Monitoring and Evaluation Support for Collaborative Learning and Adapting Activity: Quarterly Progress Report July 1st - September 30th, 2016

The primary goals of MESCLA are to support informed program management decisions, enable decision-makers to consider the dynamic socioeconomic context of the USAID program in Honduras, and develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism that provides continued performance monitoring, verification, and impact evaluation of program results. During the third quarter of 2016, MESCLA provided general M&E support to the Mission, initiated design of the Workforce Development (WFD) impact evaluation with subcontractor Notre Dame, started work on the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) study, and finalized the Decentralization Study Technical Response. Additionally, MESCLA completed the data collection and analysis for the USAID/Honduras Knowledge Management (KM) assessment and submitted a draft report. The technical components of the contract include Evaluation, Monitoring, Studies, Reports, and Assessments. In the Evaluation component, MESCLA extended a task order to the University of Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development to work on the WFD impact evaluation. In the Monitoring component, MESCLA submitted an initial review of the Banyan WFD Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan. In the Studies, Reports, and Assessments component, MESCLA submitted the official proposal for the Decentralization Study Request and began the design of the response to the GBV technical request. The Knowledge Management component of the contract involves the completion of the KM assessment and submission of a draft report to the Program Office. The final version of the KM assessment report will be submitted early in the fourth quarter. MESCLA also held a meeting to discuss the findings of the KM assessment on September 29th. The MESCLA team has made significant progress in the third quarter of 2016, with several key activities and deliverables completed or in progress. The team has worked on various components of the contract, including Evaluation, Monitoring, Studies, Reports, and Assessments, and has submitted several reports and proposals to USAID/Honduras. The team's progress has been focused on supporting informed program management decisions, enabling decision-makers to consider the dynamic socioeconomic context of the USAID program in Honduras, and developing a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism that provides continued performance monitoring, verification, and impact evaluation of program results. The MESCLA activity has several key performance indicators, including the completion of the WFD impact evaluation, the submission of the final version of the KM assessment report, and the completion of the MMR and GBV studies. The team's progress will be closely monitored and evaluated to ensure that the activity is meeting its objectives and making a positive impact on the USAID program in Honduras. In the coming quarter, the MESCLA team will focus on completing the remaining deliverables, including the final version of the KM assessment report, the WFD impact evaluation, and the MMR and GBV studies. The team will also continue to provide general M&E support to the Mission and work on various components of the contract. The team's progress will be closely monitored and evaluated to ensure that the activity is meeting its objectives and making a positive impact on the USAID program in Honduras.