Collective Action to Reduce Gender-Based Violence (CARE-GBV) Quarterly Report April 1 – June 30, 2021

The objective of CARE-GBV is to strengthen the gender-based violence (GBV) portfolio across USAID through the development of minimum standards for addressing GBV within USAID, strategic plans, research, training, and professional networking support. CARE-GBV aims to achieve results through innovative approaches that build on the extensive pool of resources already developed by USAID and its implementing partners (IPs), as well as the knowledge and resources created by other donors and organizations. The task order centers on strengthening USAID's collective prevention and response in GBV development programming across the Agency and addresses the following objectives: Objective 1, Objective 2, Objective 3, Objective 4, and Objective 5. CARE-GBV also added a cross-cutting task to help achieve these objectives, which involves providing a context analysis to understand what promotes and what constrains USAID GBV programming. During this quarter, CARE-GBV accomplished several key tasks. Under Objective 1, the team developed a draft outline of the Foundational Elements (FEs) for integrated and standalone GBV programming in development contexts, received feedback from USAID, and revised the draft accordingly. They also developed a theory of change for the FEs and applied USAID feedback on a desk review to inform the development of a survivor-centered how-to note. Under Objective 2, the team presented interactive child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM) and female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) maps to USAID for feedback, adapted the maps to a story structure for easier accessibility, and submitted the maps and a dissemination plan to USAID for clearance. Under Objective 3, the team finalized and disseminated a how-to note, "How to Identify and Advance Equitable Social Norms," began the literature review for updating the Toolkit for Monitoring and Evaluating Gender-Based Violence Interventions Along the Relief-to-Development Continuum, and hired a consultant to design and advise on digital/virtual learning strategies and solutions. Under Objective 4, the team organized and delivered a two-day learning event, "Gender-Based Violence and Social Norms," on May 28-29, 2021, for the USAID GBV CoP and other USAID staff, presented on the CARE-GBV Small Grants Program, the donor collaboration meeting, and the social norms how-to note at three GBV CoP meetings, translated "How to Identify and Advance Equitable Social Norms" into French, and supported USAID, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund to organize and convene a GBV Donor Collaboration Meeting on April 27, 2021. Under Objective 5, the team identified 12 semi-finalists for the Small Grants Program on April 16, 2021, and six semi-finalists on May 26, 2021, submitted semi-finalist applications to USAID for mission concurrence, and notified grantees of their acceptances. The cross-cutting task involved completing 46 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 18 focus group discussions (FGDs) with USAID staff and 8 KIIs with IPs in 12 country missions and 5 regional platforms, hiring an additional qualitative assistant to support transcription, and recruiting an additional CARE-GBV staff member to help transcribe the data.