Quarterly Report (Q2 FY2018): Natural Infrastructure for Water Security

During this period, the project team established relationships with national, regional, and local counterparts through dozens of meetings and field visits to all Tier 1 and 2 priority watersheds. The team worked to clarify foundational concepts for the project's technical and strategic guidance and plans, including changing the terminology from "green infrastructure" to "natural infrastructure" to directly reflect the formally-recognized terminology in the Peruvian law. The project team also identified and responded to key, short-term opportunities, such as contributing to a proposal to clarify the short-term mechanism for evaluating natural infrastructure projects under Peru's new public investment framework. This collaboration with government counterparts demonstrated the project's ability to show early results and kick-start collaboration with key partners. The NIWS Project team has established a strong foundation for long-term impact and sustainability of project activities. The team has refined the project approach, clarified key concepts, and attended to operational tasks required for a well-functioning and effective team and project administration. Key relationships have been established with national and local counterparts from all levels of government, the private sector, and civil society. The project's Advisory Board was formally established in March, and the team is in the process of detailing collaboration with other public sector partners, international finance institution partners, leading private sector actors, regional governments, local communities, and allies from civil society and academia. The Project's alignment with the priorities of the Peruvian Government has been confirmed, and the team anticipates the Project will need to focus on ensuring sufficient capacity for managing significant demand for the Project's attention and support from partners at all levels. The NIWS team has also made significant progress in project administration, including registering Forest Trends as an ENIEX in Peru, hiring 7 new staff members, negotiating and executing three subawards with Consortium partners, securing the location of the project office, and submitting the first NIWS Annual Work Plan and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan. The project's focus on enabling environment for natural infrastructure improved, information management improved for decision-making on natural infrastructure, and natural infrastructure projects designed, financed, and implemented in vulnerable watersheds is well underway. The team has identified key, short-term opportunities to show early results and kick-start collaboration with key partners, and has established a strong foundation for long-term impact and sustainability of project activities. The NIWS Project team has established a robust framework for project implementation, including the development of a comprehensive work plan and monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan. The team has also established a strong network of partners and stakeholders, including government counterparts, international finance institution partners, leading private sector actors, regional governments, local communities, and allies from civil society and academia. The project's focus on natural infrastructure for water security is well-aligned with the priorities of the Peruvian Government, and the team anticipates the Project will need to focus on ensuring sufficient capacity for managing significant demand for the Project's attention and support from partners at all levels. The NIWS team is committed to delivering high-quality results and making a lasting impact in the region.