SCS Djibouti Civil Society Organizations Strengthening

SCS Djibouti

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project

(CSOSP)

---

Programme de Renforcement des Capacités des

Associations de Djibouti (PRECAD)

Funding provided by:

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Cooperative Agreement No. AID-72060318-LA-00001

Quarterly Report: FY 2020 Quarter 2 (Q2)

January 1 – March 31, 2020

Submitted: April 30, 2020

Djibouti City, Djibouti

Submitted to:

Alpha Diallo

Agreement Officer Representative

USAID/Djibouti

[email protected]

This report was prepared with funds provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development

under Cooperative Agreement AID-72060318-LA-00001. The opinions expressed herein are

those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International

Development.

mailto:[email protected]

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project (CSOSP) i

Quarterly Report: January 1 – March 31, 2020

Contents

Acronym List ................................................................................................................................. ii

SECTION A: PROJECT OVERVIEW ...................................................................................... 1 Report Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Reporting Period Summary ................................................................................................................... 1 Project Description ................................................................................................................................. 3

SECTION B: ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS ............................................... 3 Outcome 1: Accountable Governance Better Integrated into Education and Health Sectors ........ 4 Outcome 2: CSOs More Effectively Advocate for Gender Equality, Equitable Service Delivery

and Protection of Vulnerable Populations ........................................................................................... 4 Outcome 3: Improved Enabling Environment for Associations in Djibouti ..................................... 5 Coordination with other donor programs ............................................................................................ 4 COVID-19 Impact on PRECAD Project Activities ............................................................................. 5 Implementation Challenges ................................................................................................................... 6 Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (PMEP) Update ....................................................... 6

SECTION C: MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES ..................................... 8

SECTION D: LESSONS LEARNED .......................................................................................... 8

SECTION E: PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER .......................................... 8

LIST OF ANNEXES: ...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

ANNEX A: PERFORMANCE INDICATOR TRACKING TABLE ........ Error! Bookmark not

defined.

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project (CSOSP) ii


Acronym List

AADO

ACM

ADA

ADIM

AFT

AMELP

ANPH

AOR

APEQ

APM

APSE

ASF

CBO

Association pour l’Avenir et le Développement d’Obock

Atelier de Consultation Multipartite (Whole System in the Room

workshop)

Association Djiboutienne d’Ancrage

Association pour le Développement Intégré de Mabla

Association des Femmes de Tadjourah

Annual Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

Association Nationale des Personnes Handicapées

Agreement Officer’s Representative

Association Pour une Ecole de Qualité

Advanced Participatory Methods

Assistant de Programme, Suivi et Evaluation

Association Solidarité Féminine

Community-based Organization

CFC Call for Candidates

COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019

CSO Civil Society Organization

CSOSP

DCA

DEGRA

DPO

DQA

EU

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project

Djiboutian Civic Association

Djibouti Early Grade Reading Activity

Disabled Persons Organization

Data Quality Assessment

European Union

EVA Ecologie Village Association

FGM Female Genital Mutilation

FHI 360 Family Health International

GBV

GESI

Gender-Based Violence

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion

GLPE Groupe Local des Partenaires de l’Education (Education Cluster)

GoDj Government of Djibouti

GTME Groupes Techniques Multisectoriels en Education (Education Working

Groups)

IGAD

M&E

MAECI

Intergovernmental Authority on Development

Monitoring and Evaluation

Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale

MEL

MENFOP

MFAIC

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Ministère de l ’Education Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle

(Ministry of Education and Professional Training)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

MOH Ministère de la Santé (Ministry of Health)

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

MWF Ministry of Women and Family

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project (CSOSP) iii


NGO Non-Governmental Organization

OD

PMEA

PRECAD

Organizational Development

Project and Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant

Programme de Renforcement des Capacités des Association

Djiboutiennes

PTA

SMC

TDP

TFP

TIP

UDC

UNFD

WSR

Parent-Teacher Association

School Management Committee

Training and Development Plan

Technical and Financial Partner

Trafficking in Persons

Union pour le Développement et la Culture

Union Nationale des Femmes de Djibouti

Whole System in the Room

Civil Society Organizations Strengthening Project (CSOSP) page 1 of 11


SECTION A: PROJECT OVERVIEW

Report Structure

This Quarterly Report covers achievements under the Civil Society Organizations Strengthening

Project in Djibouti between January 1 and March 31, 2020. The report begins with an overview

of the key achievements, followed by a detailed report of activity implementation under each

objective and its significance to civil society in Djibouti. The report concludes with an analysis

of lessons learned, challenges and best practices to illustrate the impact of the project. Lastly, the

report describes activities planned for next quarter which build upon the accomplishments to

date. Our intention is that these activities will ultimately culminate in strengthening community-

based structures, such as PTAs and Health Committees, to better meet the demand of Djiboutian

citizens for improved government services.

Reporting Period Summary

PRECAD project activities were affected greatly this quarter by the global pandemic caused by

The Coronavirus. In response to the pandemic, FHI 360 cancelled scheduled trips, postponed in-

person activities, and updated the project work plan to be responsive to the ever-evolving

situation. In March, PRECAD pivoted to an online model for delivering capacity building

sessions to civil society and government actors and equipping Djiboutian associations to be able

to access these sessions and continue their work through the confinement period. The timeline in

figure 1 below details the major decisions related to COVID-19 during this reporting period, and

PRECAD’s adaptations to the evolving context. As of the writing of this report, the GoDj has

mandated a general confinement (stay-at-home order) until April 30, 2020.

Despite these challenges, PRECAD made progress this quarter in several key areas:

strengthening collaboration between government ministries (MENFOP, MoH and MWF) and

civil society, as well as supporting civil society partners to reach a level of professionalism

where they can receive and manage donor funds directly.



Figure 1: timeline of COVID-19 events in this reporting period

The key achievements of Q2 FY 2020 are as follows:

➢ The four multi-sectoral Education Working Groups served as a venue for civil society and

the government to collaborate on implementing a shared action plan for improving education

services. This quarter, the working groups came to consensus on the expected outcomes and

objectives of each working group’s thematic activity.

➢ Scores on collaboration within civil society and also between civil society and the

government improved thanks to the working group meetings and the WhatsApp networks

that PRECAD is facilitating for trained facilitators and for PRECAD partner associations.



➢ The global COVID-19 pandemic caused travel and meeting restrictions in Djibouti in March,

prompting FHI 360 to adapt its implementation strategy to shift to online capacity- building

sessions.

➢ USAID granted PRECAD a no-cost extension of its program through September 30, 2020.

Project Description

The objective of the Civil Society Organization Strengthening Project (hereinafter referred to by

its French name, Projet de Renforcement des Capacités des Associations Djiboutiennes, or

PRECAD), is “to strengthen civil society organizations to foster accountable governance and

improve service delivery.” Led by FHI 360, PRECAD supports Djiboutians to engage in

constructive dialogue with government officials to improve service delivery in education and

health and to advocate for gender equality, equitable service delivery, and the protection of

vulnerable populations, while improving the enabling environment for civil society.

PRECAD contributes directly to the following United States Agency for International

Development (USAID) development goal and objective:

1. ICS Mission Goal 3: Improve Djiboutian government delivery of key services

2. Mission Objective3.1: Improve delivery of education, electricity, justice, and health

services by furthering collaboration among citizens, civil society, and government and

advocating reforms, in coordination with relevant ministries and other development

partners

PRECAD’s technical strategy aims to achieve the three following results:

Outcome 1: Accountable governance better integrated into education and health sectors

Outcome 2: Civil society organizations (CSOs) more effectively advocate for gender

equality, equitable service delivery, and protection of vulnerable populations

Outcome 3: Improved enabling environment for CSOs in Djibouti

At the project’s end, PRECAD’s Djiboutian Civic Association (DCA) partners will be equipped

to more effectively mobilize citizens, engage government officials, and promote improvements

in service delivery in education and health. More women and young people will be engaged in

education and health oversight; DCAs’ expertise in gender equality and social inclusion will be

deeper; and civic activism will be expanded around gender equality, social inclusion, and the

protection of vulnerable populations. Djiboutian civil society, government ministries, and

international stakeholders will better collaborate to strengthen the enabling environment for civil

society.

SECTION B: ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS



Outcome 1: Accountable Governance Better Integrated into Education and Health Sectors

Activity 1.1: Technical Assistance for the development of Strategic Plans

During the month of January, PRECAD staff continued to provide technical assistance to its

partner associations to support them in finalizing their Strategic Plans. The PRECAD staff

provided support to the following associations: Toha, Mouhbani, AADO, UDC, EVA, Paix &

Lait, Al Fowza, Bender-Djedid, Al Fowza, ASF and ADIM.

As part of this technical assistance, the PRECAD team met with its partner associations in their

offices in Djiobuti ville, Tadjoura and Obock from December 28, 2019 to January 2, 2020.

During these visits, the program officer and monitoring and evaluation officer met with each

association to review their Rapid Assessment reports and Strategic Plans and provide

individualized feedback. The Sounah-al-Haya Association finalized its Assessment report and is

in the process of updating its Strategic Plan. As of the writing of this report, Al Fowza, Bender-

Djedid, ASF and ADIM are still in the process of revising their ERA reports and Strategic Plans.

On February 18the PRECAD team met with the president of the Al-Fowza association to review

and provide suggestions on Al-Fowza’s Strategic Plan. The PRECAD team then visited the

Association for the Integrated Development of Mabla (ADIM) at its headquarters in Djibouti

ville on February 19. The purpose of this meeting was to strengthen the working relationship

between ADIM and the PRECAD team and check on progress on collaborative activities.

During this meeting, the PRECAD COP and the president of ADIM discussed the development

of ADIM’s Strategic Plan the list of materials and equipment that ADIM needs in order to

strengthen its ability to respond to the needs of its target populations. With the arrival of

COVID-19 in Djibouti and the subsequent stay-at-home order issued by the Djiboutian

government, PRECAD transitioned to supporting associations remotely in finalizing their five-

year Strategic Plans from March forward.

Activity 1.2: Finalization of the Whole-System-in-the-Room report for the Health sector

During this reporting period, PRECAD finalized its report on the Whole-System-in-the-Room

(WSR) workshop focused on the Health Sector, which took place in November 2019. This WSR

workshop (Atelier de Consultation Multipartite in French) was co-hosted by PRECAD and the

Ministry of Health and focused on the roles and contributions of Djiboutian associations in

improving health services at the community level. In February, PRECAD finalized this report

and plans to distribute it to all WSR participants, including civil society, government ministries,

health care workers and donor organizations, in the upcoming quarter. Please see Annex B for

the complete report on the Health WSR.

Outcome 2: CSOs More Effectively Advocate for Gender Equality, Equitable Service

Delivery and Protection of Vulnerable Populations

Activity 2.2: Finalization of the Whole-System-in-the-Room report for the Gender Equity

and Social Inclusion sector



In addition to the Health WSR report, PRECAD also finalized its report on the WSR on Gender

Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) that took place in October 2019. This workshop was co-

hosted by PRECAD, the Ministry of Women and Family (MWF) and the National Agency for

Persons with Disabilities and focused on the roles and contributions of Djiboutian associations in

improving Gender Equity and Social Inclusion. In February, PRECAD finalized this report and

distributed it to all participants in the WSR, including civil society, government ministries and

donor organizations. Please see Annex C for the complete report on the GESI WSR.

Outcome 3: Improved Enabling Environment for Associations in Djibouti

Over the past year, PRECAD has conducted a series of three WSR workshops in the project’s

target sectors: Education, Health and GESI. Each of these workshops resulted in the creation of

four multisectoral working groups comprised of civil society organizations, government

representatives, private sector and donors. These working groups coalesced around priority

themes for improving services through collaborative action. The working groups have been

drafting action plans for improved service delivery in the Education, Health and GESI sectors.

This quarter, the Education working groups have taken the lead in developing concrete activities

that will be carried out by the group to improve Education services in Djibouti. Each working

group is headed by a Djiboutian civil society organization.

Activity 3.3: Strengthened Coalitions of Associations

Education Working Group Meetings

On February 13, PRECAD organized a meeting at the FHI 360 Djibouti Office for the four

Education Working Groups (Groupes Techniques Multi-sectoriels en Education / GTME in

French). The objective of the half-day meeting in February was to plan for the implementation of

activities in each working group’s action plan. The four working groups are organized around the

following themes:

• Group 1: Strengthening the capacity of associations working to improve educational

services.

• Group 2: Effective involvement of associations in the education sector.

• Group 3: Creating and facilitating partnership frameworks and synergy among different

stakeholders (MENFOP, PTAs, CSOs, TFPs, and other ministries).

• Group 4: Promoting a volunteer and collaborative culture that benefits the education

sector.

These working group meetings in February resulted in more clarity on the groups’ planned

activities, objectives and expected outcomes, as follows:

Group 1: Strengthening the capacity of associations working to improve educational

services – led by Association Al Fowza.



The first collaborative activity that the group has planned is: Raising awareness of actors in the

education sector on the roles and responsibilities of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and

School Management Committees (SMCs).

The task for the Working Group is to pilot awareness-raising sessions on improved governance

of community oversight of schools in three neighborhoods and four schools (including primary,

middle and secondary schools). The Working Group will draw from the laws governing PTAs

and School Management Committees in the creation of the session modules. These sessions will

help education stakeholders understand the importance of applying good governance principles

to the management of PTAs and SMCs, with a focus on how and why community members

should be involved in oversight of the school system. During these awareness-raising sessions,

the Working Group will inform PTA and SMC members on how their work in school oversight

promotes efficiency, fairness, transparency, accountability, compliance with legal framework

and wide participation of the community in the quality of education services in the schools in

their neighborhoods. This pilot activity will ultimately allow for scaling up awareness raising

activities more broadly and provide a clear structure of future activities.

Activity objectives:

• Strengthening community participation in PTAs,

• Promoting and reinforcing SMCs within schools, and

• Improving governance of school PTAs and SMCs.

Expected Outcomes:

• Community participation in PTAs is increased,

• Community members, teachers and parents are better aware of the role of PTAs and

SMCs, and

• Education stakeholders are equipped for better management of the PTAs and SMCs.

Group 2: Effective involvement of associations in the education sector – led by Association

Toha.

This quarter, this GMTE focused on its first collaborative activity, developing a partnership

agreement between the MENFOP and associations.

The overarching goal of this Working Group is to set up a partnership agreement (for example, a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)) between MENFOP and the Education sector CSOs.

This activity will focus on improving the collaboration between MENFOP and civil society,

resulting in a well-defined partnership agreement to enable MENFOP and partner CSOs to work

collaboratively in the implementation of activities in line with the national objectives of the

ministry. The agreement will establish specific roles and responsibilities between MENFOP and

partner associations which will allow a formal role for civil society in monitoring and providing

input on MENFOP activities, leading to a "result-oriented" intervention approach that allows

MENFOP and civil society groups to support each other in improving education services.

Activity objectives:



• Draft a partnership agreement between MENFOP and Education – focused associations

after detailing the stages of preparation and submission of the partnership agreement to

MENFOP.

Expected outcomes:

• Partnership agreement is drafted and shared with MENFOP for review,

• Meeting between MENFOP and civil society groups to discuss the agreement and

identify shared action items, and

• Developing a roadmap to MENFOP’s validation and signature of the agreement with

CSOs, along with a strategy to inform other actors in the education sector (school

directors, teachers, PTAs and SMCs) of the agreement and roles that CSOs can play in

improving education services in line with MENFOP’s strategy.

Group 3: Creating and facilitating partnership frameworks and synergy among different

stakeholders (MENFOP, PTAs, CSOs, TFPs, and other ministries) – led by Association

Mouhbani.

The first objective of this Working Group is to increase civic action on improved hygiene in

educational institutions.

In collaboration with civil society and MENFOP, this GTME will participate in the citizens’ day

organized by MENFOP on the last Saturday of each month. Citizens’ days focused on hygiene

will be piloted in six schools (two primary schools, two middle schools and two secondary

schools). Upon completion of this activity, the Working Group will evaluate the impact of the

implementation at the six pilot schools to expand into additional schools to scale up the activity

more widely. The group will also identify key stakeholders such as UNICEF, local mayors, and

ministries as collaborating partners for this activity.

Activities:

• Develop a program of citizen actions in schools on the theme of hygiene in the school

environment,

• Identify potential partners (DEGRA, UNICEF, Ministries, local governments, etc.), and

• Identify the six pilot schools (two primary, two middle and two secondary schools).

Expected Outcomes:

• A program of citizen actions in schools on the theme of hygiene in the school

environment is drafted and partners are identified,

• Creation of a provisional budget for the organization of two test days in April and May,

and

• Development of an action plan for the two test days in April and May.



Group 4: Promoting a volunteer and collaborative culture that benefits the Education

sector – led by ADIM.

The first activity planned for this GTME is a round table to promote a culture of volunteerism

and collaboration.

This Working Group will bring together key Education stakeholders for a roundtable to discuss

the promotion of a culture of volunteerism and collaboration in schools and between

stakeholders. The technical and financial partners (TFPs), including UNICEF, DEGRA, World

Bank, UNHCR, AFD and the GLPE will be invited and each partner association will be

represented for each region of the country (Arta, Obock; Tadjourah, Ali Sabieh, Dikhil) and the

five associations of Djibouti ville.

Activities:

• Identify the place and date of organization of the round table, and

• Identify the presenters, facilitators and participants and decide on the format of the round

table, and

• Budget the organization and plan the implementation of the round table.

Expected outcomes:

• Organize a roundtable on promoting community culture and volunteerism, and

• Document recommendations from the round table on promoting a collaborative culture of

volunteerism.

The successful implementation of the above-mentioned Working Group activities will advance

the USAID mission objective to improve delivery of education services. During the month of

March, PRECAD and the Working Group focal points continued working to plan for these

activities. However, due to the global pandemic, the implementation of these activities has been

postponed until group members are able to meet using virtual platforms or the general

confinement is ended in Djibouti.

Meetings of the Working Groups for Health and GESI have been postponed due to COVID-19,

but FHI 360 hopes for them to resume using online platforms next quarter.

Creation of a PRECAD Partner Association Network WhatsApp Group

On March 24, PRECAD created a WhatsApp group that brings together members of all 12

PRECAD partner associations. The objective of this initiative is to create a network of PRECAD

partner associations to encourage and promote collaboration, share information and understand

the needs of the associations in the context of COVID-19. WhatsApp was chosen as the platform

for this group because it is easily accessible for those who have low-bandwidth internet

connections and it is already widely used in Djibouti as mode of communication. This group

consists of members of PRECAD partner associations, focal points from partner ministries

(MoH, MWF, MENFOP), and non-PRECAD associations which have been involved in

PRECAD’s activities and events. Since its creation, this group has been very active through the



sharing of relevant and timely information and most importantly it has been a key point of

contact for the mobilization of COVID-19 response efforts between associations. In the coming

quarter, PRECAD is planning to build on this momentum as we transition to virtual

implementation of project activities and communication with partner associations and ministries

using platforms such as WhatsApp, Teams, Zoom and Skype instead of in-person meetings.

Delivering equipment and supplies to partner associations

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, PRECAD has decided to focus its institutional support for

civil society partners to equip association staff for remote work. Currently, many of our partners

are facing difficulty in connecting with FHI 360 and each other. PRECAD will provide computer

equipment and internet connections for its partners to allow them to work from home during the

period of confinement. The procurement process for this equipment began this quarter, and we

expect to purchase and distribute this much-needed equipment to partner associations next

quarter.

Coordination with other donor programs

Meeting with UNICEF

Last quarter, Ms. Fatoumata Ali Ibrahim, the UNICEF representative who participated in the

Advanced Participatory Methods (APM) training, suggested a partnership between UNICEF and

PRECAD to explore providing this training on advanced facilitation techniques to UNICEF’s

local government partners. This quarter, the PRECAD COP met with UNICEF to discuss this

potential partnership.

On February 20, the PRECAD and UNICEF representatives built a common understanding of

the purpose of the partnership and decided that future activities would include the partners of

both organizations in order to foster a greater level of collaboration between CSOs and local

government officials in Djibouti.

The following activity themes were suggested and discussed with UNICEF as potential areas for

joint trainings including both civil society and local governments:

1. Educating parents on school related issues

2. Promoting women’s rights and women’s empowerment

3. Promoting positive discipline in schools to discourage harmful punishment practices

4. Promoting breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child’s life

5. Raising awareness about the benefits of birth in a medical facility

6. Health and hygiene sessions on

a. Management of diarrhea at home

b. Handwashing with soap

c. Child vaccinations

Meeting with the Ministry of Decentralization



On February 9, the PRECAD COP met with a representative of the Ministry of Decentralization.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the possibility synergy between PRECAD’s partner

associations and the Ministry of Decentralization through a partnership for work in local

municipalities. This potential partnership with the Ministry of Decentralization would deepen the

relationship between PRECAD’s partner associations and local government bodies, reinforcing

the enabling environment for CSOs in Djibouti. It was agreed that if the PRECAD project is

extended beyond September 30, 2020, the Ministry would be interested in co-hosting a WSR

workshop with PRECAD, inviting all of the PRECAD partner associations, local government

representatives, donors and other relevant stakeholders.

Meeting with USAID and the U.S. Army

In March, PRECAD was approached by USAID regarding an opportunity to work in

collaboration with UNFD and the US Army on a project focused on combatting female genital

mutilation (FGM). To discuss this collaboration, a meeting was held on March 8, 2020 between

the PRECAD COP, Richard Jez SSG US ARMY AFRICOM CJTF-HOA (USA), and the

USAID AOR, Alpha Souleymane Diallo. During this meeting, Mr. Jez indicated that the U.S.

Army is interested launching a campaign to reduce FGM in Djibouti by concentrating in rural

areas, where the number of women affected by FGM is still high. In the next quarter, PRECAD

will continue this discussion.

COVID-19 Impact on PRECAD Project Activities

To respond to the realities of COVID-19 and related stay at home orders, PRECAD has adapted

its workplan and redesigned program activities for virtual implementation. As a result, certain

scheduled activities for this quarter have either been redesigned for virtual implementation or

postponed to a later date, once the situation has stabilized. This is further explained in the table

below.

Activity Pre -COVID 19 timeline Updated timeline

Meet with the MWF and the four GESI multisectoral Working Groups to define and detail the priority activities of each group.

Late March – Early April June

Meet with the MOH and the four health Working Groups to define and detail the priority activities of each group.

Late March – Early April June / July

Organize a one-day exhibition

forum for the 12 associations to

present their work under

PRECAD and their five-year

Strategic Plans.

Late March – Early April Scheduled for post COVID-19

Implementation

Launch the capacity strengthening sessions for all 12 associations.

March – April Redesigned for virtual implementation and will be implemented in the upcoming quarter



In collaboration with UNICEF, organize a training of facilitators in advanced participatory methods (APMs) for the 12 partner associations, neighborhood committees, and local elected authorities who partner with UNICEF

Late March – Early April June

Support the activities prioritized

by the four Education Working

Groups, in cooperation with

MENFOP, USAID, and each

group leader (Al Fowza, Toha,

Mouhbani, AADO).

Meeting held February 13 to identify and plan activities. Activity implementation originally planned for March 2020.

Activities redesigned to support MENFOP’s COVID-19 response. New activities to be implemented in April and May. Original activities scheduled for post COVID-19 Implementation

Implementation Challenges

The table below summarizes challenges PRECAD encountered during the quarter under review

and the approaches/solutions applied to overcome them.

Challenge Solution

Difficulty in securing commitment of associations to meet their commitments to finalize documents (ERA Report and Strategic Plans)

To address this issue a technical assistance mission was organized in December 2019 and January 2020. PRECAD also employed several modes of communication (calls, emails, WhatsApp, and in person visits) to adapt to the busy schedules of the volunteer members of the partner associations.

Carrying out capacity-building activities and technical support to ADIM and ASF: these two associations have not shown much initiative in holding workshops to work on their five-year strategical plans.

Following up with the Presidents of each organization individually to share templates and other relevant documents related drafting a Strategic Plan. PRECAD will continue to follow up with these organizations and adjust our approach based their needs and availability.

Finding ways to continue our work with the associations during the period of confinement and social distancing related to COVID-19.

Adapting the project workplan to support virtual implementation of project activities and reassessing the needs of partner associations and putting measures in place to enable associations to work remotely (please see Annex D for details).

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (PMEP) Update

PRECAD made progress this quarter in increasing collaboration between civil society and

government bodies, primarily through its multisectoral working groups. Through the working

groups, joint trainings and the WhatsApp network, Djiboutian government officials and civil

society representatives have started seeing each other as peers working for a common purpose.



Evidence of improved collaboration amongst CSOs and between CSOs and government is

demonstrated through increased scores in the Outcome 1 indicators 1-3 in the PITT below

(please see Annex A).

A mid-term evaluation of partner associations’ capacity using the Evaluation Rapide des

Associations (ERA) tool was planned for late March but had to be postponed due to COVID-19

restrictions.

USAID external evaluation of PRECAD by NORC / University of Chicago

As part of an overall evaluation of the effectiveness of the Strengthening Civil Society Globally

LWA mechanism, three individual Associate Awards were selected as case studies for field visits

by the NORC / University of Chicago evaluation team: SCS Kenya, SCS Zambia and SCS

Djibouti. SCS Djibouti was selected as an example of a civil society strengthening intervention

in a closed civic space. In February, the headquarters-based team held several meetings with the

NORC evaluators to present the scope and history of the project, and key accomplishments and

challenges faced. Throughout the month of February, the PRECAD team set up meetings for the

evaluators in Djibouti, so that NORC could speak to local stakeholders, partners, government

officials and USAID to discuss the impact of the PRECAD project. On February 27, the SCS

Djibouti team met NORC evaluator, Ms. Susan Abbot, to present PRECAD’s achievements,

answer questions and hold a discussion on the operating environment. During this three-day field

mission, the evaluator met several partners, USAID representatives and PRECAD staff,

including:

1. Alpha Souleymane Diallo, USAID AOR

2. Loula Ali Elabé: Director of Basic Education of MENFOP, member of Multisectoral

Working Groups from the ACM EDUCATION

3. Fatouma Ali, Director of Mother and Child Health, Ministry of Health

4. Fardouza Ahmed Ali, Director of Prospective and Territorial Development of the State

Secretariat in charge of Decentralization.

5. Daoud Houmed Mohamed, General Controller of the NGO EVA, member of the

Multisectoral Working Groups from the ACM EDUCATION

6. Mouna Aboubaker-Sadik, Director of prevention, communication and cooperation at the

National Agency for People with Disabilities (ANPH)

7. Oumayma Abdallah, President of the association Sounna Al Haya

FHI 360 awaits the results of this evaluation and is open to any recommendations or

improvements suggested by NORC and USAID that may improve civil society effectiveness in

this closed civic space.



SECTION C: MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

Extension of PRECAD project through September 30, 2020

On February 19, FHI 360 received approval (modification 6) from USAID on an extension of the

PRECAD program at no cost, through September 30, 2020.

PRECAD Vehicle Transfer to MENFOP

Last quarter, USAID requested that PRECAD process an early disposition of its project vehicle

to USAID, allowing USAID to provide MENFOP with vehicles needed for supervision of

schools in the various regions of Djibouti. On March 2, PRECAD transferred the vehicle to

USAID upon approval of its disposition plan. Subsequently, FHI 360 rented a vehicle to support

the implementation of project activities.

Adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the GoDj’s subsequent response in

instituting social distancing measures (please refer to figure 1), PRECAD initiated and

participated in a teleworking test with the other FHI 360 projects in Djibouti, DEGRA and

LINKAGES. This test was conducted on March 19. The results of this test enabled PRECAD to

begin working on an alternative workplan given the constraints, a draft of which is attached in

Annex D. Also related to the pandemic, FHI 360 submitted PRECAD’s coronavirus contingency

plan to USAID on March 17 and proposed several ideas for potential supplemental funding

related to second order effects of the pandemic to USAID on April 2, 2020.

SECTION D: LESSONS LEARNED

PRECAD is learning that government ministries collaborate more effectively with strong,

professional CSOs than with weak organizations. Thanks to PRECAD’s training and coaching

sessions, our civil society partners have increased their level of operational capacity which has

earned many of them the trust and confidence of the government.

Another key lesson learned this quarter was the importance of leveraging multi-sector technical

working groups to strengthen links between sectors, partner associations and partner ministries.

This was seen very clearly in how quickly the partner associations were able to use the

collaborative relationships previously established through the working groups to mount a joint

COVID-19 response effort.

Finally, this quarter we expanded our use of IT technologies and solutions to continue

implementation of project activities despite the challenging context presented by the global

pandemic. We further expanded upon our ability to flexibly respond as the situation and needs

change.

SECTION E: PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER

During the upcoming quarter (April 1–June 30), PRECAD will continue strengthening

collaboration between government ministries (MENFOP, MoH and MWF) and civil society, as

well as supporting civil society partners to reach a level of professionalism where they can



receive and manage donor funds directly. In response to COVID-19 PRECAD will use an

adapted workplan that supports virtual implementation of project activities including supporting

partner associations and government ministries in their response to the pandemic. Lastly, because

PRECAD is entering the final six months of its project, FHI 360 will begin project close-out in

the upcoming quarter. Program activities planned next quarter under each objective are detailed

in Annex D, and summarized here:

Outcome 1: Accountable governance better integrated into Education and Health sectors

• Strengthening the capacity of partner associations through the finalization of their five-

year strategic plans

• In response to the Ministry of Education’s needs assessment and national COVID-19

strategy, PRECAD will carry out three activities:

1. Distribution of IT and audio-visual software to all 4-partner associations in the

Education sector.

2. Support to all four partner associations who work in the Education sector to

reproduce hard copies of official national education modules. Distribution will be

carried out by these four local partners in close cooperation with the GTME and

Education inspectors, in their respective regions (Al Fowza and UDC (Djibouti

City), AADO (Obock), Mouhbani (Tadjoura)

3. In cooperation with partner associations, DEGRA and the GTME, PRECAD will

distribute 347 solar radios to students in all five regions, to enable students to

follow the Ministry of Education courses broadcasted on the radio. Beneficiaries

have been defined according to specific criteria defined by GTME, Education

inspection and Parent-Teacher associations. 27 radios will be distributed to people

with disabilities, thought the ANPH.

• Trainings, technical assistance, and coaching/mentoring based on capacity assessment

global report to be adapted for training via online platforms.

Outcome 2: Civil society organizations (CSOs) more effectively advocate for gender

equality, equitable service delivery, and protection of vulnerable populations

• Strengthen the capacity of four associations in GESI Mainstreaming through the

integration of a GESI component in all four trainings delivered to partner associations.

Outcome 3: Improved enabling environment for CSOs in Djibouti

• Provide support to the multi-actor Health Working Groups – PRECAD will support at

least two working groups to define and carry out one priority activity, linked to COVID-

19.



• PRECAD will continue leading the project’s two WhatsApp groups which constitute the

main channel of communication and exchange of information with partners during lock-

down, on training organization, information about COVID-19 and exchanges of tools

• PRECAD support to all three Ministries’ (MoH, MoE, MWF) COVID-19 strategy

through our partner associations which will enhance civil society and government

relationships

• Provide support to the GESI Working Groups and the Ministry of Women and Family by

supporting one Working Group to define and carry out one priority activity, linked to

COVID-19



Documents

SCS Djibouti Civil Society Organizations Strengthening