GENDER INTEGRATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE II (GITA II) TASK ORDER YEAR 1 - QUARTERLY REPORT NO. 1

The task order applies expertise in gender research and practice to the process of designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating USAID strategies, projects, and activities to reduce the gender and women's empowerment gaps that impede development outcomes. Banyan Global is working with USAID to develop standard operating procedures to improve overall workflow and ensure overall compliance. The agreed-upon procedures include bi-weekly meetings between Banyan Global and USAID to discuss GITA-II developments and provide updates, and the development of a work order tracking system on Google Drive to follow the status of current and future work orders under GITA II. During this quarter, Banyan Global received notification of three new work orders from USAID's GenDev Office, including work orders for USAID/Ghana, USAID/Kenya, and USAID/Serbia. Banyan Global is currently working to finalize work order checklists for these work orders with the respective missions. Additionally, Banyan Global received an obligation for an upcoming Women's Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative work order, which was used to cover the food and beverage costs for the W-GDP Fireside Chat and Reception held during the Breaking Gender Barriers: Taking USAID's Programming to the Next Level Conference. Under GITA-II, Banyan Global is partnering with USAID on multiple upcoming work orders, including GITA II Primary, which captures work carried out that is directly related to work order preparation. This includes kick-off calls with USAID missions to carry out preliminary discussions on the scope of work and budget for future work orders, and the development and finalization of the scope of work and budget, travel approval requests, and the deliverables calendar. Banyan Global is also partnering with USAID/Ghana to conduct a gender analysis and assessment to inform the Mission's 2020-2024 Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). The research team will analyze gender equality and women's empowerment advances and constraints within key sectors, including health, economic growth, education, and democracy and governance. The analysis will also address behavioral change related to gender equality, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response, and self-reliance as key cross-cutting themes. The GITA II Task Order has a period of performance from September 17, 2019 to September 16, 2022, with a ceiling price of $4,351,644 and a current obligated amount of $3,372,694. The task order is managed by the E3 Bureau Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, with Contracting Officer Shannon White and Contracting Officer Representative Bonnie K. Robinson.