FADCANIC Capacity Building Activity Quarterly Report July 1- September 30, 2012

The Foundation for the Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast (FADCANIC) is a civil society, non-governmental organization located in the multi-ethnic region of Caribbean Nicaragua. FADCANIC is a major implementer of development projects in this region, with a focus on environmental, agricultural, education, and youth development programs. AIR provides FADCANIC with technical assistance in institutional and programmatic areas to manage USAID funds according to USAID standards. The objective of the activity is to strengthen FADCANIC's capacity to manage USAID funds and comply with USAID's complex requirements for adequate program implementation, including reporting and achieving results. AIR assists FADCANIC in developing management practices in the areas of administration and finance, personnel management, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic planning. During the July-September 2012 period, activities under each result were implemented. In the area of administration and finance, a baseline report for the baseline evaluation of relevant areas was finalized and submitted. A local consultant conducted an evaluation and follow-up about the implementation of FADCANIC manuals on policy, norms, and procedures for administrative and financial affairs. The evaluation consisted of individual evaluations of staff's knowledge and implementation practices of the policies and norms spelled out in the manuals. The evaluation was carried out in two phases, with an initial evaluation and gathering of information about the extent to which different staff members had been involved with using the manuals, followed by a second phase in which participants were directed to re-read the manuals and complete the evaluation forms again with feedback. The evaluation took a long time to complete due to its personalized character, the three locations in which it had to be carried out, and the time constraints of the interviewees. The results of the evaluation showed that all the evaluated staff members improved their capacity from basic to moderate, with staff members in the administrative-finance area improving their capacity from moderate to strong. A refresher workshop was conducted with the finance manager and EduExito accountant about USAID policies, norms, and procedures in the finance and administrative areas. Materials were developed and shared with the participants for future reference. A follow-up review was conducted on FADCANIC staff work contracts in August, which showed positive results, including the development of a model contract according to the requirements of the Ministry of Labor and the implementation status of the contract for all staff members, with only a few regions not yet fully completed. Activities planned for the next quarter include receiving training on TraiNet, gathering necessary detailed information from all consultants and data entry, working in coordination with Thalia Coe to determine what procedures may need modification based on the findings of the evaluation, and preparing training materials about admin-finance procedures in accordance with the manuals. In the area of personnel management, the human resources baseline report was finalized for inclusion into the PMP. The HR specialist worked with the strategic planning specialist to identify and list main activities and action items to be implemented as part of the 5-year strategic plan for FADCANIC. Training materials for FADCANIC managers and employees were prepared, with a pilot to take place in November 2012 for both RAAN and RAAS. The FADCANIC Capacity Building Activity is expected to continue until September 2013, with major activities ending in June 2013 and some reserved for the close-out of the entire EQUIP1 mechanism. The activity aims to strengthen FADCANIC's capacity to manage USAID funds and comply with USAID's complex requirements for adequate program implementation, including reporting and achieving results.