Jamaica Community Empowerment and Transformation Project II (COMET II) Quarterly Report January 1, 2016 – March 30, 2016

The objectives of COMET II are to strengthen community and civil society organizations, increase citizen cooperation and accountability, strengthen juvenile justice and youth at-risk programs, and further support community-based policing practices. The project also supports improvements in the adaptive capacity of communities to prepare for the impacts of extreme weather events and to address global climate change (GCC) adaptation issues. Capacity building and social enterprise workshops/trainings are a key component of COMET II. The USAID COMET II grants program continues to engage in a series of activities aimed at awarding cross-cutting small grants to community-based organizations (CBOs). During the second quarter of COMET II Year 3, five new grants were issued to the following organizations: Mocho Citizen Association of Clarendon Ltd., The Jamaica Association of General Baptists (Bethel), Race Course Police Youth Club, Good Hope and Partners Benevolent Society, and Cambridge Benevolent Society. The COMET II grants team conducted frequent and regular site visits to the grantees, allowing for timely identification of issues that the grantees were having, and thus helping them to improve their adherence to grant guidelines and mitigating future challenges and risks in implementing the grant activities. COMET II continues to improve its grants management systems and has targeted the scope of work of Community Coordinators towards supporting the grants program in facilitating collection of documentation from applicants and grantees. Strengthening community-based organizations is another key component of COMET II. Meetings with CBOs were held during the month of January, including a meeting with Stony Hill CDC, police, and Social Development Commission (SDC) to follow up on the progress and status of the land acquisition for the Stony Hill CRC. The community has identified lands adjacent to the primary school and the principal will now follow up to acquire permission through the Commissioner of Lands. Community Coordinators across the Parishes continue ongoing work with grantees as it regards obtaining the relevant paperwork and documentation for the grant process. An updated work plan of site visits and week-by-week check-ins with grantees has now become systematic, improving the quality of grants operation and allowing for greater acceleration on several matters pertaining to grantees' management ability and milestone delivery. The Mission Director Site Visits were conducted by USAID Mission Director to Jamaica, Denise Herbol, on February 5, 2016. The Mission Director visited current and potential sites for Sustainable Livelihood and Community Resource Centre Grants, including discussions with community members, SDC, local police, and Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB) officials as well as some Members of Parliament and Local Councillors. In Quarter 3 (April – June 2016), COMET II expects to award at least 9 Sustainable Livelihood Projects and Social Enterprises and 7 CRCs. The project continues to make progress in strengthening community and civil society organizations, increasing citizen cooperation and accountability, and supporting community-based policing practices.