Surge Capacity Services Project Quarterly Report July - September 2015

The project's primary objective is to provide long and short-term policy, program, and administrative support to USAID's Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL). The program's scope encompasses a range of activities, including policy development, strategic planning, project design, donor engagement, monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The project's implementation is focused on ensuring PPL's leadership role in these areas. Key program highlights include the recruitment of long-term support staff, including a Program Manager, Administrative Assistant, Local Solutions Evaluation Specialist, and AIDTracker + Project Manager. Additionally, the project has engaged short-term technical assistance (STTA) consultants, including a Facilitation Training Specialist and a Project Design Specialist. Management activities during the reporting period involved finalizing candidate selections, completing contract deliverables, and implementing STTA. The project team worked closely with USAID/PPL to address challenges, including the identification of the right candidate for the Project Design Specialist position and the recruitment of coaching consultants. The project has achieved several accomplishments, including the successful completion of all Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments and the timely submission of report deliverables. However, challenges have been encountered, including the identification of the right candidate for the Project Design Specialist position and the recruitment of coaching consultants. Priorities for the next quarter include submitting monthly project status reports, hiring a new STTA part-time employee, hiring the Project Design Specialist, and discussing possible budget modifications with the Contracting Officer (CO). The point of contact for the project is Tiffany Ditzel, Surge Capacity Services COR, and Greg Raney, A/COR. The project's geographic focus is on supporting USAID's Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, with a specific emphasis on the areas of policy development, strategic planning, project design, donor engagement, monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The project's timeframes are aligned with the USAID's fiscal year, with the current reporting period covering July to September 2015. Implementation details for the project include the recruitment of long-term support staff, the engagement of STTA consultants, and the completion of contract deliverables. The project team has worked closely with USAID/PPL to address challenges and ensure the successful implementation of the project. The project's recommendations for the next quarter include submitting monthly project status reports, hiring a new STTA part-time employee, hiring the Project Design Specialist, and discussing possible budget modifications with the CO. The project's geographic focus and context are centered on supporting USAID's Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, with a specific emphasis on the areas of policy development, strategic planning, project design, donor engagement, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.