USAID Shejeh Salam (Promoting Peace) | Strategy Review Session (SRS) Report August 2023

The Shejeh Salam team, along with USAID, came together to reflect on past programming, assess current programming, and look forward to the design of the upcoming Option Year 2 / Year 4 (Y4) workplan. The SRS objectives included improving collaborative ideas with other donors, examining regional pre-election contexts, brainstorming areas for programming expansion, enhancing operational systems, supporting team well-being, and strengthening team dynamics. The workplan development process started with a review of Option Year 1 (Program Year 3 (Y3)), sharing experiences across regions and objectives to understand what programming aspects are working well and where improvement may be made. Discussion considered the fluid operating context of South Sudan, what other USAID Implementing Partners (IP) are working upon, the importance of gender and social inclusion, activities designed to counter gender-based violence (GBV), and the feasibility of achieving results given seasonality, security, budget, and capacity. Work plan activities were accelerated through a "yellow light" fast track activity where all regions formally presented their Y4 Q ideas for small grants to a panel consisting of Shejeh Salam Activity Senior Management Team (SMT) and representatives from the USAID Democracy and Governance Office (DGO). Based on feedback, grant ideas were further refined on the final day of the SRS. Specific details of the grant ideas proposed for implementation during Year 4 were discussed, including budget, specific grant mechanisms, and a 'wish list' of USAID IPs and other donors with whom Shejeh Salam should collaborate to leverage the impact of past activity completion, ensure cost savings, and broaden activity reach. The SRS included daily participatory team building exercises, competitions, and breakaway brainstorming sessions. Shejeh Salam subcontractor, KonTerra, was present and available to the 60-member Shejeh Salam team throughout days two through four, providing private staff counseling to ensure ongoing wellness and the opportunity for staff to address any concerns with professional counselors from KonTerra. On Day 1, the SRS facilitator introduced the SRS objectives, and the Shejeh Salam Chief of Party presented opening remarks and awarded DT Global organization-wide award trophies to Shejeh Salam staff members. The Shejeh Salam Activity Juba-based Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning gave a top-line presentation of program achievements, highlighting successful implementation of the Panyijiar—Lakes Peace Dialogue, monthly national youth forums, distribution of 2,500 radios, media support for AMDISS and MDI, and activities to support the Pieri Peace Agreement in Jonglei. The program Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team presented a more detailed breakdown of indicator results and analysis of baseline vs midline results, helping the team conceptualize what the Shejeh Salam program has achieved thus far in Y3 and what has yet to be accomplished. The SRS continued with in-depth Shejeh Salam regional context presentations by each Regional Director, providing a comprehensive overview of the program's progress and challenges. The SRS concluded with a half-day of team-building and sport activities at the Equatoria Youth Sports Center, Juba on Thursday afternoon August 17. The event provided an opportunity for the Shejeh Salam team to bond and recharge, setting the stage for the upcoming Option Year 2 / Program Year 4 work planning sessions.