DRAFT MID - YEAR PROGRESS REPORT 2017 Disability Rights Initiative Cambodia (DRIC) Reporting Period: 01 January – 30 June 2017
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DRAFT MID - YEAR PROGRESS REPORT 2017 Disability Rights Initiative Cambodia (DRIC) Reporting period: 01 January – 30 June 2017 Report Submitted by Name: Ms. Kristina Seris Title: DRIC Programme Coordinator Email: [email protected] 1 Contents A. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 3 B. Qualitative Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 4 i) Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4 ii) Progress recorded towards achievement of the component intermediate outcomes for the period January to June 2017 .............................................................................................................. 4 iii) Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................................ 7 iv) Risk Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 7 v) Adherence to the programme principles during the reporting period .......................................... 8 C. Assessment of the Programme Results ............................................................................................ 11 D. Challenges ........................................................................................................................................ 39 E. Lessons learned ................................................................................................................................. 40 F. Financial status and Funds utilization ................................................................................................ 41 G. Future plan for the period from July-December 2017 ...................................................................... 45 H. Any variation to the programme plan or changes to agreed activities ............................................. 46 Acronyms .............................................................................................................................................. 48 2 A. Executive Summary This report covers the progress made in the implementation of the Disability Rights Initiative Cambodia (DRIC) for the period of the first six months (January – June) of 2017 and reflects achievements by DRIC related to the intermediate outcomes. The programme has entered its fourth and last official year of implementation1 and based on the midterm review (MTR) conducted in 2016 and following the recommendations from the joint management response, there have been changes in the coordination structure as well as some revisions to the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of DRIC. The proposed changes were adopted by the Programme Board (PB) in the meeting on 27 February 2017. During the reporting period, many achievements have been made across all components and synergies have been leveraged wherever possible. The recommendations from the functional capacity assessment of the Disability Action Council (DAC) conducted in December 2014 have now been realized at 90%. In addition, in the first half of 2017 DRIC supported the DAC and the Cambodia Disabled Peoples’ Organization (CDPO) to conduct an assessment of the stage of implementation of the National Disability Strategic Plan (NDSP) 2014-2018. Numerous consultative workshops have been held and the assessment will inform the national reflection workshop planned in August 2017. Cross-sectoral collaboration among relevant ministries was further promoted through the work of Disability Action Working Groups (DAWG) and around 10 line ministries have developed action plans and proposed budgets for 2018 to implement the NDSP. Efforts to increase cooperation between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth (MoSVY), have been made especially related to the revision of the existing identification/classification tools for Persons with Disabilities. To further increase the capacity of subnational decision makers on disability inclusion, a package of training material was finalized under the lead of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in cooperation with MoSVY and trainings of trainers (ToT) for representatives from local authorities and DPOs were conducted with a total of 63 participants. The awareness of disability among stakeholders was further increased. In the first half of 2017, the Cambodia Disability Inclusive Development Fund (CDIDF) reached 202,681 (128,395 females) direct and indirect beneficiaries out of which 31,155 (18,482 females) were persons with disabilities and 9,270 (4,424 females) persons with disabilities have directly benefitted from related initiatives, including 5,698 (2,389 girls) children. A total of 12,954 clients were registered during this reporting period by the 11 PRCs, including 30% children / clients under 18 years old and 25% were female clients. In addition, there were 3,299 of prosthesis and orthosis provided to clients. Cooperation between the Royal Government and Cambodian civil society was strengthened at the national level with representatives of CDPO being regularly included in DAC consultations and meetings as well as at the subnational level where the link between local authorities and NGOs could be further strengthened. Participation of persons with disabilities in national and local decision making and in the daily life at community level was therefore enhanced and 82% of the target communes (of 62 communes in 5 districts, 1 Khan in 5 provinces) have activities in the CIP specifically designed to target children with disabilities and persons with disabilities actively participate in the process of the Commune Investment Plan (CIP) in 64% of the target communes where disability inclusion training was conducted. NGOs were also consulted in the development of the Minimum Package of Activities (MPA) guidelines for the health centres. The MPA were also further adapted and now contain a specific chapter on rehabilitation in the clinical guidelines and physical accessibility has been considered in the operational guidelines of the new MPA. 1 Following the decision by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government to conclude the DRIC program in accordance with current agreement (December 2017), 2017 marks the final year for DRIC. Based on remaining funds, the donor has granted a no-cost extension for activities until End-March and reporting until 31 May 2018. See also under H. page 46. 3 In June 2017, Cambodia held communal elections and through successful cooperation with the National Election Committee (NEC), more than 12,000 persons with disabilities were registered and 138 persons with disabilities played role as observers; based on an assessment tool used for observations of the election, however, great lack of accessibility of polling stations was observed. In addition, in light of the elections implementation of some parts of the programme slowed down, e.g. training at the local level had to be delayed to accommodate possible changes in local authorities. The finalization and submission of the CRPD report, the still pending approval of the M&E framework for the current NDSP as well as the delayed establishment of provincial DACs in the remaining provinces demonstrate that there are still challenges related to the capacity and commitment of the RGC/DAC. However, DAC has agreed in principle to apply the M&E framework into the implementation plan as well as the questionnaires for assessing the implementation of NDSP with line ministries and private sector. In addition, the full handover of the Orthopedic Components Factory to the PWDF End-2016, led to shortage of orthopaedic components at some PRCs during the first half of 2017 that was partly compensated by the PRSS. Staff retention at PRCs as well as CDPO and NGO partners affected the project implementation and with most CSO partners depending mostly on donor support, the unstable funding situation causes further turn-over of staff and staff shortage. B. Qualitative Assessment i) Introduction Following the recommendations from the Joint Management Response (JMR) of the Programme Mid- Term Review (MTR) conducted in 2016, the change in the coordination structure of the joint programme was implemented in the first quarter of 2017. Based on the revised TOR for the Joint Programme Coordinator (PC), the position with a stronger focus on coordination was successfully filled in early March and a national Technical Adviser was placed in MoSVY End-March 2017. The revised DRIC Monitoring and Evaluation framework was adopted by the Programme Board in the meeting in February 2017. In early 2017, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government officially announced to conclude the DRIC program in accordance with current agreement, which ends in December 2017 and the reporting period therefore witnessed some recalibrating in many areas and further negotiations and remaining funds led to an agreement for a no-cost extension until 31 May 2018. Much time and effort in the first half of 2017 have been dedicated to assist and prepare partners for the end of support via DRIC. ii) Progress recorded towards achievement of the component intermediate outcomes for the period January to June 2017 The performance of the programme for