Mali Livestock for Growth FY15 Quarter 1 Progress Report

The key goal of L4G is to improve the quality of livestock, expand market access, and include poorer households in livestock value chain development. The project targets herders and small producers who lack reliable access to inputs or financial services, particularly female producers who are isolated from markets and training programs due to cultural norms. L4G also considers youth as a vulnerable population due to their limited access to education, land, financial services, and high rates of unemployment. The project focuses on the livestock and trading center of the Mopti Region, targeting 21 communes in the Hand and Koro Cercles. The intermediate results comprise the results framework for L4G, including IR1.1: Increased livestock productivity, IR1.2: Increased domestic and export livestock trade, IR1.3: Increased resilience of communities and households, IR1.4: Strengthened local capacities and systems, and IR1.5: Improved environment for the livestock sector. The L4G Year 1 Work Plan for FY 2015 is under review by USAID. L4G is planning activities in line with the proposed work plan and funding obligated to date. The project's start-up team mobilized to Mali on October 27, 2014, and much of the quarter's activities focused on getting L4G program operations off the ground, preparing start-up deliverables for submission to USAID, and conducting site visits to understand the project's scope. The start-up team included Chief of Party Thomas Gardiner, Start-Up Team Leader T Brunn, Program Manager I Larrick, and Program Management Systems Specialist E Jaoudi. AECOM also hired Mr. Laguerre Rutare as a short-term consultant for a six-month period. Deputy Chief of Party Abdou Yaouza arrived in Bamako from Niger on November 12. The team conducted several introductory and programmatic meetings with USAID and traveled to Sevaré and Mopti from November 10-13 to facilitate operational and programmatic roll-out. The team met with USAID COR Yacouba Santara, Alternate COR Marika Olson, Private Enterprise Officer Dennis K, Private Enterprise Development Officer Daniel Thompson, and Economic Growth Team Leader David Yanggen to discuss priorities and the status for program roll-out. The AECOM start-up team met with the USAID-Mali team to discuss the project's progress and future plans. The project's focus on the Mopti Region is expected to improve the quality of livestock, expand market access, and increase the resilience of communities and households. The project's intermediate results include increased livestock productivity, increased domestic and export livestock trade, increased resilience of communities and households, strengthened local capacities and systems, and improved environment for the livestock sector. The project's start-up team has been focused on getting the program operations off the ground, preparing start-up deliverables for submission to USAID, and conducting site visits to understand the project's scope. The team has also met with USAID and local stakeholders to discuss priorities and the status for program roll-out.