Quarterly Administrative and Financial Update April – June 2015 Coastal City Adaptation Project (CCAP)

The project began in 2014 and is in its second year of implementation. The 3rd Quarter Administrative and Financial Update for April – June 2015 highlights several key issues and developments. Effective communication with project partners, particularly the municipalities of Pemba and Quelimane, has been a challenge. CCAP has maintained open lines of communication with its partners, sharing information and involving them in project planning and decision-making. However, despite these efforts, the municipalities have expressed concerns about the lack of effective communication. CCAP is working to address this issue by translating technical reports into Portuguese and providing regular updates to the municipalities. Another source of concern is the conflict between the Municipality of Quelimane and the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) over the distribution of emergency kits. CCAP has signed an agreement with INGC to provide emergency kits to local disaster management committees, but the kits have not been delivered to the intended recipients due to scheduling conflicts. CCAP is working with Mayor Araújo's team to clarify this matter and ensure that the kits are delivered as soon as possible. In terms of staffing, CCAP is in the process of recruiting a communications specialist to replace the incumbent who vacated the position on March 31. The project is also recruiting community advisors in Quelimane and Pemba to facilitate community-level communication and adaptive interventions. Additionally, CCAP is recruiting an experienced operations staff member to manage critical administrative activities. The project has also made progress in grants and local subcontracts. CCAP completed a comprehensive revision to the project's Grants Under Contract Manual to update it for consistency with recent changes in USAID regulations. The project also resolved issues related to environmental compliance for a proposed grant to UN-Habitat to carry out resilient housing design and construction activities. CCAP submitted the formal approval request to issue a fixed amount award to UN-Habitat on June 2, and the proposed grant was under consideration within USAID at the end of the reporting period. In June, CCAP submitted an approval request to execute a fixed amount award grant agreement with the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) Faculty of Sciences to design and deliver training on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management to municipal officials and other key stakeholders in Pemba and Quelimane. USAID approved the grant on July 15, and the grant and subcontract manager was finalizing the Portuguese translation of the complete grant agreement and annexes for signature by both parties. Grant activities are expected to commence in early August. Overall, the 3rd Quarter Administrative and Financial Update highlights several key issues and developments in the implementation of the CCAP project. The project is working to address challenges related to effective communication and conflict resolution, while also making progress in staffing and grants management.