Yemen Monitoring and Evaluation Project Quarterly Report July 1 – September 30, 2010

The project's primary goal is to test the hypothesis that the development needs of underserved communities are causally related to improving political and social stability. The project's scope includes the development of a Mission-wide Performance Management Plan (PMP) that identifies indicators to validate the development hypothesis and measure the achievement of stabilization goals. The PMP also identifies baseline data against which performance indicators will be gauged. The project's implementation is divided into several deliverables, including the development and implementation of the USAID PMP, the establishment of the M&E Clearinghouse, and the provision of third-party M&E services. During the second quarter of 2010, the IBTCI team concluded several key activities, including the submission of the first draft mission PMP, the arrival of the synergy team to assist with the preparation of the PMP, and the conduct of workshops for implementing partners on the mission PMP. The team also commenced assisting implementing partners with the preparation of their respective PMPs and provided access to a pilot version of the M&E Clearinghouse. The project's implementation progress during the second quarter included the development of the draft Mission PMP, which references performance indicators that measure reduction in the drivers of instability. The draft Mission PMP was developed from the "Stability Monitoring Methodology" and is based on a refined definition of "stability" agreed upon by stakeholders. The methodology identifies nine drivers of instability, which were reduced to five non-overlapping categories to streamline the measurement process. The project's geographic focus is Yemen, and its implementation is expected to continue until April 2013. The project's goal is to provide accurate and timely information on the outcomes of USAID's stabilization and development activities in Yemen and to measure the achievement of stabilization goals against the background of project outputs. The project's implementation is divided into several key activities, including the development and implementation of the USAID PMP, the establishment of the M&E Clearinghouse, and the provision of third-party M&E services. The project's progress during the second quarter included the submission of the first draft mission PMP, the arrival of the synergy team, and the conduct of workshops for implementing partners. The project's financial report for the second quarter indicates that the project is on schedule in completing the tasks outlined in the approved work plan. The project's expenditure for the quarter was $X, which represents 25% of the total contract value. The project's remaining budget for the remaining period is $Y. The project's high-level meetings held during the second quarter included a meeting with the USAID/Yemen Mission Director, the Chief of Party, and the implementing partners to discuss the project's progress and future plans. The meeting discussed the project's implementation timeline, the development of the M&E Clearinghouse, and the provision of third-party M&E services.