Quarterly Report: Juntos para la Prevención de la Violencia (JPV) Activity, January 2016 – March 2016

The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under contract no. AID-523-C-15-00002. During the reporting period of January 2016 to March 2016, JPV made significant strides in its operational and technical implementation strategies. The program focused on launching the project at the local level, holding meetings with seven priority mayors and their technical teams to identify the level of political commitment to the JPV vision and technical capacity. Complimentary to these visits, JPV regional staff elaborated diagnostics that compile detailed information on major actors, initiatives, and processes within the region as they relate to violence prevention. JPV also made significant advances in the design of technical tools that will form part of the JPV Violence Prevention Toolkit. This Toolkit will be made widely available throughout the country with strong support provided to the Subsecretaría de Prevención del Delito y Participación Ciudadana (SsPPC) to incorporate elements into its internal processes. The tools include a Community Scorecard, an adapted Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA), Institutional Strengthening Index, Evaluation Ready Protocol, Evidence Assessment (JPV Scale), and a Youth Targeting Tool. In collaboration with partner Fundación IDEA/C-230 Consultores (IDEA/C-230), JPV made significant advancements in the design of a conceptual framework of the National Violence Prevention Trust ("the Trust"), resulting in the design of a Trust Road Map. The Trust Road Map will be shared with key stakeholders for feedback in the next quarter. Additionally, JPV held a series of interviews and consultation meetings with national and international organizations, producing an initial concept paper on the Citizen Security and Violence Prevention Lab ("the Lab") which will be strengthened in the next quarter by an in-depth comparative analysis and validation process. During the reporting period, JPV continued operational start-up activities building off the previous quarter. Efforts focused on recruitment and training of local personnel, securing local bank accounts, initiating office make ready processes, furthering subcontract negotiations with JPV's four partners, and initiating processes for JPV's grants program and activities through the program's special activities fund. The JPV Activity aims to build on the success and momentum of USAID's previous work in Mexico by creating the conditions for viable and proven crime and violence prevention models to be replicated by public, private, and non-government actors in Mexico. The program's ultimate goal is to reduce violence and crime in Mexico by promoting a culture of prevention and community engagement. JPV's technical tools and the National Violence Prevention Trust are designed to support the program's objectives and provide a framework for the replication of successful crime and violence prevention models. The program's focus on community engagement and prevention is critical to addressing the root causes of violence and crime in Mexico. The JPV Activity is a key component of USAID's efforts to address the complex issue of violence and crime in Mexico. The program's success will depend on its ability to build strong partnerships with local governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector, as well as its capacity to design and implement effective technical tools and programs.