Service Delivery and Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Quarterly Report January 1, 2018 - March 31, 2018

The project has a five-year duration, starting on June 23, 2016, and is implemented in 64 districts across 11 provinces in Mozambique. The project's overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of families and communities to protect and care for their children, thereby enhancing overall community resilience. The project has four Intermediate Results (IRs): IR 1, to increase utilization of quality social, health, and nutritional services; IR 2, to reduce economic vulnerability of OVC households; IR 3, to improve early childhood development (ECD) services; and IR 4, to strengthen capacity of district government and communities to provide support to OVC and their families. To achieve these objectives, the project implements a family-centered, integrated approach that focuses on strengthening the capacity of families and communities to protect and care for their children. The project's geographic focus is on 64 districts in Maputo City, Maputo Province, Inhambane, Gaza, Sofala, Manica, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula, Cabo Delgado, and Niassa. The project's budget is $84,380,486, with an obligated amount of $28,365,460. The project's interventions are aligned with the family-centered, integrated approach approved by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The project's implementation is led by FHI 360, in partnership with the Mozambican government and other stakeholders. The project's progress is monitored and evaluated through a robust monitoring and evaluation system, which includes regular reporting and data collection. The project's quarterly report for the period January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2018, provides an update on the project's progress and achievements during this period. During the reporting period, the project made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The project's community-based organizations (CBOs) were selected and sub-awards were negotiated, resulting in the start-up of project activities in the field. The project's CBO management system was also established, with regular meetings and training sessions conducted to ensure effective management and coordination. The project's monitoring and evaluation system was also established, with regular data collection and reporting conducted to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The project's performance indicators, including the number of OVC households reached with quality health, social, and nutritional services, the number of OVC households with reduced economic vulnerability, and the number of ECD services provided, were also tracked and reported. The project's implementation was not without challenges, however. The project faced unexpected spending limitations, constant changes in project requirements, and short timelines for entering beneficiary data. The project also faced security concerns in Cabo Delgado province, which affected project implementation in some areas. Despite these challenges, the project made significant progress in achieving its objectives during the reporting period. The project's quarterly report provides a detailed update on the project's progress and achievements during this period, and highlights the challenges and lessons learned. The report also provides recommendations for future project implementation and improvement. The project's collaboration with the Mozambican government, other donors, and stakeholders was also an important aspect of the project's implementation. The project worked closely with the government to ensure that project activities were aligned with national priorities and policies. The project also collaborated with other donors and stakeholders to leverage resources and expertise, and to ensure that project activities were coordinated and effective. The project's financial information, including the budget and expenditures, is also provided in the quarterly report. The report highlights the project's financial performance during the reporting period, and provides an update on the project's financial status.