FY 22/23 Q1 PROGRESS REPORT: Resilience Population-level Measurement Activity

The program aims to develop and test user-centered resilience measurement approaches in USAID's focal zone in Somalia. RPM uses population-level resilience measurements and a participatory approach to facilitate the use of resilience-oriented result frameworks as a common entry point to unpack resilience concerns. The program was designed to collaboratively explore and test solutions for user-centered resilience measurement in USAID's focal zone. RPM will help stakeholders better align their interventions to a shared resilience vision, while strengthening the foundation for a collective impact in Somalia's recurrent and protracted crisis context. In the reported quarter, RPM conducted the second and final part of the workshop for cohort 3, involving Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG), Transition Initiatives for Stabilization (TIS3), and Evaluation, Learning, and Monitoring Initiative (ELMI) activities. This marked the successful completion of resilience learning journey workshops for an additional 21 participants from the four activities, bringing the total trained to 59. Further to this, preparatory activities for the upcoming ambitious "Decision Support System" (DSS) were put in place, involving in-depth panel data analysis and sourcing of supplementary data using APIs and data science. The goal was to present the collected information on an interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) in the subsequent quarter for stakeholders, including an easy-to-use decision support system for USAID Somalia implementing partners. Objective Two of the program focuses on foundational activities, including conducting formative research to inform the design of the panel and mixed-methods recurrent monitoring survey (RMS) instruments and obtaining ethical approval from both Somali and US institutions to conduct these surveys. Year 2 activities also focus on designing and implementing the first round of the panel and mixed-methods RMS, analyzing the data, and producing user-centered and tailored learning products. During the reporting quarter, RPM undertook a comprehensive data analysis process, including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Key outcomes from this analysis were distilled into key messages using a topline findings template. A findings workshop was convened on November 19, 2023, at Airport Hotel to present the panel survey findings to USAID implementing partners, who provided valuable feedback contributing significantly to the panel data analysis and the interpretations and recommendations workshops. RPM also conducted a Humanitarian Assistance Averted analysis kickoff meeting attended by USAID/Somalia, which facilitated introductions to implementing partners (IPs) such as IRiS, RECOVER, BRCiS, Durable Solutions, Bar Ama Baro (BAB), Stabilization Through Education Program (STEP), and Adolescent Girls' Education in Somalia (AGES). The design firm submitted a detailed timeline that accommodates all consultations with the IPs and shared the consultation guide for semi-structured interviews with IPs. The Somalia Resilience Population Measurement (RPM) Activity is a five-year program that seeks to improve existing approaches to resilience measurement to inform program adaptations and decision-making among implementers, donors, and government representatives. RPM aims to develop and test a resilience measurement system on collective resilience outcomes at a population-level and build the capacity of participating stakeholders to estimate their individual contributions to resilience outcomes in USAID's focal zone. Through RPM's activities, stakeholders will explore the extent to which resilience capacities and wellbeing outcomes change over time and probe how resilience stakeholders in the CDCS Focal Zone may or may not be contributing to this change. The program's objective is to develop and test user-centered resilience measurement approaches in USAID's focal zone in Somalia. The program's progress on implementation is as follows: Objective 1: Participating stakeholders can estimate individual contributions to collective resilience. Outcome 1.1: Participating stakeholders increase their understanding and use of resilience measurement practices, achieving Resilience Learning Journey competencies and milestones. Output 1.1.1: Participating stakeholders are supported to achieve Resilience Learning Journey competencies and milestones through training and capacity-building activities. Output 1.1.2: Participating stakeholders are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to estimate individual contributions to collective resilience outcomes. Output 1.1.3: Participating stakeholders are able to apply resilience measurement practices to inform program adaptations and decision-making. Objective 2: Foundational activities are conducted to inform the design of the panel and mixed-methods RMS instruments and obtain ethical approval from both Somali and US institutions. The