Quarterly Progress Report: Ethiopia Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Service (EPMES) Activity

under contract AID-663-C-16-00010 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ethiopia. The activity began on April 4, 2016, and is scheduled to end on April 3, 2020, with a total budget of $16,658,919.88. The reporting period for this quarterly progress report spans from July 1, 2018, to September 30, 2018. EPMES provides monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support to USAID/Ethiopia, focusing on collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) to enhance evidence-based decision making. The activity engages with various technical offices, implementing partners, and working groups to facilitate CLA processes. Key initiatives include supporting the development of the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2.0, conducting a CDCS Closeout Analysis, and planning a wide-scale Gender and Youth Learning Event. During the fiscal year 2018 performance period, EPMES increased its engagement in CLA support, participating in the development of the Mission Learning Agenda and planning for the aforementioned learning event. The activity also facilitated meetings at the Mission and with implementing partners, as well as supported the Mission Resilience Working Group, the CLA Champions Group, and the Gender Champions Network. EPMES has made significant progress in providing MEL support to USAID/Ethiopia, with notable achievements including the production of maps and datasets, data collection from various regions, and the provision of technical assistance. The activity has also established partnerships with subcontractors and other partners to enhance its capacity and effectiveness. Despite challenges, EPMES has implemented strategies to overcome them, including the provision of short-term technical assistance and the facilitation of meetings with stakeholders. The activity continues to emphasize the importance of CLA in its work, with a focus on bringing active, dynamic learning to USAID/Ethiopia activities. The EPMES FY 2019 Work Plan has been prepared to build on the successes of the FY 2018 Work Plan, with a continued emphasis on CLA and MEL support to USAID/Ethiopia. The activity will continue to engage with various stakeholders, including technical offices, implementing partners, and working groups, to facilitate CLA processes and enhance evidence-based decision making. EPMES has made significant progress in strengthening host-country M&E capacity, with a focus on building the capacity of the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. The activity has also established partnerships with local service providers and other partners to enhance its capacity and effectiveness. The EPMES Quarterly Financial Report for the period July 1, 2018, to September 30, 2018, is annexed to this report. The report provides a detailed breakdown of the activity's financial performance during the reporting period. Overall, EPMES has made significant progress in providing MEL support to USAID/Ethiopia, with a focus on CLA and MEL. The activity continues to emphasize the importance of CLA in its work, with a focus on bringing active, dynamic learning to USAID/Ethiopia activities.