Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative (Lavi) Summary Activity Report Quarter One
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NRM CSDF AWARENESS WORKSHO - BUCHANAN LIBERIA ACCOUNTABILITY AND VOICE INITIATIVE (LAVI) SUMMARY ACTIVITY REPORT QUARTER ONE: January 30, 2020 The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. LIBERIA ACCOUNTABILITY AND VOICE INITIATIVE (LAVI) Quarter 1 Report: October 01– December 31, 2019 FY 2020 Contract Number: AID-669-C-00-16-0003 January 30, 2020 The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 3 DETAILED ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS .................................................................................................. 6 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.0 ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ......................................................................... 6 1.2. FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE QUALITY CONTROL ....................................................................................... 6 1.2 GRANTS QUALITY CONTROL ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2.0 TECHNICAL PROGRAM SUPPORT ................................................................................................................................. 8 TECHNICAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................... 10 OBJECTIVE 1: STRENGTHEN HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL LINKAGES AMONG ACTORS ENGAGED IN SIMILAR ISSUES ................................................................................................................................................ 10 C1 - TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (NRM) COALITION .................................... 11 C2 - SUPPORT EDUCATION PARTNERS FOR THE MORE-FOR-EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ........................................... 17 C3 - SUPPORT THE THIRD THEMATIC WINDOW IMPLEMENTATION (ELECTORAL REFORMS) ............................... 24 C4 – THE FORTH THEMATIC WINDOW IMPLEMENTATION (COMMUNITY FORESTRY) .......................................... 26 OBJECTIVE 2: INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF TARGETED CSOS TO PARTICIPATE IN ISSUE-BASED REFORMS ...................................................................................................................................... 29 D1 – CORE FUNDED PARTNER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................... 29 D2 - CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR FOURTH THEMATIC WINDOW (ELECTORAL REFORMS) ......... 29 D4 – PROVIDE MENTORING AND CONDUCT CAPACITY ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION PARTNERS .................... 30 OBJECTIVE 3: PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONGOING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ON THE LOCAL MARKET .................................................................................................................................... 31 E.1 - IMPLEMENT SERVICE PROVIDER QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES .......................................................................... 32 E.2 - PROVIDE CONSORTIUM SUSTAINABILITY AND MARKETING SUPPORT ............................................................... 33 OBJECTIVE 4: ENSURE THAT LEARNING AND METHODOLOGIES ARE SHARED AND APPLIED BY OTHER DEVELOPMENT ACTORS ..................................................................................................................... 34 F.1 - CONTINUE COLLABORATION WITH STRATEGIC LEARNING PARTNERS (ALAB) .............................................. 34 F.2 - PROVIDE CONTINUOUS TECHNICAL SUPPORT WITH ESTABLISHING AND IMPROVING PARTNER MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) SYSTEMS FOR NRM, EDUCATION, AND FORESTRY THEMATIC WINDOW PARTNERS ............................................................................................................................................................... 36 F3 - FACILITATE LAVI LEARNING, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, AND RESEARCH ................................................... 37 G - PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION ................................................................................................................. 38 H - REPORTING .......................................................................................................................................................................... 40 ACRONYMS ALab Accountability Lab AQE Accelerated Quality Education CBDSPL Consortium of Business Development Service Provider of Liberia CBO Community Based Organization CD Capacity Development CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CDG Center for Democratic Governance CDP Capacity Development Plan CEMESP Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding CEO County Education Officers COP Chief of Party COR Contract Officer Representative COTAE Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education CFMA Community Forest Management Agreement CFMB Community Forest Management Body CFMP Community Forest Management Plans CFWG Community Forest Working Group CSDF County Social Development Funds CSO Civil Society Organization DEN-L Development Education Network Liberia DEO District Education Officers ECC Election Coordination Commission ERP Electoral Reform Project FBMC Field Based Monitoring Consultants FIFES Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability FDG Focus Group Discussion FY Fiscal Year GEC Grants Evaluation Committee HOPE Helping Our People Excel, Inc. HCEI House Committee on Elections and Inauguration IACAT Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool IDI Inclusive Development Initiative IREDD Institute for Research and Democratic Development LAVI USAID/Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative 1 | USAID LAVI QUARTER 1 REPORT – OCTOBER 01 TO DECEMBER 31, 2019 (YEAR 5) USAID.GOV LEGIT Local Empowerment for Government Inclusion and Transparency (Liberia) LMC Liberian Media Center LSP Local Service Providers LRA Liberia Revenue Authority M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning MFDP Ministry of Finance and Development Planning MOE Ministry of Education NAPTANOL National PTA Network of Liberia NAYMOTE National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections NBC National Bureau of Concession NEAB National Education Advisory Board NEL New Elections Law NIC National Investment Commission NRM Natural Resource Management NSI Nerissa Solutions, Inc., NTAL National Teachers Association of Liberia NU-CFMB National Union of Community Forest Management Body PIDS Performance Indicators Database System PMC Project Management Committee PTA Parents Teachers Associations QPR Quarterly Performance Review RFP Request for Proposal SDI Sustainable Development Institute SME Subject Matter Expert TWG Technical Working Group USAID United States Agency for International Development WANEP West Africa Network for Peacebuilding WONGOSOL Women’s NGO Secretariat Liberia YMCA Youth Movement for Collective Action YOCEL Youth Coalition for Education in Liberia USAID.GOV USAID LAVI QUARTER 1 REPORT | 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DAI Global, LLC (DAI) was awarded the five-year, Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative (LAVI) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 25, 2015. LAVI strengthens multi-stakeholder partnerships to advocate for and monitor policy and accountability reforms in Liberia. It contributes to the overall goal of USAID/Liberia’s civil society and media interventions to increase the influence of citizens and media in the governance of public goods and services. The program also supports Development Objective 2 of the USAID/Liberia’s 2019-2024 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS): Effective and Inclusive Governance Catalyzed through Reforms and Greater Accountability. LAVI project has four (4) objectives/intermediate results that actively and collectively work towards achieving the above. Q1 progress on these objectives is detailed below: Objective 1 (LAVI IR 1): Strengthen Horizontal and Vertical Linkages among Actors Engaged in Similar Issues NRM Thematic Window In the last quarter of FY 2019 through the beginning of quarter 1 of FY 2020, LAVI supported an advocacy intervention that resulted in the modified amended 2019/2020 budget law, which included the entirety of the draft Stand-alone CSDF bill currently with the House of Representatives. Accordingly, QI began with a two-day County Sitting Training and Awareness Workshop in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County from October 18 -19, 2019. The event brought together more than 80 participants and was held in partnership with USAID/LEGIT and USAID/LAVI NRM partners. Participants included Superintendents, Project Management Committee (PMC) Chairpersons, Legislators (including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives - Hon. Prince Moye, the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs - Hon. Momolu Johnson, Civil Society Organizations, the National Traditional Council), as well as the USAID Mission Director – Sara Walter. The workshop brought the NRM Coalition together with superintendents for the first