Quarterly Progress Report Q1 FY 2023: Peacebuilding Evaluation, Analysis, Research and Learning (PEARL)

The project aims to improve USAID's ability to identify the systems that facilitate or diminish armed conflict and violence in the places where USAID works. PEARL funds will be used for analyses, assessments, evaluations, and knowledge-sharing activities. The intended outcome of PEARL activities is to provide USAID with actionable recommendations for providing its assistance in such a way as to effectively prevent, manage, or mitigate violent conflict and its effects. The project also aims to contribute to the evidence base for effective peacebuilding and violence prevention development interventions. PEARL will support USAID's peacebuilding community of practices with services that improve USAID's ability to identify the systems that facilitate or diminish armed conflict and violence, provide actionable recommendations for providing assistance, and contribute to the evidence base for effective peacebuilding and violence prevention development interventions. In Q1 FY 2023, PEARL achieved several milestones. The post-award orientation call with Integrity, CPS/CVP, and the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) was held on October 28, 2022, with the technical kick-off scheduled for January 30, 2023. Key technical positions, including the TO Manager, Senior Outreach and Learning Expert, and the Activity Lead for one confirmed PEARL buy-in, were hired. Two confirmed buy-ins were received, and two additional missions were engaged on confirmed and emerging buy-ins. The PEARL team developed four outlines detailing the core services and methods in PEARL's toolkit, including Evaluation Methods, Assessments, Analysis, and Studies, Data Science and GIS, and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA). Two co-creation and learning sessions were convened to refine PEARL's services and approaches in evaluation and data science and GIS, with 32 participants. The development of PEARL services, approaches, and methods was a key focus area in Q1 FY 2023. The Interim Task Order Manager oversaw the development and articulation of the mechanism's guiding principles, analytic standards, and toolkit across the following core service areas: Violence and Conflict Assessments (VCAs), analyses, research, and studies; Peacebuilding Evaluations; Geospatial Information Services (GIS) and Data Science; and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA). The key objectives of these activities were to create common standards, approaches, and methods for core PEARL services, develop the content for a suite of internal communications materials, and socialize PEARL approaches and methods with CVP and other key USAID stakeholders. The PEARL team drew on inputs and expertise from across the consortium through the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and within CVP and conducted desktop reviews of relevant materials from USAID, the wider peacebuilding community, and internal implementation guides and learning documents from PEARL consortium members. The team developed outlines capturing the approaches and methods for each core service area, which were reviewed by the TAG for feedback and comments before being shared with USAID. The Toolkit Outlines covering PEARL's Evaluation Capabilities, Data Science and GIS Methods, and VCAs, analyses, research, and studies approaches were shared with the Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative (TOCOR) and Alternate TOCOR (ATOCOR) on December 6, 2022, and the Toolkit Outline on CLA approaches and methods was shared on December 23, 2022.