FOOD SECURITY SERVICE CENTER II QUARTERLY REPORT October 2021 – December 2021

Agency for International Development's (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) in implementing the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS). FSSC II is led by the International Development Group (IDG) and draws on the expertise of 11 federal agencies. During the quarter from October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, the FSSC II team managed ongoing assignments and responded to new requests from RFS with high-quality professionals. The team's rapid response and superior customer service are hallmarks of the FSSC II program. Key highlights during the quarter include the expansion of the FSSC II database, which houses CVs of professionals in virtually every area of food security. At the end of the quarter, the FSSC II database had 523 professionals registered, a 7% increase from the previous quarterly report. The database continues to be the key recruiting tool for the team, with 93% of consultants placed on RFS assignments recruited from the database. The team carries out regular maintenance of the database and updates consultant profiles to ensure it meets USAID's needs. The FSSC II team also achieved swift placement of consultants, with 36 active assignments and 46 consultants working on assignments at the end of the quarter. Consultants are recruited, negotiated, and contracted within two weeks of receiving the Statement of Work (SOW) from USAID, but the consultant cannot start work until clearance is granted by the Security Office (SEC), which can take approximately 4-6 weeks. In addition, the FSSC II team added 35 new professionals with expertise in gender, knowledge management, and communication, among other areas, to the database during the quarter. The team emphasizes quality over quantity of consultants in the database, with only consultants who meet requirements invited to join. FSSC II's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan outlined three indicators to be measured and reported on a quarterly basis. The first indicator is the percent of technical assistance requests received and responded to by the FSSC II, with 9 new requests received and responded to during the quarter. The second indicator is the percent of consultant contracts executed within 48 hours of the FSSC II receiving USAID's Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) approval, with 82% of consultants hired within 48 hours of COR approval. The third indicator is the number of knowledge products disseminated through the USAID Development Clearinghouse (DEC) and in partnership with Agrilinks and other existing platforms, with seven documents requested for posting to the DEC and five approved by the COR. Finally, the FSSC II team arranged travel for three consultants during the quarter, although travel has not resumed for most consultants due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.