Civil Society for Accountable Governance and Citizen Security Project Quarterly Report – Year 1 January 2016 – March 2016

Agency for International Development (USAID) under the framework of the Global Civil Society Strengthening Leader with Associates (GCSS-LWA) Agreement. The overall goal of the Project is to strengthen and develop the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Guatemala to play a more effective role in addressing accountability, transparency, and anti-corruption related issues. The Project will support and build the capacity of CSOs through two complementary and mutually reinforcing objectives: Objective 1: Support Targeted CSOs' Efforts to Promote Accountable Governance and Combat Corruption; and Objective 2: Strengthen Institutional and Technical Capacity of Targeted CSOs. The Project is implemented by Counterpart International Inc. (Counterpart) in partnership with Palladium, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). This report covers the second quarter (Q2), January - March, 2016, of Project Year One (Y1) of the Project's implementation. In Q2, the Project moved beyond initial start-up and began engaging with local civil society partners and key stakeholders, expanding its outreach to CSOs beyond its initial mapping of CSOs carried out in Q1. The mapping exercise was undertaken to determine the CSOs' relative capacity and sectors of expertise such that Counterpart could ascertain their ability to become subgrantees and undertake the activities of the Project. This mapping of CSOs served as the basis for narrowing, but not limiting, the identification of future potential Project subgrantees and partners (to be identified in the next quarter), as well as areas for coordination and coalition-building amongst CSOs and key stakeholders. Additionally, the Project initiated both one-on-one and group meetings with CSOs at large to introduce them to the Project's objectives and to outline upcoming opportunities for Guatemalan CSOs to engage in both anti-corruption/transparency advocacy initiatives and in their own organizational development (OD). It was important to orient CSOs on the Project, emphasizing its unique OD-focus since historically funding has been primarily activity-based, with many of the established Guatemalan CSOs (e.g. Acción Ciudadana, ASIES, and Fundación Myrna Mack) having been recipients of international funding in one form or another since the signing of the 1996 Guatemalan Peace Accords, or even before. The Project also facilitated the first meeting of a core group of four local CSOs ready to engage with the Project, marking a significant milestone in the Project's implementation. The Project's objectives are aligned with the Government of Guatemala's (GOG) efforts to strengthen civil society and promote transparency and accountability. The Project's focus on organizational development (OD) is critical in building the capacity of CSOs to effectively engage in advocacy and policy reform initiatives. By supporting the development of CSOs, the Project aims to contribute to a more inclusive and participatory governance process in Guatemala.