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ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS

Malawi

Supporting the Efforts of Partners (STEPs)

Quarterly Progress Report for 1th Quarter of the Project

October 31, 2014

Illustrative Five Year Workplan

June 19, 2014-June 19, 2019

October, 2014

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by

Counterpart International, Inc. Malawi Office.

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Table of Contents

Overview……………………………………………………………………………………3

Acronym List……………………………………………………………………………….4

Background…………………………………………………………………………………5

Project Objectives…………………………………………………………………………..5

Expected Results…………………………………………………………………………....5

Overall Progress of the Project for the Quarter…………………………………………….5

I. Preparation for Implementation Planning…………………………………………..7

II. Challenges, Solutions and Actions Taken…………………………………………..7

Criteria for Community Care Sub-Partner Solicitation……………………………………..7

1. Geographic Focus……………………………………………………………….8

2. Technical Focus…………………………………………………………………8

3. Budget Allocation ………………………………………………………………9

4. Targets and Duration of Sub Grants…………………………………………….9

5. Monitoring and Evaluation………………………………………………………10

III. Lessons Learned, Best Practices and Recommendations…………………………....10

IV. Success Stories………………………………………………………………………11

V. Management Issues………………………………………………………………….11

VI. Update of the PMEP…………………………………………………………………11

VII. Planned Activities for Next Quarter………………………………………………....11

Annex A……………………………………………………………………………………..13

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Overview

Project Name: Supporting the Efforts of Partners (STEPs)

Reporting Period: July 1, 2014 - September 30, 2014

Obligation Funding Amount: $4,094,521

September Pipeline: $314,466.92

Project Duration: The effective date of this Award is June 19, 2014. The estimated completion

date of this Award is June 19, 2019.

Person Responsible for Drafting this Report: Dr. Paultre Pierre Desrosiers, Chief of Party

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ACRONYMS

ADC Association for Community Development

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

APS Annual Program Statement

ART Anti-Retroviral Therapies

BCC Behavior Change Communication

CADECO Capacity Development Consultants

CADECOM Catholic Development Commission in Malawi

CBO Community-Based Organization

CDCS Country Development and Cooperation Strategy

CESC Center for Civil Society Learning and Capacity Building

COP Chief of Party

CSO Civil Society Organization

DCOP Deputy Chief of Party

EOI Expression of Interest

GOM Government of Malawi

HTC HIV testing and counselling

IR Intermediate Results

LWA Leader with Associates Award

MLI Market Linkages Initiative

NAPHAM National Association for People Living with HIV and AIDS

NGO Non-Government Organization

NMCP National Malaria Control Program

OCD Organizational Capacity Development

PACAM Palliative Care Association of Malawi

PODA Participatory Organization Development Assessments

PEPFAR President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

PHDP Positive, Health Dignity and Prevention

PLHIV People living with HIV

SSDI-Services Support for Service Delivery Integration-Services

STEPs Supporting Efforts of Partners

TA Traditional Authority

USG United States Government

WALA II Wellness and Agriculture for Life Advancement

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Background

Under the USAID Global Civil Society Leader with Associates Award (LWA), Counterpart

International, Inc (Counterpart) proposes a $12.5M program for USAID/Malawi for

“Supporting the Efforts of Partners (STEPs),” a civil society strengthening program that will

form the core of USAID/Malawi’s commitment to the USAID Forward Initiative. This is

particularly in regards to the achievement of the “Local Solutions Initiative Objective 2: Local

Capacity Development.” This partnership based program seeks to strengthen the capacity of

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Malawi organizationally and technically so that they can

become integral to the ability of Malawi to address a variety of social, economic, and

environmental challenges that are hindering the quality of life of the Malawian people.

Project Objectives

Counterpart will support local partners to provide stronger, better integrated responses to the

country’s most urgent health needs. Our program activities fall within two program components:

Component 1: Organizational Capacity Development (OCD) will include intensive and

customized OCD technical assistance, mentoring, and training for targeted CSOs, based on our

application of Participatory Organization Development Assessments (PODA) to participating

CSOs. Component 2: Sub-Grant Awards and Management will build upon the OCD work

and focus on supporting the technical ability of local CSOs to work on HIV/AIDS, malaria and

disability initiatives through the provision of grants.

Expected Results

The STEPs Program is expected to contribute to the USAID sub-Intermediate Results (IRs)

under the USAID Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for 2013-2018

entitled, “Capacity of Institutions Improved.” Particularly, STEPs is expected to result in: 1)

improved organizational capacity of at least 44 Malawian CSOs; 2) the effective implementation

of approximately 16 grants and projects addressing issues and providing services that positively

impact the Malawian population. Over the life of the activity, Counterpart will provide OCD

support to at least 44 CSOs that will include OCD grants and technical assistance to address

issues related to the health sector, education, climate change, persons with disabilities,

agriculture policy, democracy, human rights and governance. While all 44 aforementioned CSOs

will receive capacity building inputs, not all 44 CSOs will receive grants.

I. Overall Progress of the Project for the Quarter

As this program began in June, this quarterly report will be focused on startup activities related

to the establishment of the program in Malawi.

In the first month of the program (June, 2014) the STEPs team worked with a local consultant

and lawyer to go through the necessary steps of registration. Such activities included the

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gathering and processing of documents, meetings with stakeholders and consultations with HQ.

Introductory meetings with USAID and other key stakeholders also began shortly after. A local

bank account was set up with the assistance of USAID Malawi.

By July, the second month of the program, a startup team (comprised of both HQ and local

personnel) was established in Malawi and actively worked to get key personnel on board. They

furthered the start-up process by identifying and leasing an office, securing utilities and setting

up a post office box. As soon as the office was leased, the team secured both furniture and office

supplies, as well as support services like security, cleaning and maintenance. This was all with

the intention of getting the office up and running as soon as possible.

August was a crucial month for staffing the program, as the DCOP came on board to lead the

staffing process for the rest of the team. Job announcements were posted, applicants were

screened, and a short list of interview candidates was compiled. Interview processes began in

August and continued through September as the COP came on board.

Stakeholder meetings also continued in August and the Grants Planning Committee, comprised

of representatives from Counterpart and USAID, was established. The function of the Grants

Planning Committee is to determine selection criteria for the CSOs who will be a part of the

STEPs program. Such criteria will then be used to identify CSOs that qualify to receive an

invitation from STEPs to submit an EOI for the program grant and capacity building activities.

At the beginning of September, the COP joined the STEPs team in Malawi and continued both

operational and programmatic startup activities which had begun with the HQ startup team.

Program staffing continued, as did meetings with key stakeholders and USAID. Preliminary

meetings were held with the National Association for People living with HIV/AIDS (NAPHAM)

and the Palliative Care Association of Malawi (PACAM). These are the partners, who due to the

nature of their mandate, have been identified to receive HIV/AIDS grants. NAPHAM is a

renowned local organization that implements community programs for PLHIV throughout

Malawi. PACAM is the only local organization in Malawi dedicated to providing palliative care

services and monitoring policy on palliative care issues. The Grants Planning Committee held

two meetings to discuss CSO selection criteria and next steps for the release of the program EOI.

The 5 Year Workplan, Year 1 Workplan, Implementation Plan, PMEP and Grants Manual were

submitted to the Mission on September 19.

During the first three months of the award, the project held a number of start-up meetings with

USAID and project staff to discuss the focus of the program, program planning and initial

activities.

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Preparation for Implementation Planning

Based on the current scope of work, the project started planning a desk review and field

assessment to assist in the diagnosis of key leverage points for project interventions. This

exercise began with the compilation of relevant policies, strategies, systems and practices, via

desk review and informal meetings with relevant partners. A key approach to country ownership

is to ensure that the project is integrated into ongoing Government of Malawi (GOM) initiatives,

especially around the HIV/AIDS and Malaria programs. The mapping, desk review and rapid

field assessment were conducted to target priority issues in more depth, for improved

coordination and implementation of project activities. This deskwork and the rapid assessment

cut across the two project components.

The project took advantage of an opportunity to participate in a USAID Implementing Partners'

meeting. This meeting aimed to assist the Mission in jointly furthering the vision of integrated

development. The meeting took place on Thursday, 25 September, at Ufulu Gardens Conference

Hall from 8:00am to 4:00pm. It was an opportunity to meet with some of USAID activity

managers who will be working with the STEPS project and also meet some of the potential

stakeholders.

II. Challenges, Solutions and Actions Taken

During this initial planning and start-up phase, the project continued USAID involvement in the

narrowing of the scope of activities, particularly in the selection of focus geographic areas and

NGOs. Below are some initial challenges and constraints, along with suggestions and plans to

overcome them.

Refinement of Project Focus

STEPs appreciates USAID’s collaborative effort to further focus the scope of activities and

formalize this process. Counterpart notes that the scope of activities was formally narrowed via a

document that was forwarded to the project by e-mail as guidance on the selection of potential

districts and partners.

Through this guidance it was established that with HIV funds, the STEPs activity will support

both Organizational Capacity Development (OCD) of local Malawian organizations (40%) and

provide sub-grants (60%) to a sub-set of these organizations in order to support their community

care work objectives. Several of the local organizations have already been identified by the

HIV/AIDS Team. Additional organizations will be identified through an open solicitation in

specific geographic areas that are relevant to the HIV/AIDS team’s goals. The number of

additional organizations added to the STEPS activity will depend on available funding. Identified

organizations under HIV/AIDS include the following:

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Organization Name Local Partners

receiving OCD

Local Partners receiving

sub-grants

1 THAO (APS) x

2 CEDEP x

3 Pakachere x

4 Sex Worker Alliance x

5 NAPHAM x x

6 PACAM x x

7 1 org in 1 prioritized TA in Lilongwe

Rural

x x

8 1 org in 1 prioritized TA in Chikwawa x x

9 1 org in 1 prioritized TA in Nsanje x x

10 1 org in 1 prioritized TA in Blantyre x x

Criteria for Community Care Sub-Partner Solicitation

The STEPs project will openly solicit for local partners to implement targeted HIV/AIDS

community care programs in USAID priority districts and PEPFAR sites within those districts.

The local partner’s ongoing programs will complement and support PEPFAR Malawi’s

HIV/AIDS program, which aims to prevent new HIV infections and save lives in high impact

geographic areas. STEPs will work in close collaboration with other existing USAID/Malawi

implementing mechanisms such as the One C Platform, WALA II and MLI. This will enable

STEPs to have a comprehensive understanding of the broader PEPFAR HIV technical direction

within community-based prevention. Furthermore, it will enable care and support of technical

areas so that local awardees can work synergistically with other USG funded partners to achieve

HIV care outcomes.

STEPs will ensure that each prospective sub-partner has undergone a capacity assessment from

both the OCD and HIV technical perspectives to identify the capacity gaps of the organization.

1. Geographic focus

STEPs will solicit at least one local partner for care and support programming in each of

the following 4 districts: Lilongwe Rural, Blantyre, Chikwawa and Nsanje. The HIV

team will be open to STEPs suggestions in regards to cost-saving by selecting 2 local

partners/2 districts (prioritize LLW-rural and Nsanje) instead of one partner/4 districts.

The HIV/AIDS team will also be open to selecting more than four total partners for sub-

granting over the life of the project if funding allows. In each district PEPFAR has

identified priority community sites/catchment areas of selected high volume health

facilities for HIV/AIDS services. These sites are identified as Traditional Authorities

(TAs). Within each of the 4 districts, solicited local partners will implement their

programs in one of the prioritized TAs.

Furthermore, all identified organizations that receive sub-grants (NAPHAM and

PACAM) should utilize those funds in USAID HIV priority districts (Balaka, Machinga,

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Mulanje, Mangochi, Phalombe, Zomba, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Dowa, Kasungu, Chitipa,

Karonga, Salima, Nkhotakota, and Lilongwe).

2. Technical focus

STEPS will ensure that each successful local partner demonstrates competencies and

innovation to deliver a standardized community package to link PLHIV to age

appropriate care services within facilities and targeted communities. This may include the

following key activities:

• Establish bidirectional referral systems between community care groups and

facilities

• Facilitate community HIV + case identification, with a focus on pediatric cases,

and linkage to HIV treatment and care services – in partnership with district based

USAID HIV treatment partner, SSDI-Services.

• Provide age appropriate community case management

• Provide Positive, Health Dignity and Prevention (PHDP) interventions, including

adherence support, through age appropriate PLHIV groups

• Provide nutritional support for PLHIV

Illustrative Results:

• Percent of referrals that are issued that are completed

• # of HIV+ cases through HTC identified (disaggregated by age and sex)

• Percent and number of eligible targeted individuals initiated on ART

• Percent of population retained in care

• Number of condoms distributed annually in target districts to PLHIV

• # of trained PLHIV support groups

• Percent of community health workers utilizing approved HIV positive prevention

toolkits

• # of HIV-positive adults and children receiving a minimum of one care service

• # of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) reached with a minimum package of

Prevention with PLHIV (PwP) interventions

• Number of trained CBOs actively delivering HIV services to target populations

3. Budget allocation

The HIV/AIDS team anticipates that depending on the identified capacity gaps, the need

for technical delivery and results, and absorptive capacity of the local partner, STEPs will

determine the budget allocation for each sub partner (this may be done in collaboration

with the HIV team).

STEPs will utilize the budget allocation provided by the HIV/AIDS team for year one to

cover the OCD and technical programming needs of the local partners. The expected

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budget split between OCD and technical sub granting is 40/60 of the total obligated HIV

funding respectively. STEPs is expected to provide feedback to USAID on the final

expected budget expenditures for the year for HIV after factoring in overhead costs.

4. Targets and Duration of Sub Grants

• The HIV team is expecting to fund up to 10 -14 local partners through the STEPs

mechanism for OCD and sub-granting functions. If funding allows, the second

round of solicitation maybe undertaken in year 2 and may solicit 4 new local

partners for OCD and sub-granting (in addition to those selected in year 1). This

will bring the total number of organizations served to 14.

• STEPs will develop three-year sub granting agreements with each HIV local

partner. The sub granting agreements will be subject to extension depending on

organizational management, technical performance and availability of funding at

the three year mark.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation

• PEPFAR does not have required indicators for OCD. STEPs will revise the

PMEP that was submitted to USAID and develop a robust Monitoring and

Evaluation plan that outlines custom/USAID/country level OCD indicators and

targets for all levels of OCD support that will be provided to enable clear and

tangible measurement of capacity development progress at the end of the project.

These indicators will be approved by USAID and will be reviewed in partnership

with USAID to assess progress over the first three years.

• For HIV technical programming, STEPs will incorporate all of the PEPFAR

indicators as suggested by USAID in the table below. In addition, STEPs will

support successful local partners in the development of appropriate custom

indicators for monitoring progress in technical delivery based on the illustrative

results indicated above.

PEPFAR Indicators

MER Code Indicator

Status

Indicator

Type

Progra

m

Area

Indicator Label

Targe

t

Type

FY14

Target

FY15

Target

OVC_SERV New MER Individua

l OVC

Number of active

beneficiaries receiving

support from PEPFAR

OVC programs to access

HIV services

DSD √

FN_ASSES

S New MER

Individua

l

Food

&

Nutriti

on

Proportion of PLHIV

who were nutritionally

assessed via

anthropometric

measurement.

DSD √

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CO_CSO_N

AT

New MER Above

Site

Countr

y

Owner

ship

Percentage of civil

society organizations

receiving HIV program

funding

N/A no targets

required,

but FY14

reporting

required

no targets

required,

but FY15

reporting

required

Engagement of the Government of Malawi (GOM) in defining the project’s priority outcomes

GOM ownership of this program is critical as the project moves ahead in close collaboration

with the GOM. The STEPs project has offered its assistance to USAID to set up such a meeting

and engage with the Ministry of Health NMCP and the HIV Unit. This will facilitate the

project’s ability to engage and partner with this stakeholder in narrowing the scope of activities,

defining priorities, work planning and moving forward with the assessment. The project needs to

ensure that it focuses both on the high priorities of the GOM and on the priorities for which

improved functioning of the coordination framework will result in better health outcomes. Such

priorities will be given attention instead of only focusing on the coordination structures alone.

III. Lessons, Best Practices and Recommendations

None to report

IV. Success Stories

Success stories will be submitted in future quarters, as project implementation begins.

V. Management Issues

The Finance and Compliance Manager is the final key personnel position needed to be hired for

STEPs. Based on USAID feedback on the two previously submitted potential candidates, we

plan to hire for this position during the month of November,

VI. Update of the PMEP

None to report

VII. Planned Activities for Next Quarter

• Financial Management Training of USAID Partners – Lilongwe.

• Finalize 5 Year Workplan and Year 1 Workplan incorporating comments from USAID

by early November.

• Hold the launching ceremony for STEPs in December.

• Continue with Stakeholder and partner engagement process.

• Support NAPHAM and PACAM to develop concepts and Project Description for their

projects.

• Review existing capacity assessments and documentation.

• Disseminate Request for Applications for malaria sub grants.

• Draft Memorandum of Understanding and Scope of Work for PACAM and NAPHAM.

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• Meeting with USAID on Monday October 20, 2014 to discuss STEPs malaria concept

and devise way forward on identification of potential local NGOs for Malaria in Mchinji

and Machinga.

• When all staff are on board the project is planning to conduct a half-day internal

orientation on USAID branding and marking requirements, a one-and-a-half day internal

skills-building workshop on Organizational Network Analysis and two days of team-

building, covering roles and responsibilities for internal teamwork.

• In December right after the kick-off/launching meeting, the project will conduct two days

of hands-on internal workshops for staff from Counterpart and selected NGOs on change-

agent facilitation skills, which will be essential for facilitating stronger coordination

across the Malawian HIV/AIDS response. In Quarter 2 FY15, STEPs intends to follow

up with additional training on dialogue interviewing, a critical tool for supporting and

mentoring leaders.

• Conduct Proposal Writing & Design, M & E and Grant Reporting Workshops for

selected NGOs.

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Annex A

Organizational Structure

**Yellow indicates Startup Team Members