Quarterly Status Report for the Support of the Urban Policy (SOUP) Project

The project was launched in October 2015, with a period of performance spanning five years, including a base year and four option years. The project's primary objective is to support the implementation of USAID's Urban Policy, which emphasizes the importance of cities in advancing inclusive development. The SOUP Project involves a range of activities, including training programs, urban analyses, evaluations of related USAID programs, and knowledge management and communications products. The project is implemented by a consortium led by ECODIT LLC, in partnership with International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and several resource partners, including ICF International, Macfadden and Associates, AECOM, Mott MacDonald, Global Communities, World Learning, IMC Worldwide, Development Transformations, and the World Resources Institute. During the reporting period, April 1 to June 30, 2017, the SOUP Project team made significant progress in various areas. In Task B, Evaluation, the World Resources Institute (WRI) provided support for the Mozambique Case Study, while Mott MacDonald contributed a climate adaptation and clean energy expert, Mr. Douglas Hinrichs, as a peer reviewer for the study. In Task C, Knowledge Management, and Task D, Communications and Outreach, ICMA continued to lead the implementation of activities within these tasks. In Task E, Analysis and Research, Mott MacDonald provided support through its climate adaptation and clean energy expert, Mr. Douglas Hinrichs, in addition to consultation from an individual contractor, Mr. Steven Segerlin, an Urban Economist. The SOUP Project team also maintained regular communication with the USAID Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), Mr. Anthony Piaskowy, and the USAID Activity Manager for Tasks A, C, and D, Mr. Jeremy Green. The project's Chief of Party (COP) and Technical Lead, Mr. Steve Anlian, AICP, a professional urban planner, held regular meetings with the COR and other stakeholders to ensure the project's progress and address any implementation issues. The SOUP Project's quarterly status report highlights the project's achievements and challenges during the reporting period. The report provides an update on the project's progress, including the completion of various tasks and deliverables, and identifies areas where the project team needs to improve. The report also outlines the project's upcoming activities for the next quarter and provides an update on the contract's level of effort and budget status. The SOUP Project's focus on sustainable urban service delivery is critical to achieving USAID's development objectives, including reducing extreme poverty in developing countries. The project's integrated systems approach and collaboration with Agency staff, technical and regional bureaus, and country missions will help to scale up development impact and achieve core development objectives.