Somali Youth Leaders Initiative (SYLI) FY 2012 Q1 PROGRESS REPORT

The program aims to support the development of youth leaders in Somalia, with a focus on education, vocational training, and community development. During the first quarter of FY 2012, SYLI conducted startup activities, including the completion of grant administrative tasks, recruitment of key staff, and development of an annual work plan. Consultative meetings were held with key stakeholders in the education and youth sectors in Somaliland and Puntland to share program plans and build synergy in implementation. Project administration activities were delayed due to the need to carry out an Initial Environmental Review and obtain approval of the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) from USAID. The baseline survey was also delayed due to budget limitations, and the budget allocated for Monitoring and Evaluation was re-allocated to conduct the IER. Key achievements during the first quarter include the signing of sub-grant agreements with three consortium partners, CARE, Save the Children, and SONYO, and the completion of inception and planning workshops with SYLI consortium members. Inception workshops were also held with line government ministries in Puntland and Somaliland, where the SYLI program team presented a detailed overview of the program and discussed possible contributions to the ministries' strategy. The program has made progress in signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with line government ministries, with draft MoUs being finalized and expected to be signed in the first month of the second quarter. Lessons learned from the inception workshops include the importance of building trust and confidence between ministry officials and SYLI consortium members, as well as the need for harmonization of plans and strategies with relevant ministries. In terms of quantitative impact, the program has made progress in increasing access to formal secondary education, with a cumulative achievement of 0% in Quarter 1. The program target for Year 1 is to increase access to formal secondary education by 10%, with a target of 5% in Quarter 1. The program has also made progress in increasing the number of students enrolled in vocational training, with a cumulative achievement of 0% in Quarter 1. The program target for Year 1 is to increase the number of students enrolled in vocational training by 15%, with a target of 7.5% in Quarter 1. The program's next quarter's work plan includes the completion of the IER and EMMP, signing of MoUs with line government ministries, launching of the program with government and other stakeholders, baseline survey, and refining of the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) based on baseline survey data.