Quarterly Report FY2019 Quarter 1 – 10/01/2018 to 12/31/2018

Submission Date: 30 January 2019

Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Activity Start Date and End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 AOR Name: Jennifer Karsner

Submitted by: Alissa Karg Girard, Chief of Party Lutheran World Relief YN 7, Boulevard Mali Béro, Niamey, Niger Tel: +227.96.26.73.26 Email: [email protected]

The content of this report is the responsibility of Lutheran World Relief and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

LIST OF ACRONYMS

A Adult (age category for individuals aged 30+) AMELP Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan AOR Agreement Officer’s Representative AOTR Agreement Officer’s Technical Representative AE Auxiliaires de l’Elevage CBO Community-Based Organization CEB Contribution à l’Education de Base COP Chief of Party DMEL Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning EMMP Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan F&A Finance and Administration FCFA Francs Communauté Financière Africaine FTF Feed the Future FMNR Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration FY Fiscal Year GCC Global Climate Change GDA Global Development Alliance GPS Global Positioning System HH Household HR Human Resources ICT Information and Communications Technologies IR Intermediate Result LWR Lutheran World Relief M Men MACF Margaret A. Cargill Foundation MFI Microfinance Institution MCA Millennium Challenge Authority MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation MOU Memorandum of Understanding MOSS Minimum Operating Security Standards MT Metric Tons NRM Natural Resources Management OHADA Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires PEA Producer Enterprise Agent PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheet RECA Reseau des Chambres d’Agriculture RISE Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced, supported by USAID SAREL Sahel Resilience Learning Project, supported by USAID SMS Short Message Service SVPP Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité TOT Training of Trainers USAID United States Agency for International Development USD US Dollars USG United States Government W Women Y Youth (age category for individuals aged 15-29)

1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW/SUMMARY

Program Name: 12/12: An Alliance for Year-Round Resilience in Tahoua and Maradi, Niger Activity Start Date And End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Name of Subawardees: Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB) Major Counterpart Baharti Airtel Ltd, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud, Margaret A. Cargill Organizations/Alliance Partners: Foundation (MACF) and others Geographic Coverage Ajékoria, Birnin Lallé, Korahane Communes (Maradi Region) (Communes and Regions) Konni, Bazaga, Tsernaoua, Dogueraoua, Illéla, Badaguichiri, Malbaza Communes (Tahoua Region) of Niger Reporting Period: October 1-December 31, 2018

1.1 Program Description/Introduction

The 12/12 Alliance seeks to leverage new private-sector expertise and innovative solutions to improve the resilience of 12,760 households over all 12 months of the year in 10 communes and 115 villages located in agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones of Iléla, Konni and Malbaza departments (Tahoua region) and Dakoro (Maradi region)--and simultaneously help the 12/12 Alliance’s private sector partners expand their market share, mitigate operating risks and secure more reliable supply chains. Specifically, the 12/12 Alliance aims to: • Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity, and • Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities.

Over the quarter, LWR performed upgrades and migrated new content to the project’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub and coordinated with Airtel on mobile money accounts and plans for SIM card distribution. LWR hosted a reflection workshop for staff and partners in October 2018 and worked with external enumerators to collect annual project performance data using smartphones and the ICT Hub. LWR monitored evaluation results from the seven pilot functional literacy centers; building on lessons from the evaluation, LWR developed a strategy for and commissioned a training module on managing functional literacy instruction with multiple levels of learners, providing refresher training for literacy instructors on functional literacy modules and farming as a business. LWR helped connect Unions to new partners and financial service providers, providing assistance with business planning and loan applications. In addition, LWR continued monitoring and providing technical support to partners under the project’s Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) and gender monitoring plans.

LWR also continued technical support on crop and animal production, access to financial services, organizational capacity and marketing strategies with LWR’s four implementing partners—Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB) —and scaled-up work on organizational capacity development with three Unions in Dakoro (Union Bounkassa of Korahane, Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria and Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle). These activities are described in the sections that follow.

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1.2 Summary of Results to Date

On Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Annual Performance Standard Indicators* Baseline* Annual Target FY2019 Achieved to the End Target FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 of Period (%) Y/N Proportion of households resilient to a shock 47.92% in experienced the previous year (Resilience in the 60% 78% 0 0 0 130.0% Y FY18 Sahel Enhanced/RISE, Ga) Number of individuals participating in USG food New in 1,525 men, 2,620 women 4,000 men, 6,000 women 0 0 0 41.5% Y security programs (Feed The Future/FTF EG.3-2) FY18 (4,145 people) Number of people using climate information or 955 in implementing risk-reducing actions to improve FY17, 3,500 women, 1,500 men 2,620 women, 1,525 men 0 0 0 82.9% Y resilience to climate change as supported by USG 1,777 in (5,000 people) (4,145 people) assistance (EG.11-6) FY18 Yields of targeted commodities among program Millet (kg/ha): 450 men Millet (kg/ha): 363 men, Millet: 80.7% men, participants with USG assistance (EG.3.10,11,12) New in (M), 300 women (W) 339 women; 113.0% women 0 0 0 Y FY18 Cowpeas (kg/ha): 190 Cowpeas (kg/ha): 146 Cowpeas: 76.8% men, men (M), 150 women (W) men, 144 women 1 96.0% women Number of hectares under improved management 3,038 in 6,583 ha under 1 or more technologies or practices as a result of USG 5,000 ha 2 0 0 0 131.7% Y assistance (EG.3.2-25) FY18 technologies Number of individuals in the agricultural system 2,439 in 2,500 women, 1,500 men 2,620 women, 1,500 men who have applied improved management practices 0 0 0 103.0% Y FY18 (4,000 people) (4,120 people)3 or technologies with USG assistance (EG.3.2-24) Value of agricultural-related financing accessed as $0 in $200,000 USD $45,000 USD 0 0 0 22.5% Y a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-27) FY18 Value of new USG commitments and private $2.6m in sector investment leveraged by the USG to support $5.5 million USD $2,717,000 USD $0 $0 $0 49.4% Y FY18 food security and nutrition (EG.3.1-14) *The summary results table reflects the FY19 AMELP submitted in October 2018 and includes several new FTF indicators for FY18, so baseline values may be from 2017 or 2018. Additional details are reported in Annex A. For indicators Ga, EG.11-6, EG.3.10-12, EG.3.2-25, EG.3.2-24, data is collected via an annual survey and a“0” recorded for quarters in which no new data is collected. For indicator EG.3-2, participation is recorded quarterly, but adjusted annually for beneficiaries participating in multiple activities. Indicators EG.3.2-27 and EG.3.1-14 are recorded in the quarter in which the activity is reported.

1 Disaggregation: Age for millet yields (358 kg/ha youth/15-19, 351 kg/ha adult/30+); age for cowpea yields (148 Kg/ha youth/15-19, 145 kg/ha adult/30+) 2 Disaggregation: Sex (men 3,360 ha, women 3,223 ha); Age (15-19/Youth 523 ha and 30+/Adult 6,059 ha); Technology type (crop genetics 1,662 ha; cultural practices 6,445 ha; soil fertility and conservation 6,445 ha; pest/disease management 2,076 ha); Type (cropland 6,583 ha); Commodity (disaggregates not available 6,583 ha) 3 Disaggregation: Actor (all smallholder producers); Age (15-19/Youth 320; 30+/Adult 3,800); Technology type (crop genetics 1,978; cultural practices 4,079; soil fertility and conservation 4,079; pest/disease management 2,472, improved livestock management 3,745, marketing/postharvest handling 3,757); Commodity (disaggregates not available 4,120)

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2. ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 2.1 Progress Narrative

Key project activities with target farmers, households and stakeholders over FY19Q1 are as follows:

Objective/Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

IR 1.1: Diversified economic opportunities: The 12 market gardens supported by Union Nazari and CEB are managed by different women’s groups; each group received a start-up kit of moringa oleifera seed and basic tools (wheelbarrows, watering cans, hoes, rakes, basins and/or other tools) and formal training on planting, care and pruning in 2017. The groups continue to manage this income-generating activity with no additional inputs apart from the ongoing technical support provided by LWR and its partners. The moringa trees pruned correctly last quarter began bearing leaves again this quarter; beneficiary groups harvested moringa leaves, distributing some to members and selling the surplus to local restaurants and individuals; this quarter, the different groups in Union Nazari’s zone reported sales between 6,500-92,000 FCFA (approximately $12-167 US). Unfortunately, 2 of the 10 moringa sites in Union Nazari’s zones were destroyed by flooding, but the Union hopes to restart the sites with saved seed from other groups. Now that flood waters have receded from the market garden site in Dakoro, the two groups are able to harvest again, collecting 58 tias (local measuring bowls holding approximately 500g- 1kg) of fresh moringa leaves for household use or sale.

Functional literacy for farming as a business: LWR’s functional literacy pilot activity is strategically aligned with Niger’s national functional literacy standards and curriculum, which include: a pre-test for placement; norms for timing and hours of instruction (requiring 5 days a week of instruction over 12 months); standard lists of materials required to operate literacy centers; required minimum qualifications and pay rates for literacy instructors; norms for supervision by the government and the number and nature of functional literacy training modules. Consultants from the National Institute on Non-formal Education helped LWR develop the project’s 13 functional literacy manuals (covering reading, math and social life education in Hausa focused on entrepreneurism/farming as a business for beginning learners and the same subjects plus oral French for intermediate learners), including sessions on how to use a mobile phone and a calculator. The Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education reviewed and validated these modules during a 3-day workshop in early 2018.

Each community provided space/built a classroom and chose the timing and organization of their functional literacy sessions, including separate sessions for women and men, based on each community’s preference. Partners printed the approved manuals and procured and distributed other supplies for the sessions. LWR’s functional literacy consultants, in coordination with trainers from the Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education, trained locally-identified instructors and their alternates over 12 days on facilitation techniques for adult learners, introduction to the manuals and technical curriculum, classroom management, record-keeping and lesson planning. LWR also helped the partners draft contracts for trained literacy instructors and MOUs with the Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education to provide oversight and technical supervision. Functional literacy sessions began in May 2018 in the 7 pilot villages with 351 enrolled learners, adding 5 additional learners as courses progressed; this 6-month phase for 356 people concluded in November 2018.

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The Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education conducted multiple visits to the centers to monitor functional literacy instructors’ performance and the learners’ progress, assisting the new instructors with the final literacy assessment following this phase. The results from the seven pilot sites are found in Table 1: Results of Functional Literacy Pilot, below.

Table 1: Results of Functional Literacy Pilot (Phase 1) Functional Literacy Center Enrolled Completed Sessions Functionally Literate (Commune) Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Illaga (Badaguishiri) 30 30 60 28 30 58 9 19 28 Kachéfawa (Badaguishiri) 25 25 50 25 25 50 12 12 24 Guidan Bawa (Tsernaoua) 30 20 50 18 10 28 10 4 14 Kanagani (Tsernaoua) 20 30 50 20 30 50 5 8 13 Da Garka (Konni) 25 25 50 14 14 28 12 7 19 Farin Baki (Korahane) 25 25 50 25 24 49 15 11 26 Ardo Kon Moussa (Birnin Lalle) 18 28 46 18 20 38 3 0 3 Total 173 183 356 148 153 301 66 61 127 Retention (completion): 85.5% 83.6% 84.6% Literacy (tested levels 3/4 +): 44.6% 39.9% 42.2%

This quarter, LWR worked with Union partners and representatives from the Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education to develop and finalize comprehensive, formal guidance on functional literacy instruction and monitoring based on lessons from the first phase of the pilot. These key lessons include: • Expand the role of (and technical support to) the community-level functional literacy management committee. This committee can provide additional oversight to functional literacy activities, track instructor absenteeism, collect and manage community contributions, sensitize learners about the importance of regular attendance. Help functional literacy instructors problem- solve with the committee and learners to adapt or adjust their approaches to meet learners’ needs and schedules at various times of the year. • Better manage classrooms with learners of different backgrounds/levels, from initial placement tests, to lesson planning and individualized instruction to final testing, including adapting space, classroom organization and supplies/materials under “multi-grade” instruction. This will need to be applied in the next phase of the pilot as pre-literate learners (those tested below level 3/4) will continue with the first modules for beginners for another 6 months, while those considered functionally literate (3/4 or above) will continue instruction with the training modules for intermediate learners to reinforce and improve their nascent literacy. • Refine future functional literacy site selection processes to better target the most motivated communities and learners. Communities must be willing to build larger “multi-grade” classrooms; have 50+ members of the Union interested in functional literacy instruction; be willing to have a functional literacy management committee and mobilize additional local contributions for functional literacy activities. For learner selection, the partners must prioritize Union and cooperative leaders in functional literacy sessions, offering places to other cooperative members as available. • Strengthen functional literacy instructors’ knowledge and skills in entrepreneurism/farming as a business through additional training and technical support.

These lessons have all been captured in LWR’s updated guidance for project partners, which includes a community sensitization guide for villages interested in functional literacy. LWR commissioned a consultancy to develop a training manual on managing “multi-grade” functional literacy classrooms and train functional literacy instructors and their alternates (11 trainees in total) from the seven pilot centers on the approach from December 13-21, 2018. The manual was produced in French and Hausa and the

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training sessions focused on: understanding the pedagogical approach of “multi-grade” instruction, setting up and managing the classroom (including size, how to arrange the chalkboards and benches, how to provide instruction to each group individually, etc.), lesson planning and managing evaluations. The four- day training sessions for functional literacy instructors also included sessions on farming as a business, group exercises on preparing lesson plans for multi-center instruction and a day on individual classroom simulations for each instructor to practice the new approaches with feedback from the trainer and their peers. While all literacy instructors’ understanding of the approach improved from the workshop’s pre- to post-test, two of the trainees (from Guidan Bawa and Katchefawa) seemed to struggle with the content, so additional technical support and refresher training opportunities are recommended for these sites.

IR1.2: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops Improved crop productivity4: With new rain gauge purchases from the Department of Meteorology in early 2018 by Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi, 46 villages across the project zone have rain gauges read by each village’s Producer Enterprise Agent (PEA); until the end of the rainy season, data was collected, compiled using the Department of Meteorology’s forms and used to help the government with production projections and shared with community members by the PEAs, local community leaders and via community radio.

The project is helping Union members transport materials and apply soil and water conservation techniques on their own fields through community-managed animal carts and tool banks (pick-axes, shovels, pry bars and other tools needed for soil and water conservation on degraded soils that few households own). Union Nazari’s 23 target villages all have tool banks for use by Union members--non- members are able to use the tools for a small maintenance/rental fee of 50-100 FCFA per use. Union Amintchi’s cooperatives have also received tool kits and donkey carts to help members transport materials and apply soil and water conservation techniques on their own fields. Local tool bank committees collect use fees and monitor their use. LWR began a review of how the soil and water conservation kits were being used in mid-November 2018; according to committee records as of the date of that review, soil and water conservation tools were rented 396 times and used to dig 16,382 zai pits and 2,570 half-moons for water retention.

In mid-2018, LWR worked with partners to set up demonstration plots on the model farmers’ fields, including procuring certified seed varieties adapted to each zone, sourcing compost from local private suppliers, applying Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) techniques and selecting, staking and preparing the 85 demonstration plots (12 with Union Adaltchi, 23 with Union Nazari, 20 with CEB and 30 with Union Amintchi) covering approximately 5.75 hectares with scarification and compost; 27.9MT of compost (82.3% of the total volume needed) was purchased by the partners from local suppliers. Compost suppliers were also added to the ICT Hub’s supplier registry to help others access compost and offer a new income stream for compost producers. The model farmers maintained the demonstration plots and applied natural pest management practices as needed throughout the production season.

LWR’s 4 implementing partners conducted a series of one-day facilitated visits to the demonstration plots to showcase improved techniques to other farmer association members at different points of the production cycle; each farmer participated in one or several visits. During each visit, the project team, village leaders and model farmers explained the various techniques and inputs used on the demonstration and control portions of each plot and farmer participants were invited to compare crop growth in the two sections and ask questions about how the techniques were applied. Follow-up demonstration visits were conducted by Union Amintchi and Union Nazari in October 2018 for 812 farmers (601 men and 211 women) to see the differences in terms of yields and volumes of crop residues. Overall, there were much

4 Improved techniques/technologies promoted by the project include improved seed, growing cereals and cowpeas in association, crop rotation, use of compost, manure and crop residues and FMNR and/or other soil and water conservation techniques.

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better yields on the demonstration than the control plots, with higher yields from pure stands of cowpeas and millet than for those crops grown in association; average yield results from the 85 demonstration plots are found in Table 2: Summary Yields of Demonstration Plots, below.

Table 2: Summary Yields of Demonstration Plots Average Yield Average Yield Difference in Yields on Type of Demonstration Demonstration Plots Control Plots Demonstration Plots Plot (Kg/ha) (Kg/ha) (%) Plots Millet Cowpeas Millet Cowpeas Millet Cowpeas Cowpeas only 4 1,082.50 482.50 224.4% Bands of millet/cowpeas 46 816.75 454.41 496.49 195.68 164.5% 232.2% Millet only 35 1,640.29 876.91 187.1%

Next year, members of Union Amintchi will be trained on improved violet de Galmi onion production to meet Alliance partner SH Biaugeaud’s specifications, which include a quality varietal, use of non- chemical production processes, limited irrigation prior to harvest and a different way of cutting onion stems as required for longer-shelf life and SH Biaugeaud’s target market. However, in order to improve access to seed needed to produce high-quality violet de Galmi onions next year, LWR and Union Amintchi began improved onion seed multiplication in November 2018.

LWR’s Agriculture/NRM Officer helped Union Amintchi develop a complete strategy for onion seed multiplication, which requires two seasons (multiplication of parent bulbs from foundation/G4 or first- generation/R1 seed the first season, then sowing the parent bulbs through to seed in the second) and includes details on how the Union will: select, equip and train seed multipliers; monitor seed multiplication; store parent bulbs and seed; set improved seed purchase prices for multipliers; be reimbursed for the cost of inputs the multipliers received in-kind in order to again purchase foundation or first-generation seed; and plan to re-sell the improved, multiplied seed for contracted onion crop production to its members. LWR also reviewed the 30 selected multipliers’ plots for compliance with requirements for small-scale irrigation under the EMMP and helped the Union finalize the terms of reference for training on seed multiplication and the tendering processes and documents to procure onion seed (following USAID approval), pumps and watering cans for the multipliers.

Training for the 30 (all male) onion seed multipliers, along with 27 PEAs (24 male and 3 female) was conducted by over a 4-day workshop in October 2018 that included the steps and processes to produce quality parent bulbs and seed, how to select and store parent bulbs and seed and organic fertilization, natural pest management and efficient watering practices. Onion seed multiplication kits were distributed to these multipliers during a ceremony with Union leaders, PEAs and local authorities. Each producer received a kit consisting of a motor pump with its accessories, 2 watering cans and 1.25 kg of onion seeds (either G4 or R1) to begin production in November 2018. Seed nurseries were all started in mid- November and as of December 31, 2018, the nurseries are growing well and are expected to be transplanted in January 2019.

Improved animal productivity: Women participating in the partners’ revolving animal fattening operations were selected within existing village groups that are members or affiliates of Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Union Adaltchi or CEB. Villages were targeted based on the following criteria: year-round access to water, fodder, feed and other inputs, relatively easy access to markets, social cohesion and the groups’ good standing within a Union (where applicable). Each woman paid 20% of the estimated cost of two sheep and a start-up kit (for wheat bran, salt licks and tags) up-front to her local group. These funds were used as insurance should members decide to make a payout in the case of a sick, injured or lost sheep. Participants selected their own sheep or had their leader select the sheep on their behalf. Following negotiation of the price, the management committee and veterinary agent validated the choice and the

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partner purchased the sheep and kit. Following fattening and sale of the animals, the beneficiaries reimbursed the cost of the animals and start-up kit to her management committee for a new cycle of animal fattening. The group’s management fees are deducted, but should no payout from the insurance be made, these funds were also returned to participants.

There are multiple phases/cycles of revolving sheep fattening operations underway with all partners; dates are approximate, as each organization is operating on a slightly different schedule: • Phase 1 (pilot): Sheep fattening was piloted in April 2017 with 420 women (100 women members of Union Nazari, 100 women members of Union Amintchi, 70 women affiliated with Union Adaltchi and 150 women in CEB’s zone) in order to learn from and adjust the model. • Phase 1 (revolving operations from pilot): A subsequent rotation/cycle 2 with 390 women (100 women members of Union Nazari, 100 women members of Union Amintchi, 70 women affiliated with Union Adaltchi and 120 women in CEB’s target villages) began in April 2018; a few villages in Dakoro did not participate in this cycle. All sheep from cycle 2 have been sold, funds were reimbursed and new sheep purchases and distribution under cycle 3 are underway. Union Adaltchi reached 45 women and Union Amintchi reached 90 women under cycle 3 this quarter. • Phase 2 (scale-up of operations in new villages): After incorporating lessons learned from the pilot animal fattening operations, new rounds of sheep fattening were started in April 2018 with 460 women (170 women members of Union Nazari, 100 women members of Union Amintchi, 90 women affiliated with Union Adaltchi and 100 women in CEB’s zone). All animals from this cycle have been sold, fund recovery is underway with groups in CEB, Union Nazari and Union Adaltchi’s zones (at 99% and 90% and 99%, respectively); all groups in Union Amintchi’s zone have completed their reimbursements for a subsequent round. • Phase 2 (revolving operations from scaled operations): Although not all funds have been reimbursed, Union Adaltchi began purchasing sheep for 45 women and Union Amintchi began purchasing sheep for 76 women under cycle 2 in October 2018. Purchases have been slow in Union Adaltchi’s zone due to challenges mobilizing the 20% up-front contribution and an issue with the microfinance institution (MFI), Yarda, where five of the groups’ animal fattening funds were secured. The bank accounts are in the groups’ names and apparently, some individual members of these same groups had unpaid loans, so the bank seized the animal fattening groups’ funds. Union Adaltchi leaders called a meeting between the MFI and local authorities to resolve the issue; the MFI has since agreed to seek reimbursement from the individuals who took the loans, rather than their groups.

The agreements signed with veterinary service providers (either the Ministry of Agriculture’s department of Animal Husbandry and/or the Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité/SVPP) continued to assist the management committees with selection, vaccination/initial treatment and technical support and supervision. There were four reported losses of sheep in Union Amintchi’s zone, two due to diarrhea/food poisoning and two during a house fire; all were replaced with support from each groups’ local insurance fund. There were no reported losses this quarter for the other partners.

This year, the majority of the sheep were sold around the time of the Tabaski holiday in August 2018. However, since there was sufficient available fodder to supplement animal feed, some women in Union Nazari and CEB’s zones preferred to sell only one of the sheep, using the income earned from one sheep to reimburse the other, or waited to sell the animals at a later time. Some women sold sheep for village events, like baptisms, and others sold in advance of the holidays at the end of the year. Unfortunately, some of these sales also coincided with the return of herds from the northern grazing areas, which depressed market prices and returns on sheep. For this reason, many of the groups, particularly those in more rural areas where there is not a year-round market for fattened sheep, have decided to wait on new cycles of sheep fattening until April 2019 to coincide with the Tabaski market.

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Strengthened access to animal health care: The 12/12 Alliance has helped expand and strengthen the SVPP network through the project’s PEAs and veterinary auxiliaries (Auxilieres de l’Elevage or AE). Trained PEAs/AEs have been provided the start-up kits recommended by the SVPPs and are working to provide basic veterinary services in their communities. Last quarter, LWR conducted an internal review of the PEAs’ integration into the SVPP network, including the types and number of animals treated, the most common types of treatments and the PEAs’ veterinary pharmaceutical and supply stocks. Overall, the integration seems to be working as anticipated, with PEAs/AEs providing a range of animal health services to small and large animals on a fee-for-service basis and close coordination with other, more experienced animal health workers for advice and referrals, but a few PEAs/AEs (notably in Dakoro) haven’t been actively seeking clients or marketing their services. LWR made a request to USAID to purchase additional pharmaceutical supplies to replenish the most-depleted stocks following this internal review; following approval, these supplies were purchased and distributed to 40 PEA/AEs (11 for Union Adaltchi, 13 for Union Amintchi, 8 for Union Nazari and 8 for CEB. As several of PEAs/AEs in Dakoro had treated few animals at the time of the review, CEB did not renew these PEAs/AEs stocks or supplies and sensitized them about how to better market their services—this has helped increase these PEAs/AEs outreach and animal health service provision in the zone.

This quarter, the PEAs/AEs in Union Nazari’s zone treated 447 animals, those in Union Adaltchi’s zone treated 164 animals, those in Union Amintchi’s zone treated 1,338 animals and those in CEB’s zone treated 1,573 animals (3,522 animals in total) including sheep, goats, donkeys, camels, poultry and cattle. The most frequent treatments were wound care, anti-diarrheal treatments and administering vitamins. PEAs provide basic animal health services using the same fee schedule as other AEs and will procure new veterinary supplies through the SVPP network.

Improved storage and marketing capacity: Union Nazari is preparing for the construction of their warehouse and office space in Illela (Tahoua region); a simple design on a single foundation with shared walls and roof for the building that includes a warehouse with a wide ramp, a meeting room, two offices and external toilets. After completing the bidding process last quarter, LWR supported the Union’s work plan and contract preparation for construction that begin in November 2018, once the rainy season ended. A private architectural firm and Department of Rural Engineering are providing independent quality control and oversight of the chosen construction firm’s work. As of December 31, 2018, the building’s foundation was laid, the exterior walls were completed and the roofing was started.

Union Adaltchi trained 20 male members of their stock management committees on warehouse operations, roles and responsibilities in warehouse management and cultivating and maintaining relationships with their clientele (both buyers and members) over a two-day workshop in October 2018. Union Nazari trained 18 members (13 women and 5 men) on warehouse and stock management over three days in December 2018. Union Adaltchi, Union Nazari and Union Amintchi procured and distributed 700 Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) or other clean sacks to their cooperatives to safely store their members’ production in warehouses used for bulking or warrantage operations.

LWR helped Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi register for the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) new online database of potential suppliers for local purchase. The partners participated in a two-day training on governance and purchasing norms for cooperatives hosted by the Reseau des Chambres d’Agriculture (RECA) and WFP as well as discussions about WFP’s plans for local purchase in early 2019; WFP is interested in sourcing 57 tons of cowpeas from the two Unions (45 tons from Union Adaltchi and 12 tons from Union Amintchi).

Last quarter, LWR’s Marketing Officer provided refresher training for Union leaders of Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle and Union Guidawnia Adjekoria (unions of cereal banks in Dakoro department of Maradi

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region) on warehouse and warrantage credit lines, helping the two Unions plan for and submit applications for these credit lines with Karhi credit union in Kornaka. Each signed a loan for 10 million FCFA (approximately $36,000 in total) this quarter to be repaid in four months following the end of their warrantage operation. LWR also facilitated further discussion on agricultural credit lines between members of Union Amintchi and the Banque Atlantique and with Ecobank. Union Adaltchi received a 5 million FCFA (approximately $9,000) loan from FMCN-Niya to fund inputs for irrigated sorghum production, repayable in-kind.

The animal market stakeholder days in Badaguishiri (Tahoua region) and Adjekoria (Maradi region) last quarter brought diverse market actors (vendors, buyers, processors, input suppliers, transporters, local authorities and service providers) together to increase commercial opportunities for the Tabaski animal market and foster a consultative forum to address potential concerns for value chain actors in these specific markets. Each animal market stakeholder discussion culminated in a list of action steps for the actors in the meeting based on the participants’ recommendations. LWR shared the reports with stakeholders this quarter and plans to follow-up on these action items in coming quarters.

IR 1.3: Increased access to financial services Union Amintchi provided small kit of supplies (registers, calculators, rulers, pens, etc.) for the 10 savings and credit groups trained on savings and credit management last quarter and provided technical support and monitoring to these and other groups this quarter; the groups had over 1.67 million FCFA saved and had already begun issuing loans. Union Nazari’s technical team conducted follow-up visits to the savings and credit groups trained and supported in previous quarters and other savings groups in the project zone; groups had raised between 5,000-400,000 FCFA (approximately $9-$727. Several savings and credit groups (394 women in total) in Badaguishiri have successfully applied for a 16 million FCFA (approximately $29,000) loan for various income-generating activities. Savings and credit groups in CEB’s zone have restarted their activities after suspending them during the lean season; CEB monitored their activities and provided technical assistance to 34 groups this quarter, noting that groups caught up on missed contributions and repaid loans taken during the lean season and one of the groups collected and saved millet for resale.

Airtel has now trained all current PEAs, project staff, partner leadership and members of the partners’ technical teams on Airtel Money (M’Koudi) mobile financial services and how to use them. All of LWR’s partners signed agreements with Airtel to open M’Koudi accounts for the organizations’ financial transactions; the training by Airtel for LWR and partner staff on using M’Koudi for their transactions was conducted on November 1, 2018. The video-clips on using mobile telephones and Airtel mobile money products are being migrated to the ICT Hub; PEAs will be sensitized on the new videos and the related tasks in the coming quarter.

Objective/IR 2: Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities

IR 2.1: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Organizational capacity development: LWR’s organizational capacity development strategy for the project includes participatory processes and various tools to assess, analyze, plan, monitor and evaluate changes in organizational capacity among producer organizations—and how to integrate finding from other external assessments (like needs assessments and the gender and value chain analysis) in the process. The key phases in the strategy are the: a.) initial diagnostic assessment, b.) detailed analysis of organizational issues and their root causes, c.) facilitated review of the findings with group leaders and members to adjust and validate the findings, d.) participatory organizational action planning and e.) periodic monitoring, evaluation and adapting of each group’s action plan. LWR also provides targeted technical support to the Unions as needed.

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This quarter, LWR supported six Unions (implementing partners Union Amintchi, Union Adaltchi and Union Nazari in Tahoua region and Union Guidawnia in Birnin Lalle, Union Guidawnia in Adjekoria and Union Bounkassa in Korahane all operating in CEB’s zone) as they implement actions and record progress against their organizational action plans. The action plans list the action steps and explains how they will be accomplished, who is designated to lead each activity and deadlines for achievement. The next facilitated review with LWR is scheduled for the coming quarter, but several key actions were completed this quarter. For example, Union Adaltchi trained 102 leaders of its 34 member cooperatives, along with 21 PEAs (121 men and 2 women in total) on cooperative norms and members’ roles and responsibilities over multiple 2-day training sessions in October 2018. LWR trained 7 men and 4 women leaders from Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle and Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria (Maradi region) on developing an annual action plan and operating budget for their Unions; the Unions covered costs of their members’ participation in the session from their own budgets. Twelve women members of Union Bounkassa (Maradi region) leaders participated in a one-day training session on gender led by LWR.

ICT-enabled extension: PEAs continue to provide technical information to farmers via the ICT Hub. There were 88 hits to the ICT Hub’s market price data and 25 hits to vendor information this quarter; hits are down from last quarter, but this is to be expected because fewer farmers are looking to purchase inputs or sell sheep at this time. During the most recent project reflection meeting, LWR and partners developed a sensitization guide to help the PEAs better market their services in the community. PEAs have begun sensitizing community members on use of mobile money and other aspects of farming as a business. See “3.9 Science and Technology and Innovation Impacts” for additional details.

IR2.2: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity: Implementing partners have identified local contacts for potential alerts; these contacts will be entered into the ICT Hub to receive reports of individual alerts and trends in a given zone, but the process for redesigning the ICT Hub is underway since the SMPP server hasn’t been able to support SMS messaging.

Other activities: LWR project staff participated in a number of other visits, meetings and reporting over the quarter. The 12/12 Alliance hosted visitors from LWR’s headquarters in October and November 2018 and attended USAID’s partners’ meetings and SAREL events. LWR also met/spoke with representatives from the Ministry of Community Development, World Vision, REGIS-AG and USADF over the quarter to discuss coordination and collaboration. LWR helped support several Union partners develop proposals for USADF in early 2018; USADF awarded a two-year grant of $50,000 USD on October 1, 2018 to Union Amintchi to support complementary marketing initiatives.

2.2 Implementation challenges

Several challenges affected implementation over the quarter, including operational issues and programmatic ones.

Operations: • LWR’s project Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) left the organization in November 2018; the recruitment for a replacement is underway, but given the required qualifications and tight national job market, the process is expected to take some time. One PEA of Union Adaltchi and one PEA of Union Nazari have resigned; their replacements have been identified, but training is planned for the coming quarter. • Intermittent internet and network connectivity and service interruptions continued to affect coordination and timely reporting. LWR and all implementing partners have accounts with Ecobank;

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Ecobank migrated its online banking platform in November 2018, which interrupted bank operations and delayed payments and services while the issues with the migration were being resolved. • Since the integration of SMS with the ICT Hub seems technically impossible within Airtel’s current configuration, LWR continues to work to eliminate bulk SMS components of tasks in the ICT Hub— like alerts for identified hazards, reminders and surveys for members, etc.—but which fortunately has had little to no incidence for extension support activities for farmers, as PEAs continue to provide these services to farmers using the ICT Hub as planned. Unfortunately, Airtel’s operations were shut down by the Nigerien government’s tax authorities in early December 2018, which stalled progress on project activities planned with Airtel. • Recent security issues in the areas bordering the project zone (both in northern/eastern Tahoua and in Nigeria) have led LWR to review security protocols and MOSS for the project zone, which carry additional requirements and/or restrictions for staff traveling in some target villages.

Programming: • The start of the 2018 rainy season was late in partner Union Nazari’s and CEB’s zone and once it started, rains were very heavy, destroying literacy centers and causing flooding that damaged market garden and demonstration plots. Overall, the rains were heavier than those of the 2017 season, but late-term interruptions in rainfall (either dry spells or very heavy rains and flooding) in villages across the project zone significantly affected harvests, particularly of cowpeas. • CEB is continuing to work with local authorities to recover animal fattening committees funds’ in Mallamaoua, Farin Baki and Garin Dirkou never deposited at the bank by CEB’s former supervisor. The former supervisor continued to reimburse funds this quarter and only 150.000 FCFA (out of the initial 775.000 FCFA) remains to be recovered for the committees. Although no project funds were affected, CEB’s Coordinator and leadership team is increasing monitoring trips to all project villages and LWR has also increased monitoring and has reduced transfers to CEB to cover only specific line- item expenditures over a one-month period.

2.3 MEL Plan Update

LWR submitted the FY2019 AMELP update in October 2018 that includes changes to standard indicators based on new FTF guidance from mid-2018, and a revised version of the plan to incorporate comments from the AOTR in November 2018. LWR also entered FY18 FTFMS data in the online portal in November 2018. Table 1.2: Summary Results to Date and Annex A: Progress Summary reflects these updated FY19 indicators, targets and recommendations.

LWR hosted a reflection workshop with project staff, implementing partners and members of the three Unions supported by CEB in Dakoro, 33 people in total, from October 29-31, 2018 in Konni. The workshop included sessions to: a.) update the project’s functional literacy strategy based on lessons from the pilot, b.) review recommendations from the recent M&E systems review, c.) review the FY19 project work plan and calendar, d.) conduct site visits to partners to visit key project activities followed by a group discussion and e.) hear presentations from Union leaders to their peers about specific organizational initiatives each group has implemented. Specifically, participants reviewed and discussed the draft functional literacy strategy and LWR incorporated feedback from partners to finalize the strategy during the session. LWR and project partners also drafted an action plan during the reflection meeting to implement recommendations for improvements to the project’s M&E processes and approaches, including a timeline and designated focal points for proposed recommendations and developed a detailed calendar for shared activities planned from October-December 2018.

LWR also organized site visits with concurrent groups during the reflection workshop--visiting animal fattening, savings and credit, functional literacy and crop production and marketing activities (including

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demonstration plots, tool banks and market gardens) managed by three Union partners in and around Konni. Each group had a guide and facilitator to record successes, challenges and recommendations for actions to take to sustain the activities at the project’s end. LWR gave a presentation on standard OHADA statutes and operating norms for cooperatives and Union Amintchi shared the Union’s experience in mobilizing their members to adopt the new structure and processes required to comply with the norms. Union Adaltchi leaders spoke about their experience with bulking and warehouse financing and Union Nazari leaders presented how they organized and implemented their general assembly meeting. The presentations, visits and discussions were highly appreciated by Union members, particularly those from the relatively younger Unions from Dakoro. Key takeaways from the visits and discussions are discussed further under 6. Lessons Learned.

LWR used the ICT Hub and smartphone-based survey to collect performance data for the annual survey this quarter. Since the project used a beneficiary-based survey at the baseline, the same approach was used for the annual survey. As such, among the 4,145 direct beneficiaries (2,620 women and 1,525 men) reached with project activities5 as of September 30, 2018, 352 (122 men and 230 women) from 56 of the 115 project target villages were selected for the survey; a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. The questions for 14 of the 24 current project indicators for which data is sourced under the annual survey were uploaded into the ICT Hub’s Salesforce instance, downloaded to smartphones and a report query and dashboard were generated by the ICT team for each indicator to help the M&E and management team review survey results in real-time. While most of the questions remain the same from that of the baseline and first year annual performance survey, some adjustments were made to the questionnaire to clarify enumerators’ understanding and align with revised FTF indicators for FY18. To prepare for the survey, the ICT Hub’s beneficiary lists were reviewed against partners’ reports and their supporting documentation to correct for any errors (duplications, misspelling or other issues).

The project’s ICT team extracted the beneficiary lists of the 4,145 project beneficiaries and the M&E team conducted systematic sampling--identifying a random starting point in the list and a fixed periodic interval to select subsequent records--to determine which individuals would be surveyed. Following the selection of the 352 beneficiaries to be surveyed, along with alternate beneficiaries in the event someone in the sample was unavailable or declined to participate, the PEAs and Supervisors completed post-planting records (including plotting GPS coordinates and crops grown on their farms) for those for whom this task was not yet completed in order for a team of external enumerators to begin the annual survey.

LWR recruited 17 enumerators (12 men and 5 women) from across the project zone who had previously used smartphones to conduct surveys, conducting two-day practical training that included survey norms, how to use the smartphones (how to connect to the application and use its off-line capabilities, how to administer survey questions and continue to the next question, how to synchronize completed surveys, how to troubleshoot problems, etc.), definitions of key survey terms in Hausa, practice sessions administrating the surveys and a field pre-test of the survey questionnaire in a target village. The survey enumerators were paired with the PEA in each village to help sensitize community members on the survey, identify the individuals to be surveyed and provide contextual information to the enumerator to help improve data quality. The annual survey itself was conducted from November 21-December 14, 2017, with LWR’s M&E and ICT teams providing technical guidance and troubleshooting to the hired enumerators in the field throughout the process—conducting daily review of data (with data recorded by the enumerator in notebooks and via smartphone before synchronization) to minimize transcription or other errors.

Following the survey, the project M&E team reviewed the data in the ICT Hub’s Salesforce instance, reviewing for outlying data and other errors; the most common errors were related to incorrect plotting of

5 For example, trained community resource persons and model farmers, demonstration visit participants, animal fattening recipients, savings and credit trainees, Union management committee trainees and PEAs.

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GPS coordinates that over-estimated plot sizes and some yield data that exceeded production norms in the zone. When an outlier was identified, the team contacted the enumerator to review his/her notes, which allowed the project’s ICT team to correct and/or filter out the data to address the issue--for example, if the GPS-collected plot size was erroneous, the team then rather applied the farmer’s own plot size estimate and survey records showing yields greater than 800 Kg/ha were filtered from the subsequent analysis. Lists of lessons and recommendations, including suggestions on timing and changes to survey questions for clarity, flow and logic, have also been compiled for the next survey of the irrigated production season in mid-2019. Preliminary survey results are included in Table 1.2: Summary Results to Date and Annex A: Progress Summary, but LWR plans to work with implementing partners early in the coming quarter to review, analyze and discuss any needed programmatic adjustments or course corrections in light of the findings.

3. INTEGRATION OF CROSSCUTTING ISSUES AND USAID FORWARD PRIORITIES 3.1 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

LWR’s 2017 gender assessment and planning consultancy identified a number of gender constraints in the project’s target value chains: more limited access to land by women; fewer opportunities to generate income and less ability to make decisions on use of that income by women; women are discouraged from doing certain agricultural tasks (and as a result, pay men to do so); women are discouraged from interacting with male buyers or input suppliers and some value chain actors don’t consider women as “real” producers. The consultant recommended that LWR encourage women to become TOTs and PEAs, promote use of mobile financial services (including training women on phone use), promote access to credit for women and help the Unions develop inclusive organizational policies and strategies for collection points for bulking operations, input provision and extension services that are more adapted to the specific needs of women members.

Many of these recommendations are part of LWR’s overall strategy for the 12/12 Alliance, but LWR finalized the project’s detailed gender action and monitoring plan in mid-2018 to identify the key actions, who is responsible for implementation and technical support and the implementation timeline. LWR’s Capacity Development Advisor will monitor progress on the action plan in the coming quarter.

3.2 Sustainability Mechanisms

LWR’s strategy of working with local farmer associations as implementing partners under the project is helping lay the groundwork for sustainability. The project is supporting each partner’s tailored organizational capacity development plan focused on member services (organizational governance, financial management, business planning and communication) and market integration (collecting and bulking, marketing and negotiation and market information exchange). LWR also continues to support the groups’ management and operations through training, technical support and accompaniment—helping Union leaders transparently procure goods and services, recruit and manage their employees, develop policies and procedures to assist operations and connect with new potential partners and collaborators.

Developing the capacities of PEAs through training in using Airtel Money products, for which they will earn commissions from sales, offer new income streams for entrepreneurial PEAs to help boost sustainability. PEAs have integrated the SVPP network and provide paid animal health services; PEAs who produce compost for sale have been added to the project’s input supplier registry and are already earning income from animal health services and compost sales. Union Amintchi is piloting sale of seed

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from a private seed company whereby the Union receives a 10% commission on any sales; the project continues to explore collaboration with other private sector input and service suppliers to explore similar win-win relationships that will result in additional income for the PEAs.

3.3 Environmental Compliance

LWR’s EMMP for the 12/12 Alliance project was approved by USAID in 2017. After developing tools for EMMP monitoring and concluding the training for Alliance partners on the EMMP in early 2018, LWR began monitoring the EMMP using a monitoring tool, administered by the project’s Agriculture/NRM Officer, to document each partners’ progress on implementing planned environmental mitigation measures and includes recommendations and a timeline for the partner to address any identified gaps. For example, the monitoring verifies if the partners’ signed agreements and training modules contain the provisions required by the EMMP; each monitoring report documents which specific agreements or modules are reviewed during the visit, summarizes the content of the agreement or module with regards to the EMMP, documents if the partner is compliant, and provides a recommendation and a timeline to correct any potential issue of non-compliance.

As of December 31, 2018, many of the recommendations of the EMMP have already been fully implemented. For example, Ecobank’s loan policies are in compliance with Equator environmental principles and the EMMP is an appendix to all implementing partner agreements and the partners’ MOUs with the SVPP, so no further monitoring is needed unless the policy or agreement changes. The contracts Union Nazari signed with the construction firm and the firm hired for independent quality control respect the EMMP; early monitoring of the construction site showed many of the provisions in place (like presence of first aid kits, protective gear and latrines). Union Amintchi had completed the required forms to certify the suitability of selected plots for small-scale irrigation, with the exception of borehole/well flow testing, but this was also completed during the quarter. The only issues identified during the EMMP monitoring trips this quarter were that the training modules on crop production for Union Nazari, Union Adaltchi and CEB did not formally discuss water management, even if they did discuss soil and water conservation techniques.

3.4 Youth Development

With the project’s focus on the use of ICTs and mobile technologies, many PEAs—as well as project staff, survey enumerators, literacy instructors and other service providers—are young farmers and professionals. Among the current PEAs, 46 of 112 (41%) are 35 or under. A number of youth, children of Union members, also participated in functional literacy activities.

3.5 Policy and Governance Support

N/A

3.6 Local Capacity Development

LWR continues to work with each sub-grantee to implement policies and procedures as needed to assure compliance with the requirements of their award agreement. This quarter, LWR continued work on a F&A operations policy manual for the three Unions without comprehensive policies and procedures (the procurement and petty cash management manuals each partner already has in place as of 2017 will therefore become chapters/sections of the manual which can be updated over time as needed). Drafting these manuals is a long-term and iterative project activity.

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In October 2018, LWR concluded a review of all implementing partners’ operations, procedures and staffing to assess potential operating risks; based on this assessment, LWR developed a risk register and monitoring plan for FY19, with more frequent monitoring for those partners considered as relatively higher risk. Unfortunately, the computer used by CEB’s Accountant crashed and the back-up was corrupted, so ultimately the entire QuickBooks (QB) file was lost and, once QB was reinstalled, all transactions had to be re-entered and verified against CEB’s physical accounting records. Due to this and other recent management issues with CEB, LWR’s risk rating for CEB has increased and LWR is conducting more frequent monitoring and has reduced transfers to the partner to cover only specific line- item expenditures over a one-month period. LWR F&A staff and partners spent a day during the recent reflection meeting reviewing how to complete the monthly close and perform and restore QB back-ups.

LWR also conducted programmatic and financial monitoring visits to several implementing partners over the quarter. Formal financial monitoring for CEB was conducted on December 5-7, 2018, for Union Amintchi from December 17-18, 2018. A corrective action plan was developed during each financial monitoring trip to provide clear, actionable recommendations for improvements in the partners’ financial and administrative management. There were no significant issues discovered during the review of any partner’s project financial expenditures this quarter and very few minor recommendations for improvement.

3.7 Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Global Development Alliance (GDA) Impacts

Over the quarter, LWR met or communicated with all 12/12 Alliance partners (Airtel, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud and MACF) to discuss coordination on key activities and investments. Investments under the MOU for the GDA total over $8 million US dollars in funds leveraged from the private sector in cash or in-kind. The MOU for the Alliance was signed electronically and shared with all partners in July 2017. LWR reached out to SH Biaugeaud to potentially meet in Dakar, given SH Biaugeaud’s investments in the onion value chain there and their timing in relation to plans in Niger, but no firm date has been set. Airtel’s close by the government’s tax authorities and Ecobank’s closure during the migration of their online banking system and subsequent challenges delayed some anticipated collaboration over the quarter. MACF support to the project will conclude on March 31, 2019, so LWR has started working on close-out and final reporting of this award.

3.8 Conflict Mitigation

N/A

3.9 Science, Technology, and Innovation Impacts

The project’s ICT Hub is designed to help: a.) PEAs promote quality local extension services, provide access to information on potential input suppliers and market outlets, b.) Unions better plan for bulk acquisitions, sales and communications with their members and c.) LWR compile and analyze project performance and management data. The technical library is accessible for PEAs and the project team in a mobile application called “Search,” will be eventually converted to a Google Play application for even wider dissemination; videos on production techniques, entrepreneurism and mobile phone and mobile money use are being added to the TaroWorks application. The technical library now includes over 40 short video clips--with video, graphics and narration in Hausa--on sheep fattening, millet production, cowpea production, onion production, wheat production, and entrepreneurism/farming as a business, using mobile phones and Airtel mobile money and short technical summaries and drawings on key extension topics.

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Quarterly sessions for the PEAs are typically held to refresh training, troubleshoot potential problems and add new technical skills and tasks. However, given the PEAs’ work to collect data in advance of the annual survey, the ICT team worked rather to supervise PEAs individually, helping train the PEA and their supervisor in administering and troubleshooting their tasks on-site. LWR’s ICT team also performed smartphone maintenance, repairs, upgrades and migration of technical content this quarter and TaroWorks was able to resolve the issues with accessing the technical extension library via “Search.”

LWR’s ICT team developed a read-only portal (“community”) for USAID to access the ICT Hub directly. LWR has already shared the link and password to the portal with USAID and hopes to review and finalize content of the community, to incorporate feedback and new indicators, in the coming quarter.

4. STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

LWR and project implementing partners regularly conduct community-level meetings, participatory review of reports and progress notes by Board members and site visits. For example, Union Adaltchi organized a meeting with Board members to review the quarterly report and held a meeting with members of the Board who had not attended the reflection meeting in October 2018 to share results and findings from that meeting, especially related to OHADA norms and some of the successes the members saw during field visits. Union Nazari also hosted community meeting in target villages to remind community members of the complaint mechanisms (although no complaints were lodged this quarter). CEB hosted a coordination meeting with other development partners, local authorities and stakeholders on November 29, 2018 to talk about the project and share lessons learned. Having PEAs now deployed in most of the target villages and equipping them with a closed user group for unlimited mobile communications between all members of the project team is also helping with timely reporting of issues or concerns.

5. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

With the approval of the FY19 work plan and most recent quarterly report, there are no pending management or administrative issues, with the exception of final approval of the FY19 AMELP update. The COP will be travelling out of the country from December 22, 2018-January 5, 2019.

6. LESSONS LEARNED

Key lessons from the functional literacy pilot are described elsewhere, but other lessons from this quarter of project implementation and recommendations from the October 2018 reflection meeting include: • The changes made to the process of administering the annual performance survey this year (hiring team leaders to help troubleshoot surveys, supervise and review data of more junior enumerators prior to synchronizing smartphone data) improved survey data quality. The real-time review in the ICT Hub also facilitated the timely response to any questions, which allowed for follow-up interviews with survey respondents to triangulate and correct data entry errors. • Partners should consider expanding the strategy to sell fattened animals at the village level for baptisms and other events and test local animal fairs or other bulk sales, a strategy to help

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increase women’s management and decision-making about their sheep. Additional training is needed for animal fattening committee members to be able to manage their revolving funds at the end of the project and this will be incorporated into the partners’ work plans for the coming year. Formal agreements/MOUs should be developed with the microfinance institutions where the animal fattening groups’ funds are kept. • Given the wide range of different types of savings and credit group operations—some function as full-service village banks, others have bank accounts with commercial credit, others conduct an annual distribution of funds, others distribute funds to a different member on a periodic basis— the project should develop tailored management tools and processes for the various groups’ operations for greater transparency and provide technical support to the groups exploring bank account applications and credit lines. Partners should promote use of a portion of the funds for savings and credit group operations (replacement materials, fees for the Secretary/Treasurer for bank visits, etc.). • Union partners seemed to appreciate the training LWR provided on OHADA cooperative norms during the reflection meeting in November 2018 and especially learning from other Union leaders about the process they used to share information with their members on the norms, convene meetings to make decisions and how they worked with local authorities to prepare the documentation required for compliance. Many Unions and cooperatives have already started working on their own processes for OHADA compliance.

7. PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER INCLUDING UPCOMING EVENTS

Key activities planned for the coming quarter include steps to: • Continue technical support and monitoring of project activities with local partners on animal fattening operations, veterinary service provision, savings and credit operations, functional literacy, market gardens, irrigated production and training on marketing, organizational capacity and entrepreneurism. • Continue technical support to Unions’ operations manuals, tailored organizational capacity plans and value chain actor outreach; monitor progress against the gender action plan and EMMP. • Review, analyze and validate annual performance survey results with partners and discuss any recommendations or course corrections; conduct a participatory review of partners’ budgets and activity plans to incorporate any resulting adjustments. • Host a reflection/steering committee meeting with GDA partners and stakeholders on March 12- 13, 2019 in Konni. LWR’s COP will attend an LWR meeting from February 11-15, 2019. • Continue the registration of farmers and upload of additional beneficiary data in the ICT Hub, review and clean beneficiary lists, correcting or deactivating incorrect names. Migrate new technical content to the ICT Hub and continue maintenance and upgrades, including processes redesigned without SMS. Conclude configuration of the ICT Hub “community.” • Orient two new PEAs on the ICT Hub, smartphones and farming as a business. Continue refresher training sessions with all PEAs (to include SIM card distribution and sensitization on new video content next quarter). Conduct SIM card distribution with Union members and project participants. • Revise functional literacy training manuals and conduct a two-week training on multi-grade classroom management for new functional literacy instructors, entrepreneurism and business skills at new functional literacy sites. • Recruit and orient LWR’s new project DCOP.

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8. WHAT DOES USAID NOT KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO?

The Millennium Challenge Corporation/Millennium Challenge Authority (MCC/MCA) issued a solicitation in 2017 to provide technical support services to farmers using the irrigated perimeter slated for repair in Konni, including functional literacy, demonstration plots, access to inputs and markets and cooperative development (including formally separating the roles and functions of water user associations with those of cooperatives). LWR’s 12/12 Alliance partner, Union Adaltchi, whose membership is constituted from users of the irrigated perimeter in Konni and supports both its members’ use of water resources and cooperative services was slated for restructuring under this strategy. MCC/MCA cancelled this technical services solicitation in July 2018, but ultimately awarded it in November 2018. LWR is keen to coordinate with MCA/MCC and the chosen contractor to understand the implications for the new award on Union Adaltchi’s operations, membership and structure.

Lutheran World Relief is in the process of combining operations with IMA World Health, a public health agency headquartered in Washington D.C., operating with a single CEO leadership team and staff and identical boards of directors as of January 1, 2019. IMA is an international NGO that was founded by faith-based organizations, including LWR, 60 years ago to provide medical supplies and quality medical care to the world’s poorest populations. Combined operations with IMA World Health will in no way detract from LWR’s continued work in rural livelihoods through market-oriented and resilience-focused agricultural development like that of the 12/12 Alliance, but will allow the organization to serve communities with a more holistic approach to human development.

9. HOW IMPLEMENTING PARTNER HAS ADDRESSED A/COR COMMENTS FROM THE LAST QUARTERLY OR SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT

Key technical feedback from the previous quarter includes a request to: 1.) report on and provide contextual detail to explain variances in beneficiary and agricultural financing targets, 2.) capture lessons from the functional literacy pilot and 3.) share lessons related to gender with regards to certain activities and indicators. The AOTR also shared details on emerging initiatives of potential interest to LWR’s Union partners. This quarterly report therefore includes details on plans for SIM card distribution targeting over 10,000 people and LWR’s support to Unions in accessing loan capital. The lessons from the functional literacy pilot are also described in this quarter, as are gender-disaggregated preliminary findings from the 2018 annual performance survey.

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ANNEX A: PROGRESS SUMMARY Table 1(a): PMP Indicator progress - USAID Standard/FTF Indicators and Project Custom Indicators* Goal: Increased ability of households in Niger’s agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones to adapt to climate shocks and stresses all 12 months of each year

Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to Planned target Actual Date (in %) Proportion of households resilient 0 at baseline; 48% to a shock experienced the Survey 2017 60% 78% 78% 0 0 0 130.0% Survey data in FY18 previous year (RISE) 42% men (M); Proportion of individuals 23% women (W) 75% men; 65% 86% men; 86% M, 114.7% men, reporting current household Survey 2017 at baseline; 70% 0 0 0 Survey data women 86% women 86% W 132.3% women resilience capacity (Custom) M; 60% W in FY18

Number of rural/vulnerable 0 at baseline; 1,439 Project households benefitting directly 2017 in FY17; 3,175 in 12,760 3,175 3,175 0 0 0 24.9% Project records Records from USG interventions (Custom) FY18

1,525 M, 1,525 M, Number of individuals 1,525 M, 2,620 W Project 4,000 men, 2,620 W 2,620 W participating in USG food 2018 (4,145 people) in 0 0 0 41.5% Project records Records 6,000 women (4,145 (4,145 security programs (EG.3-2) FY18 people) people)

Intermediate Result (IR): Leverage private-sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

272,442 CFA (M); 225,961 CFA (W); 391,215 391,215 384,159 CFA CFA men, 330,000 CFA CFA (M), households (HH) 208,421 118.6% men, men; 250,000 208,421 at baseline; CFA 83.4% women, Average value of assets (Custom) Survey 2017 CFA women; CFA (W), 0 0 0 Survey data 314,712 CFA (M); women, 103.4% 580,000 CFA 599,636 204,564 CFA (W); 599,636 households HH CFA (HH) households CFA 519,276 CFA6 households

6 The baseline survey estimated land prices at 1m CFA/ha, which overestimated total asset values in certain project zones (and reporting of total assets at 4.24m CFA for men and 2.19m CFA for women); survey data was therefore adjusted to remove land values. Per the PIRS for this indicator, the estimated household value is the aggregate of these values.

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %) Number of people using climate 2,620 2,620 information or implementing risk- 0 at baseline; 1,425 women, women, reducing actions to improve women, 352 men 3,500 women, 82.9% (4,145 Survey 2017 1,525 men 1,525 men 0 0 0 Survey data resilience to climate change as (1,777 people) in 1,500 men of 5,000) (4,145 (4,145 supported by USG assistance FY18 people) people) (EG.11.6) 25,440 CFA (M) 21,937 CFA 48,000 CFA Average value of individual 10,790 CFA (W) men, 33,354 21,937 CFA men, 45.7% men, savings accumulated by project Survey 2017 at baseline; 45,240 CFA (M), 33,354 0 0 0 Survey data 25,000 CFA 133.4% women beneficiaries (Custom) CFA (M); 22,943 women, CFA (W) women CFA (W) in FY18 29,397 CFA Sub-IR: Diversified economic opportunities % of households reporting at least 0 at baseline; 93% one new income source due to Survey 2017 95% 65% 65% 0 0 0 68.4% Survey data in FY18 project interventions (Custom)

Sub-IR: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops 0 at baseline; 97,835 $125 USD 22,353 CFA CFA ($178 USD) onions (M/W), ($41) men, $41 men, 23.4% men, Gross margins per hectare (for cowpeas men, $175 USD 15,536 CFA $28 women 16.0% women cowpeas, wheat and onion) and 81,370 CFA ($148 cowpeas (M/W), ($28) Survey 2017 cowpeas, $2 0 0 0 cowpeas, Survey data animal (sheep) of selected product USD) cowpeas $350 USD women women 13.3% women (Custom) women; 11,246 wheat (M/W), cowpeas, sheep sheep CFA ($20) sheep $15 USD (W) 1,361 CFA women in FY18 sheep ($2) sheep Millet kg/ha: 333 (M), 260 (W) Millet: 80.7% Millet: 450 Millet Millet Cowpeas kg/ha: 168 men, 113.0% kg/ha (M), 300 (kg/ha): 363 (kg/ha): 363 Yields of targeted crops reported (M), 120 (W) at women kg/ha (W) M, 339 W; M, 339 W; by project participants (EG.3-10- Survey 2018 baseline; Millet 0 0 0 Cowpeas: Survey data Cowpeas: 190 Cowpeas Cowpeas 12) kg/ha: 431 (M), 293 76.8% men, kg/ha (M), 150 (kg/ha): 146 (kg/ha): 146 (W) Cowpeas kg/ha: 96.0% women kg/ha (W) M, 144 W M, 144 W8 145 (M), 104 (W) in FY187

7New FTF indicator, but prior custom indicator with slightly different calculation. 8 Disaggregation: Age for millet yields (358 kg/ha youth/15-19, 351 kg/ha adult/30+); age for cowpea yields (148 Kg/ha youth/15-19, 145 kg/ha adult/30+)

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %) Number of individuals who have received 0 at baseline; 578 men, 423 USG-supported short-term agricultural Project 700 men, 600 55 M, 13 2017 730 in FY17, women (1,001 0 0 0 77.0% Project records sector productivity or food security Records women W10 933 in FY18 people)9 training (Custom) 0 at baseline; Number of hectares under improved 3,038 ha under 6,583 ha under management technologies or practices as Survey 2017 1 or more 5000 ha 1 or more 6,583 ha11 0 0 0 131.7% Survey data a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-25) technologies in technologies FY18 0 at baseline; Number of individuals in the agricultural 2,620 1,700 women, 2,620 women, system who have applied improved 1,500 men, women, Survey 2017 739 men 1,500 men 0 0 0 103.0% Survey data management practices or technologies 2,500 women 1,500 (2,439 farmers) (4,120 people) with USG assistance (EG.3.2-24) men12 in FY18 0 at baseline; 45,000 MT 54 MT wheat Volume per value chain marketed onion; 700 Project and 60 MT collectively by smallholder farmer 2017 MT cowpeas; 0 0 0 0 0 0% Project records Records millet in FY17; associations (Custom) 500 MT 3MT millet in wheat13 FY18 Sub-IR: Increased access to financial services 6% (M), 15% Proportion of project participants who (W) at 38% men; 40% men; 38% men; 71% 95.0% men, used financial services in the past 12 Survey 2017 baseline; 25% 71% 0 0 0 Survey data 75% women women 94.7% women months (Custom) (M); 72% (W) women in FY18 Value of agricultural and rural loans by Project $200,000 $45,000 2017 0 $45,000 USD 0 0 0 22.5% Project Records farmer associations (EG.3.2-6) Records USD USD

9 In accordance with the PIRS, trainees are counted once per year, even if they participate in multiple sessions. This adjustment will likely be made in FY19Q4. 10 Training on onion seed multiplication (30 men) by Union Amintchi and training on warehouse management for members of Union Adaltchi (20 men) and Union Nazari (5 men and 13 women). 11 Disaggregation: Sex (men 3,360 ha, women 3,223 ha); Age (15-19/Youth 523 ha and 30+Adult 6,059 ha); Technology type (crop genetics 1,662 ha; cultural practices 6,445 ha; soil fertility and conservation 6,445 ha; pest/disease management 2,076 ha); Type (cropland 6,583 ha); Commodity (disaggregates not available 6,583 ha) 12 Disaggregation: Actor (all smallholder producers); Age (15-19/Youth 320; 30+/Adult 3,800); Technology type (crop genetics 1,978; cultural practices 4,079; soil fertility and conservation 4,079; pest/disease management 2,472, improved livestock management 3,745, marketing/postharvest handling 3,757); Commodity (disaggregates not available 4,120) 13 Targets for onions may not be met due to the delay in support to operations by SH Biaugeaud and for wheat given limited recharge and repairs to irrigation scheme in Tahoua.

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %)

Intermediate Result (IR): Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities 2.66m CFA at Profitability of farmer associations Project baseline; Project 2017 4.5m CFA 0 0 0 0 0 0% (Custom) Records 1.82m CFA in records FY1814 Cash from $2.5m MACF, MACF and Value of new USG commitments and $100,000 Frehner/ private sector investment leveraged by the Project 0 at baseline; Frehner/ $2,717,000 2017 $5.5m USD $0 $0 $0 49.4% Murray USG to support food security and Records $2.6m in FY17 Murray family, USD family; In- nutrition (EG.3.1-14) $117,000 kind from Airtel Airtel Sub-IR: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Proportion of members of farmer 3% (M), 22% 98% men, associations who say they have (W) baseline; 97% men; 98% men, 98% 101.0% men, Survey 2017 98% 0 0 0 Survey data confidence in their association's 96% (M), 97% 98% women women 100% women women management/leadership (Custom) (W) in FY18 Number of private enterprises, producer 3 Producer organizations, water user associations, 0 at baseline; 4 organizations, trade and business associations, and (3 Producer Project 1 CBO community-based organizations (CBOs) 2017 Organizations 5 5 5 0 0 0 100% Records adopted new that applied new technologies or and 1 CBO) in financial management practices with USG FY18 practice(s) assistance (Custom) 0 at baseline; Proportion of individuals using ICT- 68% men, 340.0% men, 7% men; 19% 20% men; 68% men, 77% assisted extension in decision-making Survey 2017 77% 0 0 0 256.7% Survey data women in 30% women women (Custom) women women FY18 Number of hits to ICT extension support Project 0 at baseline; 2017 23,920 713 113 0 0 0 2.9% ICT Hub platform (Custom) Records 600 in FY18

14 Baseline for 3 Unions, only 2 of 3 conducted analysis for general assembly meetings in FY18

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Sub-IR: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %) 27% (M), 38% Proportion of members who feel their 77% men, (W) baseline; 75% men; 77% men, 84% 102.7% men, farmer association can help them in the Survey 2017 84% 0 0 0 Survey data Men 69%; 85% women women 98.8% women event of a shock or a stress (Custom) women Women 85% Number of alerts referred to designated Project individuals by the early warning system 2017 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0% ICT Hub Records (Custom)* *The summary results table reflects the FY19 AMELP submitted in October 2018 and includes several new FTF indicators for FY18, so baseline values may be from 2017 or 2018. For indicators Ga, EG.11-6, EG.3.10-12, EG.3.2-25, EG.3.2-24, data is collected via an annual survey and a“0” recorded for quarters in which no new data is collected. For indicator EG.3-2, participation is recorded quarterly, but adjusted annually for beneficiaries participating in multiple activities. Indicators EG.3.2-27 and EG.3.1-14 are recorded in the quarter in which the activity is reported.

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ANNEX B: SUCCESS STORIES

“Beautiful” crops and other benefits from compost

Lutheran World Relief’s Alliance 12/12 project initiated training for members of Unions of producers in Niger on production and use of compost in order to improve yields and access more lucrative markets for organically-produced horticulture crops.

In the village of Guidan Bawa in Tsernaoua commune of Niger’s Tahoua region, several members of Union Amintchi started producing compost following Training-of-Trainers (TOT) sessions on compost production for community resource people and model farmers and seeing the benefits of using compost during field days with organized visits to demonstration plots in 2017.

Moussa Loulou is a member of Union Amintchi who was trained by a fellow member of the Union on composting techniques. Moussa has seen the benefits firsthand from compost production, both on his farm and from the money he earned from compost sales.

According to Moussa, “I decided to start producing compost last year because I saw it was useful. I experimented with the use of compost in my field and saw the results. The yield was visible and of good quality; for example on the field where I put compost, I had 8.5 millet bundles against the 6 bundles I would normally grow. The millet seeds were bigger and more beautiful than those of the field in which I did not put compost.”

Although Moussa initially decided to produce compost to improve his own yields, he also produced a surplus this year. “I produced 10 bags of compost that were sold to another producer organization, Union Adaltchi, and have another 10 bags in reserve for the next planting season.”

Union Adaltchi appreciated the quality of the compost it was able to source from Moussa and other members of Union Amintchi because of the difference it made for their yields. For example, in the village of Chetaou in Bazaga commune, in a demonstration plot where compost was used, the model farmer had 900 kg/ha of cowpeas against 250 kg/ha in the control plot. In the village of Mounwadata in Birni N’Konni commune, the model farmer grew 1,950 kg/ha of millet using compost against 975 kg/ha in the control plot.

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Unanticipated benefits from community tool banks

To address one of the barriers community members identified to adopting climate adaptation techniques—access to high-quality tools to be able to apply soil and water conservation methods—Lutheran World Relief’s 12/12 Alliance project has provided its partner Unions (and their member cooperatives) in Niger’s Tahoua and Maradi regions with soil and water conservation kits/tool banks. The tool banks include heavy tools like pick-axes, shovels and crowbars infrequently owned by most Nigerien households, which are loaned to both Union members and non-members.

Although most frequently used to build soil and water conservation structures, the tools have also been used for personal and community purposes beyond the planned scope, such as: organizing work crews to prevent flooding and maintain village drainage infrastructure, house repairs, well drilling, building or repairing dams or retaining walls and other routine farm uses.

To promote sustainability, Union members in the village of Nadabar set up a committee to manage and maintain these materials, setting equipment rental fees of 50-100 FCFA per tool per day. The treasurer of the committee reports out at a general assembly meeting every three months on how much money was collected, what was done with it and how much remains in the tool bank’s cashbox. This system of transparency allows community members to have more confidence in the rental system in order to sustain the activity, since the money collected is used to replace or repair any damaged equipment. Use of the tools increased rapidly following the first general assembly meetings, because community members were convinced their rental fees were being well-used.

The committee also asks community members what they used the tools for. As of November 2018, 22 community members in Nadabar had used the tools to dig 825 zai pits and 85 half-moons and used tools for 95 other structures or uses.

Hantsi Assoumane is a member of Union Adaltchi who often rents the tools. "I rented tools from the committee to do some work in my field and on my house. For example in my millet field, I made zai pits to promote the infiltration of water and added compost. I noticed that with this practice, my millet was more resistant to heat and dry spells. I again used the tools on my onion plots. I also built a solid, rain-resistant wall, digging a deep foundation to make the wall stronger, which I would have been unable to do without the tools. "

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