SSG LAC Ed Year 1 Quarter 4 Report FINAL

The services aimed to strengthen the design, management, and evaluation of regional and bilateral education programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. SSG Advisors provided support to enhance the Education team's ability to plan, design, and implement new programs and activities, monitor and evaluate the performance of regional and Mission education programs, support organizational learning and knowledge management, and collect, analyze, and communicate data about education and programming in LAC. The contract is for two base years with three option years, and this report describes major activities in the fourth quarter of the project, July 1 through September 30, 2015. SSG Advisors made significant progress in various work streams during this period. In the Project Management work stream, SSG sent weekly written progress updates, held weekly calls with LAC/RSD, and submitted the fourth quarter accruals report. In the Miami Regional Education Workshop work stream, SSG completed the workshop, and in the Nicaragua Youth Assessment and FADCANIC Evaluation work stream, SSG carried out primary and secondary research, engaged Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU) to conduct a survey of the EDUEXITO program, and collected data despite security issues and geographical isolation. SSG Advisors also provided support to the USAID/Honduras Education team, including designing a refined statement of work (SOW) and other related documents for a new workforce development activity that will provide employment opportunities for at-risk youth in Honduras. In the Peru Implementation Support work stream, SSG engaged a consultant to provide technical support, including preparing and reviewing technical documents and providing design support for the Reading and Gender Workshop. The consultant submitted final deliverables to USAID/Peru in September. In the next quarter, SSG Advisors anticipates prioritizing several activities, including project management, Nicaragua Youth Assessment and FADCANIC Evaluation, Honduras Design Support, Honduras Workforce Project Design, and Peru Study Tour. SSG will continue to communicate regularly with LAC/RSD and Missions to ensure responsiveness to changing resource needs. SSG Advisors utilized the in-house resources of Mid-Level Subject Matter Experts Olya Jerard and Joseph Elton, as well as Junior Research Specialist Marissa Kimsey, to support ongoing project management and activity tasks. SSG submitted a request for a change in Key Personnel and a request for budget realignment. SSG and LAC/RSD held weekly phone calls to discuss progress on activities as well as challenges encountered. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.