SIKA-EAST Weekly Program Update: January 11- 16, 2014

The program is implemented by SIKA-East, a team of experts working in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and other government entities. Capacity assessments of Provincial Rural Rehabilitation and Development (PRRD) offices were completed by a contractor hired by SIKA-East. The assessments were shared with MRRD, and feedback was invited from the ministry. The contractor is continuing with assessments of District Governors' offices. MRRD's Community Led Development Department (CLDD) and SIKA-East agreed on a combined curriculum, agenda, and participants list for the Community Mobilization module for district social workers. SIKA-East and PRRD staff will jointly conduct the training. Training activities were conducted in various districts, including Khost Province, where five training sessions were held. The training topics included Grant Management, Negotiation Strategy, and Unity Building. A total of 218 men and 150 women participated in the training sessions. Additionally, 12 DDA+ communication committee meetings were held in various districts, including Jalrez, Saydabad, Chaki Wardak, Nirkh, Mohammad Agha, Andar, Khwaja Umari, Dih Yak, Qarabagh, and Laja Ahmad Khail. Grants were awarded to various districts, including Laja Ahmad Khail, Khwaja Umari, Gurbuz, and Zurmat. The total value of the grants awarded during the week was over $135,000. Milestone payments continued, with eight payments valued at over $80,000 being disbursed to seven districts. Eight new engineering designs were completed, valued at over $301,000. The designs were for projects in Khoshi, Gurbuz, Laja Ahmad Khail, Baraki Barak, and Tani Districts. Provincial DDA+ conferences were held in Ghazni, Khost, Logar, and Paktya provinces. The conferences aimed to advance engagement between district entities and generate collective analysis and action on DDA+ strengthening and stabilization. The conferences also served as a forum to share experiences and points of view regarding the present program and to make recommendations for how it can be improved. Several challenges in process implementation were identified, and several recommendations for improvements were registered by reporting committees. In Ghazni Province, one grant was awarded to Khwaja Umari District, and one milestone payment was made for Andar District. However, the Governor of Ghazni Province advised the manager of the Provincial Management Team (PMT) to keep the construction projects on hold due to unsuitable weather conditions. The joint PRRD and SIKA-East Grants Review Committee (GRC) reviewed and approved two projects, with a cumulative value of nearly $52,000, for Khwaja Umari District. In Khost Province, five training sessions were conducted, including Grant Management, Negotiation Strategy, and Unity Building. A project valued at over $43,000 was awarded to Gurbuz District, and the community received the first milestone payment. Eight new engineering designs were completed, valued at over $301,000. The designs were for projects in Khoshi, Gurbuz, Laja Ahmad Khail, Baraki Barak, and Tani Districts. To date, 221 grant applications have been received, including 215 infrastructure and six capacity building projects valued at over $10.2 million. A total of 169 applications have received USAID approval. Fourteen grants, valued at over $493,000, were reviewed and approved by joint MRRD and SIKA-East Grant Review Committees (GRC). Six Transition Initiatives grant applications, valued at over $447,000, have been received, and five have been approved by USAID.