ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT NO. 6 Period covering October 01, 2006 – September 30, 2007 (FY 2007) Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Program Strengthening Government Integrity to Support Malawian Efforts to Roll Back Corruption and Encourage Fiscal Responsibility CONTRACT NO.: DFD-I-00-04-00128-00 TASK ORDER NO.: DFD-I0-03-07-00139-00 i ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT NO. 6 Period covering October 01, 2006 to September 30, 2007 (FY 2007) Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Program Strengthening Government Integrity to Support Malawian Efforts to Roll Back Corruption and Encourage Fiscal Responsibility CONTRACT NO.: DFD-I-00-04-00128-00 TASK ORDER NO.: DFD-I0-03-07-00139-00 Submitted to: PAUL KAISER MCC INITIATIVE TEAM LEADER Task Order CTO USAID/Malawi Submitted by: Casals & Associates, Inc. 1199 North Fairfax Street Third Floor Alexandria, Virginia 22314 October 30, 2007 Disclaimer The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. i TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 TASK ORDER AWARD 1 2 MOBILIZATION OF KEY PERSONNEL 1 3 LOCAL STAFFING 1 4 WORK PLAN AND M&E PLAN 2 5 MCC TASK FORCE MEETING 2 6 MCC IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS MONTHLY MEETINGS 2 7 USAID SYNERGY MEETING 2 8 ADMINISTRATION 2 9 HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE FY 2007 3 10 PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES BY TASK 7 11 ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES 27 12 PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR 1ST Quarter FY 2008 32 13 PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN 35 14 ANNEX 41 ii Annex 1 Planning Meeting Agenda September 2007 40 Annex 2 Summary of achievements and lessons outlined in the 43 Planning Meeting Annex 3 IFES Annual Report 46 Annex 4 Report on the International Consortium on Governmental 52 Financial Management, May, 2007 Annex 5 Joint report on the International Program for Development 66 Evaluation Training (IPDET), June – July 2007 Annex 6 Joint Programme Support for the National Monitoring and 80 Evaluation Systems in Malawi Quarterly Progress and Financial Report, April – June 2007 Annex 7 Minutes from the Steering Committee for the Joint Programme 86 Support for the National Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Malawi Meeting, April, 2007, matters from April minutes and agenda for September meeting Annex 8 Minutes from the TWC Committee for the Joint Programme 94 Support for the National Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Malawi Meeting, March, 2007, matters from March minutes and agenda for September meeting Annex 9 Independent review of M&E database by Jimmy Bisese 100 Annex 10 Invitation to the National Workshop on capacity building for 102 Local Assembly Planning officers and the program for the workshop Annex 11 Concept note for Conference on Transparency and 108 Accountability for Senior Judges of the Malawi Judiciary Annex 12 Media Council in-kind budget 114 Annex 13 Media Council in-kind agreement 116 Annex 14 Media Council Strategic Plan (draft) 117 Annex 15 Media Council of Malawi Operation Plan 127 Annex 16 List of journalist trained under SGIM project 137 Annex 17 CVs of journalist trainers: Don Ray and Abel Mwanyungwe 140 Annex 18 Journalism Training Report – Abel Mwanyungwe 145 Annex 19 Journalism Training Report – Don Ray 152 Annex 20 YONECO’S Chitetzeni Chuma Campaign leaflet 192 Annex 21 PAC workshop report 196 Annex 22 Message Development training report 199 Annex 23 ACB Communication Strategy 243 Annex 24 ACB Communication Strategy Workplan 265 Annex 25 Advert for MSc Supply Chain Management Programme from 270 University of Bolton at MIM Annex 26 Newspaper articles covering grantees’ projects 273 Annex 27 Performance Monitoring Framework 275 iii ABBREVIATIONS ACB Anti-Corruption Bureau AGD Accountant General’s Department AFROSAI African Organizations of Supreme Audit Institutions AIB Access to Information Bill AICC African Institute for Corporate Citizenship C&A Casals & Associates, Inc. CSO Civil Society Organization DFID Department for International Development EU European Union FY Financial Year GOM Government of Malawi GTZ German Technical Cooperation (Gessellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit) HRC Human Rights Commission IDEPT International Program for Development Evaluation Training IFES (Formerly) International Foundation for Electoral Systems IFMIS Integrated Financial Management Information System ILO International Labour Organisation INTOSAI International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions IPC Internal Procurement Committee JPSME Joint Programme Support for the National Monitoring and Evaulation Systems in Malawi MANA Malawi News Agency MBC Malawi Broadcasting Corporation MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation MCG Millennium Consulting Group MEPD Ministry of Economic Planning and Development MGDS Malawi Growth and Development Strategy MIM Malawi Institute of Management MLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development MOA Ministry of Agriculture MOF Ministry of Finance MOJ Ministry of Justice MTL Malawi Telecom Limited NAMISA National Media Institute of Southern Africa NAO National Audit Office NEFORM National Editors Forum NSO National Statistical Office ODPP Office of the Director of Public Procurement OTA Office of Technical Assistance (U.S. Treasury) PSIP Public Sector Investment Program RBM Reserve Bank of Malawi RIPA (Formerly) Royal Institute for Public Administration SAI Supreme Audit Institution SCR Sovereign Credit Rating SGIM Strengthening Government Integrity in Malawi SME Small and Medium Enterprise SPU Specialized Procurement Units TCP Threshold Country Plan TOT Training-of-Trainers TVM Television Malawi UMSU University of Malawi Students’ Union UNDP United Nations Development Programme USAID United States Agency for International Development VPN Virtual Private Network iv 1. TASK ORDER AWARD On April 14, 2006, USAID/Malawi awarded Casals & Associates, Inc. (C&A) a Task Order for Strengthening Government Integrity to Support Malawian Efforts to Roll Back Corruption and Encourage Fiscal Responsibility. The Task Order includes nine of the 15 interventions contained in the Threshold Country Plan (TCP). The Task Order Estimated Completion Date is March 31, 2008. The annual report for the first year was submitted to USAID in October 2006 and was duly approved. This report focuses on the second year of the project ending on September 30, 2007, and will also serve as the quarterly report of the fourth quarter for Financial Year 2007. 2. MOBILIZATION OF KEY PERSONNEL All key personnel positions have been filled. Ms. Amanda Willett, Deputy Chief of Party, arrived in Malawi on May 12, 2006, Ms.Thusitha Pilapitiya, Chief of Party arrived in Malawi on August 27, 2006 and Ms. Rajula Atherton took up the position of Senior Program Specialist on October 20, 2006. All three personnel continue to be employed on the project. 3. LOCAL STAFFING C&A advertised for a full-time Finance Assistant at the end of the preceding quarter and through a competitive process selected Ms. Tina Musicha, C&A’s Secretary for the position of Finance Assistant. Ms. Jacqueline Chipembere, Office Assistant, was promoted to the position of Secretary and Ms. Leah Kaunda who originally applied for the position of Finance Assistant assumed the position of Office Assistant on October 1, 2007. Ms. Chanju Mwale, Administrative Specialist, left C&A in April 2007 to return to the Malawi Armed Forces. During the fourth quarter FY 07, Mr. Pacharo Kayira, a Senior Counsel from the Ministry of Justice was appointed as Coordinator for Task 5 – Building Legal Skills. As this is a part time position, while he continues to perform his normal tasks at the Ministry, his salary will be paid in full by the Ministry of Justice, and no C&A funds will be used for his payment. Mr. Ben Muthali was selected for the position of IT Specialist and assumed duties in April 2007, replacing Mr. Roosevelt Tsewole. Mr. Muthali has been working as an IT consultant for the last six years and has considerable experience working on IT projects for the Government of Malawi (GOM). The position of Finance Manager fell vacant in October 2006 due to the resignation of Mr. Alick Mtika, but was successfully filled with Mr. Godwin Kaonongera with effect from December 1, 2006. C&A recruited Mr. Phillip Nankhwali as C&A’s driver, in March 2007, following the resignation of Mr. Geoffrey Maunde. After failing to recruit a suitably qualified M&E Specialist and at the request of MEPD, C&A recruited Mr. Magombo Galunzanga an IT Specialist with M&E experience. Mr. Galunzanga’s employer at the time of recruitment, DISTMS has seconded him to C&A through March 2008. He works from MEPD and is providing much needed technical IT support to the ministry and local assemblies with a specific focus on improving the functionality of the M&E database. C&A’s Deputy Chief of Party, Ms. Amanda Willett, serves as the senior C&A program advisor on the activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the ministry to monitor and evaluate projects. All other national positions continue to be filled by the original incumbents. 1 4. WORK PLAN AND M&E PLAN C&A submitted both Work Plans, in December and August 2007, and an M&E Plan in December 2006 to USAID. These were duly approved by USAID. 5. MCC TASK FORCE MEETINGS C&A was represented by the Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party, at the MCC Task Force Meetings in December 2006, January, March and May 2007. C&A presented an overview of the activities completed as part of the Threshold Country Plan and briefed the Task Force on future activities. During this quarter, the Senior Program Specialist represented C&A at the Task Force Meetings. 6. MCC IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS MONTHLY MEETINGS C&A was represented at the Implementing Partners’ meetings by senior staff in November 2006, and from January to June 2007. During this quarter, the Chief of Party and the Senior Program Specialist attended the MCC IP Meeting on September 19, 2007. At the meetings C&A presented an overview of the activities completed during the previous months and briefed partners on future activities.