Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report: October 11 – December 11

This quarter represented a critical juncture for the project as it shifted from an IEHA project to The President's Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative (GHFSI), also known as Feed-the-Future (FTF). As a result, the project encountered significant implementation challenges, including geographical changes, changes in value chains, and indicator changes. Geographical changes included the elimination of Niassa and Angónia, the most productive areas of the project's targeted region, and the addition of Zambézia in the geographic focus. Changes in value chains included the addition of pulses (pigeon peas, cowpeas, beans, and common beans) and the elimination of maize and forestry. Indicator changes included the addition of several output/process indicators, significant disaggregation of existing indicators, and changes in definitions. During the quarter, the project focused on the M&E Component, strategic planning, and training, in addition to seasonal crop planting assistance. The strategic planning and M&E training was accomplished with partners to design the best strategies responding to the new requirements. The project's M&E subcontractor, Steve Wingerts, completed a monitoring and evaluation trip between October 29 and November 12, 2011, to prepare a second revision of the M&E plan and performance indicator targets within a 6-month period. Steve provided training to AgriFUTURO value chain leaders and the M&E staff, including regular meetings with USAID staff to clarify data requirements, preparation of reference sheets with detailed definitions of results and output/process indicators, and preparation and implementation of a training program for value chain leaders and M&E staff on program changes. He also provided specific training for nine project staff on indicator definitions to derive new indicator quantitative targets. From the field management perspective, challenges included identifying new partners, commercial farms, and associations in Zambezia to achieve project goals under FTF, planning for a new value chain (pulses) shortly before the beginning of the planting season, opening a new office in Quelimane, and identifying ways to make up the significant loss of production volume and sales represented by the loss of Angonia district in Tete and the loss of the large number of associations affiliated with the ALIMI Cooperative. The project also encountered challenges in identifying strategies to replace the loss of maize sales, production volume, and investment, as well as the forestry industry for job creation and investments. Despite these challenges, the project continued to focus on seasonal crop planting assistance and strategic planning to ensure the successful implementation of the project. The AgriFUTURO project is implemented in Mozambique, with a focus on the Zambezia region. The project aims to improve the enabling environment for agribusiness, expand and strengthen agribusiness development services, build linkages to financing services for agribusiness development, and increase and strengthen public-private partnerships. The project is implemented by Abt Associates, in collaboration with local partners, including CLUSA Lda., TECHNOSERVE, Wingerts Consulting, and SAL&CALDEIRA. The project's M&E plan includes the preparation of a second revision of the M&E plan and performance indicator targets within a 6-month period. The project's M&E subcontractor, Steve Wingerts, provided training to AgriFUTURO value chain leaders and the M&E staff on program changes and indicator definitions. The project also conducted regular meetings with USAID staff to clarify data requirements and prepared reference sheets with detailed definitions of results and output/process indicators. The project's geographic focus includes the Zambezia region, with a focus on improving the enabling environment for agribusiness, expanding and strengthening agribusiness development services, building linkages to financing services for agribusiness development, and increasing and strengthening public-private partnerships. The project is implemented by Abt Associates, in collaboration with local partners, including CLUSA Lda., TECHNOSERVE, Wingerts Consulting, and SAL&CALDEIRA.