Quarterly Progress Report QPR-007 Marginalized Populations Support Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina Contract No. AID-168-I-15
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Quarterly Progress Report QPR-007 Marginalized Populations Support Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina Contract No. AID-168-I-15-00001 January 2017 This publication was produced by the Contractor for review by the United States Agency for International Development. 1 QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS SUPPORT ACTIVITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (PPMG) Report No. QPR-007 January 2017 Contract No.: AID-168-I-15-00001 Task Orders: AID-168-TO-15-00001 AID-168-TO-15-00002 AID-168-TO-15-00003 AID-168-TO-15-00004 AID-168-TO-15-00005 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. 2 CONTENTS 1. ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................... 3 2.1 MAJOR INTERVENTIONS ........ POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 3.1 NOTES ........................................... POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 3. ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS ....................................................................................................................... 4 4. INTEVENTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS .......................................................................................... 8 4.1 TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-00001 ........................................................................................... 8 5.1 TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-00002 ........................................................................................ 31 5. PROBLEMS AND REMEDIAL ACTIONS ................... POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 6. DELIVERABLES ...................................................................................................................................... 50 6.1 TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-0000 .......................................................................................... 50 6.2. TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-00002 .................... POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 7. ANNEXES .............................................. POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 7.1 TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-00001 .................... POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 7.2. TASK ORDER: AID-168-I-15-00002 .................... POGREŠKA! KNJIŽNA OZNAKA NIJE DEFINIRANA. 3 1. DOCUMENT REVISIONS Version Date Person Comment 1. 1 2. ACRONYMS CO Contracting Officer COR Contracting Officer’s Representative OCA Organizational Capacity Assessment PPMG Marginalized Populations Support Activity QFP Quarterly Financial Report QPR Quarterly Progress Report SOW Statement of Work TO Task Order USAID U.S. Agency for International Development 2 3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3.1. PROJECT BACKGROUND Total Funding: $3.4 million Project Duration: February 2015 – February 2020 Implementing Partner: Institute for Youth Development KULT Approved Subcontractor: NGO & Business Audit d.o.o. The Challenge While the international community has long supported activities that facilitate the inclusion of marginalized populations in civic and political decision making in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), these groups are often overlooked or ignored by the BiH Government. As a result, many citizens – youth, women, religious minorities, Romani, disabled persons, minority returnees and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons – remain unheard and excluded from mainstream social, cultural, economic and political life. Youth are disaffected. Romani, largely disenfranchised, are excluded from decision-making processes, while most cannot get the skills or training they need to join the labor market. Persons with disabilities are marginalized from early childhood. Many are institutionalized and lack access to basic education in mainstream schools. Women’s participation in political and public life is extremely low. BiH society continues to abhor the idea of homosexuality and most institutions ignore discrimination or violent acts against LGBT persons. In fear for their physical safety, most of them stay hidden from the public sphere, and, as a result, LGBT activism is weak. A new marginalized group emerged in the aftermath of the 2014 floods, when 40,000 people were displaced. Assistance is still needed to provide economic and social stability to help flood-affected citizens from the most marginalized groups rebuild their lives. Our Activity USAID’s Marginalized Populations Support Activity supports activities of local organizations that advocate for the rights, empowerment and dignity of underrepresented groups of BiH society, and builds the capacity of local NGOs, BiH institutions and USAID implementing partners to do so. Providing underrepresented groups with opportunities to participate in civic and political issues, through their engagement in civil society organizations, will ensure that the government recognizes them as necessary and respectable partners in policy development. Implementation and Expected Results The Activity provides grants to local organizations that promote the rights and dignity of marginalized populations and to enhance their performance and management capacity through formal classroom training, mentorship and one-on-one coaching. Training topics include legal structures, financial management, human resources, internal control systems, 3 project performance management, procurement systems, organizational sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. The Activity also builds the capacity of USAID partners, institutions and government leaders to promote and protect the rights of these underrepresented citizens. A component of the Activity is designed to respond flexibly and swiftly to public demand for humanitarian and other material assistance. By the end of the project’s life, the activity will: Strengthen the performance of at least 40 BiH NGOs and other organizations, including associations, civil society organizations, BiH institutions, and small and medium-sized enterprises; Enhance the performance of at least 75 current USAID local partners, to enhance their performance and management capacity through group trainings; and Build the expertise of at least 75 BiH government leaders of municipalities and ministries collaborating with USAID. 4. ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS Notable programe activities implemented in this reporting period (October – December 2016) are: grant agreement signed with the organization “Tračak nade” in Foča, through which we are planning to establish another Service Center for supporting families of children and persons with disabilities. We signed grant agreements for 2 projects dealing with LGBTI issues, and held a meeting with representaties of local communities, during which we presented the model for supporting entrepreneurship of marginalized women. 1. Grant agreement signed with the association “Tračak nade” from Foča: New Service Center established for supporting families of children and persons with disabilities On Monday, November 28, 2016, an agreement was signed on the establishment of the Service Center in Foča for supporting families of children and persons with disabilities. The opening of the Service Center, intended to provide free support to persons with developmental issues and disabilities and their families, was supported by the Marginalized Populations Support Activity (USAID/PPMG) with 50,000 BAM, and the opening was initiated by the association “Tračak nade” from Foča. "Tračak nade" is an association of children and youth with developmental disabilities, whose goal is to care for this group and their needs and to help them fight for their rights and equality in the society, without prejudice. 4 The Service Center is intended to provide alternative social protection services in the municipality of Foča and neighboring municipalities and improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. The Service Center in Foča will be opened during a formal ceremony on December 3, 2016. It will provide workshops and training for persons with disabilities and developmental issues, to help them develop practical skills and knowledge and contribute to their independence. The Center’s users will work with experts in the fields of medicine, psychology and social work. 2. Grant agreements signed with organizations selected through the “Supporting activities of LGBT community in BiH” RFA USAID’s Marginalized Populations Support Activity provided 150,000 BAM for supporting activities of the LGBT community in BiH. On Friday, December 16, 2016 grant agreements were signed by the Chief of Party of USAID’s Marginalized Populations Support Activity - Jasmin Bešić, Executive Director of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska - Branko Todorović, and the Executive Director of the Sarajevo Open Center Emina Bošnjak. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights from Bijeljina was awarded 90,000 BAM for the project “(In)visible minorities – zero tolerance of LGBT discrimination” with activities planned for xis cities: Banja Luka, Prijedor, Biljeljina, Sarajevo, Zenica and Tuzla. Sarajevo Open Center received 60,000 BAM for the project “Institutional support network for LGBT persons in Sarajevo Canton”. The goal of the project that received funding is creating a safe, non-discriminatory