Capacity Development and Support Program (CDS) Quarterly Progress Report October 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015

The program aims to strengthen the capacity of the South African Government (SAG) and indigenous organizations to address key development challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health. The CDS project has four main components. Component One focuses on grant award and management, with a focus on contracts, consultants, and sub-recipient monitoring. In the reporting period, the project awarded grants to several partners and monitored their progress. The project also conducted a data quality assessment (DQA) for USAID's OVCY partners. Component Two focuses on institutional capacity development of indigenous organizations. In the reporting period, the project supported the development of a gender mainstreaming curriculum and conducted a study on violence against women (VAW). The project also provided technical assistance to indigenous organizations on organizational development and HIV prevention. Component Three has two sub-components. Component Three A focuses on capacity building assistance to the SAG, with a focus on recruitment and placement of Technical Advisors (TAs). In the reporting period, the project recruited and placed several TAs with the SAG. The project also developed and implemented a performance management framework (PMF) to support the SAG's capacity development. Component Three B focuses on the Nutrition Assessment, Counselling and Support (NACS) program. In the reporting period, the project conducted policy and advocacy work to promote a national multisectoral approach to reducing malnutrition. The project also provided training to community health workers on NACS implementation and distributed nutrition essential supplies. Component Four focuses on monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning. In the reporting period, the project completed a baseline assessment of the Early Childhood Household Stimulation (ECHS) program and conducted DQAs for USAID's OVCY partners. The project also rolled out a community-based interventions monitoring system (CBIMS) desktop database and implemented data exchange with the OVCY database. The CDS project has made significant progress in the reporting period, with achievements in all four components. The project has strengthened the capacity of the SAG and indigenous organizations to address key development challenges, and has made significant contributions to the reduction of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health in South Africa.