DEC Express - January 2015

The Agriculture & Food Security sector features several documents, including a price watch report for October 2014 and a post-harvest handling and storage project final report. The USAID county profile on property rights and resource governance in South Sudan is also included in this sector. In the Democracy, Human Rights & Governance sector, a series of risk assessments on violent extremism and insurgency in various countries, including Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, southern Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Bangladesh, are highlighted. These assessments aim to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with violent extremism and insurgency. The Environment & Global Climate Change sector features a USAID climate change adaptation plan for FY15, a project completion report on the rehabilitation and conservation of the Romblon Passage Marine Corridor, and a study on consumer preference and willingness to pay for improved cookstoves in Bangladesh. The Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment sector includes a comprehensive assessment of Afghan women's needs and a women's empowerment in agriculture assessment in Indonesia. The Global Health sector features a report on the quality and consistency of DHS fertility estimates from 1990 to 2012, an audit of USAID/Nicaragua's HIV/AIDS prevention program, and a publication on global health science and practice. The Science, Technology & Innovation sector highlights partnerships for enhanced engagement in research, a Q&A with Alex Dehgan on the USAID Global Development Lab, and experimental forecasts on water levels in Bangladesh. The USAID Planning & Management sector features a review of direct assistance processes and controls, a new model for development, and a country development cooperation strategy for Kenya. The Water & Sanitation sector includes a report on Afghanistan's water sector, a performance evaluation of the integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene program in Tanzania, and a final report on the sustainable water supply and sanitation project in Zambia. The Working in Crises & Conflict sector features an analysis of USAID-BEST in Bangladesh, an audit of USAID/Colombia's consolidation and enhanced livelihood initiative, and a report on peace dialogues for a sustainably stable Ethiopia.