Kenya Livestock Market Systems Activity Y2 Q2 Progress Report: January – March 2019

The Leader Award (Leader) officially assumed leadership of Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG) coordination, with the team committed to a smooth transition and ensuring that PREG partners continue to effectively layer and integrate their activities. During the quarter, the LMS team supported, reviewed, and submitted 32 grant approvals originating from Associate Award 1 to USAID. A data quality assessment was conducted, and monthly monitoring trips were facilitated. The team also supported all LMS operations, including a pause and reflect session, which aimed to shape the programming approach used by the three awards. Associate Award 1 designed new livelihood programming with over 30 new investments pending approval with USAID. Other progress included 2,200 REAP women opening businesses and receiving active mentoring, activities launched to improve access to capital in Northern Kenya, and a policy advisor embedded with Frontier County Development Council (FCDC) to help counties come up with and pay for their own policy priorities. Associate Award 2 continued to mentor REAP groups and succeeded in enrolling many of them into schools. Ward development plans were nearing completion in all five counties, and the team facilitated disaster and drought planning between county governments and the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA). As ward plans are completed, it will unlock a new phase of the program where communities can actively plan real investments in their wards. The Leader Award is the management platform of LMS, responsible for providing cost-effective and centralized support to AA1 and AA2. This support includes centralized finance, procurement, operations, human resources, communications, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and geographic information systems (GIS). The Leader also manages the awarding of grants, oversees quality assurance of activities, and provides support for collective impact and learning for AA1 and AA2. The Leader implemented several activities during the quarter, including finalizing and submitting the quarter one consolidated report for FY19 Q1, organizing a pause and reflect session, and holding monthly meetings with USAID and Chiefs of Party for the three awards. Monitoring field visits were conducted to Isiolo county, where LMS engaged with beneficiaries and partners comprised of Ward Development Planning Committee members, Rural Entrepreneur Access Project (REAP) groups, Girls Improving Resilience with Livelihood (GIRL) groups, and Livestock Marketing Association members of Isiolo livestock market. The LMS team also supported the implementation of AA1 and AA2 towards meeting the overall objective of LMS of facilitating increased economic growth, diversified livelihood, and resilience. The team conducted a data quality assessment, facilitated a pause and reflect session, and supported all LMS operations. The Leader Award also managed the awarding of grants, oversaw quality assurance of activities, and provided support for collective impact and learning for AA1 and AA2. In terms of progress, Associate Award 1 designed new livelihood programming with over 30 new investments pending approval with USAID. Associate Award 2 continued to mentor REAP groups and succeeded in enrolling many of them into schools. Ward development plans were nearing completion in all five counties, and the team facilitated disaster and drought planning between county governments and the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).