PEACE THROUGH EVALUATION, LEARNING, AND ADAPTING (PELA) Fact Sheet

The program's primary objective was to support USAID/West Africa (WA) in strengthening systems of non-violent conflict management and promoting peace in the region. PELA aimed to enhance the regional Mission's effectiveness in implementing its projects, coordinating its activities, learning from its experiences, and serving as an information, communication, and thought leader regarding peace promotion and countering violent extremism (CVE) in West Africa. PELA's activities focused on conducting analytical research, building knowledge through monitoring and evaluation, developing and implementing a Learning Agenda, analyzing and sharing knowledge through collaboration and learning events, and developing communications products. The program conducted various studies, including the Liptako-Gourma Community-Generated Indicators (CGI) Study, the Niger Customary Law Assessment, and the Coastal States Violent Extremism Risk and Resilience Assessment. Additionally, PELA performed the performance evaluation of USAID/WA's program, Reacting to Early Warning and Response Data in West Africa (REWARD), to support adaptive management, accountability, and learning to improve development outcomes. The geographic focus of PELA was on Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Chad, Cameroon, and other West African states as needed. The program implemented a Learning Agenda to provide a baseline and framework for continuous learning, knowledge sharing, strategic collaboration, and adaptive management. PELA also organized various learning events, including the annual CVE practitioners' workshops, co-creation events, online Learning Circles, the CVE Webcast, and Pause and Reflect Workshops. Furthermore, the program provided training to USAID/WA officials and implementing partners on CVE-related topics, such as the Community-Generated Indicators (CGI) methodology and the Coastal States Risk Assessment findings. The PELA initiative aimed to acquire and utilize the knowledge needed to inform USAID WA's decisions, strategies, and initiatives to more effectively counter violent extremism, build regional resiliencies, and promote peace across West Africa. The program's activities and outcomes were critical to USAID's global mission to end extreme poverty and promote resilient and democratic societies, while advancing the objectives of security and prosperity in developing countries.