Quarterly Progress Report

The program's Year 1 Work Plan was originally submitted on October 13, 2023 and approved by USAID on December 22, 2023. A Security Plan was submitted to USAID on November 14, 2023. Key personnel, including a Design/Technical Manager, Electrical Engineer, and Cost Engineer, were hired, with several additional offers pending and ongoing recruitment. Subcontracting activities are underway, with WSP completing its work, Ukrhydroproject (UHP) pending with a notice to proceed issued, and Gleeds in progress. Procurement of a security services company and Security Manager is ongoing, as well as procurement of legal support services. The Country Program Manager (COP) mobilized to Ukraine on November 13, 2023, as per USAID directives. Technical activities are focused on several key areas. UNITY conducted Health and Safety training for Implementing Partner beneficiaries and construction contractors, and completed several design and bid reviews. ERA conducted site visits to Border Control Points (BCPs) and reviewed BCP Request For Proposals (RFPs). HOVERLA, AGRO, and Justice for All (J4A) reviewed Construction Implementation Plans, with site visits and design reviews also conducted. ESP reviewed RFPs for critical infrastructure facilities and conducted a technical evaluation of passive protection tendering documents for Ukrenergo facilities. No activities were reported for Job Order 2: Materials Quality Control. Job Order 3: Design and Technical Reviews included ERA's update of design documents for the Obuhivka Gender Based Violence (GBV) Shelter, SARDI's completed cost analysis of critical infrastructure construction materials and equipment, and UNITY's completed bid reviews. Job Order 4: Construction Management reported no activities. Job Order 5: Feasibility study for the construction and refurbishment of a rail line between Lviv and the Poland border involved creating a team, reviewing the initial USAID Job Order, and awaiting UZ's full feasibility study documents and design documents completed to date.