LMG/West Africa Quarterly Report: April-June 2014

The project has three main objectives: Improved leadership, management, and governance practices; Strengthened organizational M&E capacity and regional health information system (HIS) management and implementation oversight; and Strengthened capacity in internal and external communication and advocacy. During the reporting period of April 1 to June 30, 2014, the LMG/West Africa team continued to focus on strategic planning and stakeholder engagement activities to ensure the smooth and successful implementation of the two-year project. The project team met with the new WAHO leadership and other key stakeholders to clarify the restructured roles and responsibilities in supporting the implementation of the LMG/West Africa activities. The project provided technical support to WAHO in preparation for and during the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Annual Health Ministers' (AHM) Meeting from April 7-12, 2014. The project also launched the Leadership Development Program Plus (LDP+) from April 22-25, 2014, with 12 WAHO staff, including the WAHO Director General and Deputy Director General. Coaching sessions were led with each of the four LDP+ improvement teams from May 30-June 6, 2014, using the LDP+ Challenge Model to evaluate progress towards addressing the specific challenges identified by each team. The project implemented priority activities identified by WAHO and USAID/West Africa for the first year of the project to address WAHO's immediate management and governance capacity building needs. The project hosted several meetings with the new WAHO leadership team and other regional stakeholders during this quarter to provide updates on the project's objectives, activities, and anticipated results. Key activities implemented during this quarter included extending the implementation of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) to ensure that all WAHO staff complete the LDP+1 aimed at improving their leadership, management, and governance skills. Technical support was provided to WAHO staff to develop an organizational strategic plan through participatory working sessions. The data warehouse initiated under WA-LEAD was operationalized to generate annual health profiles for member states. The project is on track to achieve its objectives; however, activity implementation delays due to weak stakeholder engagement will need to be closely monitored by the project team. The project will track these challenges and continue the close coordination established during this quarter through the end of the project. The LMG/West Africa team continued to work closely with WAHO and USAID/West Africa implementing partners to ensure the successful implementation of the project. The project's progress will be closely monitored, and adjustments will be made as necessary to ensure that the project's objectives are met.