Strengthening Civil Society Globally
Funding provided by: United States Agency for International Development Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-L-16-00005
Quarterly Progress Report
January 1 – March 31, 2019 Submitted: April 30, 2019
Submitted to:
Maryanne Yerkes Agreement Officer’s Representative USAID [email protected]
Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 2 A. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN UNDER THE LEADER AWARD .... 2
LEADER OBJECTIVE 1.1: DEVELOP AND PROMOTE EFFECTIVE APPROACHES TO STRENGTHENING OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA ACTORS ...... 5 Result 1.1.1: Knowledge and learning of effective approaches to strengthen civil society and media enhanced ...... 5 Result 1.1.2: Models and tools focused on strengthening civic participation and freedom of expression, identified, synthesized and piloted ...... 9 Result 1.1.3: Promising models and tools for working with civil society and media on achieving positive change promoted and elevated ...... 9 LEADER OBJECTIVE 1.2: EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SCS GLOBAL LWA ...... 12 Result 1.2.1: Associate Awards designed through a process that leverages key learning .... 12 Result 1.2.2: Overall LWA mechanism managed effectively...... 12 B. SUMMARY OF ASSOCIATE AWARDS ...... 14 ACTIVE ASSOCIATE AWARDS ...... 14 a) USAID/Jamaica – Local Partner Development (LPD) ...... 14 b) USAID/Guinea – Citizens’ Involvement in Health Governance (CIHG) ...... 16 c) USAID/Tanzania – Boresha Habari/Media and Civil Society Strengthening Activity .. 18 d) USAID/Bosnia and Herzegovina – Balkan Media Assistance Project (BMAP) ...... 21 e) USAID/Kyrgyz Republic – Media K Cultivating Media Independence Initiative ...... 24 f) The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) ...... 26 g) USAID/Djibouti Civil Society Organizations’ Strengthening Program ...... 27 h) USAID/Honduras Civil Society and Media Activity (ComunicAcción Ciudadana) ...... 27 i) USAID/Burma Advancing Transition to Peaceful Democracy Through Participation of Civil Society and Media (CSM-II) ...... 30 j) USAID/Kenya Safer Democratic Spaces Kenya (SADES-K) ...... 32 k) USAID/Azerbaijan (ECSOFT) ...... 35 l) USAID/Zambia Youth Lead ...... 36 C. DATA ON LEADER AND ASSOCIATE AWARD INDICATORS ...... 38 D. COMPARISON OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ... 40 SCS LEADER AWARD ...... 40 SCS ASSOCIATE AWARDS ...... 41 E. CHALLENGES AND RESOLUTIONS ...... 42 F. COMPARISON OF ACTUAL EXPENDITURES WITH BUDGET ESTIMATES .... 44 G. NEW ASSOCIATE AWARDS SIGNED AND MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING ASSOCIATE AWARDS ...... 46 H. PRIORITIES FOR UPCOMING QUARTER...... 46
Strengthening Civil Society Globally i Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
SCS Global Quarterly Performance Report
Executive Summary
A. Summary of Activities Undertaken under the Leader Award
In the twelfth reporting period (Q12), we made significant progress under the Strengthening Civil Society Globally (SCS Global) Leader Award. With regard to research and learning products, we accomplished the following:
• Protecting Civic Space from Excessive Financial Regulation: During Q12, SCS Global held a strategy call with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and USAID to plan a launch schedule for this important SCS Global tool. We agreed that a first event—an introductory, “bird’s eye view,” English-language webinar—will be held for key USAID DRG Center and Latin America/Caribbean Bureau (LAC) representatives. The LAC Bureau representatives will then help inform how best to share the tool with practitioners, country by country.
• Expanded Civic I.D.E.A. Youth Media Literacy Toolkit: In Q12, SCS Global consortium partner Emerson College continued work modifying the Civic I.D.E.A Youth Media Literacy Toolkit to be more accessible and relevant for international audiences. Final modifications to the toolkit and launch will be completed in Q13.
• Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT): In Q12, SCS Global presented the final version of the YPAT tool to youth stakeholders at USAID. Final enhancements to the tool were completed, and we are planning several ways to launch and disseminate the tool in Q13, including a YouthPower Learning webinar and a table at the Marketplace at the 2019 DRG Partners’ Forum.
• Civil Society CVE Programming Reference Guide: During Q12, FHI 360 submitted a revised proposal to USAID for the creation of an online tool, incorporating feedback from FHI 360’s Digital Solutions and Design Teams. The new proposal responds to feedback gained through our consultation process and literature review and adapts the format and content to meet needs identified by CSOs. On March 7 and 15, 2019, FHI 360 presented an updated illustrative module for the online tool to representatives of different USAID Bureaus to seek approval and additional funding for its development. In Q13, SCS Global will meet with the DRG Center, the Africa Bureau, and the Asia Bureau to discuss next steps.
• Implementation Tips for USAID Partners: During Q12, SCS Global continued working with SCS Global consortium partners to produce an additional set of short, practical Implementation Tips documents focused on aspects of inclusive development (gender,
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people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, youth, older people, etc.). We hope to release up to 10 new Tips in Q13.
The SCS Global Team used the following formal and informal methods to share learning in Q12:
• ME&L Roundtables: In March 2019, monitoring, evaluation, and learning field staff members representing 85% of the SCS Associate Awards joined for an in-depth discussion on project dashboards. SCS Jamaica’s ME&L Director Katherine Abrikian and SCS Global’s Data Capture and Utilization Specialist Jennifer Sargeant presented two dashboards – one being used at the AA level (Jamaica) and one being used at the global level. The conversation explored the use of dashboards, how to think through what to put in them, and the techniques for creation.
• Pause & Reflect: SCS Global leader staff in Washington, DC met to discuss lessons learned during Q12. The team discussed the identification and dissemination of knowledge products and tools, and overall management of the LWA. During the meeting, staff identified key lessons from program implementation this quarter, regarding dissemination of resources and knowledge products, creating stronger internal feedback loops, and engagement of consortium partners at USAID meetings.
• Learning Supplement: In April 2019, the SCS Global team received learning supplements from five of the AAs, with a further three reporting that they had nothing to report. The information collected will continue to help us identify common themes across the different countries in which SCS Global is active.
• SCS Global Newsletter: The Winter 2019 edition of SCS Global Update (newsletter) was produced in Q11 and then disseminated in Q12 when the U.S. Government re-opened after a shutdown. The newsletter includes articles about various SCS Leader and AA activities, such as the introduction of SCALE+ as a stakeholder dialogue methodology in Jamaica, training youth on how to conduct Community Youth Mapping to promote civic engagement in Zambia, a formal launch event for CSOSI’s four regional reports, the use of co-creation for SCS project design, and the release of the tool kit on advocating against excessive financial regulations as a response to FATF anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing ratings.
• Learning Forum on Inclusion of Older People in Development Programming: On March 15, 2019, SCS Global hosted a dialogue about including older people in development programming. It consisted of a brief presentation on ageing and world trends, followed by a panel discussing featuring Justin Derbyshire, CEO, HelpAge International; Peace Kyamureku, leader of a local NGO and activist for the rights and participation of older people in Uganda; Erica Robinson, Associate Director, Africa, NED: and Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution. SCS Global Director Barney Singer moderated the discussion, and SCS Global AOR Maryanne Yerkes gave concluding remarks.
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With regard to the overall management of the SCS LWA mechanism, FHI 360 made the following progress in Q12:
• Design of new AAs: In Q12, FHI 360 signed an SCS Global Associate Award with USAID/Indonesia for the MADANI program, a $19.8 million, five-year program (2019- 24) to strengthen accountability across multiple domains and promote community tolerance by strengthening the capacity and sustainability of Indonesian CSOs. Thus far, MADANI has received SCS Global leader support through the development of its Annual Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP), facilitated discussions for knowledge sharing and guidance between the proposal design and new members of the project team, and shared templates for program monitoring and CLA activities.
Also, in Q12, FHI 360 signed an SCS Global Associate Award for a $25 million, five- year follow-on to FHI 360’s Advancing Partners and Communities project in Botswana, which has brought community HIV prevention and care services to tens of thousands of people. Under SCS Botswana, FHI 360 will intensify and focus this work to develop a thriving, accessible, and sustainable community health and HIV platform, while contributing to epidemic control through testing, treating, and retaining people on HIV treatment. In addition, we will develop the capacity of local civil society organizations to improve their technical work as well as financial and operational readiness for direct USAID funding. The project team has been coordinating with the SCS Global Leader ME&L team to to adapt FHI 360’s Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation course that was developed for Philanthropy University so that grantees can go through the course as a cohort rather with a facilitator. Results from this facilitated, blended learning pilot will inform how the course is adapted for other cohorts of Associate Award grantees. (A similar pilot is being conducted for SCS Global grantees in Kenya.)
• Continued regular engagement and coordination with SCS Consortium The SCS Global team sent periodic updates and requests for information to consortium partners, including requests related to preparing for potential and actual AAs. The team also communicated with several SCS Consortium partners (HelpAge, Women for Women International, Humanity & Inclusion, Solidarity Center, and Restless Development) about developing new Implementation Tips on inclusion-related topics. Four-corners calls continued with consortium partner Internews in connection with the Associate Awards that FHI 360 and Internews implement jointly.
• Progress toward FY 2019 Work Plan and Products: The SCS Global team had multiple conversations with the AOR about products in the FY 2019 SCS Global work plan. Additionally, the team adhered to the calendar of products to be developed as set forth in the AMELP, completing the standardized rubric for quality assessment that scores knowledge products on their quality, innovation, applicability to practitioners’ work, and relevance in diverse contexts. This rubric will be used with new knowledge products developed after April 2019.
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• Other key conversations with USAID: SCS Global leadership held other key conversations with USAID during Q12:
1. Protecting Civic Space from Excessive Financial Regulation: As described above, SCS Global in January 2019 held a strategy call with the International Center for Not- for-Profit Law (ICNL) and USAID to plan a launch schedule for this important SCS Global tool. A presentation of the tool to an internal USAID audience is tentatively scheduled for the week of May 13, 2019.
2. CVE Reference Guide: As explained above, SCS Global presented an outline of an online version of this tool to various USAID Bureaus in two presentations during Q12. In Q13, SCS Global will meet with the DRG Center, the Africa Bureau, and the Asia Bureau to discuss funding options and next steps.
3. Learning Forum on Inclusion of Older People in Development Programming: Throughout Q12, the SCS Global team held key conversations with the AOR and SCS consortium partner HelpAge regarding the planning of a March 15 event to discuss the inclusion of older people in development programming.
4. Learning Forum on Integrating Local Philanthropy into the Journey to Self-Reliance: Throughout Q12, the SCS Global team held key conversations with the AOR and SCS consortium partner Aga Khan Foundation to plan for the April 29 event, Integrating Local Philanthropy into the Journey to Self-Reliance, to be held at FHI 360.
Leader Objective 1.1: Develop and Promote Effective Approaches to Strengthening of Civil Society and Independent Media Actors Result 1.1.1: Knowledge and learning of effective approaches to strengthen civil society and media enhanced Activity 1.1.1.1: SCS Global Research and Learning Agenda
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Topic 1: Operating in Environments where Government is Hostile to Civil Society Research Project: Protecting Civic Space from Excessive Financial Regulation SCS Global partner ICNL and its partner, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), completed tools in Spanish in Q9 to help CSOs ease excessive financial restrictions imposed as a response to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) anti-money laundering (AML) and counter- terrorism financing (CTF) ratings. These resources assist stakeholders with: • Understanding FATF standards, procedures, timelines, and options for engagement; • Mapping relevant laws and actors; • Evaluating their country’s AML-CTF laws, regulations, and other measures; and • Developing advocacy strategies to anticipate and counter government arguments premised on inaccurate characterizations of FATF’s revised standards.
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During Q11, SCS Global finalized English versions of the toolkit components as well as wrap- around facilitator materials and uploaded both the English and Spanish versions to SCS Global’s website. During Q12, SCS Global held meetings with ICNL and USAID to plan a presentation of the FATF toolkit to USAID representatives, particularly those covering Latin American countries. This presentation is likely to occur during the week of May 13, 2019, when ICNL is available. Topic 2: Responding to Propaganda and Press Repression Continued Government Pressure on Independent Media and Freedom of Expression in Associate Award (AA) Countries. Government pressure on independent media and freedom of expression continued in several AA countries throughout Q12. Close Monitoring of Media or Civil Society Outlets: In the Balkans, there continues to be a clear attempt by authorities in some of the BMAP countries to exert control/pressure over independent media (after securing leverage over the mainstream media sector) by using mass political protests in their countries as a pretext to accuse independent media of “taking sides with fascists and notorious gangsters” or even of “actively provoking” political demonstrations. Expressions such as “traitors of national interests” are also in use, which raises both the level of political pressure and concerns about the physical security of journalists. It also shows that, regardless of the normative alignment of the legal framework (constitution, media laws) with basic free speech standards, the prevailing narratives in some countries are still based on political instrumentalization of the media, and, consequently, on questioning the level of “patriotism” or even openly accusing independent media of “creating the idea of violent change of government” and “destroying the country’s institutions.” In Tanzania, following publication of a story on the depreciation of the Tanzanian shilling on February 23, the government arbitrarily and without due process1 suspended a popular print newspaper, The Citizen, on March 27 for seven days for publishing what it considered false, misleading, and seditious news.2 The suspension order also cited a July 22, 2018, article on a statement to the U.S. Congress by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, which called for stronger U.S. efforts to support civil liberties in Tanzania amid erosion of democracy there. Tanzanian authorities alleged the article contained falsehoods and had seditious intent as defined in Article 52 of Tanzania's Media Services Act.3 According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, online users were also unable to access The Citizen’s website, and its Twitter account had been deactivated.
1 A press statement by the Legal and Human Rights Centre indicated that only the Minister has authority to suspend a newspaper; in this case, the Registrar of Newspapers issued the suspension order. 2 Tanzania suspends newspaper over story on falling shilling, The East African, February 27, 2019, accessible at https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea/Tanzania-suspends-newspaper-over-story-on-falling-shilling/4552908-5002264- r1s0fdz/index.html. 3 https://cpj.org/2019/03/tanzania-citizen-7-day-publication-ban.php Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 6 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
Legal Action: In the Kyrgyz Republic, several newsrooms have been sued, including April TV broadcaster, which was asked to retract statements about the plaintiffs, former politicians Ahmatbek Keldibekov, Prosecutor General Azimbek Beknazarov and the head of the State National Security Committee Keneshbek Duyshebaev, in exchange for the court’s dismissal of a fine; Novye Litsa, which was sued by the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism for publishing a recorded phone conversation she had with them; as well as Kyrgyz-language online newsroom Asia News, which was under the threat of paying a fine of 1 million KGS in a defamation case. The most popular Kyrgyz- language newspaper, Super Info, has also been under investigation since March on the unconfirmed suspicion for tax evasion. While there have recently been more rulings in favor of media outlets in defamation cases, this quarter another court ruling contradicted the existing laws of the country. In 2017, under Atambaev vs. Media Outlets, a court decision made media outlets liable for publishing politicians’ words during their press conferences. In a new case this quarter, the Supreme Court ruled that a media outlet had to delete a published article at the request of the plaintiff, despite the absence of a corresponding legal provision. In Myanmar, new charges have been filed in the last couple of weeks against several journalists, including a film director who used to run the human rights film festival there. Most charges are about defamation on Facebook or making claims that are argued to cause “alarm to the public,” i.e., criticizing military leaders. Threats have also been made against media reporting on Rakhine, not just on Rohingya issues but on the ethnic Rakhine rebel group the Arakan Army as well. In Guinea, Lansana Camara, the director and a journalist for the news website Conakrylive.info, was arraigned on March 26 at the Directorate of the Judicial Police (DPJ) before being taken to the central prison, Coronthie, in Conakry. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Mamady Toure, accused him of defamation. This arrest followed a report by Camara on January 21 regarding the reported misappropriation of 2.4 billion Guinean francs by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Direct Attacks: In the Kyrgyz Republic, after attempting to conduct interviews at a clinic opened by a healer without credentials, a group of journalists was physically attacked by the “doctor.” The aggressor, Khashim Zainaliev, was not punished for his actions. The situation in Tanzania remains precarious for media practitioners, human rights defenders and broader civil society. Attacks on opposition political activists and the media continue. Despite concerted advocacy efforts by political parties and civil society, President Magufuli signed the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill into law on February 13. Rhetoric: In the Kyrgyz Republic, officials made another attempt to regulate freedom of expression this quarter. On February 24, 2019, two deputies of Parliament drafted a new bill on the Protection of Children from Information that Harms their Health and Development. If passed, this law may limit freedom of expression and give rise to censorship. Moreover, content producers would have to receive prior approval and clearance before publishing any content. Meanwhile, two activists who protested the country’s cooperation with the Russian Federation were arrested a day prior to Putin’s
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visit to Bishkek on March 27. They are being accused of hate speech towards ethnic Russians, with many experts disagreeing and claiming that they do not see any evidence of hate speech written on the detained activists’ posters. SCS Global will continue to monitor developments related to press repression and be mindful of these findings in decisions about funding additional research and development activities. Topic 3: Technology, Social Media, Citizen Journalism, and Media Literacy Re-Designed Media Literacy Research The SCS Global Team continued conversations with the SCS Global AOR and SCS Consortium partner Internews about how to move forward with research related to media literacy. While USAID is very interested in seeing new research on this topic, it is concerned that the media literacy research proposal submitted by Internews in 2017 may not reflect the most recent developments in the media literacy field. USAID had a joint meeting with FHI 360 and Internews to discuss this and other media-related issues; the current plan is for SCS Global to host a convening on media literacy/digital literacy in Fall 2019, the planning for which will begin next quarter. Expanded Civic I.D.E.A.4 Toolkit for youth-serving civil society organizations to build effective media-based advocacy initiatives In Q9, SCS Global partner Emerson College completed the first version of the Civic I.D.E.A. Media Literacy Toolkit, which provides a program for facilitators to build capacity of youth to inform themselves, think critically, and take civic action online. The Civic I.D.E.A. Framework is designed to help youth move from the point of critical inquiry to practicing media literacy that prioritizes active engagement and participation in daily civic life. A review session was held with USAID colleagues in Q10 to debut the tool and gather feedback, resulting in key recommendations to make the product more appropriate for international development audiences. In Q12, SCS Global continued work on modifying Civic I.D.E.A. to be more accessible and relevant for international audiences. The revised Civic I.D.E.A. package is on track to be completed and launched in Q13. Topic 4: Online Organizing and Informal Groups Topic 5: Community Resilience to Violence and Extremism CVE Programming Reference Guide
During Q12, FHI 360 submitted a revised proposal to USAID for the creation of an online tool, incorporating feedback from FHI 360’s Digital Solutions and Design Teams. The new proposal responds to feedback gained through our consultation process and literature review and adapts the format and content to meet needs identified by CSOs. On March 7 and 15, 2019, FHI 360 presented an updated illustrative module for the online tool to representatives of different USAID Bureaus to seek approval and additional funding for its development. In Q13, SCS Global will meet with the DRG Center, the Africa Bureau, and the Asia Bureau about possible
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funding for the online tool. If this funding is not available, the SCS Global team will produce the CVE reference guide as originally conceived (a more static, stand-alone document).
Result 1.1.2: Models and tools focused on strengthening civic participation and freedom of expression, identified, synthesized and piloted
Activity 1.1.2.1: Models/tools for identified programmatic needs Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities In Q12, SCS Global created a central account on SurveyMonkey for mobile data collection for all Associate Awards. The account allows for duplication of surveys for common indicators (translated into other languages) for easy aggregation, as well as offline data collection in contexts in which mobile data collection is more difficult. Activity 1.1.2.2: Piloting and refining of programmatic methods Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT) for Youth-Serving Organizations In Q12, SCS Global presented the final version of the YPAT tool to youth stakeholders at USAID, and final enhancement to and design and layout of the tool were completed. In Spring/Summer 2019, the tool will be used by SCS Global in the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist organizations with integrating Positive Youth Development (PYD) into their systems, and in Zambia to support the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Child Development in their efforts to increase opportunities for youth engagement and leadership. SCS Global plans to launch and disseminate the tool in Q13 the following ways:
• YouthPower Learning webinar, possibly with SCS Global AOR Maryanne Yerkes’ and/or Senior Youth Advisor Mike McCabe’s participation. • Dissemination of YPAT to the SCS Global Consortium via email. • Dissemination of YPAT to the broader public via SCS Global website and newsletter. • Providing SCS Global Maryanne Yerkes with the tool and guidance to present it at the Youth and DRG Session at the DRG Officers’ Workshop in June (not open to implementing partners) and/or the Positive Youth Development training session at USAID prior to the DRG Officers’ Workshop. • Having YPAT on display (hard copies and FHI 360 flash drives) at the Marketplace at the DRG Partners’ Forum in June. Having staff available to discuss the tool with interested implementers and DRG Officers. • YouthPower event in Greeley Hall at FHI 360 to reach youth development partners and practitioners.
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Result 1.1.3: Promising models and tools for working with civil society and media on achieving positive change promoted and elevated
Activity 1.1.3.1: Formal and informal methods to share learning (e.g., learning summits) Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Learning Forums. In Q12, SCS Global benefited from the following internal Learning Forums: • COP-hosted virtual Roundtables On February 7, the latest COP Roundtable was hosted by Davor Glavas and Jenny Holm, the COP and DCOP of the Balkan Media Assistance Program activity. The event was the most highly attended roundtable to date with eight COPs and three DCOPs participating. Including SCS Global staff, a total of 14 people participated in the discussion. The roundtable was interactive and vibrant as the hosts were engaging and asked questions centered around managing a large number of grantees. The conversation evolved to include managing and mitigating hate speech coming from social media comments (for example when an article is posted to Facebook), how to keep key partners or grantees engaged in meeting their goals even after a consultant or expert concludes their training or advising with the partner/grantee, challenges around finding ways to bring together members of a regional platform due to distance and costs related to doing so, and finally how to best plan for and create workplans. In addition to the constructive discussion, after the end of the roundtable, the Jamaica team reached out for the contact information for the Media-K team as they wanted to follow up on a helpful tip they had on managing grantees. • ME&L virtual Roundtables In March 2019, monitoring, evaluation, and learning field staff members representing 85% of the SCS Associate Awards joined for an in-depth discussion on project dashboards. SCS Jamaica’s ME&L Director Katherine Abrikian and SCS Global’s Data Capture and Utilization Specialist Jennifer Sargeant presented two dashboards – one being used at the AA level (Jamaica) and one being used at the global level. The conversation explored the use of dashboards, how to think through what to put in them, and possible techniques for their creation.
• Pause and Reflect Session The SCS Global Leader staff based in Washington, DC held its quarterly “pause and reflect” session to examine the development and dissemination of knowledge products and tools, as well as issues related to the overall management of the LWA. During the session, staff identified the following lessons learned: 1) Having the right stakeholders at the table is important for the productivity of discussions about potential research products. For example, the March 2019 meeting with USAID about potential media research topics was productive because Internews and USAID media experts were able to quickly share current research priorities and address questions about knowledge gaps that could be filled by SCS Global research. As a result, the group approved an effort to update Internews’ Community Media Sustainability
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Guide and agreed to schedule a convening and co-creation session for Fall of 2019 to identify a research topic related to media and/or digital literacy. 2) SCS Global staff around the world would benefit from having a library where Associate Award staff can access all tools developed through the project. 3) SCS Global should take advantage of quarterly Chief of Party Roundtables to highlight new resources and tools that are being developed at the Associate Award or Leader level. 4) A survey to SCS Global Associate Award field staff could help identify lessons for improving management and technical support from FHI 360’s Washington, DC office. In addition to the internal Learning Forums, SCS Global hosted the following external Learning Forum, open to the public: • Learning Forum on Inclusion of Older People in Development Programming – March 2019 On March 15, 2019, SCS Global hosted a dialogue about including older people in development programming. It consisted of a brief presentation by SCS Global consortium partner HelpAge on ageing and world trends, followed by a panel discussing featuring Justin Derbyshire, CEO, HelpAge International; Peace Kyamureku, leader of a local NGO and activist for the rights and participation of older people in Uganda; Erica Robinson, Associate Director, Africa, NED; and Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute. SCS Global Director Barney Singer moderated the discussion and SCS Global AOR Maryanne Yerkes made concluding remarks.
Implementation Tips for USAID Partners. SCS Global continued work this quarter to develop new Implementation Tips focused on cross-cutting themes that are not linked to specific organizational development domains. SCS Global engaged consortium partners, including Humanity and Inclusion, Women for Women International, Restless Development and HelpAge International to begin developing a new series of Implementation Tips to inform CSOs about inclusive development and provide guidance for complying with USAID policies on inclusion, such as the Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, the Youth in Development Policy, and the Vision for Action on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Inclusion. SCS Global is considering additional Implementation Tips focused on philanthropy, supporting labor rights and activism, and digital security. Next quarter, SCS will engage additional consortium partners to continue developing the new series. SCS Global plans to create up to 30 new Implementation Tips by September 2019. Learning Supplement. In April 2019, we received learning supplements from SCS Tanzania Boresha Habari, SCS Balkan Region’s BMAP, SCS Kyrgyz Republic Media-K, SCS Myanmar CSM II, and SCS Guinea Citizens Involvement in Health Governance. Additionally, SCS Jamaica Local Partner Development, SCS Zambia Youth Lead, and SCS Botswana Accelerating Progress in Communities responded noting that there were no new developments on which to report this quarter. SCS Newsletter. The Winter 2019 edition of SCS Global Update (newsletter) was produced in Q11 and disseminated in Q12 when the U.S. Government re-opened. The newsletter includes articles about various SCS AA activities, such as the introduction of SCALE+ as a stakeholder
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dialogue methodology in Jamaica, training youth on how to conduct Community Youth Mapping to promote civic engagement in Zambia, a formal launch event for CSOSI’s four regional reports, the use of co-creation for SCS project design, and the release of the tool kit on advocating against excessive financial regulations as a response to FATF anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing ratings.
Leader Objective 1.2: Effective Management of SCS Global LWA Result 1.2.1: Associate Awards designed through a process that leverages key learning
As described below, SCS Global leader support for monitoring, evaluation and learning has been provided to both SCS Indonesia and SCS Botswana, our newest Associate Awards. Activity 1.2.1.1: Index and reference system for ongoing activities and approaches Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Result 1.2.2: Overall LWA mechanism managed effectively.
SCS Global parent website and child sites for AAs During Q12, SCS Global completed the merger of the www.scsglobal.org and www.ngoconnect.net sites to capitalize on USAID’s investment in and the brand recognition attained by NGOConnect during the 15 years of the Capable Partners Program. The new site went live on January 23, 2019, generating over 6,408 pageviews and more than 2,110 downloads of resources in Q12. Activity 1.2.2.1: Standards on knowledge management, measurement and learning Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Consistent oversight and participation of SCS Director/Civil Society Specialist/ME&L Specialist in AA Design. The SCS Director, Civil Society Specialist, and/or ME&L Specialist participated in program design and oversight for each of the AAs that were generated under SCS Global during Q12. SCS Indonesia, MADANI, has received SCS Global Leader support through the development of its Annual Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP), facilitated discussions for knowledge sharing and guidance between the proposal design and new members of the project team, and sharing of project template package for adaptation as part of the mechanism, including templates for program monitoring and CLA activities. The SCS Global leader ME&L team has also been coordinating with SCS Botswana, APS 2.0, to adapt FHI 360’s Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation course that was developed for Philanthropy University so that local partners can go through the course with a facilitator as a cohort. Results from this blended learning pilot will inform how the course is adapted for other cohorts of Associate Award grantees. We also began the planning to facilitate a similar blended learning cohort for the SCS Kenya grantees. Partner engagement and coordination. During Q12, the SCS Global Leader team sent regular email messages providing highlights about ongoing and upcoming AA opportunities to all SCS
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Global Consortium members. All Consortium partners were also invited to send representatives to the March 15 SCS Global Learning Forum on the inclusion of older people in international development. Promoting SCS and responding to Mission requests for AAs. The SCS Global team has responded to 17 requests for AA designs from October 2016 through March 2019. Working with Missions on tight timeframes, the SCS team collaborated with its partners to identify appropriate international and local partners to respond to program design needs and put forward the strongest possible teams. During Q12, FHI 360 signed agreements for new Associate Awards with USAID/Botswana and USAID/Indonesia.
Established standards for ME&L implementation (including common tools and assessment templates). All SCS AAs have or will have specific data-collection methodologies and activities. To collect and aggregate performance data for eight Foreign Assistance Standard indicators used at the AA level, we standardized data-collection processes at the AA level for comparability once aggregated in the SCS Global leader dashboard. We created the following systems and tools this quarter for SCS Global monitoring, evaluation and learning (ME&L) activities: • A suite of fidelity of implementation templates and tools, including activity observation forms and after-activity reporting forms; • A template for notes from associate-award pause and reflect sessions. Partner engagement and coordination. To optimize programming and in the interest of quality assurance, the SCS Global leader team in Q12 maintained regular contact with three key consortium members: Internews, ICNL, and Social Impact. We are working on six and four AAs with Internews and ICNL, respectively. • With Social Impact, the Leader team discussed drafting a number of new Implementation Tips focused on M&E for inclusive development. These will be further articulated in and production is expected to begin in the next quarter.
• SCS Global continued to discuss various new media-related products that could be completed by Internews. See Activity 1.1.1.1, Topic 3, above, for further details. In addition to new AAs, SCS Global continued conversations with USAID during Q12 about the following possibilities for new research and learning products under the LWA:
• Updates to Internews’ Community Media Sustainability Guide, entitled The Business of Changing Lives, originally produced 10 years ago. USAID approved this work and Internews will move ahead with the updates in Q13.
• Possible updates to Internews’ SaferJourno guide, originally developed in 2014, to build new content to highlight online account protection, secure source communication, and risk assessment.
• A Fall 2019 convening on media literacy/digital literacy to determine current research gaps and implementation needs in this area.
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• Research paper on a media strengthening topic, to be determined in conjunction with Internews and the DRG Center’s Learning Division.
• A learning forum on local philanthropy, scheduled for April 29, 2019, to be co-hosted by USAID, FHI 360 (through SCS Global), and the Aga Khan Foundation.
B. Summary of Associate Awards Associate Award Objective: Provide Technical Assistance and support to a wide range of civil society and media actors and organizations to enhance participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability across sectors Associate Award Result: Customized technical assistance to AAs as needed to support use of improved approaches to strengthen local partners' ability to enhance participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability across sectors. Effective technical assistance seeks to provide partners with skills and tools to increase the impact and sustainability of programming. We focus on learning so that technical assistance can be state-of-the-art. For that reason, SCS Global prioritizes learning in its AA technical assistance approach. The learning activities that SCS Global detailed above will therefore not only contribute to the award's other objectives, but also to the AA objective. If and as specific needs emerge, SCS Global works with AA award staff to craft a supplementary technical assistance plan. We inquire quarterly on the challenges AAs are facing and if they need technical assistance. SCS Global currently has 14 active AAs, summaries of which may be found in Annex H. Active Associate Awards
a) USAID/Jamaica – Local Partner Development (LPD) Cooperative Agreement No.: AID-532-LA-17-00001 Duration: February 24, 2017 – February 23, 2022 Total Award Value: US$15,000,000 AOR: Claudette Anglin SCS Consortium Partner: ICNL
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities Component 1: Strengthen the Capacity of Targeted Local Entities SCS Jamaica has been supporting RISE Life Management Services (RISE), one of its selected intermediary service organizations (ISOs), to implement a suite of action plan items to support strengthening its organizational development. In addition to providing technical support to assist and guide RISE’s implementation of the Stepping Stone to Success program for Kingston and St. Andrew, SCS Jamaica has also worked with RISE to design the delivery of RISE’s own capacity building curriculum. During the reporting period, SCS Jamaica provided more than 45 hours of direct capacity building interventions that have been spread across RISE’s personnel, to include not only those persons who will work directly on Stepping Stone to Success’ implementation, but also other operatives within the organization who are instrumental to improving the Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 14 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
organization’s capacity. In this way, SCS Jamaica has worked to ensure that technical assistance provided is more likely to permeate organizational culture and provide lasting effect. Over the past 10 months, the 17 organizations in Stepping Stone Central participated in: • facilitated learning sessions on various topics, totaling more than 63 hours of training; • guided self-assessments of their respective organizations, forming the basis for one-year capacity building work plans; • ongoing coaching and support sessions led by mentors; and • events that provided them with the opportunity to network with and learn from their peers. Component 2: Support SEs through a Business Incubator Model
During the reporting period, SCS Jamaica worked with five organizations in the development and submission of grant applications under the social enterprise grants program. Applications were received from Abilities Foundation, Flanker Resource Centre, Jeffrey Town Farmers’ Association, New Horizons Christian Outreach Ministries and Rock Spring Farms. This financial assistance will enable the organizations to implement much needed organizational development projects, to scale operations and propel their performance to another level.
Applications were tailored to the action items outlined in the organizations’ individual Enterprise Development Plans and included specialized components for some organizations to widen and deepen their own intervention programs in youth crime and violence prevention. Grant applications were reviewed by the Grants Evaluation Committee, and the grant packages are now being finalized for submission to USAID. It is anticipated that grant contracts will be signed within four weeks.
SCS Jamaica continues to work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the private sector, in facilitating an enabling environment for social enterprises. A significant part of this effort is facilitating knowledge transfer to various stakeholders on the SE sector, through a Social Enterprise Working Group.
Component 3: Improve the Enabling Environment for Civil Society Organizations and Social Enterprises
ICNL executed a subgrant with our partner organization, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) so that it could contribute to building expertise among Jamaican stakeholders on global trends and good model laws to regulate social enterprises. ICNL conferred extensively with ECNL on Jamaica’s legal environment for social enterprises and recent developments on the evolving social enterprise policy. In collaboration with ICNL, ECNL will produce a written brief based on its global experience to contribute to Jamaica’s policy dialogue. ICNL also arranged for ECNL to travel to Kingston in July to present its findings at the University of the West Indies-Mona (UWI-Mona) University Conference on Entrepreneurship. The briefer should be complete and disseminated to Jamaican stakeholders in May.
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Additionally, in Kingston and remotely, ICNL discussed with UWI-Mona plans for a half-day ICNL-led session on social enterprise during the university’s three-day conference on entrepreneurship. The session will feature presentation of research by ICNL and ECNL, talk show-style discussion of the papers, and small group activities for participants to assess and suggest reforms to Jamaican law and policy on social enterprise. ICNL will lead its session on July 12. ICNL aims to include a role for the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw. ICNL also plans to arrange for coffee service by Deaf Can! Coffee’s baristas in order to showcase the important contributions of Jamaican social enterprises and why Deaf Can! and other non-profit social enterprises should benefit from an enabling legal environment.
Component 4: Intentional Collaboration Between Civil Society, Government and the Private Sector
The SCALE+ Clarendon implementation process continued with no major delays during the quarter. The steering committee continues to exhibit high levels of engagement and responsibility in carrying the process forward. It continues to drive the work of the working group in the development of their grant proposals, with each working group having at least one member of the Steering Committee acting as co-chair. This ensures that matters arising from working group meetings are brought to the attention of the steering committee as well as helps to anchor the development and implementation of the collaborative action plans as locally-driven and locally-owned. The steering committee also tasked itself with ensuring that all action plans/proposals developed are consistent with the Clarendon Parish Development Plan.
Planning for SCALE+ St Catherine will commence in the third quarter, with the Whole System in the Room retreat being scheduled tentatively for the end of the first quarter in the next fiscal year. It is expected that this SCALE+ exercise will target the entirety of St Catherine, except for Portmore, due to the sheer scale and complexity of operating in that municipality. The SCS Jamaica team is scheduled to meet with FHI 360’s Director of Leadership and Capacity Development Programs, Barney Singer, to set the timelines for the planning and implementation of that activity during the next quarter.
b) USAID/Guinea – Citizens’ Involvement in Health Governance (CIHG) Cooperative Agreement No.: AID-675-LA-17-00001 Duration: July 28, 2017 – July 27, 2020 Total Award Value: USD $12,170,000 AOR: Ruben Johnson SCS Global Consortium Partners (with other Subawardees): FHI 360, Social Impact and Search for Common Ground Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Intended Result 1: Opportunities expanded for elected and appointed officials and citizens to engage in constructive dialogue On March 25-26, in collaboration with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MATD), the Ministry of Health and one of our civic partners, the Alliance for
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Promoting Governance and Local Initiatives, SCS Guinea organized a national forum on the decentralization of the public health system5. The objective of the event was to increase local officials’ (elected and civil servants) knowledge of their responsibilities in implementing health reform and how to engage civil society in that process. Given the previously centralized nature of governance in Guinea, it was critical for local actors to hear from national leaders support for decentralization and encouragement for local actors to use the authorities now delegated to local level. The forum brought together more than 150 people. Participants included the Ministry of Health and MATD ministers and their general secretaries, representatives of the elected officials (Health Commission MPs and mayors of 40 communes of convergence), public servants (governors, prefects, prefectural health directors, and directors of micro-projects), members of COSAH (health and hygiene committees), CSO representatives and the media. Thirty-one women participated; since the invitation list was limited to persons in specific positions (for example, the elected mayors of target communes), SCS Guinea had no flexibility to increase women’s participation in this particular case. Also present were the United States Ambassador, the USAID Mission Director and other USAID staff as well as technical and finance partners working in the field of health in Guinea. At the closing of the forum, for the first time a joint press briefing was held by the President of the National Assembly Health Commission, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization. The objective was to share the initiatives of these three critical governmental institutions to advance decentralization and improve public health services. They explained the importance of all actors – from the grassroots to national level – understanding their roles in health governance. They presented several important issues identified during the forum and stressed that addressing those challenges would require better collaboration among all local stakeholders: the health and hygiene committee, territorial administrators, elected officials, health professionals and citizens. Fifteen journalists attended and asked a number of questions addressing such topics as: 1) Implementation details of planned MOH activities; 2) The granting of 15% of the mining income to the different communities; 3) The selection criteria of the 40 communes of convergence and the need to widen the program to all communes; and 4) The role of traditional medicine in health governance. Additionally, SCS Guinea worked with its community theater partners to organize 76 performances for a total of 17,932 people in 76 locations throughout Guinea the quarter. Compared to the first campaign in August-September 2018, this quarter’s campaign demonstrated several improvements in the quality of the shows and audience size, thanks to partners’ willingness to apply lessons learned from the last campaign and SCS Guinea follow-on coaching. Troupes were able to increase their pre-performance community research to better target the performances and their stage plays improved. The themes covered were more varied
5US Embassy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/145424508823830/posts/2414203085279283/ Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 17 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
and performers themselves better understand the health reforms and health governance issues that communities face, enabling the troupes to better translate the themes in their scenarios. The performances were not only attended by the general public but also by local authorities (such as newly elected mayors and/or their councillors) and public health officials, enabling constructive dialogue among health system users, health professionals and local officials. The performances were well received and resulted, in some cases on commitments on the spot by officials to take specific actions. For example, in Bordo district (Kankan), faced with complaints from citizens about the lack of reliable electricity for the health center, the Secretary General of the municipality promised on behalf of the Mayor to provide the health center with solar panels for its electrification by the month of May. In Kobéla, authorities publicly committed to improving citizen involvement in decision making related to health facility governance. In the case of Bordo, the theater troupe has agreed to follow up with the City Council to ensure that the solar panel is indeed procured. SCS Guinea will support these efforts and publicized them if successful. Intended Result 2: More effective civic advocacy for health reform SCS Guinea provided extensive coaching this quarter to CSO sub-awardees to strengthen their grant management skills. SCS Guinea staff visited four sub-awardees on January 3-4 to review partner grant management processes, SCS Guinea then prepared a report documenting challenges and providing recommendations to improve financial reporting, record keeping, and compliance with reporting requirements stipulated in Article 7 of the grants. Initial feedback was then provided to partners. More structured feedback was provided to partners after the report was finalized and the review of the first financial reports completed. The summary of the meeting to provide the more detailed feedback is presented late in this section. Between January 5-10, the same four sub-awardees visited submitted their first monthly subaward financial reports (SFRs). SCS Guinea staff reviewed the reports, identified issues and then worked with each partner to correct the issues before validating the amended SFRs and issuing the next advances. The same review, coaching and approval process was used for the January and February SFRs. SCS Guinea continued to work with partners on their advance requests, helping them to analyze their implementation plans and performance reports and to identify the funding amounts needed to execute the activities anticipated for the coming 60-day period. Given partners’ capacity levels, the support and coaching needed is labor-intensive. CIHG must visit partners weekly to anticipate corrections and avoid delays in validating SFRs and approving advances. c) USAID/Tanzania – Boresha Habari/Media and Civil Society Strengthening Activity (TMCS) Solicitation No.: RFA-621-17-000002 Duration: August 16, 2017 – August 15, 2022 Total Award Value: $8,700,000 USD AOR: Jennifer Horsfall SCS Global Consortium Partners (with other Subawardees): FHI 360, Internews, ICNL (with Media Council of Tanzania, Tanzania Bora Initiative, JamiiForums, and Mobile Accord Inc.)
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Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Objective One: Improved media enabling environment
ICNL finalized the content and layout for the Practical Handbook for Media Practitioners and Human Rights Defenders on laws affecting freedom of expression (the Handbook), and it is ready for translation, printing and dissemination. This version was reviewed by FHI 360 and feedback was received to proceed with designing the cover and layout of the handbook. The completion of the handbook and its translation should be published in the next quarter.
With the assistance from one of the ICNL consultants, the first of four modules to be used for a multi-part training for media and civil society practitioners on freedom of expression issues in Tanzania, was finalized. The modules draw from and expand the content of the handbook and cover the following broad areas: How to navigate the laws on the media; Legal redress; Advocacy Strategies; and Safety strategies and responses for journalists and other human rights defenders. ICNL partnered with the Media Institute of Southern Africa – Tanzania Chapter (MISA-Tan) to organize and host the first training session towards the end of the quarter, which also provided an opportunity to test and further refine the first module. Other local partners assisted ICNL and MISA-Tan to carefully select candidates for the training.
The two-day training, “Training for Media Practitioners and Human Rights Defenders in Mainland Tanzania, Part I: Navigating Media Laws in Tanzania,” focused on equipping media practitioners, lawyers and other human rights defenders with the knowledge and skills they need to understand laws affecting the media and freedom of expression, and to navigate the legal challenges they face in their day-to-day work. A total of 17 participants attended the training (10 male, seven female): eight were from the media sector (including traditional journalists and bloggers), four from civil society organizations, and three lawyers. ICNL’s Legal Advisor and Associate facilitated various training sessions. The first day of the interactive training covered relevant international legal standards that participants subsequently compared to the local Media Services Act (MSA) identifying gaps in protection, restrictive provisions, and sharing their own experiences with the MSA. The second day focused on laying out the relevant domestic legal framework leading to an action plan for addressing the issues in media laws covered during earlier sessions. The action plan consists of: engaging in a mapping exercise to identify key stakeholders affected by media laws, research the effect of the media laws, and identify best practices; galvanizing the media, as a key problem is that media houses have been unable to unify to advocate for themselves, and are more focused on being a voice for other marginalized groups; using evidence gathered from the mapping exercise and the force of a media coalition to converse with lawyers, CSOs and parliament, amongst others, to advocate for change.
Objective Two: Strengthened professionalization of media and journalists
In this quarter SCS Tanzania again hosted a media market forum (MMF), attended by 19 CRSs, who were given an opportunity to interact with the SCS Tanzania team, researchers (Geopoll and Spurk Media), USAID and USAID’s implementing partners (FHI 360, DAI, Khangarue Media and Fintrac). The forum is held periodically as part of Internews’ 360 degrees support to community radio partners. Its main purposes are: building the capacity of community radios
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through understanding and utilization of concepts and tools that will improve business sustainability and delivery of quality content; building relationships between them and development organizations to improve advertising revenue and content gathering; and understanding radio audience measurement data and enhancing their utilization of research in decision making.
As part of the MMF all participants were taken through the subject of sexual harassment at their radio stations. Sexual harassment which is defined as unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature was said to exist in the newsrooms. Several examples were cited: a boss or source asks for a sexual favor in exchange for information; an editor demands a sexual favor for a story to be published; or news sources sexually harassing journalists out looking for information. Poor pay is one of the main reasons some people and especially female journalists find themselves subjected to sexual harassment. It was clear from the discussions that sexual harassment in newsrooms affects women the most. While acknowledging that men are sometimes also victims of harassment, participants pointed out that most of them are ashamed to report such cases, fearing to be labelled as weak. In terms of the way forward, it was agreed that media houses would establish policies which promote gender equality and create equal opportunities, have a procedure in place for handling complaints of sexual harassment; undertake regular gender awareness training. At the end of the session the 19 CRS representatives signed a commitment that their media houses will have a policy against sexual harassment. SCS Tanzania provided a template for such a policy.
The MMF this quarter was a huge success, per the feedback from the participants who attended the workshop and returned back to their stations. The session helped them with: • Improved quality of news content produced by journalists; • Improved radio programs and improved confidence among journalists; • Increased radio Programs and diversification of news content; • CRSs becoming more accountable to the society; and • Increased advertisement opportunities; winning new markets and diversifying incomes.
Objective Three: Increased capacity and sustainability of community radio stations to provide accurate, impartial and relevant information
Local partner JamiiMedia is working with CRSs to show that transitional and new media (such as social media platforms) that are building their radio websites and profiles and also training their staff to manage online presence, can be complimentary to the core business of radio- making.
During this quarter, JamiiMedia conducted several regional Social Media and Radio Marketing Capacity Building sessions. In Mbeya, the three-day workshop targeted two Mbeya CRS: Chai FM (six males, five females) and Mbeya Highlands FM (13 males, six females). In Iringa, they worked with Country FM (four males, five females), and in Njombe with Ice FM (eight males, three females) and Upland FM (11males, four females).
JamiiMedia completed the design and development of the websites for both Chai and Mbeya Highlands FM websites: https://highlandsfm.co.tz/ and https://chaifm.co.tz/ will continue for Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 20 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
Iringa based Country FM and Njombe based Ice FM and Uplands FM in the next quarter: https://countryfm.co.tz/ , https://uplandsfm.co.tz/ , and https://icefm.co.tz/ In addition, JamiiMedia also prepared a monitoring tool for data collection and tracking progress changes to CRSs social media accounts.
Lastly, JamiiMedia continued the social media and marketing mentorship program with the 16 already trained CRSs providing guidance and day to day monitoring.
Under the youth and women driven radio program activity, five interns were selected to attend the first 12-week internship at SCS Tanzania from the group of 69 students who successfully attended the pilot hands-on radio journalism course during summer 2018. Since the beginning of the internship, they produced six episodes of the Mikiki (Hustles) Radio Magazine. The program aims to empower youth by giving them information about economic opportunities, innovations, life skills, arts and creativity. To make the program attractive to its primary audience, Mikiki contains studio and on-location recorded interviews.
Objective 4: Strengthened targeted civil society organizations’ ability to effectively use the media to communicate and advocate on key issues
During the quarter, nine CSO representatives who attended the Media Relations training last quarter were invited to attend a week-long training in social media skills to enable them to better communicate to their key audiences. Despite the popularity of social media among young people, most CSOs are not equipped to run social media platforms that respond to this trend or to meet youth where they are. After the training, all organizations were invited to apply for small grants ($3,000 each for three months). Applications are due next quarter.
d) USAID/Bosnia and Herzegovina – Balkan Media Assistance Project (BMAP) Cooperative Agreement No. AID-168-LA-17-0003 Duration: September 25, 2017 – September 30, 2021 Total Award Value: $8,500,000 AOR: Jasna Kilalic SCS Global Consortium (with other Subawardees): FHI 360 and Internews
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Objective 1: Provide outlets and media partners with more substantial and stable resources to operate as viable enterprises
During this quarter Montenegrin Key Partner Vijesti used their Tech Investment Grant (TIG) to purchase new equipment for livestreaming and video editing. Vijesti put the equipment to use by livestreaming some of the largest civic protests Montenegro has seen in recent history, calling for the resignation of President Milo Đukanović in the face of allegations of corruption and abuse of power. In addition to the procurement itself, SCS BMAP also supported the training of Vijesti staff both in how to use the livestreaming equitment from a technical perspective as well as separate consultations in production and direction of livestreamed news events.
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Additionally, in this reporting period, SCS BMAP continued publishing various types of content on Balkansmedia.org designed to build the skills of journalists and inspire discussion on various issues that are important for the future of journalism. We published or prepared for publication 19 stories (four webinars, three video interviews, seven video tutorials and inspiring talks, and five articles on innovation and text-based tutorials) commissioned from regional authors and one from an American author. The video content was captured during the SCS BMAP Media Forum held at the end of January. In this way, SCS BMAP leveraged an in-person project activity to transfer knowledge to a wider audience.
A sampling of content posted this quarter includes: Webinar: Tools and strategies to attract younger audiences, the most popular master class at the Media Forum, led by BBC World Service’s Dušan Mašić Tutorial: How to make fact-checking a painless process, by Lejla Čamdžić, formerly the head of fact-checking for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Interview: How did it used to look to be a journalist compared to today?, a video conversation with Kelmend Hapciu of KosovaLive Special feature: On International Women’s Day (March 8), we released interviews with two prominent female media managers in the region: • Women in the media: challenges and benefits, a video conversation with Marijana Kadić, executive director of Vijesti • Women, editors, and journalism, a video conversation with Vildana Selimbegović, editor- in-chief of Oslobođenje
Objective 2: Strengthen the ability of content producers to engage wider audiences and expand reach across the region
Generating interest among SCS BMAP grantees in the “members-only” content-exchange portion of the site has proven difficult. A separate password-protected platform is not necessary for online media to make content-sharing arrangements: media simply share links and YouTube embeds, allow copying and pasting with attribution, and exchange multimedia content through email or file sharing services if necessary. Grantees are not enthusiastic about searching a database for content they may or may not want to share when it is much easier to simply Google the specific topic they are looking for content on and use what they find on their own site with attribution to its creator. Requiring grantees to post their project-supported content to the password-protected section of Balkansmedia.org thus seems unnecessarily burdensome for little added benefit.
SCS BMAP thus proposes to use the “members-only” section of Balkansmedia.org to facilitate experience-sharing between BMAP grantees and posting of success stories/lessons learned that might not be relevant or appropriate for a general audience but could be helpful to other project participants. It will still be available for content-sharing if grantees would like to use it to share multimedia files, datasets, or other file types that cannot be easily copy-pasted or emailed but uploading content to the platform would not be mandatory.
SCS BMAP has facilitated content-sharing arrangements between grantees where it makes strategic sense for both partners—without the use of a special platform. Danas in Serbia, which
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is publishing a series of interviews with Kosovar intellectuals, artists, and other cultural figures through their ECG grants, has such arrangements with Radio Kontakt Plus and Radio KIM in Kosovo. SCS BMAP has also helped grantees formalize such arrangements with other media outside the project, including the KP MINA news agency in Montenegro and HINA news agency in Croatia. We plan to continue this practice throughout the project.
Objective 3: Foster stronger partnerships to advance solutions on common challenges in the digital space
The first SCS BMAP Annual Media Forum (entitled “Media, Market and Politics: New Challenges, Old Threats”) took place in Sarajevo at the Hotel Holiday on January 31 and February 1. The Forum gathered media experts, journalists, business managers, and representatives of media buying and advertising agencies (Universal Media, I&F McCann Group, Fabrika, etc.) from the region and all five SCS BMAP countries. Apart from BMAP staff, 67 people (29 F, 38 M) attended, including local (BiH) media representatives and journalists, and representatives of USAID, SCS BMAP Key Partners, and ECG grantees.
Panel on women's leadership in the media at the first annual SCS BMAP Media Forum
The two days of the Forum were packed with panel discussions and master classes on topics ranging from legal recommendations (EU recommendations for the media sector) to transitioning to convergent newsrooms and women's leadership in the media. One of the most well-received formats according to participant evaluation forms were the master classes – segments in which speakers presented their own experiences and practices as well as shared advice with the attendees. The most popular among them was led by SCS BMAP consultant Dušan Mašić, who spoke about Tools and Strategies for Attracting Younger Audiences. Participants also reported that Jan Pallo's master class on diversifying sources of revenue for digital media based on the case study of SME.sk in Slovakia covered a particularly important topic for them.
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Proceedings from the Forum were shared on Internews in the Balkans' social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter), and we saw an increase in impressions (15K), profile visits, and followers during the event. Some of the media outlets in attendance published articles on their portals regarding the Forum. (See this one from Oslobođenje.)
Evaluaton forms collected from participants showed that networking and the chance to connect face to face with other attendees were among the most valuable opportunities provided by the Forum. Next year, the SCS BMAP team plans to increase the amount of time participants have to engage in informal discusions with one another between sessions and to diversify the types of sessions offered, with a stronger focus on master classes, hands-on workshops, and/or guided discussions leading to concrete next steps.
e) USAID/Kyrgyz Republic – Media K Cultivating Media Independence Initiative Activity Request for Application No.: RFA-176-17-000003 Duration: October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2020 Total Award Value: USD $6,500,000 AOR: Erkin Konurbaev SCS Global Consortium Partners (with other Subawardees): FHI 360 and Internews (and Yntymak TV and Radio and Media Policy Institute)
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Objective 1: Stimulate the market for domestic production and increase hosting of more engaging multimedia content
During this reporting period, the SCS Kyrgyz Republic project conducted a training for 30 (21 women and 9 men) journalists, editors, and social media promotion specialists on how to manage multiple social media platforms. Led by Svetlana Margolis, a prominent local trainer on and practitioner of social media marketing, the training educated participants about promotional tools and techniques that would be able to inform audiences of participants’ businesses and products more efficiently, as well as major pitfalls that may deter audiences from communicating on social media networks. The participants were able to choose from the following topics: context advertising, improving one’s social media presence, how to start a business page on Facebook, how to create a content plan, how to gain more information about a company, how to work with users on social networks and how to calculate and budget costs for an advertising campaign. During the training, participants drafted content strategies for their respective newsrooms that they will implement after receiving the trainer’s feedback. Samara Abdykerimova from Yntymak also compiled a checklist of criteria that an SMM specialist should meet, taking Yntymak’s subscribers’ preferences into consideration. Surma Sharshenbaeva from NTS and Yrys Kylychbek Kyzy from Politklinika began using hashtags to increase audience reach and number of views. Svetlana Margolis initiated a joint WhatsApp group for the training’s participants, where she can answer participants’ questions.
Due to the great interest in such a training—117 people applied for 30 spots—as well as the participants’ positive feedback, SCS Kyrgyz Republic scheduled to conduct the same training for
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a different group of 30 media professionals for March 13-15. Unfortunately, the trainer had to cancel the event several days prior as she became ill. SCS Kyrgyz Republic is planning to postpone the second training until May with the same trainer.
Additionally, to commemorate the renovation of Salam Media’s radio studio in Batken, SCS Kyrgyz Republic organized its first Kyrgyz-language training there on February 21-26. This was also the first training that Media-K ever conducted in the Batken region. The training gathered 14 editors and DJs (both genders equally represented) representing four radio stations based in the South (Salam Media, Yntymak, Jash FM and Osh Pirim). Participants attended theoretical sessions and completed practical assignments to improve their knowledge and skills in engaging content production; content programming; creating broadcasting schedules; producing jingles, headers, and taglines; and conducting interviews. The participants formed two teams and practiced taking live interviews. One of the main outcomes of the training was how the participants were able to engage in joint activities, thus leading to building future networks of radio journalists in this region.
Objective 2: Targeted media outlet better identify and exploit opportunities to increase advertising revenues
Highlighting this quarter’s work with Salam Media, SCS Kyrgyz Republic continues to develop the professional skills of the advertising manager through remote consultations and mentorship to improve advertising potential of the media outlet. The manager regularly visits local companies and gives presentations on ad products that Salam Media proposes. While the ad manager’s method thus far has not always resulted in a signed contract after her presentations, her enthusiasm and determination are still strong qualities that an ad manager should have. She has also been monitoring ads aired on Osh and Jalal-Abad TV broadcasters while creating a list of potential advertisers to contact later on to propose or offer an ad placement on Salam Media.
Salam Media also continues to hold events aimed at strengthening bonds with its customers and engaging new audiences. For one event, which was partially sponsored by two local companies, the partner organized a singing contest for 250 women from the Batken region to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. While the event did not generate any income, it still had a positive effect on the image of Salam Media.
As for the partner’s income growth, this quarter’s advertising activities demonstrates a positive trend. From January to March, advertising revenue grew by 65% compared to that of the same period in 2018. In March, Salam Media signed a contract with Asai Media, which is one of the largest advertising agencies in the Kyrgyz Republic and an outsourcing agency for several large advertisers, such as cellular operators, banks and pharmacists. A signed contract with Asai Media will attract new advertisers to Salam Media.
Objective 3: Disparate stakeholders better coordinate efforts to develop the sector
This quarter, SCS Kyrgyz Republic and the Media Industrial Committee (MIC) organized a presentation to announce the results of the tender to measure the country’s TV audience using peoplemeters. Through SCS Kyrgyz Republic, USAID is investing $300,000 into the project,
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while the media sector, through the MIC, is investing the remaining $2.1 million over five years. The winner of the tender, the consortium of Nielsen Admosphere (Czech Republic) and Integras (Great Britain), presented their approach and the technology behind the project. Fifteen media market players are already on board and are encouraging others to join. Members of the MIC will benefit from having full access to the advanced audience measurement data and analysis, whereas those who are not members would have to purchase the product from the MIC to gain access to the measurements.
More than 150 media managers, journalists and representatives of advertising agencies attended the event. During the 1.5-hour question-and-answer session, the audience asked questions about the cost of the peoplemeter project; the cost to become a member of the association; the formation of the panel consisting of 250 households, on which peoplemeters are to be installed; their distribution throughout the country; the possibility to measure radio and digital TV audiences; and several other topics. The event was featured on NTS, Manas, Osh Pirim, April TV news channels, as well as on Kaktus Media and 24.kg media outlets. On the same day, the MIC and the Nielsen-Integras consortium signed the framework agreement stipulating the intention of the counterparties to sign a service contract as soon as they agreed on all the terms. Thanks to this event, both OTRK and Yntymak joined the MIC, bringing the total number of association members to 20. In February, MIC submitted a letter to USAID asking to increase financing of the peoplemeter project adding $783,500 USD. USAID is considering the request.
In March, the parties signed the required agreements, and both SCS Kyrgyz Republic and the MIC completed their respective first payments to the consortium in order to launch the project’s implementation. The consortium opened an office in Bishkek and began preparing for the survey.
f) The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-LA-17-00003 Duration: October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2022 Total Award Value: $9,500,000 AOR: Asta Zinbo SCS Global Consortium Partners: FHI 360 and ICNL
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Below are the major results achieved in the project’s sixth Quarter: • Awarded 30 IP sub-awards and selected two new IPs for the 2018 CSOSI; • Led 11 interactive training sessions with new IPs and 10 briefing calls with returning IPs; • Disseminated and promoted the 2017 CSOSI by email, a blogpost and Twitter, and documented the implementation of 28 additional local launch events organized by IPs, as well as other dissemination activities around the world.
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g) USAID/Djibouti Civil Society Organizations’ Strengthening Program Duration: 2 years Total Award Value: $2,900,000 AOR: Rabihah Mateen SCS Global Consortium Partners: FHI 360 and ICNL
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
The second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019 was dedicated to: 1) drafting and presenting a new SCS Djibouti implementation strategy to USAID; 2) preparing for the Whole System in the Room (WSR) workshop on education to be held at the end of April, and 3) and, working closely with USAID to ensure continued government buy-in to SCS Djibouti’s objectives. Moreover, both the sensitive nature of the project and the local context required that SCS Djibouti revise the implementation timeline to accommodate the additional time needed to secure buy-in from government stakeholders. A draft revised implementation plan was submitted on March 16, which was an update of the first implementation plan submitted to USAID October 16, 2018. FHI 360 worked closely with USAID to adapt its implementation plan to the current political context. This reporting period was spent building a foundation of shared goals with USAID and the Government of Djibouti (GoDJ), to build trust for the rest of the program. Outcome 1: Accountable Governance Better Integrated into Education and Health Sectors Outcome 2: CSOs More Effectively Advocate for Gender Equality, Equitable Service Delivery and Protection of Vulnerable Populations Outcome 3: Improved Enabling Environment for CSOs in Djibouti
h) USAID/Honduras Civil Society and Media Activity (ComunicAcción Ciudadana) Duration: 4 years Total Award Value: $9,962,000 AOR: Vanessa Valladares SCS Global Consortium Partners: FHI 360, Internews, and ICNL
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Result 1: Constructive Citizen Participation Increased In January, SCS Honduras negotiated with Banco Atlántida on how to specifically incorporate the topics of anticorruption, transparency, and accountability into the HDC competition categories. These negotiations resulted in the inclusion of a category, “Using Technology in Support of Transparency”, emphasizing the connection between the use of technology-based applications and transparency work. For that purpose, a Justification for Restrict Eligibility (JRE) was submitted to and approved by USAID, to issue an ICT grant for the Honduras Digital Challenge. FHI 360 will issue a grant to the Start Up San Pedro Sula Foundation, which is the coordinating body for the Honduras Digital Challenge. This foundation will manage funds for Banco Atlántida.
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To guarantee that the opportunity reached as many potential applicants in the ICT field as possible, SCS Honduras conducted socialization presentations on the HDC at several universities including: The Central American Technological University (UNITEC), the Catholic University of Honduras (UNICAH), the Technological University of Honduras (UTH), the Polytechnic University of Engineering (UPI), and the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). SCS Honduras staff supported the mentorship component of the challenge. During Q2, the Internews team arranged meetings with ICT community leaders from Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, where those leaders were able to share their commitment to supporting technology-based entrepreneurial projects that will improve Honduras’ transparency. These meetings resulted in an agreement between SCS Honduras and Blockchain Community, which stated its support for the call for applications for the HDC and offered to provide direct technological support and mentorship for all applications submitted to the transparency category of the HDC. Their support is valued at approximately $15,000. The transparency category received a total of nine proposals through the HDC, and the program team will participate in the Banco Atlántida-facilitated GEC in Q3 to select competition winners. Result 2: Civil Society Infrastructure Enhanced On February 15, ICNL facilitated an online meeting among organizations participating in the CSO Self-Regulation System to develop a capacity building plan to improve the assessment methodology6. Five members of the Evaluation Committee7 who are experts in implementing the assessment methodology were invited to participate; however, only two were available to attend. ICNL and the participants discussed what was necessary to keep the system active, and it was agreed that sustainability will require a greater investment of time and funding than the members had committed thus far. Weak leadership by the Federación de Organizaciones No Gubernamentales para el Desarrollo de Honduras (FOPRIDEH) was identified as another obstacle to system implementation and effectiveness. FOPRIDEH has been the coordinator since the System’s inception, but it has not shown interest in continuing in that role following a recent organizational restructuring last year. The participants also noted that two of the most active early members of the Evaluation Committee currently lack funding and can no longer participate in future meetings. Despite the current lack of resources, the participants identified the actions listed at the top of the next page as priorities.
• Revising and improving the criteria to assess compliance with international standards;
6 The methodology to assess the system’s standards involves the following steps: a) document review; b) on-site visits to participating organizations to verify that their staff know and apply their internal policies; and c) follow-up activities to help participating organizations implement the recommendations resulting from the evaluation. 7 The five members of the Evaluation Committee are FOPRIDEH, Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM), Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras (OCDIH), Asociación de Desarrollo de Area de Atima (ADAAT), and Proyecto Aldea Global (PAG). Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 28 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
• Revising and implementing the sustainability plan to identify the necessary resources to maintain and operate the system; • Drafting and implementing a plan to effectively communicate to the public and government entities the system’s recent and future contributions to sector accountability and good governance. On March 21, ICNL hosted another meeting with four members of the Evaluation Committee to introduce civil society global initiatives,8 including an example of an impact assessment methodology implemented by a not-for-profit enterprise to improve CSO transparency and accountability.9 Using these models as guidelines, ICNL helped participants review the system standards and the evaluation criteria and determine what is needed in terms of time and training to improve the system’s effectiveness. As a result, the participants concluded that: • The Honduran system should include a standard to demonstrate CSOs’ contributions to the country’s social and economic development; • As part of the sustainability plan, the participating organizations should consider offering assessments based on system standards to interested organizations for a fee; • The group should convene an assembly of all system members to discuss how to maintain the system’s operation, among other issues. Based on these conclusions, ICNL suggested that the participants organize a preparatory meeting with FOPRIDEH’s director to determine that organization’s willingness to continue its role as system coordinator. The meeting would also serve as an opportunity for all system members to address the identified priorities. The participants are scheduled to meet with FOPRIDEH’s director early in Q3. ICNL will participate virtually in the meeting to track progress and improve recommendations. Result 3: Civil society engagement and interface with Government of Honduras (GOH) improved On March 7, 2019, SCS Honduras co-hosted with MACCIH a day-long forum on the role of journalism in the building of democracy in Latin America at the Hotel Honduras Maya in Tegucigalpa. The forum consisted of two panels of expert journalists who shared their professional experiences working in investigative journalism throughout Latin America. Topics covered during their presentations included the importance of journalism ethics, the influence of media in the fight against corruption, the globalization of corruption, and the role of investigative journalism in strengthening democratic institutions.
8 Rendir Cuentas is an initiative of nine civil society accountability networks from around the world that leads a movement to strengthen the effectiveness of CSOs by committing to shared standards on accountability. 9 B Impact Assessment is a methodology developed to help not-for-profit enterprises measure their social and environmental impact. For more information, see the following link: https://bimpactassessment.net/. Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 29 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
The morning panel included Javier Darío Restrepo of Colombia, Giannina Segnini of Costa Rica, and Manuel Torres of Honduras, all renowned journalists. Each panelist provided examples of specific investigations from their home countries, and examples of how investigative journalism has been applied to anticorruption investigations elsewhere. The presentations were met with a lot of enthusiastic participation, comments, and questions from approximately 200 guests, including journalists, university students, other implementing partners, and civil society leaders. Local journalists provided the panelists with insight into the difficulties they have found when working on investigations into corruption and the lack of transparency. Those included safety risks, the challenge of appealing to readers and media consumers, and the lack of access to information. This event generated a significant media attention. Following the event, journalists and media outlets interviewed the guest panelists for local television channels. Questions focused on the role of journalism in democratic processes in Honduras. Additionally, the SCS Honduras project livestreamed most of the event via Facebook Live to ensure widespread participation and visibility. The streaming footage is still available via Facebook on the SCS Honduras page and Twitter account. In the afternoon, a second panel facilitated by the MACCIH included two expert journalists: Quimy de León, Community Press-Prensa Comunitaria from Guatemala and Marcelo Cuellar, Digital Newspaper ContraPunto from El Salvador. They provided examples of corruption investigations throughout Central America. i) USAID/Burma Advancing Transition to Peaceful Democracy Through Participation of Civil Society and Media (CSM-II) Duration: 5 years Total Award Value: $25,000,000 AOR: Sein Lin SCS Global Consortium Partners: FHI 360 and Internews
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Outcome 1: Enhanced availability of and access to quality information to the public, including vulnerable populations across Myanmar, to promote inclusive democratic reforms, intercommunal harmony and religious freedom, and to advance peace processes
The in-depth reporting and innovation support scheme (IRISS) was launched in the first quarter and, by the end of this quarter, it has supported 17 journalists (11 male and six female) who work for national, regional and ethnic media outlets across Myanmar. The stories include in-depth features, interviews, video features and photo essays. The stories are published in national publications such as The Irrawaddy, DVB, Myanmar Now, 7 Day News, Myanmar Times as well as in the ethnic/regional media (Chin News Journal, Magway Post, Myitkyina News Journal, Than Lwin Khet.) The stories covered related to three programmatic streams of SCS Myanmar:
Peace: • Peace process and gender sensitivity in Northern Shan state • In-depth story about the challenging life of two Kachin IDP children
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• Conflict and local people trapped in the opium trade • Cross-border migration and trafficking • Recent conflict in Rakhine State (AA vs. the Government Army)
Law and policy reform: • Controversies about recent Virgin, Fallow and Vacant Land Law amendment • Exploitation in the mining industry
ICH and national reconciliation: • Different religious groups living in harmony in Mogok
IRISS shortlisted applicants for the third batch of story grants. Recipients from batches one and two are finalizing story production and publication.
As media sustainability has been identified as a key issue by the Myanmar media sector in general and more specifically by the Myanmar Media Development Conference, Internews accelerated this area of work in the quarter with a series of roundtable discussions and workshops related to media business management and sustainability. The meetings looked at issues pertinent to Myanmar media. The roundtable discussions aimed to provide a forum where senior media executives could meet, access significant stakeholders in the media, advertising and ICT sectors and discuss issues of common interest with each other. Internews held four events focusing on media sustainability this quarter.
Outcome 2: Increased influence by civil society and independent media actors on the decision-making of state and nonstate actors related to inclusive democratic reform, intercommunal harmony and religious freedom, and peace processes through constructive engagement with them at all levels During this quarter, SCS Myanmar has pledged in-kind support to the Media and Communications for Development (C4D) Forum. The proposal brought together a consortium of media development partners, including Search for Common Ground, BBC Media Action, local film schools and other interested parties who are planning to hold a festival-style showcase of C4D media produced in Myanmar. SCS Myanmar has committed to providing in-kind support to the media festival and gave the organizers input on strengthening their program. SCS Myanmar supported a delegation of 12 land-rights activists from Mandalay, Magway, Ayeyarwady, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Bago Regions and Shan, Mon and Chin States to participate in a coordination meeting for development of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin (VFV) Lands Management by-law in Nay Pyi Taw on 3 January 2019. The delegation was invited to the meeting by the Union Parliament’s VFV Lands Management Committee. The Union Minister, the Deputy Minister, the Permanent Secretary, the Director General and responsible personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) and stakeholders discussed the overall plan, updates, and provisions to be included in the by-law. The Union Minister for MoALI Dr. Aung Thu pledged to gather inputs from civil society for finalizing the by-law. The delegation gained recognition by the government and was invited to the meeting as a result of previous engagement – particularly a series of advocacy meetings held last month with the support of SCS Myanmar.
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SCS Myanmar funded Safety Net to organize two events on 25 and 26 February 2019 in Minbu township in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar. The events, each involving an interfaith dialogue and a seminar, aimed to counter extreme nationalism and racism, and to promote religious freedom and tolerance among local communities. Six renowned authors and a regional parliamentarian gave presentations on relevant topics. One of the events was held in Minbu University and engaged 585 students, and the other was held in a public place involving 150 people. Participants showed enthusiasm and support for re-building cohesion among different communities. The events were the first of their kind in Minbu, and much remains to be done to address the concerns of religious minority groups in future. From 18 to 20 March, the Third Civil Society Organizations Union Level Peace Forum in Myitkyina brought together 562 representatives of 429 CSOs and five CSO networks across Myanmar to develop policy options papers. SCS Myanmar jointly funded the event supporting transportation expenses for all participants. The policy papers focused on Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Social Development; Fiscal Federalism; and Environmental and Natural Disasters. The policy papers will be submitted to national level political dialogues of Myanmar peace process. A highlight of 14 key points was also released at the press conference at the end of the forum. The forum involved participants’ visits to camps for people displaced by armed conflict in Kachin State, and presentations on updates of the armed conflict in Rakhine State. Finally, SCS Myanmar funded Safety Net to organize interfaith dialogues and peace talks in Taungthar and Meiktila on 24 March to bring local communities together for intercommunal harmony. The towns are known for the strong presence of ultranationalist movements and are hotspots of intercommunal tensions. The aim of the events was to counter extreme nationalism and racism by promoting the concept of freedom of religion. A total of 171 people participated in the dialogue in Meiktila, and about 200 joined the talk in Taungthar. Among the participants were youth and community members with diverse religious affiliations. Six Myanmar literary scholars and renowned writers discussed topics including freedom of religion, hate speech and the right to citizenship. The events emphasized the need for local communities to remain vigilant towards potential tensions and to work together for strengthening cohesion. j) USAID/Kenya Safer Democratic Spaces Kenya (SADES-K) Duration: 3 years Total Award Value: $6,350,000 AOR: Zephaniah Aura SCS Global Consortium Partners: FHI 360 and Internews
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Result Area One: Kenya’s Governance Architecture Revised and Strengthened
During the quarter, the SCS Kenya team supported several activities with various institutions to advance national dialogue and governance reforms processes. The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) launched a report, “Moving Kenya Towards a Stronger Democracy,” which was an assessment of the 2017 general election and the subsequent repeat presidential election. The report provided an opportunity to understand the political issues involved in undertaking electoral reforms. This understanding is critically important for a bridging program like SADES-K, as the program will need to align interventions and inform Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 32 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
engagements with key stakeholders like political parties, parliamentarians and civil society groups engaged in electoral-reform processes. Internews Media Specialist Shitemi Khamadi represented SCS Kenya at a meeting with IEBC and later briefed the team on the report and its implications for SCS Kenya.
On February 21, SCS Kenya opened discussions with EMBRACE, a women’s platform that aims to harness a strong women’s movement across the country to support the BBI. FHI 360 supported EMBRACE to commemorate the one-year anniversary of BBI on March 9, 2019, at the Nairobi Serena Hotel. A total of 266 (Male 7 and Female 259) participants from more than 50% of the 47 counties in Kenya attended the commemoration. The 28 counties that participated included: Nairobi, Nyandarua, Kiambu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Wajir, Homa-Bay, Samburu, Busia, Kakamega, Nyeri, Mombasa, Mandera, Kisii, Kisumu, Vihiga, Bungoma, Migori, Makueni, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Taita Taveta, Nyamira, Baringo, Siaya, Marsabit, Muranga and Kajiado. The event brought together key politicians, including H. E. Raila Odinga, Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, a former vice-president and the Wiper Party leader, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, the Chairman of the Council of Governors and Governor of Kakamega County, and several women Members of Parliament, Senators and Members of County Assemblies. The Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Youth, Hon. Rachel Shebesh, participated in the event. The diplomatic community was also represented, with USAID/KEA Mission Director Mark Meassick, Stephen Brager, Zeph Aura and Betty Mugo attending. The BBI Taskforce was also present, as well as representatives from the Kenyan clergy, civil society and the private sector. The event provided a platform for women to initiate dialogue and to voice their concerns on women’s issues to the BBI through a memorandum they developed.
FHI 360 supported EMBRACE by paying for ads announcing the women’s memorandum to the BBI in two main local newspapers (The Daily Nation and The Standard) ahead of the March 9 anniversary. The memo, which ran on March 8 (International Women’s Day) sought to ensure women are given equal opportunities by law, and to amplify women’s voices in national- dialogue and governance-reform efforts. The memo also provided a platform to raise awareness about issues that affect women, which EMBRACE will submit for discussion to the BBI Taskforce. FHI 360 further supported EMBRACE by producing and distributing 250 T-shirts, 250 caps, 500 flyers and 500 copies of the SCS Kenya fact sheet.
Result Area Two: Social and Ethnic Cohesion Strengthened
During the quarter, the SCS Kenya Grant Evaluation Committee (GEC) selected the following organizations as potential grantees under Result Area II: Keeping Alive Societies Hope (KASH), Anglican Development Services of Kenya (ADS-K), Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE), Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P), Rural Women Peace Link (RWPL) and SIKOM Peace Network for Development (SIKOM). The SADES-K financial and technical teams visited KASH, SIKOM, RWPL and KECOSCE to carry out the financial and grant-design assessments. The process involved field visits to the potential grantee offices and an assessment of their financial systems, structures, financial records and compliance procedures. The technical team worked with the grantees to review and align their proposals, workplans and
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budgets. FHI 360 then began the documentation and compliance phase of the assessment process.
FHI 360 submitted the Merti Integrated Development Program (MID-P) grant to USAID for approval, and USAID approved the award on March 22. The Anglican Development Services of Kenya (ADS-K) grant package was submitted for approval to USAID on March 29. The grantees selected under Result Area II will focus on creating spaces for dialogue and strengthening structures for social and ethnic cohesion. For example, MID-P’s project will address conflict issues between the Borana, Meru, Turkana and Samburu in Isiolo county through dialogue forums, a camel caravan, strengthening the Isiolo county council of elders and engagement at policy level. The ADS-K proposal will address conflict issues in the Transmara region of Narok county by building the capacity of local leaders to carry out consensus building processes, establish early warning systems and promote peace messaging.
Result Area Three: Civic and Democratic Space Protected
SCS Kenya Chief of Party Sam Kona and Internews Media Specialist Shitemi Khamadi held a meeting with the NGO Coordination Board Executive Director Mr. Mutuma Nkanata on March 25, 2019. The meeting enabled FHI 360 and the NGO Coordination Board to introduce themselves and their initiatives and to explore possible partnership. The Executive Director highlighted his progress during the three months he has been in office, emphasizing the Board’s desire to change the culture of doing business and improve the working relationship with civil society organizations. He affirmed that the past leadership of the NGO Board was not helpful for the government or the NGO sector, hence the drive to start anew. The NGO Board is beginning to engage civil society in different parts of the country to acquaint stakeholders with the regulatory requirements that NGOs must fulfill, promote awareness of the PBO Act, provide quarterly reviews and analyses for each region, and to hear concerns from local stakeholders. Other highlights of the meeting included the introduction of a plan by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior to immediately gazette the PBO Act, and the NGO Board’s intention to organize an NGO Summit and Expo in August 2019. At the meeting’s end, the NGO Board agreed to draft a concept paper articulating areas of potential support SCS Kenya could provide.
Result Area Four: National Conversation and Implementation of Outcome Monitored for Accountability, Learning and Scale-up
The request for proposals for this Result Area was advertised on January 15, through a local daily and the FHI 360 website. The purpose of the call for proposals was to identify a contractor to undertake monitoring of the national-dialogue process. The contractor will also be tasked with public-opinion polling to gauge public perceptions of the national-dialogue process as well as governance reform, social cohesion, independent media and civic space. The deadline for submission for the proposals was February 6.
The SCS Kenya Evaluation Committee reviewed the submitted applications and subsequently selected the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Nairobi. IDS has experience carrying out governance surveys/studies and has conducted national surveys that have informed key policy decisions at the national and local level. IDS has also been coordinating
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Afrobarometer surveys in Kenya and across Africa for many years. The SADES-K team is finalizing the selection memo, which will be shared with USAID for review in April 2019.
k) USAID/Azerbaijan (ECSOFT) Duration: 5 years Total Award Value: $2,500,000 AOR: Parviz Musayev SCS Global Consortium: FHI 360 and ICNL
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Objective One: Increase partnership with and assistance to selected Government of Azerbaijan agencies for improved transparency and openness
Following the SCS Azerbaijan team’s visit to Azerbaijan, on January 25, the Chair of the NGO Support Council reached out to MG Consulting and ICNL to request assistance with preparing an introductory note justifying draft laws on professional associations and social orders (contracting), based on international practices. These draft laws had been registered in the parliament for at least two years, without any development until very recently. Both laws directly relate to the enabling environment for CSOs and have the potential to improve it. Mr. Guliyev informed MG Consulting and ICNL that the designated parliamentary committee would be considering both drafts on January 30. ICNL submitted both introductory notes on January 28 and 29, which were translated into Azeri and disseminated to members of parliament and experts during parliamentary discussions on January 30. Mr. Guliyev thanked SCS Azerbaijan on behalf of the NGO Support Council and organized a discussion of the draft law on professional associations on February 14, where the concept of the law was approved.
SCS Azerbaijan also agreed to assist the NGO Support Council with its plan to increase accessibility to the appeals process for CSO-applicants that did not receive grants from the Council. Specifically, SCS Azerbaijan agreed to the NGO Support Council’s request for laptops and videoconferencing equipment, which will allow its unsuccessful grant applicants to meet from their regions via videoconference with the Appeal Council. SCS Azerbaijan will purchase the items and deliver them to the Council in the next quarter.
SCS Azerbaijan also began providing assistance to the SPC to establish a public council as a consultative body to engage CSOs in the Committee’s decision-making. Assistances included consultations to the SPC relating to drafting a regulation for the public council, related Azerbaijani law and experience of other GoAz agencies with public councils.
Objective Two: Increase civic advocacy to promote transparency and support efforts of state institutions to increase their accountability
On March 5, Mahammad Guluzade attended a meeting of several CSOs with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and his colleagues (including Marianna Wiedenbeck, Principal Manager for the Civil Society Engagement Unit, and Matteo Patrone, Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Caucasus). Mr. Guluzade gave them
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information about ECSOFT and the legal environment for CSOs, including access to foreign funding, registration issue, etc. The EBRD President said he would raise this issue with Azerbaijan’s leadership.
The EBRD is working on a political assessment that will help to develop its country strategy for next five years. The deadline for contributions was March 27. The EBRD plans to conduct capacity building activities for CSOs in Azerbaijan, and Mr. Guluzade suggested coordination in this area since ECSOFT will also offer a set of trainings. During the discussions, EBRD representatives mentioned that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) will revise its standards in June.
Later in March, Mr. Guluzade attended a roundtable on ensuring an enabling environment for civil society, organized by the Progress CSO. Representatives of some 50 CSOs as well as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) attended this event. Hafiz Hasanov of the Law and Development Center Public Association gave a presentation and highlighted the importance of simplifying CSO registration and CSOs’ access to foreign funding, quashing the residency requirement for foreign CSOs and their directors, and abolishing the requirement to register service contracts of CSOs with the MoJ. Mr. Guluzade also made a speech and suggested additional recommendations: simplify updating CSOs’ registry data; ensure public discussion of draft laws; allow NGO events in regions; and simplify registration of foreign volunteers with the SMS. At this event, the CSOs agreed to send an appeal to the President Aliyev to meet with him.
Objective Three: Strengthen the capacity and sustainability of civil society organizations to engage as partners of Government of Azerbaijan to play a key role in promoting citizen interests
There were no activities to report under this objective, as they will be identified and planned based on the assessment results.
l) USAID/Zambia Youth Lead Duration: 3 years Total Award Value: $2,818,742.63 AOR: Charlene Bangwe
Accomplishments and Ongoing Activities
Objective One: Youth Leadership Development Objective Two: Institutional Strengthening Because activities do not fit exclusively under program objectives one or two, major achievements this period are presented below. Achievements include: 1. Advisory board: Membership was expanded from 14 to 18 this period, increasing representation from the civil society, women’s empowerment, and persons living with disabilities sectors. New members are Jackson Thoya, Pact International, Chief of Party (COP), DREAMS program; Chilufya Kasutu, Counterpart International, COP, Fostering Accountability and Transparency in Zambia; Chikwe Mbweeda, Children International; Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 36 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
and Ian Banda, a youth leader living with a disability and formerly of Leonard Cheshire Disabilities Rights Watch. New members enhanced Youth Lead’s ability to engage disadvantaged youth, particularly young women, and expanded our network of qualified intern host organizations to 87 to date. The board met two times this period. They reviewed mapper findings and approved recommended adjustments to program activities, approved intern selection criteria used by Avencion in the application process and nominated candidates for internships. The next meeting is set for May 2019. 2. Youth-led landscape mapping and analysis: The mapping exercise and analysis were completed this period, with the findings and recommendations presented to the advisory board and a final report submitted to USAID with the Youth Lead 1st quarterly report. The 20 youth mappers continue to be engaged by the project. For example, mappers comprised 15 of the 24 youth from the first round of pre-internship bootcamp training. Mappers were instrumental to the contextualization of the first draft of the training curriculum; they helped prepare the bootcamp training venue and led in-class activities; and they enlivened debates on youth identity, roles and responsibilities, and civic action in Zambia. Based on the success of the activity, the MYSCD requested Youth Lead to discuss with USAID at the next advisory board meeting the possibility of conducting additional mapping and analysis activities for the MYSCD. 3. Leadership skills training: The project trained 24 youth as part of phase 1 pre-internship bootcamp during the reporting period, with another 26 trained in April. FHI 360 and local partners Avencion and NYDC jointly organized and led the training. For the training, Avencion hired one full-time local facilitator and will employ a second facilitator in May 2019. The new trainer was trained by an outside consultant utilizing the Youth Lead training curriculum. The bootcamp was held at the NYDC’s Lusaka Youth Resource Center, which is providing hospitality/culinary training to disadvantaged youth. The project procured meals and logistics support from the Resource Center, giving vocational training students an opportunity to apply their skills. The project will continue to utilize the NYDC’s facilities for all future trainings. 4. Ensuring that disadvantaged youth participate in Youth Lead activities: Of the 50 youth that recently completed pre-internship bootcamp, nine were identified as disadvantaged10, seven of them girls. One of the participants was also a youth activist living with a disability. Youth Lead relies heavily on advisory board members, especially those from the DREAMS program, Children International, Africa Directions, or FHI 360’s Open Doors Program to identify and nominate disadvantaged youth to participate in the program. While the project did not reach our target of 30 percent of participants from disadvantage youth, expanding the advisory board will enable us to achieve it in future.
10 Disadvantaged is defined as youth 18 – 35 participating in the program Not in Education, Employment or Training, with limited or no tertiary education or vocational skills training. Many are not in education or training but are engaged as volunteers by community-based organizations. Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 37 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
C. Data on Leader and Associate Award Indicators
Data Frequency Ind Source & Base FY18 FY18 FY18 FY18 FY18 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 Indicator of Data LOP # Collection Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Collection line Method
Leader Objective 1.1: Develop and promote effective approaches to the strengthening of civil society and independent media actors.
Number of SCS Target 0 2 2 1 5 2 1 1 1 5 10 Global SCS knowledge Actual 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 3 4 Global products Project developed to 1 Data Quarterly 7 support Google strengthening Achiev 40 100 100 40 Analytics e-ment 60 % civil society and % % % % Surveys independent media actors SCS 140 Target N/A N/A N/A 200 200 400 400 200 200 1200 Global 0 Number of SCS Project 177 Global Actual N/A N/A N/A 257 257 552 965 1517 Data 4 2 knowledge Quarterly - SCS product Global 129 138 241 58 downloads Achiev N/A N/A N/A 129 % Project e-ment % % % % Data Average Google 75 75 Target N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 75 % 75 % 75 % satisfaction rate Analytics % % of SCS Global Surveys Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 % 0 % 3 knowledge SCS Quarterly N/A product users Global Achiev per use case Project e-ment N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 % reviews Data Number of Target 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 4 8 external Surveys learning events Actual 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 SCS completed Global (e.g., learning fo 4 Project Quarterly 4 rums, product Data launch events, Achiev 0 0 100 0 25 100 100 25 Google e-ment 50% building on % % % % % % % % Analytics initiatives that exist and Strengthening Civil Society Globally Page 38 of 47 Quarterly Report #12: January – March 2019
Data Frequency Ind Source & Base FY18 FY18 FY18 FY18 FY18 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 Indicator of Data LOP # Collection Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Collection line Method starting new ones when gaps are identified) Percent of 100 100 100 100 Target N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 3 learning events % % % % completed 100 100 Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 receiving an 80 % % percent or 5 higher average Surveys Quarterly N/A satisfaction rate 100 100 from Achiev N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 % e-ment % % implementer and attendee evaluations Leader Objective 1.2: Effective management of SCS Global LWA.
Number of SCS SCS Target 1 1 1 1 4 2 2 2 2 8 12 AA Learning Global 6 Quarterly 4 Actual 1 1 1 1 4 2 2 4 6 Roundtables (C Project 100 100 100 100 100 100 50 OP, ME&L) Data Achiev 100 % 50% e-ment % % % % % % % Number and 100 100 100 100 100 75 Target 50 % 50 % 50 % 50 % 50 % percent of % % % % % % Associate 1, 4, 1, 2, 100 100 Awards 50 Actual N/A 100 N/A 100 100 % 100 100 % % 7 designed AA Quarterly perce % % % % incorporating nt feedback from 100 100 100 100 100 133 Achiev N/A N/A 200 % current AA e-ment % % % % % % implementers
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D. Comparison of Accomplishments with Goals and Objectives
Progress with the Leader and Associate Award Objectives remains on track. SCS Global made progress on all objectives in the quarter.
This reporting quarter’s goals and objectives and their status are provided here. SCS Leader Award The SCS Leader Award made progress towards its identified goals and objectives for Q12. This included:
• Discussions related to updates to SCS Global Consortium Partner Internews’ Community Media Sustainability Guide, originally developed 10 years ago.
• Discussions related to updates to Internews’ SaferJourno publication, developed in 2014, to refresh its content, make it easier to access and customize, and convert it into an interactive website.
• Discussions with USAID about a research question for a mixed-methods research project related to media development, potentially to be conducted by SCS Global consortium partner Internews.
• Further development of Protecting Civic Space from Excessive Financial Regulation (ICNL) toward a presentation to USAID stakeholders in May 2019.
• Further development of Civic I.D.E.A. Youth Media Literacy Toolkit (Emerson College).
• An SCS Global Learning Forum on engaging older people in international development, co-sponsored with HelpAge, an SCS Global consortium partner.
• Continued SCS Global Learning Roundtables at the AA Chief of Party level and the second SCS Global Learning Roundtable at the monitoring, evaluation, & learning level.
• Continued sharing of SCS Global resources with SCS AA field staff, consortium partners, USAID, and practitioners working to strengthen civil society and independent media.
• Continued refinement of common indicators for Associate Awards.
• Progress on a new, interactive SCS Global data management system and dashboard that can more easily aggregate across projects and do so in real-time, as proposed in the FY 2019 Activity, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan. The SCS Global team suggested that the dashboard be presented to USAID stakeholders, but a date for this presentation had not been finalized by the end of Q12.
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• Completion of the standardized rubric for quality assessment that scores knowledge products on their quality, innovation, applicability to practitioners’ work, and relevance in diverse contexts to be used with new knowledge products developed after April 2019.
SCS Associate Awards SCS Global is also intended to enable USAID to support civil society and media organizations and programs around the world, as well as programs that infuse democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) principles such as participation, social inclusion, transparency and accountability in all sectors. The results achieved are as follows: • Continued implementation of SCS Associate Awards
o SCS Azerbaijan – enhancing the capacity and sustainability of CSOs and helps to increase transparency and accountability of public agencies.
o SCS Balkans – supporting media in five countries in the region to be more competitive in local and regional marketplaces, strengthen the sustainability of the independent media sector across the region, and foster stronger partnerships to address common challenges, especially in the digital space.
o SCS Botswana – strengthening community health service delivery while implementing a robust civil society organization strengthening dimension.
o SCS CSOSI – conducting USAID’s annual review of the state of civil society in selected countries and refining USAID’s leading tool for monitoring and assessing civil society sustainability to address its limitations.
o SCS Djibouti – supporting civic organizations at the national and local levels to improve service delivery.
o SCS Guinea – supporting civic and media partners to aggregate and share citizen input on health service delivery, more effectively collaborate with government, and use evidence to advance health reform.
o SCS Honduras – supporting civic organizations at the local, national and regional levels to collaborate with media actors and representatives of the government on anti-corruption and transparency issues
o SCS Indonesia – building CSO capacity and sustainability to support democratic consolidation in Indonesia, particularly at the sub-national level.
o SCS Jamaica – supporting local civil society organizations and social enterprises to increase public safety and security and promote social justice.
o SCS Kenya – seeks to provide technical assistance and support towards the Kenya national conversation and dialogue process focusing on reforms, safeguarding the
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democratic space and promoting ethnic cohesion and healing following a divisive 2017 election.
o SCS Kyrgyz Republic – supporting independent media partners and the sector overall to improve sustainability of the sector, the quality and relevance of content and the overall enabling environment.
o SCS Myanmar – promoting civil society and media participation in strengthening democratic governance to advance Myanmar’s transition to peaceful democracy.
SCS Tanzania – supporting an improved media enabling environment, strengthening independent media outlets and community radio stations, and more effective use of media by CSOs to advocate on key issues. TMCS has a strong emphasis on gender and youth integration.
o SCS Zambia – support, network, and elevate outstanding young leaders from across Zambia to amplify the impact of their work, inspire civic innovation, and promote a culture of sustained citizen-responsive leadership.
The SCS LWA was designed both to improve the quality of civil society- and media-focused programming to achieve development objectives and to serve as a mechanism through which USAID can implement such programs. SCS is achieving both. Critical to SCS’s success in successfully negotiating with so many Missions has been its willingness to use its consortium partners and to bring on new partners critical to achieving an award’s objectives (e.g., one of the co-implementers in the SCS Guinea award is outside the official SCS consortium but has unique expertise in Guinea). E. Challenges and Resolutions The following challenges and resolutions emerged from a “Pause and Reflect Session” held by SCS Global leader staff about Q12: Leader Objective 1.1: Develop and promote effective approaches to the strengthening of civil society and independent media actors • Discussions about potential research products have been delayed due to rapid developments in the civil society and media field and changing priorities among various SCS Global stakeholders. SCS Global learned that having the right stakeholders at the table is important for the productivity of discussions about potential research products. For example, the March 2019 meeting with USAID about potential media research topics was productive because FHI 360 and Internews and USAID media experts were able to quickly share current research priorities and address questions about knowledge gaps that could be filled by SCS Global research. As a result, the group approved an effort to update Internews’ Community Media Sustainability Guide and tentatively scheduled a co-creation session for Fall of 2019 to identify a research topic related to media literacy.
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Implementation adaptation. FHI 360 will coordinate with consortium partners so that relevant content and/or sector experts are able to attend scheduled meeting with USAID where possible.
• FHI 360 has been making individualized dissemination plans for each knowledge product and resource. While this has been working thus far, the resulting dissemination of SCS Global-produced resources and knowledge products is decentralized and does not always reach the widest possible audience.
Implementation adaptation. Branding and communication will be the next topic of the Chiefs of Party roundtable call. Ideas brought up by COPs will be shared with the SCS Global leader team for consideration on how to better communication strategies. Implementation adaptation. FHI 360 will make a more concerted effort to share knowledge products and other resources on social media.
• Associate Award Chiefs of Party and other senior staff are often unaware of tools and resources being developed at the Associate Award level in other projects, and at times at the Leader level.
Implementation adaptation. SCS Global will take advantage of quarterly Chief of Party Roundtables to highlight new resources and tools that staff could use to improve their projects to increase visibility at the senior management level. Implementation adaptation. SCS Global would benefit from establishing a library where Associate Award staff could access all tools developed through the LWA. The ME&L team will explore the development of a SharePoint site for open access by all SCS Global LWA staff members. Leader Objective 1.2: Effective management of SCS Global LWA • There is inconsistency in the implementation of feedback loops between SCS Global HQ staff and Associate Award field staff members due to irregular use of formal channels to identify challenges and suggest improvements to the support model.
Implementation adaptation. The SCS Global ME&L team will pilot a survey to Associate Award staff to identify lessons for improving management and technical support from HQ.
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F. Comparison of Actual Expenditures with Budget Estimates
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G. New Associate Awards Signed and Modifications to Existing Associate Awards
During Q12, no SCS Global Associate Awards were modified. SCS Indonesia and SCS Botswana were signed. H. Priorities for Upcoming Quarter
The following are SCS Global priorities for Q13: Learning Objective 1.1: Develop and promote effective approaches to the strengthening of civil society and independent media actors
• Co-host a Local Philanthropy learning forum with USAID’s DRG Center and the Aga Khan Foundation at FHI 360 on April 29, 2019. This high-profile event will feature Chris Maloney, Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL) and Randy Tift, Senior Advisor for the USAID Office of Acquisition and Assistance and co-Senior Leader Champion for Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform (EPPR) under the USAID Redesign.
• SCS partner Internews will update its Community Media Sustainability Guide, bringing it up to date to address the digital strategies necessary for survival in today’s media markets and linking it to USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance strategy. We will create a mini- workplan and ensure that USAID is involved as requested.
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• Continue discussions with Internews about how to update its SaferJourno curriculum guide for media trainers who teach students, professionals, and peers about digital safety and online security. The updated version of the guide would include refreshed content and be easier to access and customize by trainers.
• Launch and disseminate the SCS knowledge products completed in FY 2018 and early FY 2019 to maximize their impact among practitioners: 1) Protecting Civic Space from Excessive Financial Regulation by ICNL; 2) Civic I.D.E.A. Youth Media Literacy Toolkit by Emerson College; 3) Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT) by FHI 360, and the 4) Civil Society CVE Programming Reference Guide by FHI 360.
• Continue quarterly SCS Global Learning Roundtables at the AA Chief of Party level and SCS Global Learning Roundtables at the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (ME&L) level to facilitate horizontal linkages among SCS AAs and discuss and resolve pressing issues at the AA level.
Learning Objective 1.2: Effective management of SCS Global Leader LWA Cooperate Agreement
• Increase the sharing of SCS Global resources with SCS AA field staff, consortium partners, USAID, and practitioners working to strengthen civil society and independent media.
Associate Award Objective: Provide technical assistance and support to a wide range of civil society and media actors and organizations to enhance participation, inclusion, transparency, and accountability across sectors
• Continue to design new AA programs, as requested by Missions, with strong input from the teams who 1) designed ongoing AA programs, and 2) are implementing ongoing AA programs. Ensure the adoption of SCS Global learning and other state-of- the-art approaches/learning related to civil society and media strengthening.
• Refine common indicators and ensure that these are included in AA-level MELPS and that M&E data is being collected, reported, and aggregated at the leader level.
• Launch the SCS Global Knowledge Management System across all projects to allow for a more secure data storage solution, real-time aggregation across Associate Awards, and facilitation of data visualization.
• Strengthen data management systems across all Associate Awards in preparation for an internal data quality assessment in the last quarter of FY 2019.
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