2021 Annual Work Plan for Inclusive Socio-Economic Development for the Beni Mellal-Khénifra Region (ISED-BMK)

The project is a result of co-designing an initiative with regional stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector, and academic community, to respond directly to the priorities expressed by regional stakeholders. The ISED-BMK vision is driven by its commitment to address challenges collaboratively so that the region, by 2025, will have achieved faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth where vulnerable and marginalized populations benefit disproportionately. The ISED-BMK project identifies four key challenges affecting the region's social and economic development: the weak participation of women in the workforce and in local governance, the inadequate targeting of youth to help them build their assets, agency and leadership skills, the marginalization of people with disabilities, and the isolation of rural mountain communities. The project plans to address these issues systemically and to co-implement activities with the full engagement of BMK stakeholders. The ISED-BMK vision includes a strong emphasis on innovation and piloting to demonstrate new ways of programming, creative ways to build synergies between governance and economic growth, and to experiment with approaches that may serve as a model for other regions. The first Annual Work Plan (AWP) of the ISED-BMK project covers the initial three-month start-up phase and first nine months of full program implementation from December 8, 2020 to December 7, 2021. The AWP provides a strategic framework and implementation strategy, assesses the strategic context and its potential impact on project objectives, describes the work to be done for each planned activity and expected Year 1 results, assesses risks and indicates risk mitigation initiatives, and identifies potential synergies with other projects funded by development partners and/or the Government of Morocco (GOM). The AWP demonstrates how the project will achieve its objectives and contribute to the ISED-BMK vision. The ISED-BMK project will be implemented by Family Health International 360 (FHI 360) as the prime implementing partner, in partnership with Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC), Mississippi State University (MSU), and the Association Al Intilaka pour le développement, l’environnement et la culture Afourer (AIDECA). The project will engage with various stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector, and academic community, to co-implement activities and address the identified challenges. The project's geographic coverage will be the Beni Mellal-Khénifra Region of the Kingdom of Morocco in about 40 communities to be identified during Year 1. The ISED-BMK project's implementation strategy will focus on addressing the four key challenges identified by regional stakeholders. The project will implement activities to promote women's participation in the workforce and local governance, target youth to build their assets, agency and leadership skills, and address the marginalization of people with disabilities. The project will also work to reduce the isolation of rural mountain communities and promote inclusive growth and development in the region. The project's implementation will be guided by a strong emphasis on innovation and piloting, and will aim to demonstrate new ways of programming and creative ways to build synergies between governance and economic growth. The ISED-BMK project's expected Year 1 results include the establishment of a project Steering Committee, the development of a five-year cascading communications strategy, and the implementation of activities to address the four key challenges identified by regional stakeholders. The project will also conduct a midterm evaluation to assess its progress and identify areas for improvement. The project's exit strategy is to leave the BMK region with more energized sub-national government institutions and civil society organizations that are better able to interact with women, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in rural and urban areas, thereby creating a self-sustaining virtuous circle of accelerating inclusive growth and development.