Seventh Quarterly Report: Partnership for Economic Growth - USAID/East Africa/LPC Somalia Program

This program is the first development initiative targeting economic growth for the USAID/EA/LPC Somalia program and is partially funded with Department of Defense 1207 funds transfer. The funding was supplemented by a Department of State grant during the second quarter to be used for communications and outreach activities. The Partnership for Economic Growth activities focus on two areas: private sector development, including women's business development, and strengthening specific productive value chains. As a result of comprehensive assessments completed in the first quarter, the Partnership designed three sub-activities which address two value chains - agriculture and livestock - and a concentrated set of cross-cutting business enabling environment activities. The sub-activities are spread geographically with livestock in the east in the Burao area, agriculture in the western Borama area, a number of discrete Business Environment (BE) and Energy activities centered in Hargeisa, and the Puntland sub-activity based in Garowe. Implementation of the approved sub-activities continued during the seventh quarter. The Agriculture sub-activity continued full implementation, while the Business Environment sub-activity tasks were ongoing. An expanded Energy sub-activity began the procurement process for wind turbine equipment, and initial implementation and drafting of sub-contracts within the revised Livestock sub-activity took place. The Puntland sub-activity began implementation, and the Partnership signed the last Partnership Fund business grant agreement. The Partnership is led by Program Manager, Mr. Suleiman Mohamed, who was supported by a team of full-time staff and short-term staff consulting support during the seventh quarter. The team included Private Sector Specialist / Deputy Program Manager Zaki Raheem, Livestock Team Leader Jurjen Draaijer, Communications Specialist Kaltun Hassan, and others. DAI home office support was provided by Enterprise Development Specialist Irene Burns, Project Business Manager Danny Adams, and others. Short-term technical assistance (STTA) was provided during the seventh quarter by a team of experts, including Energy Specialist Max Arte, Global Security Specialist Paraylla Blakaj, and Communications Specialist Nicholas Parkinson. The STTA team supported the implementation of the sub-activities and provided technical expertise to the Partnership team. The Ministry of Commerce and Chamber of Commerce completed the regional Somaliland Business Confidence survey in all of Somaliland's six regions, with support from a local survey firm. The survey was launched in Hargeisa with wide media coverage. Candlelight established fodder demonstration sites in key locations throughout the Togdheer region and organized training sessions on fodder planting and production practices. The wind data monitoring stations (WDMS) arrived, and a local construction company began the civil works activity to lay the foundation for its installation. A vendor was contracted to provide wind turbines for both Partnership Fund grantee Tayo Energy and the Energy Sub-Activity installation at the Hargeisa Airport.