USAID Sri Lanka and Maldives MODEL Activity Annual Progress Report FY23

The activity began on September 30, 2022, and is scheduled to conclude on September 29, 2027. The program is implemented by ECODIT, a contractor hired by USAID. The MODEL Activity has three primary objectives: to increase monitoring of USAID activities, ensure high-quality evaluation and research, and enhance learning, analysis, and documentation within the mission. To achieve these objectives, the activity has implemented various interventions, including the provision of monitoring and evaluation training to implementing partners, the development of a geographic information system (GIS) mapping system for USAID activities, and the conduct of indicator-based data quality assessments. One of the key achievements of the MODEL Activity in fiscal year 2023 was the completion of the MEL training for implementing partners, which was conducted in two phases. The training aimed to enhance the capacity of implementing partners to design and implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems. The activity also developed a video on the 75th anniversary celebration of the USAID and Sri Lanka partnership, which was a cross-cutting and on-demand service. The MODEL Activity has also made significant progress in enhancing learning, analysis, and documentation within the mission. The activity conducted a midterm evaluation, which revealed a 27% increase in household income among program participants compared to the control group. The evaluation also showed improvements in food security indicators across all target communities. In addition to these achievements, the MODEL Activity has also faced implementation challenges, including equipment costs and limited adoption of certain practices by women-headed households. However, the activity has developed strategies to address these challenges and ensure the continued success of the program. The MODEL Activity has planned several key activities for fiscal year 2024, including the migration of custom indicator data to the Development Information Solution (DIS) system, the review of the activity MEL plan template, and the establishment of a GIS mapping system for USAID activities. The activity has also planned to provide support to USAID to conduct indicator-based data quality assessments and to develop a MEL capacity strengthening strategy. Overall, the MODEL Activity has made significant progress in achieving its objectives and has demonstrated its commitment to enhancing the monitoring, evaluation, and learning capacity of USAID activities in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.