USAID Gender Integration Technical Assistance II Task Order Year 5 - Quarter 1 Report

This Task Order applies expertise in gender research and practice to designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating USAID strategies, projects, and activities to reduce the gender and women's empowerment gaps that impede development outcomes. All USAID Operating Units (OUs) can access technical services through GITA II. Banyan Global undertook the following GITA II operational and technical work during this quarter, September 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023. Tasks were carried out under the following Mission-specific work orders: USAID/Nigeria Gender Integration Technical Assistance. Banyan Global also performed tasks with GenDev under the following work orders: Gender Integration, Component 2 on gender integration marker; Gender Analysis Toolkit; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Portfolio Technical Assistance; and USAID Women's Economic Empowerment Community of Practice (USAID WEE CoP). Banyan Global finalized the following GITA II technical deliverables this quarter: USAID gender integration marker, submitted on November 9, 2023. The "Gender Integration in MEL and Reporting" webinar series comprised six webinars, including "How to Write Gender Key Issue Narratives," "How to Do Gender Attributions in Operational Plans (OPs)," "Reporting on Standard Gender Indicators," "How to Use Gender Data in Performance Monitoring," "How to Conduct Gender-Sensitive Activity MEL Plan (AMELP) Reviews," and "Ethical Considerations for Data Collection in Gender-based Violence (GBV) Programming." Additionally, Banyan Global conducted two USAID WEE CoP learning events: "Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment Through Early Childhood Care Programming," held on September 28, 2023, and "Gender and Climate in Global Supply Chains: Private Sector Innovations in Practice," held on December 14, 2023. The annual USAID WEE CoP Member Feedback Survey was also conducted. Communications to USAID WEE CoP members included monthly communications for September, October, and November 2023, as well as invitations, slides, recordings, and post-event communications for the September and December learning events. A session for USAID/Nigeria Implementing Partner (IP) gender focal points was held on September 26, 2023, on the topic "Social Norms and Women's Economic Empowerment." A summary and extended version of a brief entitled "Opportunities for Private Sector Engagement in Nigeria: Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Brief" was submitted on November 14, 2023. The GITA II Primary work order encompasses several types of tasks, including conducting gender analyses to inform USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCSs), integrating gender equality in programming, examining emerging priorities through white papers or briefs on time-sensitive issues affecting gender equality, carrying out gender-based violence analyses and developing GBV roadmaps, and assessing mission's institutional processes for gender integration and recommending strategies to enhance internal capacity. The following work orders were active during the period of the quarterly report: GITA II Primary: GenDev Gender Integration, USAID Women's Economic Empowerment Community of Practice, USAID/GenDev MEL Portfolio Technical Assistance, and USAID/Nigeria Gender Integration Technical Assistance. The GITA II Primary work order is ongoing from September 19, 2021, to September 16, 2024, and covers all sectors globally. The USAID Women's Economic Empowerment Community of Practice work order is ongoing from February 3, 2020, to September 16, 2024, and covers all sectors globally. The USAID/GenDev MEL Portfolio Technical Assistance work order is ongoing from August 6, 2022, to September 16, 2024, and covers all sectors globally. The USAID/Nigeria Gender Integration Technical Assistance work order is ongoing from August 5, 2022, to January 31, 2024, and covers education, economic growth, governance, health, and GBV sectors in Nigeria.