accountability Events to review FY 2019 budget expenditures and the upcoming FY 2020 budget. Each of the 41 local governments held an Accountability Event this quarter in compliance with the Law of Municipalities and approved Transparency Plans. As required by the Plans, local governments used Accountability Events as a public space for Citizen Transparency Commissions (CCTs) and Municipal Commissioners to present on the status of citizen oversight and access to public information, as well as upcoming social audit and oversight efforts to continue to improve service delivery. In response to COVID-19, several local governments began distributing food and supplies using municipal or departmental resources prior to the Government of Honduras’ (GOH) announcement of Operation Solidaria at the end of March (see more information below). Citizen’s in those municipalities put their oversight skills to work by accompanying the local government as they distributed the resources. The CCT and Youth Social Auditing Committee (CJAS) in Marcala, for example, accompanied representatives of the local government, mancomunidad MAMCEPAZ , and representatives from departmental government on March 25 to deliver 400 bags of food to the households most in need. These food supplies were purchased with funds from the departmental government. Under Result 2, the Activity continued to work closely with national, departmental, municipal, and school network education officials to improve administrative management practices based on data generated from supervision and Local Education Performance Plan (LEPP) monitoring digital tools, while also supporting the development of targeted projects to reduce migration and generate community rootedness. As a result of these efforts, local governments like San Agustín, La Paz invested in renovating the Simon Bolivar school center so at least 60 children could receive classes in an adequate space. Additionally, the local government in San Marcos, Ocotepeque committed to funding bilingual English training as part of a targeted project to better prepare youth for jobs that require English. Local governments continued to implement the Municipal Administrative Career (CAM) Law with support from the Technical Secretariat for the Municipal Administrative Career Law (SETCAM). As a result of these efforts, 51 municipal employee performance evaluations were conducted for the first time (bringing the total to 238 evaluations to date), and with oversight from citizen monitoring committees (CLS). These actions ensure that civil servants comply with position requirements and the CAM Law, thus improving the quality of municipal management. To reduce irregular migration and promote local economic development, the Activity continued to strengthen 14 LED units and support the implementation of approved LED Agendas in municipalities that are amongst the highest recipients of returned migrants according to CENISS. Close to 100 youth benefitted from entrepreneurship initiatives in four municipalities (Copán Ruinas, San Marcos, Macuelizo, and Gracias) and planning for new entrepreneurship funds began in four more municipalities. Jovenes Constructores , a program that aims to position 196 youth (including 15 from Quimistan, funded entirely by the municipality) to either obtain employment, start entrepreneurship activities, or return to school as an alternative to migrating, was launched in San Marcos, Ocotepeque and Macuelizo, Santa Barbara. This quarter brought important advances toward self-reliance with two mancomunidades: MAVAQUI and Higuito. MAVAQUI concluded a grant that provided technical