Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement Quarterly Report Q1 FY 2016

The project's objective is to strengthen civil society's ability to influence the development and implementation of key democratic reforms at the national, state, and local levels. The project aims to engage marginalized populations, such as women, youth, and the disabled, in the process and emphasize the importance of leadership and innovation. The program has four components: (1) strengthening the institutional, organizational, and technical capacity of targeted civil society organizations' (CSO) coalitions and networks to advance targeted democracy and good governance initiatives; (2) strengthening the partnership between CSO-led coalitions and networks and targeted Government of Nigeria (GON) institutions and key stakeholders to advocate for and monitor select democratic reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of government institutions; (3) strengthening public awareness, discourse, and support for key democratic governance issues such as transparency, accountability, and good governance; and (4) strengthening the capacity of partner business membership organizations (BMOs) and CSOs in the Niger Delta to advocate for inclusive economic reforms and equitable economic growth. The Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is a strategic partner to USAID in the Niger Delta. The project will coordinate and complement PIND's activities in the region under Component Four. SACE supports the USAID Forward Initiative and its goal of increasing the number of procurements made directly with local organizations. In line with this goal and concurrent to improving civic participation in governance, the project will build the capacity of at least six select Nigerian organizations. During the reporting period of October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015, the project made significant progress in all four components. Component 1 focused on strengthening the capacity of CSOs, with a total of 15 CSOs receiving training and technical assistance. Component 2 saw the establishment of partnerships between CSO-led coalitions and networks and targeted GON institutions and key stakeholders, with a total of 12 partnerships established. Component 3 focused on public awareness and discourse, with a total of 20 events and activities conducted to promote key democratic governance issues. Component 4 focused on strengthening the capacity of BMOs and CSOs in the Niger Delta, with a total of 10 organizations receiving training and technical assistance. The project also made significant progress in terms of monitoring and evaluation, with a total of 12 indicators tracked and monitored during the reporting period. The project's management and administrative systems were also strengthened, with a total of 10 staff members receiving training and technical assistance. The project's quarterly progress report highlights several lessons learned and implementation challenges. One of the key lessons learned is the importance of building strong partnerships between CSOs and GON institutions. The project also faced several implementation challenges, including limited resources and capacity constraints. The project's planned activities for the next quarter include continuing to strengthen the capacity of CSOs, establishing new partnerships between CSO-led coalitions and networks and targeted GON institutions and key stakeholders, and promoting public awareness and discourse on key democratic governance issues. The project will also continue to build the capacity of BMOs and CSOs in the Niger Delta and track and monitor the project's indicators. The project's management and administrative systems will also continue to be strengthened, with a focus on improving the project's financial management and procurement systems. The project will also continue to engage marginalized populations, such as women, youth, and the disabled, in the process and emphasize the importance of leadership and innovation. The project's quarterly progress report also highlights several recommendations for the next quarter, including increasing the project's resources and capacity, improving the project's monitoring and evaluation systems, and strengthening the project's management and administrative systems. The project will also continue to engage with USAID and other stakeholders to ensure that the project is aligned with USAID's goals and objectives.