USAID Laos Counter Trafficking in Persons Quarterly Performance Report September-December 2017

The project, implemented by Winrock International, began on September 25, 2017, and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA). During the first quarter of the project, Winrock began the process of starting up the project and securing an Operations Permit and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the Government of Lao PDR (GOL). On October 5, 2017, Winrock Home Office Program Officers and the Chief of Party (COP) of the USAID Asia CTIP attended the USAID Laos CTIP post-award kickoff meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to review the cooperative agreement, discuss geographic targets, review the Operations Permit (OP) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) processes and expected timeline, and review other administrative details and requirements regarding project implementation in Lao PDR. Throughout October and November, USAID Asia CTIP and Winrock Home Office gender experts led the drafting of the USAID Laos CTIP Gender Assessment Report, which was submitted to USAID/RDMA in late November. In early December, Winrock's key personnel, Chief of Party (COP) Dr. Xoukiet Panyanouvong Boddington, resigned her prior post and began leading the USAID Laos CTIP project. In mid-December, Dr. Panyanouvong attended Winrock's COP training in its Arlington, VA office to learn about Winrock's procurement processes, project operations, human resources, subcontracting, finance and administration, and other field office management procedures and regulations. Dr. Panyanouvong also worked with Winrock home office staff to develop the project's year one (Y1) implementation plan, which consisted of a Y1 Work Plan, Y1 Communications and Outreach Plan, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Action Plan, Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan. These documents were submitted to USAID/RDMA on December 22, 2017. Key accomplishments for Q1 included participation in the post-award conference in Vientiane with USAID Laos and RDMA staff in October 2017, hiring and orienting the project Chief of Party, completing and submitting all Year 1 deliverables for initial review to USAID/RDMA, and beginning the in-country registration process with the submission of key documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for review. The project's overarching purpose is to reduce the vulnerability to human trafficking among targeted populations in the Lao PDR by supporting vocational training and employment opportunities of targeted vulnerable populations. The project aims to strengthen the Government of Lao PDR's response to lead anti-human trafficking efforts, improve access to economic opportunities and employment among target vulnerable populations, and increase access to support and services among trafficked persons. The project's objectives are to strengthen the Government of Lao PDR's response to lead anti-human trafficking efforts through improved coordination among Government of Lao PDR agencies and improved cooperation between Government of Lao PDR and CTIP stakeholders on countering human trafficking. The project also aims to improve access to economic opportunities and employment among target vulnerable populations through skills training based on labor market needs and enhanced private sector partnership to offer employment opportunities to targeted vulnerable populations. In the next quarter, Winrock anticipates conducting outreach to key stakeholders working on CTIP in Lao PDR, particularly key government ministries responsible for providing approval of Winrock's Operations Permit and MOU.