Quarterly Report January 2021 – March 2021

The project focuses on 10 municipalities across Nepal's Sudur Paschim and Lumbini provinces, supporting USAID's Development Objective #1: More Inclusive and Governance. The project has three main objectives: 1) The Government of Nepal creates and implements sound policies and legislation that empower provincial and municipal governments; 2) Targeted provincial and municipal governments are responsive, inclusive, transparent, and effective in decision-making and delivering services; 3) Citizens and civil society organizations participate in local decision-making and oversight. During the last quarter, Nepal experienced an unexpected move to derail political achievements and stability, and the roll-back of COVID-19. The Supreme Court reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives, but the political situation remains complex, with public officials' focus split between reopening the country safely and preparing for elections. The project's quarterly achievements and results include: * Progress under each of the three main objectives, including the implementation of sound policies and legislation, the development of responsive and inclusive provincial and municipal governments, and the participation of citizens and civil society organizations in local decision-making. * Cross-cutting themes, such as monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and gender equality and social inclusion. * Operations and project management, including the management of consultants and subcontracts. * Grant implementation and appraisal, including the appraisal of consultants and subcontracts. The project's quarterly achievements and results are summarized as follows: * Objective 1: The Government of Nepal creates and implements sound policies and legislation that empower provincial and municipal governments. * Objective 2: Targeted provincial and municipal governments are responsive, inclusive, transparent, and effective in decision-making and delivering services. * Objective 3: Citizens and civil society organizations participate in local decision-making and oversight. * Progress under each of the three main objectives, including