MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 Municipal Governance Program QUARTERLY REPORT January 01 – March 31, 2020 1 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS 3 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS 7 III. SIGNIFICANT CONSTRAINTS/LESSONS LEARNED AND BEST PRACTICES 15 IV. PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 16 V. ANNEXES 18 2 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 ACRONYMS APRODER Association for Progress and Rural Development AVODEC Association of Volunteers for Development CDM Municipal Development Committee FADCANIC Foundation for Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua GTI Indigenous Territorial Government ODHA BICU Observatory of Human and Autonomous Rights of the Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University RACCN Northern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region RACCS Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region UCA Central American University URACCAN University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast 3 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Component 1: Local Governance Subcomponent 1.1 Citizen Participation List the major activities undertaken List Key Achievements by Activity Indicate the status of these during the review period that activities in relation to approved contributed to the activity action/work plan and schedule. If objective/results. different from work plan, why? Activities focused on municipal · 990 people (48% female) presented Ongoing advocacy 60 project proposals through municipal advocacy in public spaces. · 10 project proposals responding to citizen demands approved by municipal governments for a total of $212,727 Activities focused on youth · 55 youth (64% female) have Ongoing increased capacities for advocacy around citizen participation, youth leadership, regional autonomy, nonviolent communication, and a culture of peace. · 50 disabled children’s families have an integral development plan created by a team of multidisciplinary experts that will allow their families to provide them with adequate care. · Creation of a teaching guide for Youth Citizen Participation, which promotes inclusivity, Interculturality, and prevention of violence. Activities focused on indigenous · 35 indigenous leaders (54% Ongoing and Afrodescendant populations women) graduated from the first diploma course on territorial property governance. · 36 indigenous leaders (50% women) completed the second diploma course on territorial property governance. · 26 trained representatives (55% female) from 7 GTIs are using GIS for community mapping of land invasion. · 20 indigenous rural community members (3 women) trained on GIS tools for documentation of land invasion. · 21 indigenous youth (33% female) with increased knowledge of indigenous identity and history, and increased capacities for defense of indigenous rights. · 25 indigenous children (48% female) with increased knowledge 4 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 of indigenous history and culture, and skills for promoting social cohesion. Activities focused on women · 50 female human rights defenders Ongoing from Bluefields, Pearl Lagoon, and El Bluff have increased capacities to provide support and accompaniment for female victims of violence. · 12 radio shows raising awareness of gender-based violence broadcast in Bluefields and other communities on the Caribbean Coast. Subcomponent 1.2 Organizational Development List the major activities List Key Achievements by Activity Indicate the status of these undertaken during the review activities in relation to period that contributed to the approved action/work plan activity objective/results. and schedule. If different from work plan, why? Civil Society · 29 representatives (45% female) from 14 Ongoing local organizations have increased capacities for networking and alliance- building. · 5 local partner organizations used Appreciative Review of Capacity (ARC) to conduct a self-analysis of organizational capacities and develop capacity strengthening plans. 4 conducted follow- up analysis to measure their progress on their capacity strengthening plans. · 21 members (11 women) from 14 MGP partner organizations have increased capacities in digital security after participating in a 2-day workshop (16 hours total). · Creation of a guide on networking and alliance-building for local CSOs and activist groups. This guide will be made part of the MGP Dialogue and Conflict Resolution toolbox. Subcomponent 1.3 Conflict Resolution and Dialogues List the major activities List Key Achievements by Activity Indicate the status of these undertaken during the review activities in relation to period that contributed to the approved action/work plan activity objective/results. and schedule. If different from work plan, why? Implementation of activities to · 48 youth (63% female) from Managua, Ongoing promote conflict resolution and Mateare, Ciudad Sandino, Jinotepe, and dialogue Estelí participated in a youth exchange to discuss social polarization and a culture of peace, and propose local initiatives to promote social cohesion. · 16 illustrations produced by Nicaraguan female youth Cyberfeminists and published on LaQuimera website receive 5 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 3,181 reactions, 1,352 shares, and 2,050 views as part of a campaign for ’16 Days of Activism’. · 7 infographics produced by Nicaraguan female youth cyberfeminists as part of a campaign against femicide published on the Observatory for Women’s Lives received over 3,050 reactions and over 1,700 shared in the weeklong campaign. · 453 youth (53% female) from 11 municipalities participated in 70 ‘citizen roundtables’ to discuss youth priorities at the territorial level and develop proposals to address them. · Creation of manual on negotiation and consensus building completed as part of the MGP toolbox on Dialogue and Conflict Resolution. The complete toolbox will be finalized and made available to the public during the next quarter. Increase capacities of local CSOs · 51 representatives (45% female) from 22 Ongoing and stakeholders to implement local partner organizations have increased conflict resolution and dialogue capacities for consensus-building and activities. negotiation. · 40 local activists (40% female) with increased capacities for nonviolent activism. · 30 psychologists (83% female) with increased capacities to provide psychosocial support to victims of violence. Component 2: Fiscal Transparency List the major activities List Key Achievements by Activity Indicate the status of these undertaken during the review activities in relation to period that contributed to the approved action/work plan activity objective/results. and schedule. If different from work plan, why? Increase local capacity for · Municipal budget information for 11 Complete municipal budget analysis municipalities uploaded into online budget observatory. Promote investigation into · Completion of study of the livelihoods of Complete fiscal transparency and public Jinotega’s dry corridor, which will serve as an administration advocacy tool to for local leaders and organizations. 6 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS Citizen Participation 2.1 Territorial Indigenous Governments (GTI) in the RAACN strengthen territorial governance 36 members of the seven project GTIs completed the second edition of the “Governance of Communal Property” diploma course taught by the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast (URACCAN), in partnership with FADCANIC. The seven GTIs advanced in the implementation of the biocultural strategic framework,1 and continue to receive technical assistance from Fundación para la Autonomía y el Desarrollo de la Costa Atlántica (FADCANIC) in the formulation and implementation of their communal property governance plans. Table #1 Progress in support of GTI in the RACCN Goal Achievements Strengthen capacities of communal • 36 leaders (50% women) of 7 GTIs2 completed the diploma course property administration and the • 7 GTIs 3 have agreed to prioritize democracy, decentralization, establishment of a strategic transparency, and accountability actions for the implementation of framework for biocultural the Biocultural Strategic Framework. management of the 17 GTIs of the RACCN. AMASAU • Elected new communal authorities. • As a result of advocacy, the National Police established a mobile operational office at AMASAU to follow up on reports of land occupation by settlers. Twi Yahbra Strengthen the institutional • Agreed to territorial elections next May. mechanisms of the 5 prioritized GTIs Tawira to implement communal property • Updated its fisheries governance strategy, including the co- governance regulations and land management of the Miskito Cays Reserve. titling processes. Wangki Twi Tasba Raya • Completed a legal analysis of the effects of land titles granted by the Government of Nicaragua to the former combatants of YATAMA, AMIR, and ARMINGOB in indigenous territories. This analysis will support demands to the Supreme Court to prohibit the sale of these lands to third parties. 1 The biocultural strategic framework includes an agenda for the various territorial and regional governments to articulate the demand for the rights of autonomy, communal property, and human development. Through the use of a public policy approach, it ensures an intercultural relationship of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples and the worldview in their intrinsic connection with the social, environmental,