Document Type: Progress Reports

Building on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors (Land Rights and Community Forestry Program [2007-2011] and the Liberia Forestry Support Program [2011-2012]), USAID contracted Tetra Tech in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

1. Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance.
2. Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas.
3. Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

This eighth quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the third quarter of fiscal year 2014 (FY14) which covers April 1–June 30, 2014. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID.

The April–June 2014 period included the arrival of the new Chief of Party (COP), Paul Cowles, who focused on getting to know the project team, key partners, and the technical scope of USAID/PROSPER. This report summarizes the accomplishments for the period measured against the Annual Work Plan.

SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS

Component 1 activities focused on the roll out of the second Annual Outreach Campaign, beginning with the launch of the campaign in Monrovia in early April. Significantly more community-to-community outreach was facilitated to support outreach and education on community forestry. Assistance to the Ministry of Education (MoE) continued and the second draft of the Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) was reviewed. Support to Forestry Training Institute (FTI) continued with the handover of the curriculum and participatory techniques teaching guide as well as through support from Dr. Ken Bauer. His support led to the improvement and relaunch of the FTI community forestry teaching website with all materials available online.

Component 2 focused on supporting FDA in moving forward with community forestry after the lifting of the Moratorium in early April. The project began collaborating closely with the FDA team to identify how best to begin moving new Community Forest Management Agreements (CFMAs) forward, and how to address issues with established CFMAs. Facilitation of an agreement between Arcelor Mittal Liberia (AML) and the Gba Community Forest also continued to be a major activity with continued support to conduct inventories and look for wood buyers for timber from the Tailings Management Facility area. Reaching final agreement has been difficult, however, and negotiations continue. Another conflict arose in District 4 near Buchanan, with a separate faction of communities attempting to start a second community forest in the same area. FDA and PROSPER are working together to manage the conflict. The land dispute between the Gblor and Kparblee communities nearly reached resolution but flared up again during demarcation activities, once again demonstrating the complexity and difficulty of helping communities to resolve long-standing conflicts. Scopes of work for more detailed threat assessments and biomonitoring were also developed.

DELIVERABLES SUMMARY

One deliverable was submitted during the reporting period. This information is similarly presented in the appendices.

To build on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007-2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011-2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech ARD in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

1. Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
2. Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
3. Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

This seventh quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 (FY14) which covers January 1 through March 31, 2014. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID.

The January – March 2014 period was highlighted by major staffing transitions on the part of TTARD and USAID. In January, COP Steve Reid departed from the program after nearly two years developing and refining the administrative component of PROSPER. In preparation for his departure, DCOP Vaneska Litz was approved as the new COP of PROSPER. A new DCOP, Paul Meadows, arrived in country on January 6th to manage the administrative functions that Mr. Reid had performed. There was a brief turnover period with both Mr. Meadows and Mr. Reid on the ground together. At the end of January, COP Vaneska Litz announced her departure from the program in order to take a position in Zambia. Tetra Tech ARD and PROSPER sought to bridge Ms. Litz’s departure and mobilization of the new COP by sending Jesse Buff, PROSPER Senior Technical Advisor/Manager, to overlap with Ms. Litz’s final weeks with the program. At the end of March 2014, Mr. Buff helped orient the new COP, Mr. Paul Cowles, in Burlington, VT. Mr. Cowles arrived shortly thereafter in Liberia and will be overseeing the technical components of the program that Ms. Litz previously oversaw. This report summarizes the accomplishments for the period measured against the Annual Work Plan.

Summary and Highlights:

Component 1 activities focused heavily on the organization of the 2nd Annual Outreach Campaign Launch, which is to take place in early April. Work with FTI continued and the Community Forestry Curriculum and Participatory Teaching Techniques Guide received marking and branding approval from USAID, with the first publications being printed at the end of March. The Component 1 lead commenced activities in Western Liberia with a pilot program that will eventually extend to other non-PROSPER counties to assist communities that have already submitted applications to gain Authorized Community Forest status. With the Community Forest Management Agreement moratorium expected to be lifted in April, there is a strong need to educate communities that have already submitted applications on the overall process of nine steps to achieve CF status. The pilot proved successful in Grand Cape Mount and Gbarpoulu counties and the project is expected to reach out to other counties in May 2014.

Component 2 moved forward with planned field activities despite the many staffing transitions and the moratorium on CFMAs. Highlights in northern Nimba included: supporting the negotiations between Arcelor Mittal (AML) and the CFMB resulting in the recognition of the community ownership rights to forest resources; continuation of Community Assembly (CA) restructuring activities coupled with capacity building which included rules revision and system development; and, the multi-stakeholder CMC engagement regarding the ENNR and Land Commission support to land tenure issues which clarifies and supports community institutions’ rights over their forest resources. In the new sites, forest management organizing committees and Community Awareness Teams continue to promote community awareness on sustainable forestry in the PROSPER target communities.

Major Component 3 activities during the second quarter of FY14 included: completion and submission of the Agricultural Value Chain Assessment report; implementation of the Value Chain Assessment of Wood Based Products; completion of the sector assessment for, the identification of established entrepreneurs who are interested in leading the mobilization and trade of Griffonia as a business activity; starting the selection of cocoa farmers for the cocoa rehabilitation program in Zor and the Big Gio communities; and the finalization of an operation and maintenance brochure for Freedom Mill operators and managers.

Griffonia monitoring continued using plots established in Q4 of FY13 and was further extended for three weeks into April due to the reported late maturing of the Griffonia. The PROSPER-supported cassava processing groups (CPGs) in Northern Nimba had limited business due to immature (small) tuber size. Training of operators and stakeholders of the Commercial Palm Oil Processors at the start of the palm processing season resulted in a good start of the palm processing season.

During the quarter, ten new staff were hired by ACDI/VOCA to provide support to Component 3 activities.

Deliverables Summary:

Ten deliverables were submitted and either approved or returned to PROSPER for revisions during the reporting period. A list of the deliverables approved during the quarter, or submitted and awaiting approval, or submitted and returned to PROSPER before approval can be given, are provided in the table below (updated as of 31 March, 2014). This information is similarly presented in the Appendices.

To build on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007-2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011-2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

1. Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
2. Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
3. Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

Following the completion, in September 2012, of a comprehensive work plan for fiscal year 2013, PROSPER proceeded in the first quarter to implement the ambitious set of activities planned for each of its three components. In the more mature sites inherited from the LRCFP and LFSP programs in northern Nimba, PROSPER focused on implementation of the approved forest management plans through rules development, the introduction of a permit system, and outreach and awareness activities designed with the communities to support implementation. Enterprise development activities included training of Griffonia collectors in sustainable harvesting methods and restructuring of oil palm and cassava producer groups. Farmer Field Schools were also supported through the program while, simultaneously, plans were developed to introduce a more integrated FFS model in the coming year.

At the landscape level, PROSPER participated actively throughout the first quarter in an ongoing debate concerning the viability of the co-management system developed for the East Nimba Nature Reserve, urging the FDA and other members of the Northern Nimba Biodiversity Stakeholders Group to reconsider the ENNR’s status as a strict nature reserve.

In the program’s seven new sites located in Grand Bassa County (2), southern Nimba (4), and northern Nimba (1), PROSPER conducted a number of information-gathering and “entry” activities including community profiling, biodiversity assessment, ethnobotanical and value chain surveys, presentation of the steps for establishing a community forestry, etc. In addition to generating valuable socio-economic and biodiversity data., these introductory activities – planned and carried out in a participatory and collaborative fashion – afforded the PROSPER team and partner communities the opportunity to begin to know each other, and better understand community forestry and the role of PROSPER. Several of the activities provided practical capacity-building opportunities for participating community members, including local authorities, women’s group leaders, NTFP collectors, and hunters. Discussions undertaken with the staff of USAID’s Food and Enterprise Development (FED) program in November and December resulted in the identification of promising opportunities for collaboration on agriculture and forest-based enterprise development in PROSPER’s Tappita and Grand Bassa sites.

This second PROSPER quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the October-December 2012 period. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID. As the report sections that follow reveal, PROSPER made notable progress in Component 2 (Community Forestry) and Component 3 (Livelihoods) during the quarter and largely respected its implementation schedule. Nevertheless, the execution of several field activities was hampered by bad weather and poor road conditions, resulting in delays in deliverables, including the final biodiversity assessment; ethnobotanical survey and value chain study. All of these documents are in the final stages of preparation and will be submitted for approval early in the next quarter. In Component 1, PROSPER’s progress was uneven. The program made good strides in Activity 1.3 (FTI community forestry curriculum), but fell behind schedule in the execution of Activity 1.1 (primary formal and non-formal curricula) in particular.

The extension of PROSPER’s activities to seven new sites from October to December was accompanied and supported by a major expansion of PROSPER’s workforce and physical assets. During the quarter, PROSPER established, equipped, and staffed new field offices in both Tappita (southern Nimba County) and Buchanan (Grand Bassa County). In each office, a full-time PROSPER Forestry Officer ensures technical coordination of program activities; a Field Office Administrator provides administrative and financial support and oversight. Between October and early December, PROSPER’s three national subcontractors (NAEAL, CJPS, and AGRHA) recruited, oriented and deployed – respectively – Education/Outreach Officers, Organization Development Officers, and Livelihood Officers for the Tappita and Buchanan offices (a total of six persons), and Community Mobilizers for each of the seven new sites (a total of 21 persons). Motorcycles were purchased for use by all field staff, and training in their use, maintenance and record-keeping was provided to staff as part of their mobilization Though the establishment of the new field offices was made difficult by the extended rainy season, associated logistical problems, and equipment and communications issues, both were fully-staffed and functional by the end of the quarter.

The larger context in which PROSPER’s activities unfolded during the quarter remained dominated by the Private Use Permits scandal and the resulting shake-up at the FDA. Proponents of sustainable forest management in Liberia were alarmed to learn in October of substantial continued logging operations and exports of timber in apparent violation of the PUP moratorium. While the nation awaited the results of an investigation into the PUP scandal by an independent panel, many observers expressed concern about whether the Government would take decisive action to protect Liberia’s forest resources based on the panel’s findings.

During the quarter, PROSPER contributed to ongoing efforts by the GOL and its partners to improve land and forest resource tenure policy by sharing relevant findings from work in PROSPER’s sites. This included a presentation by PROSPER’s DCOP on Private Use Permits, Tribal Certificates, agriculture concessions, overlapping land claims, and issues related to community representation vis-à-vis land ownership at the USAID-sponsored national Land Tenure Workshop in October, and a brown bag presentation on the Community Rights Law and PUPs for the Land Commission in November.

Deliverables Summary:

The following contract deliverables were completed during the first quarter of FY 2013 (Oct.-Dec. 2012):

• Initial assessment prepared of the viability of two Payments For Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes (#30)
• Gender integration plan (#1)

The following contract deliverables due in the first quarter of FY 2013 were prepared in draft form but have not been submitted:

• Biodiversity assessments completed for new sites (#24)
• Sector surveys and analyses for selected forestry and agricultural value chains (#2)
• Report summarizing findings of review of formal primary school curriculum, adult literacy curriculum, and non-formal education materials, and identifying opportunities to integrate environmental themes (#26)
• First outreach campaign launched to improve public awareness of natural resource and environmental management issues (#28)

Contract deliverables to be completed in the second quarter of FY 2013:

• None due

To build on previous United States Government investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007–2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011–2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech ARD in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012–2017) entitled People, Rules, and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

1. Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
2. Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas; and
3. Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

In October, PROSPER began its fourth year of program implementation, and most likely the busiest year for the program as improved cooperation and communication with the FDA will help realize the completion of the Community Forest Management Agreement process with the eight PROSPER pilot sites in Nimba and Grand Bassa. Following a year of staff changes within PROSPER as well as USAID, and multiple implementation complications as a result of the Ebola crisis, Year 4 has started with much more hope, optimism and promise for success in achieving the goals of the PROSPER program.

In August 2015, PROSPER held its Annual Work Planning meeting in Monrovia, which included all of the local and international implementing partners. The four day event paved the way for the final two years of project implementation. In early December, the approved Annual Work Plan was officially presented to the FDA.

In October, following a request from USAID, Tetra Tech ARD submitted a proposal to the mission which, if approved, will expand outreach and awareness campaigns related to community forestry in additional high-threat counties within Liberian. The expanded scope of work will also help build capacity of the Forestry Development Authority’s Community Forestry Department through provision of an FDA Advisor and build of a core CF technical team among FDA regional staff. It is anticipated that the expanded Scope of Work will begin in FY16Q2.

There were six deliverables due during FY16Q1. Although none were submitted to USAID for approval, three were completed and are currently being reviewed by PROSPER while three are near completion. All are expected to be submitted in FY16Q2. (See Annex 5)

This Quarterly Report provides a description of the activities undertaken by PROSPER during the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 (FY16Q1), October – December 2015.

FY16 Q1 HIGHLIGHTS

Component 1: Education, Outreach, and Awareness

1. Delivered and distributed Primary Environmental Education (EE) Curriculum materials to MOE
2. Analyzed the results of the Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior (KAB) end-line surveys
3. Facilitated Newspaper Publications and Radio Broadcast on PROSPER activities
4. Initiated preparation for Radio-drama outreach through community radio
5. Capacity building support to FTI faculty in CF curriculum delivery and assessment
6. FTI student participation in Site-based Research Activities
7. Updated Database and website for FTI

Component 2: Forest Management and Biodiversity

1. Supported Management Plan and Rules Template Development for Authorized Forest Communities and defined next steps to promote Permitting Systems
2. Supported the Gba CFMB to re-clean the Gba CF boundary in preparation for zoning the CF
3. Supported the Participation of CFMBs at the Northern Nimba Biodiversity Stakeholders’ Forum in Monrovia
4. Provided training to CFMBs in financial policy and business management
5. Consulted with Conservation International and other partners on the potential for piloting Conservation Agreements in the Barconnie Communities
6. Supported the FDA to Ground-Truth the Preliminary Demarcation Conducted at Sehyi CF
7. Supported the CF Governance bodies to participate in County-level Forums
8. Conducted capacity building coordination and cooperation with stakeholders
9. Developed templates for CFMP, CFMA, By-laws and constitutions in collaboration with stakeholders
10. Supported FDA to develop boundary demarcation verification process
11. Provided support to the FDA to compile Findings of the Demarcation Data
12. Provided support to the FDA on the Development of Land Dispute Mechanism
13. Supported Capacity Building for Biomonitoring

Component 3: Livelihood and Enterprise Development

1. The Business Development Advisor assessed five women groups in crop diversification to determine the groups’ capacity and their specific training needs
2. Six high performance Crop diversification groups identified for support for dry season vegetable production
3. All six groups received a set of irrigation water pumps and operation packages
4. Provision of technical assistance to twenty four crop diversification groups
5. Training of CFMBs in financial and business management

To build on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007-2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011-2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech ARD in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

• Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
• Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
• Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

This sixth quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 (FY14) which covers October 1 through December 31, 2013. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID.

The October to December period marked the beginning of PROSPER’s second year of implementation. Despite the protracted rainy season, activities continued apace. This report summarizes the accomplishments for the period measured against the Annual Work Plan.

Summary and Highlights:

Component 1 activities in this quarter focused on two major activities: documentation of the “Make Community Forestry Rights Real” campaign and documentation of deliverables. Efforts to develop and finalize the 72 environmental education lesson plans continued throughout the quarter. It is anticipated that the curriculum will be finalized and packaged in the next quarter. “Lessons Learned” workshops were held in all of the areas where the “Make Community Forest Rights Real” campaign was conducted, and involved all stakeholders who participated in the first annual outreach campaign. Tetra Tech ARD’s Communications Specialist facilitated two behavior change communication capacity-building activities for the CFWG/FDA on behalf of PROSPER: a Behavior Change Communication (BCC) Workshop for the Design of the 2nd Annual Outreach Campaign on community forestry, and a film editing workshop. Fifteen members of the Community Forest Working Group (CFWG), including individuals from government, civil society organizations and PROSPER staff, participated in the workshops. Lastly, a three-day Community Forestry Curriculum and Teacher Training Review Workshop was held at the FTI in November. The faculty were also provided with a review of participatory teaching methodologies and were oriented in the use of the FTI website and database developed with the support of PROSPER.

Despite a long rainy season, Component 2 field activities continued at all field sites. Highlights in northern Nimba included: negotiations between Arcelor Mittal (AML) and the CFMB that resulted in the recognition of community ownership rights to forest resources that will be removed as a result of AML operations. Community Assembly elections and CFMB appointments proceeded, and communities were represented at the tripartite meeting on the Nimba Mountain range. In the new areas, forest management organizing committees and Community Awareness Teams were organized and mobilized to promote community forestry in the PROSPER target communities. At the national level, PROSPER developed three policy briefs and presented these to stakeholders at a one day workshop in addition to supporting several presenters at a regional Forest Governance meeting. Work with the Community Forest Working Group continued apace with planning for outreach activities in CF applicant communities outside of the PROSPER area. Component 3 activities during the first quarter of FY14 included ongoing delivery of farmer field school sessions to 275 participants at 11 sites. Griffonia monitoring began, using plots established in the previous quarter. The PROSPER-supported cassava and oil palm processing groups (CPGs and CPOPs) in Northern Nimba had limited business due to the rainy season. Sector assessments for cocoa and oil palm as well as charcoal and bushmeat were completed, the results for which will be documented in the next quarter. Most importantly, during the quarter, significant discussions within the PROSPER team and between PROSPER and USAID were held concerning the overall strategy for this component, the relevance of current activities, and proposed reorientations for FY14, all of which is now reflected in the 2014 Annual Work Plan.

Deliverables Summary:

Thirteen deliverables were submitted and either approved or returned to PROSPER for revisions during the reporting period. A list of the deliverables approved during the quarter, or submitted and awaiting approval are provided in the table below (updated as of Jan 7, 2014). This information is similarly presented in the Appendices.

To build on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007-2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011-2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:

1. Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
2. Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
3. Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

Tetra Tech, charged by USAID with ensuring a seamless transition with LFSP (ending May 31, 2012), moved swiftly in late May and early June to install its team and launch operations. By June 1, the core technical and administrative team was in place, including 10 host country staff and expatriate Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party/Component 2 Leader, and Component 1 Leader. Tetra Tech took over the lease on the Liberia Forestry Support Program (LFSP) field office in northern Nimba and maintained the staff, allowing support of the three community forestry sites in Nimba to continue without interruption. Preliminary assessments of potential new sites in target counties were initiated in early June. From June 18-20, PROSPER organized an Inception Workshop for project staff, implementing partners, and key government and civil society stakeholders that resulted in the definition of a work plan, approved by USAID, covering the four-month “mobilization period” (June-September 2012).

This first quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the four-month mobilization period. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID.

As the report sections that follow reveal, June-September was a period of intense preparation and initiation of activities including several important cross-cutting activities (site selection, gender assessment, performance monitoring plan development and work planning). Throughout the period, PROSPER worked with the community forest management bodies (CFMBs) and partners in its “inherited” sites in Northern Nimba (the Zor, Gba, and Bleih community forests) and the East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR) to consolidate and deepen results achieved under Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (LRCFP) and LFSP. Subcontracts signed in June with PROSPER’s three national subcontractors (CJPS, NAEAL, and AGRHA) allowed all three to field staff to Northern Nimba (AGRHA, 3 staff beginning in July; CJPS and NAEAL, 2 staff each, beginning in August. In September, following USAID’s approval of seven new proposed work sites, PROSPER team members took to the field to inform the communities of their selection and to initiate community profiling. In parallel, with the support of subcontractors Fauna and Flora International (FFI), ASNAPP, and Rutgers University, PROSPER also launched biodiversity assessments, ethno-botanical surveys, and value chain analyses in the new sites.

As noted in the Component Work Plans section, the major activities and results assigned to the Education and Outreach, Community Forestry, and Livelihoods components under the mobilization plan were largely completed. A notable exception concerned PROSPER’s planned support to the Forestry Training Institute to conduct a gap analysis of the curriculum (Activity 1.3). Stretched too thin by other demands in August and September, the Component 1 team deferred this task to the first quarter of FY 2013. A planned consultation with the Land Commission, Governance Commission and Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to develop a review process to facilitate the lifting of the moratorium on Community Forest Management Agreements (Activity 2.3) was also deferred due to the crisis that enveloped the FDA concerning private use permits (PUPs).

Throughout the June-September period, the work of PROSPER’s technical team was supported and complemented by the program’s administrative and financial unit which oversaw the recruitment of new staff, the identification and setting up of PROSPER’s permanent office, the contracting of various service providers, the procurement, registration and insuring of vehicles, the purchase and installation of furniture and IT equipment, and numerous other administrative and logistical tasks associated with the start-up of a major program.

PROSPER’s mobilization period coincided with the eruption of a serious crisis in the forestry sector. Revelations concerning the FDA’s issuance of private use permits for timber exploitation on more than 2 million ha of forestland sparked an outcry led by civil society organizations that has been widely reported by the national and international press. That outcry resulted in a temporary moratorium on logging operations under inactive PUPs, Senate hearings on the issue, the suspension of the FDA Managing Director, and the appointment by the President of an independent investigative panel that is currently examining procedural and substantive legal issues related to the issuance and applicability of the PUPs. At the time of this report, however, logging operations under active PUPs have resumed (by Supreme Court order), and no matter what the investigative panel concludes, the FDA’s exploitation of this “back door” alternative to authorize logging and the failure of the Senate and Supreme Court to condemn it, has cast considerable doubt on the Government’s commitment to the reforms enacted since 2007 aimed at improving governance of Liberia’s forest resources and promoting equitable benefits for forest communities. The sustainability of PROSPER’s efforts to broaden and strengthen community forestry in Liberia will be conditioned to a great extent by the way the Government of Liberia (GoL) responds to the present crisis.

Deliverables Summary:

The following contract deliverables were completed during the Mobilization Period:

• Gender assessment identifying challenges and opportunities for improving participation and benefits of women in specific PROSPER activities and outlining proposed strategies (#22)
• Site selection report presenting seven recommended work sites in up to four landscapes (#23)
• Curriculum Development Working Group (CDWG) constituted comprising representatives from the public, NGO, Private sector, and USAID Education programs, to contribute to review and development of formal and non-formal curriculum (#25)

Deliverables to be completed in the first quarter of FY 2013 are:

• Report summarizing findings of review of formal primary school curriculum, adult literacy curriculum, and non-formal education materials, and identifying opportunities to integrate environmental themes (#26)
• Initial assessment prepared of the viability of two Payments For Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes (#30)
• Baseline surveys, gender integration plan, and M&E systems established for each target county (#1)
• Sector surveys and analyses for selected forestry and agricultural value chains (#2)
• Biodiversity assessments completed for new sites (#24)
• First outreach campaign launched to improve public awareness of natural resource and environmental management issues (#28)

The Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program for Liberia is a USAID-funded initiative that began in September 2011. Through implementing a Liberian strategy which incorporates women and youth, FED is helping the government of Liberia and the country achieve food security — in terms of food availability, utilization, and accessibility — by building an indigenous incentive structure that assists a range of agricultural stakeholders to adopt commercial approaches, while ensuring increased availability and utilization among the large number of subsistence producers.

This incentive structure for commercial agribusiness is being built upon:

• Improved technologies for productivity and profitability;
• Expanded and modernized input supply and extension systems;
• Commercial production, marketing, and processing activities;
• A range of enterprise services; and
• Agriculturally focused workforce development.

FED’s activities work with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the private sector to link communities to appropriate improvements to their farming systems, new technologies, agricultural inputs (including improved seeds), extension services, nutritious food products, processing services, market information, transportation, credit, and appropriate education, training, and enterprise support services.

Over the life of the five-year FED program, expanded market linkages will lead to substantial income and job growth and major increases in the production, processing, marketing, and nutritional utilization of rice, cassava, vegetables, and goats in Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Montserrado, and Margibi counties. These counties are targeted as regional development corridors to foster intra- and inter-county commerce, simultaneously improving food availability and access for all Liberians.

FED operates through three main components:

• Component One: Increased Agricultural Productivity: Works on agricultural technologies and techniques, such as improved varieties and seed, fertilizer use, mechanization, improved extension, integrated pest management (IPM), and other improvements to production, postharvest, processing and marketing of the four value chain products to improve food availability at the household level, incomes and nutrition.
• Component Two: Stimulate Private Enterprise: Strengthening agribusinesses, improving their access to inputs, finance, and markets, training and working with individuals and groups of entrepreneurs, improving their skills in business management, marketing, and use of modern technologies to add value and increase profits.
• Component Three: Build Local Human Capacity: Works with the vocational agriculture schools and other related institutions on workforce development, improving the skill sets of all those engaged in agribusiness, including farmers, enterprise employees, businessmen, and women.

FED’s methodology is market-led, value chain-driven, continuously dedicated to indigenous capacity building, and specifically focused on benefiting Liberia’s women and youth. FED’s approach aims to be collaborative, catalytic, and driven by the goals and objectives of our partner clients. It will lead to increases in incomes for rural households, new employment opportunities for Liberians, increased access to food and improved household dietary diversity scores for food-insecure Liberians, and the adoption of improved inputs, farming practices, and technologies which boost agricultural productivity.

In FY 2012, FED was implemented by seven international partners including: Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI), Winrock International, International Fertilizer Developmental Center (IFDC), Samaritan’s Purse, Louisiana State University, The Cadmus Group, and the Center for Development and Population Activities.

Annual Highlights

This annual report for The Food and Enterprise Development (FED) project, part of USAID Liberia’s Feed the Future initiative, covers the period from October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012, and focuses on successes, accomplishments, and highlights under the USAID-approved first year work plan and its activities designed around the targets in the approved Performance Management Plan (PMP).

Some highlights during the Year 1 work plan included:

1. FED used mobile data collection for its baseline, allowing data to automatically be geo-tagged in real time. FED interviewed approximately 1,000 households using mobile technology, employing both mobile and geospatial technology for the majority of data collection efforts. A ten-day training transitioned management of FED’s mobile data collection to the M&E/GIS coordinator.
2. One-day consultative workshop in Monrovia with the MoA, MoF, and MFIs to develop guidelines for an agro-input supply action plan for Liberia.
3. Building collaborative links with local and regional input suppliers to improve the range, costs and availability of inputs.
4. Testing, local production and introduction of technologies, including rotary rice weeders from Madagascar, treadle pumps, power tillers, impact rice de-hullers, driers and one pass rice mills.
5. Local private soil testing service established and FED extension agents trained on crop planning, input procurement, and testing of soil to determine available nutrients in the soil, with similar training provided to two of the rainy season vegetable groups from Mount Barclay and Cocoa Factory communities which benefited 40 farmers (31 women, 9 men).
6. FED and MoA extension staff trained in rice production techniques, and technologies to reduce production and processing labor bottlenecks and increase rice yields tested and demonstrated.
7. Rice production and processing demonstration training in Bong, Lofa, Nimba, and Grand Bassa counties with 772 participants from June 13-22, 2012.
8. Basic training in lowland rice and upland vegetable farming for a total of 342 farmers (177 women, 165 men) for the Doumpa Community Agriculture Project.
9. FED conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on July 7, 2012, with My Brother’s Keeper orphanage, located in Careysburg, Montserrado County for a demonstration vegetable plot. The orphans continue to grow vegetables, including bitterball, peppers, cucumber, okra, watermelon, cabbage, eggplant, potato, collards, and sweet potato greens.
10. SMEs training in the cassava value chain in collaboration with the National Cassava Sector Coordination Committee in Monrovia with 24 participants (10 women, 14 men).
11. Joint venture agreement signed between Chevron, AEDE, New Generational Women and FED to implement a 75 acre cassava production and processing enterprise and engage in commercial vegetable production and marketing on Coopers Farm in Clay Ashland.
12. Launch of the 2012 National Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccination campaign, in collaboration with the MoA, BRAC, USDA Land O’Lakes, and Samaritan’s Purse. The vaccine was administered to goats and sheep across Liberia in Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Montserrado, Grand Bassa, and Margibi counties during the month of September, reaching over 120,000 sheep and goats, and impacting 226,836 households.
13. Business management skills training workshop and follow up mentoring for selected SMEs and producer groups in Monrovia with a total of 26 participants trained (9 women, 17 men).
14. Business Skills Training Seminars for Liberian Farmer Associations in Grand Bassa and Nimba counties with a total of 62 participants (30 women, 32 men).
15. A three-day teacher’s training workshop for the VES and youth VES for 52 teachers (11 women, 41 men) and a stakeholder’s meeting for 32 teachers (2 women, 17 men) held at BWI and the Nimba County Community College from June 14-20, 2012.
16. The BWI Department of Agriculture HOD, led a workshop on curriculum development, using his own course on compost making, following the ECOWA TVET curriculum model. This will serve as the model for the post-secondary National Agricultural Diploma Curriculum.
17. FED launched its pilot phase of the internship program on July 31, 2012. To date, 58 students, age 20 to 35, have been selected from four universities and technical schools, and placed in 20 public institutions, NGOs, INGOs, and farm enterprises across Liberia.

The Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program in Liberia is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project that aims to work with the Government of Liberia (GOL) to increase agriculture productivity, profitability and access within the rice, cassava, vegetable and goat value chains, improve nutrition and strengthen food security. FED is focused on four priority counties (Grand Bassa, Bong, Nimba and Lofa) and two secondary counties, (Magribi and Montserrado). FED will be working with partners (public and private) throughout these four value chains; improving productivity, strengthening access to inputs and services, and creating market linkages, with a particular focus on women and youth. The objectives of the program are:

• Increase agriculture productivity and profitability and improve human nutrition;
• Stimulate private enterprise growth and investment;
• Build local technical and managerial human resources.

FED’s activities will work with the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector to link communities to agricultural inputs (including improved seeds), extension services, nutritious food products, processing services, market information, transportation, credit, and appropriate education, training, and enterprise services.

Over the life of FED, expanded market linkages will lead to substantial income and job growth and major increases in the production, processing, marketing, and nutritional utilization of rice, cassava and vegetables in Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Montserrado, and Margibi counties. These counties are being targeted in the context of regional development corridors that foster intra- and inter-county commerce, simultaneously improving food availability and access for all Liberians.

A Market Development Fund (MDF) will be available to help build Liberian capacity — partnering across the public sector, private sector, and civil society — to ensure ownership of FED-supported activities prior to the program’s conclusion. MDF funds will be administered through carefully structured local subcontracting arrangements. Every allocation of MDF funding will be underpinned by an exit strategy that extracts the FED program from its interventions without compromising market development.

FED’s methodology is market-led, value chain-driven, continuously dedicated to indigenous capacity building, and specifically focused on benefiting Liberia’s women and youth. Our approach aims to be collaborative, catalytic and driven by the goals and objectives of our partner clients. It will lead to increases in incomes for rural households, new employment opportunities for Liberians, increased access to food and improved household dietary diversity scores for food-insecure Liberians, and the adoption of improved inputs, farming practices, and technologies that boost agricultural productivity.

June 2012 was a busy month for the FED team, with accomplishments made in the areas of training and the implementation of activities in various project components.

Trains during the Month of June 2012 include the following:

• There was a weekly training at 13 lowland rice demonstration sites in Bond County (213 participants from 8 groups), Nimba County (240 participants from 9 groups), Grand Bassa County (106 participants from 4 groups) and Lofa County (213 participants from 8 groups) with field lay out been completed;
• Three days Business Skills Training Seminar for Liberian Farmer Associations was held in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties. Both counties had the total of 31 participants. Buchanan, Grand Bassa County had the total of 14 females and 17 males while Ganta, Nimba County had 16 females and 15 males;
• There were also Tube Well trainings conducted in Ganta, Nimba County (1 Supervisor, 5 workers) from Standard Garage and Gbarnga, Bong County (1 Supervisor, 6 workers) from SMART Garage.
• Teachers training workshop brought together 10 teachers from the Booker T. Washington Institute (2 females and 8 males), 42 teachers from Nimba County Community College (9 females and 33 males).

There was a one day MDF training on June 25, 2012 for FED staffs. The training provided an overview of MDF operations, TAMIS, and procurement. This training was facilitated by STTAs Gwen Appel, MDF operations specialist and Jessica Stretz, Portfolio Manager.

A soil testing training for FED and MoA staff is scheduled for July 10-14, 2012.

Matt Curtis, a soil specialist, STTA, worked with a private soil lab partner to arrange soil testing training and to monitor chemical procurement; a soil testing training for FED and MoA staff is scheduled for July 10-14, 2012 and there was a day MDF training on June 25, 2012 for FED staff. The training provided an overview of MDF, TAMIS, and procurement. The training was facilitated by STTAs Gwen Appel, MDF Operations Specialist and Jessica Stretz, Portfolio Manager.

Twenty cassava farmer groups has be selected in Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Bassa county for demonstration of improved planting and improved cassava variety. Twenty-two lead farmers from the farmers associations will attend a training on improved cassava production in Bong Mine, Bong county. These farmers are to return to their associations and train other farmers in close collaboration with the FED extension staff. The training will include Cuttings preparation and handling, nursery preparation for multiplication and mini-setting, nursery management, layout for field planting, soil preparation and field planting.

Doumpa Community Project: Transplanting of lowland rice began on June 21 – 25, 2012; eight of the fifty-six (56) plots have been transplanted with Nerica L19. Transplanting of remaining plots continues. Special mobilization has been launched to speed up the transplanting and by July 11 we hope the entire field will be transplanted.

USAID Liberia’s Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program is being implemented to achieve the following component objectives:

• Component-1: Increase agricultural productivity and profitability, and improve human nutrition;
• Component-2: Stimulate private enterprise growth and investment; and
• Component-3: Build local technical and managerial human resources to sustain and expand the accomplishments achieved under objectives one and two.

During this month, the Food and Enterprise Development program for Liberia continues to establish its Field offices in its counties of operations (Margibi, Bong, Grand Basa, Lofa and Nimba). The Urban and Peri-Urban has been successfully established in surrounding communities in Kakata and Monrovia areas. Meanwhile, the treadle pump manufacturing selection process continues as well as treadle pump train-of-train and selection of tainees. There was a three days training held with Welekamah Farmer Base Organization in Gbarnga City at CARI. The training was training these farmers into understanding of doing agriculture as a business not for only feeding family. There have also been filed visits Gbarnga, Kakata and Monrovia to find out the level ICT involvement as it relates to ICT in agribusiness in Liberia. As results from these field visits, the ICT in agribusiness component of the FED has organized an upcoming training package for community base radio stations and students from BWI. These training will be done Liberia Media Centre “LMC” through IREX as a resource points.