2nd Quarter Report, FY2016: Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, Resilience and Gender Equity (SAPLING)

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP). The project's primary objectives are to increase equitable access to income and nutritious food for both males and females, improve the nutritional status of children under five years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls, and prepare institutions and households to respond effectively to shocks. To achieve these objectives, the project will implement a range of activities, including farmer training programs, infrastructure development, market linkage facilitation, and social behavior change communication. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2016, the SAPLING team focused on administrative activities, including recruiting and on-boarding staff, negotiating the Host Country Agreement (HCA) with the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA), and setting up project offices in Bandarban Sadar and three satellite upazila offices. The team also developed key project documents, including the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), a revised Theory of Change (TOC), Log Frame (LF), and Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT). The SAPLING team participated in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and baseline workshops facilitated by Food for Peace (FFP) and contributed to the finalization of the baseline study to be led by a third party contracted directly by USAID. The team also contributed to the USAID-conducted resilience study and accompanied the consultant hired to conduct research on his visit to the World Vision-managed FFP program implementation area in southwestern Bangladesh. By the end of the quarter, the majority of staff recruitment processes were complete or coming to fruition, with key positions filled, including the Chief of Party, Purpose 1 manager and deputy manager, Purpose 2 manager and deputy manager, and environmental specialist. The consortium members provided brief organizational and project orientations to newly recruited staff and developed an on-boarding and technical training program for all staff. Although a significant level of effort was involved in drafting and negotiating the HCA, it was still not signed by the end of the reporting period, preventing the initiation of field-level activities. However, the preparatory work was well underway, and will support a quick rollout of activities as soon as the HCA is signed. The SAPLING project will implement a range of activities, including farmer training programs, infrastructure development, market linkage facilitation, and social behavior change communication, to achieve its primary objectives of increasing equitable access to income and nutritious food, improving nutritional status, and preparing institutions and households to respond effectively to shocks. The project will focus on the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, where families are under constant threat of natural and human-made disasters. The project's implementation will be guided by a revised Theory of Change (TOC), Log Frame (LF), and Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT), which will be completed in the coming quarter. The SAPLING team will also develop implementation guidelines, the M&E Plan, and the revised IY2 Pipeline and Resource Estimate Proposal (PREP), all of which will support the project's activities and ensure its effective implementation.