Childhood Development Activity FY202I Ql REPORT - USAID

USAID/Cambodia-lntegrated Early Childhood Development Activity

FY202I Ql REPORT October 2020-December 2020

Original submission: January 29, 2021

Cooperative Agreement No. 72044220CA00002 AOR:

Submitted by: RTI International 3040 East Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-0155 Tel: (919) 541-6000

This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID.) The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of RTI International and do not necessarily refect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Integrated Early Childhood Development Quarterly Report October–December 2020 ii

Table of Contents Page

List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ ii List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................... iii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Activity Overview............................................................................................ 1

1.2 Background .................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Activity Description ......................................................................................... 1

1.4 Summary of Activities by Objective Area ........................................................ 2

2 Implementation Progress: October–December 2020 ................................................. 3

2.1 Operations ..................................................................................................... 3

2.2 Technical Activities and Progress .................................................................. 5

2.3 Objective 1: Improved physical, cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of children ................................................................. 5

2.4 Objective 2: Decreased stunting rates for children under five among the target population. ........................................................................................... 7

2.5 Objective 3: Children with developmental delays and disabilities receive appropriate care in target provinces. .............................................................. 9

3 Activity Project Management ................................................................................... 12

3.1 Award Modifications and Amendments ........................................................ 12

3.2 International Travel ...................................................................................... 12

3.3 Monitoring Evaluation and Learning ............................................................. 12

Success Story ....................................................................................................................... 1

List of Tables Table 1. IECD Results by Objective ............................................................................. 2

Table 2. Relevant Implementing Partners and Potential Collaborations ..................... 11

Integrated Early Childhood Development Quarterly Report October–December 2020 iii

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ACR All Children Reading BCC Behavior Change Communications CARD Council for Agricultural and Rural Development CbDMAT Community-Based Development Milestone Assessment Tool CCWC Commune Committees for Women and Children CDL Commune Development Leader CDMAT Cambodian Developmental Milestone Assessment Tool COP Chief of Party COVID-19 coronavirus disease 2019 DCOP Deputy Chief of Party ECD early childhood development FGD focus group discussion FY fiscal year GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German

Corporation for International Cooperation) HARVEST Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem Stability H.E. His Excellency HKI Helen Keller International HR human resources IECD Integrated Early Childhood Development Activity IT information technology KII Key Informant Interview MEL monitoring, evaluation, and learning MoAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries MoEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MoH Ministry of Health MoSVY Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation NGO non-governmental organization Q quarter RGC Royal Government of Cambodia SBCC social and behavior change communication SOW scope of work SUN Scaling Up Nutrition TOT training of trainers UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

Integrated Early Childhood Development Quarterly Report October–December 2020 iv

USAID United States Agency for International Development WASH water, sanitation, and hygiene WCCC Women and Children Consultative Committee

Integrated Early Childhood Development Quarterly Report October–December 2020 1

1 Introduction

1.1 Activity Overview Activity Name: USAID/Cambodia–Integrated Early Childhood Development Activity Start Date and End Date:

07/17/2020–07/16/2025

Funding Source (Specify USAID/Washington or the USAID Mission):

USAID/Cambodia

Lead at USAID Mission, if applicable:

Contract Number: 72044220CA00002 Activity Lead: Name of Subgrantees: Helen Keller International Geographic Coverage (cities and or countries):

Cambodia

1.2 Background The Cambodia Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Activity began on July 17, 2020. In accordance with the reporting requirements laid out in Section A.5 of the IECD cooperative agreement, this report is the Quarter (Q) 1 2021 Quarterly Progress Report and includes information from Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Q1, October 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

1.3 Activity Description The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Cambodia IECD Activity in 2020 to support children in Cambodia not just to survive, but to thrive and reach their full developmental potential. IECD supports the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to promote nurturing care for all children, including the most vulnerable, starting from before birth. The project takes an integrated approach and aligns with RGC and USAID strategies and frameworks across multiple sectors. IECD works to strengthen nutrition service delivery in health facilities and in communities; supports nutrition sensitive agriculture and improved livelihoods; improves water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices among caregivers; facilitates screening and access to services for children who may have developmental delays and disabilities; and promotes responsive caregiving to help children meet critical developmental milestones. The focus of IECD is on the early childhood years, with emphasis on the first 1,000 days (or conception to age 2). IECD’s three main objectives are:

Objective 1: Improved physical, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional development of young children. Objective 2: Decreased stunting rates for children under 5 among the target population. Objective 3: Children with developmental delays and disabilities receive appropriate care in target provinces.

Through Objective 1 activities, IECD will create optimal conditions for all Cambodian children’s development by building the skills of families, health providers, and community leaders to provide and promote nurturing care. Through Objective 2, IECD will address children’s physical development by improving families’ abilities to produce or procure nutritious foods; by helping families generate income to support livelihoods; by promoting consumption of nutritious diets; and by strengthening the integration of WASH, health services, and early childhood development (ECD) services. Under Objective 3, IECD will leverage existing screening tools, such as the Community-Based Development Milestone Assessment Tool (CbDMAT) and Cambodia Development Milestone Assessment Tool (CDMAT) to identify children at risk for developmental delays and disabilities, increase referrals, and strengthen local capacity to provide specialized care. IECD will apply a gender-transformative approach to all program activities. The IECD Theory of Change posits that if the enabling environment, service providers, and families are all supported to promote holistic, integrated nurturing care for children with and without developmental delays and disabilities, then an increased percentage of Cambodian children will thrive and meet developmental milestones.

1.4 Summary of Activities by Objective Area The Cambodia IECD Activity works, through provision of technical assistance to support three objectives, to ensure children thrive and meet their full developmental potential. In future reports, this section will provide a summary of project progress against the targeted results, organized by objective. The IECD Year 1 Work Plan was approved by USAID on December 22, 2020; Table 1 presents the objectives and results that comprise the outline for the work plan. In the next quarterly progress report, once activities in the field are up and running, additional information on each activity will be included.

Table 1. IECD Results by ObjectiveObjective 1: Improved physical, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional development of young childrenResult 1.1 Increased capacity of caregivers to provide nurturing care for children with and

without developmental delays and disabilitiesResult 1.2 Increased capacity and improved attitudes, behaviors, and practices of service

providers to educate and support caregivers with young children about nurturing care

Result 1.3 Strengthened enabling environment at the national and sub-national levels to promote the institutionalization of ECD activities

Objective 2: Decreased stunting rates for children under 5 among the target populationResult 2.1 Communities and families increase crop diversification for home consumption and

income generationResult 2.2 Increased consumption of nutritional and diverse diets meeting the needs of

pregnant mothers, particularly targeting young and first-time mothers and children under 5

Result 2.3 Improved hygiene and sanitation-related behaviors in the household and community

Objective 3: Children with developmental delays and disabilities receive appropriate care in target provincesResult 3.1 Increased developmental monitoring and early identification of children with

developmental delays and disabilitiesResult 3.2 Increased referral to quality, sustainable services for children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Integrated Early Childhood Development Quarterly Report October-December 2020 2

Result 3.3 Strengthened community-based rehabilitation and support services for children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families

2 Implementation Progress: October-December 2020

This section summarizes the work conducted this quarter and lists anticipated tasks for the coming year. In FY2021 Q1, IECD continued to make significant progress on project start- up, and the technical team made progress on developing deliverables and tools for program implementation, including the Year 1 Work Plan, which was submitted on November 15, 2020, and approved by USAID on December 22, after the team incorporated feedback from USAID. The life of project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan was also submitted to USAID on November 15, and discussions between the IECD and USAID MEL teams to finalize the approach are ongoing. We anticipate that the life of project MEL Plan will be approved by USAID in Q2 FY 2021. Other technical tools across all three components were developed as described below. The Operations team managed the onboarding of seven new staff; finalized negotiations with the management of The Point, which has been selected to house the IECD office; identified and began negotiating leases for field office space; and began drafting IECD project manuals, including the Grants and Operations Policy manuals.

2.1 Operations At the beginning of Q1 FY 2021, the IECD team in Phnom Penh comprised three staff: the Chief of Party (COP), Child Development Manager, and MEL Manager. The COP was still under mandatory self-quarantine, having arrived in Cambodia on September 20, 2020. The team was working from the offices of IECD subgrantee Helen Keller International (HKI), and permanent office space had not yet been identified. The IECD team was able to make significant progress in continuing start-up activities during this quarter. Following are highlights from the reporting period related to project start-up:

• Personnel and Recruitment. Seven new staff joined the lECD/Phnom Penh team during this reporting period, bringing the total number of onboarded staff to 10. The current personnel and their recruitment status for IECD are as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Personnel StatusPosition Status Start DateCOP* Onboard August 30, 2020Deputy COP (DCOP)* Onboard December 1, 2020Child Development Manager* Onboard September 15, 2020Nutrition Manager* Onboard October 1, 2020MEL Manager Onboard August 10, 2020Gender Coordinator Onboard October 19, 2020Senior Finance Officer Onboard November 10, 2020Human Resources (HR) and Administrative Specialist

Onboard October 12, 2020

Information Technology (IT) Specialist Onboard November 11, 2020Procurement Specialist Onboard December 12, 2020


at

with

that

Position Status Start DateBehavior Change Communication Specialist

Offer accepted January 2021

Disability and Social Inclusion Specialist Offer accepted January 2021Nutrition Coordinator Interviews underway TBDNutrition Sensitive AgricultureCoordinator

Offer accepted January 2021

Grants Officer Offer accepted February 2021Research and Monitoring Specialist Offer accepted January 2021

*Key Personnel

• Office Space. The IECD team considered seven options for office space for the mainproject office in Phnom Penh. After analyzing safety and security (in consultation withRTI’s Regional Security Manager in Indonesia) and location, the team visited threefinalists for further consideration. It was unanimously agreed

was the preferred site. The team negotiated lease terms and condition and made further arrangements to move into the space in February 2021.

• Procurement. IECD completed procurement of 15 project laptops, project phonesand tablets (to be used by Village Health Support Groups [VHSGs]), and other ITequipment during this reporting period.

• Field Offices. The Operations team visited potential office spaces in Kampong Thomand Preah Vihear during the reporting quarter. The team has selected offices andengaged in negotiations with the landlords during this quarter. The lease processeswill be finalized in Q2.

• Finance/Admin. During the previous quarter, IECD was using the bank accounts ofRTI’s All Children Reading (ACR) project and receiving support from the ACRFinance and Administration teams. During this reporting quarter, I ECD hired a SeniorFinance Officer and subsequently established bank accounts with

• Registration/Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). The Operations team hascompiled and submitted documentation to the RGC to change the designatedDirector for RTI in Cambodia to the IECD COP and to renew the MOU with theMinistry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). Once that is finalized, the IECD team will be ableto pursue project technical MOUs with relevant RGC ministries.

Plans for Next Quarter • Finalize office renovations (installing the flooring, ceiling, partitions, electrical and

Internet cabling, etc.) and move to the new project office

• Establish three field offices (two in Kampong Thom and one in Preah Vihear)

• Recruit for all remaining staff positions, including Provincial Coordinators, FieldOfficers, and Phnom Penh-based staff

• Finalize IECD Grants Manual, Operations Manual, and Child Protection Policy

• Procure and install office furniture and remaining IT equipment

• Provide compliance orientation, including on IECD operations policies, childprotection, relevant USAID rules and regulations, financial procedures, and travelpolicies, to all IECD project staff


onheld its

• Extend the MOU with MoFA and, once that is secured, negotiate an MOU withrelevant line ministries.

2.2 Technical Activities and Progress During October, the COP, Child Development Manager, MEL Manager, Nutrition Team Lead, and HKI Deputy Country Director held introductory meetings with the Ministry of Health (MoH); Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY); Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MoAFF); and Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). The same team, minus the HKI Deputy country Director, also

held its first in-person meeting with USAID on Following these and other stakeholder meetings, the IECD team began planning an IECD Stakeholder Work Planning Workshop, which took place on November 4, 2020. In keeping with RGC coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) protocols to limit public events to fewer than 50 participants, the workshop was attended by approximately 40 representatives from USAID, MoH, MoSVY, Ministry of Rural Development, MoAFF, CARD, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Program, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Vision, iDE, Plan International, Save the Children, and Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem Stability (HARVEST) II (USAID). Notable attendees included Secretary General of CARD, and Undersecretary of state for MOH. The event commenced with openindg remarks from Director, USAID/Cambodia Office of Public Health and Education, and IECD COP.

The IECD team gathered valuable inputs from the workshop attendees, which were then incorporated into the Year 1 Work Plan, which was submitted to USAID on November 15, 2020.

2.3 Objective 1: Improved physical, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional development of children

Technical Activities

• During Q1, the IECD technical team drafted the Caregiver Selection Protocol withinputs from the Objective 2 and 3 technical teams.

• In tandem with developing the Caregiver Selection Protocol, the IECD teamdeveloped the VHSG and Child Development Leader (CDL) Selection Protocols,which (along with the Caregiver Selection Protocol) will be translated into Khmer andintroduced to provincial and local government officials during 02.

• The Nurturing Care module outlines and content were drafted during this reportingperiod and brought to the MoH for informal discussion with ministry technical staffand the Early Childhood Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youthand Sport (MoEYS). The modules represent a major platform of the IECD technicalapproach for project implementation in the field. The IECD technical team also sentthe draft outline and contents to seek inputs from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs andMoSVY and is awaiting their further input. The outlines and content were included inthe revised Year 1 Work Plan submission, which was approved by USAID onDecember 22, 2020.

• The Home Visit Protocol for VHSGs was developed and finalized during thisreporting quarter. The protocol includes criteria for home visit eligibility, timing andduration of home visits, contents of messages to caregivers, expected outputs, andmonitoring protocols.


• The IECD team began discussions with focal points from the USAID Promoting Healthy Behaviors project to discuss its social and behavior change communications (SBCC) strategies and compare plans and key messages. The IECD team also connected with the Communications team managing the Cambodian Nutrition Project’s SBCC plan and materials development. From these sources and further research, the IECD team began drafting the Behavior Change Communication Plan, which will be further developed when IECD Communications staff join the program during Q2.

• The Child Development Manager collaborated with the HKI team to develop questionnaires for field situation analysis and field data collection. During the trip to conduct situational analysis surveys in the field, the team also conducted key informant interviews (Klls) with key staff from provincial health, provincial social affairs, and district education and social affairs offices and led focus group discussions (FGDs) with caregivers. The learning points from the field situational analysis have been used to inform detailed implementation plans for IECD activities under Objective 1, including limited ECD activities being implemented in the targeted communities.

• The Child Development Manager shared the draft Nurturing Care modules as job- aids for VHSGs and CDLs and led numerous discussions among other technical and MEL team members to improve the quality of the manual.

• The team coordinated with the Ministry of Interior to seek advice on connecting to sub-national government structures to obtain support for IECD implementation. The Child Development Manager then sent request letters to provincial government offices in Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear to introduce the project and arrange in- person introductory meetings during Q2.

• The technical team worked with the HR and Administration Coordinator and DCOP to develop job descriptions for the IECD Provincial Coordinator positions and worked with HKI staff to develop job descriptions for eight field officers (two for Preah Vihear and six for Kampong Thom). The HR and Administration Coordinator, Child Development Manager, and COP will interview shortlisted candidates for the Provincial Coordinator positions in January 2021.

Challenges and SolutionsChallenge Solution

The expectations of sub-national government officials regarding IECD are mainly focused on preschool (increasing enrollment, improving services), which is not a central component of the IECD program scope of work (SOW).

The IECD project team has started to develop protocols such as for caregiver selection and for VHSGs and CDLs.Protocols for VHSGs and CDLs address their expected roles and how to recruit them to join IECD using existing government platforms such as Women and Children Consultative Committees (WCCCs) at provincial and district levels. Protocols also outline how to educate VHSGs and CDLs about lECD’s objectives and get their feedback on how to move forward and obtain their support before rolling out the program at the village level.

Different ministries have different guidelines for trainings of trainers (TOTs), which can

While developing lECD’s Nurturing Care modules, the IECD team members conducted numerous discussions to identify



lead to a siloed training approach toward the same target groups such as VHSGs.

integrated training approaches. The Nurturing Care module outline was drafted as a summary tool to discuss with government staff and to lay out a platform for implementing capacity-building activities for VHSGs in an integrated manner.

Plans for Next Quarter • Refine and finalize the Nurturing Care modules in consultation with the IECD

component leads, USAID, RTI home office, and other stakeholders.

• Conduct field testing of the contents of the Nurturing Care modules with VHSGs to obtain their input in order to improve the modules.

• Conduct a consultation workshop with national government staff to introduce the Nurturing Care framework and prepare lesson plans for the initial TOT session with VHSGs and CDLs.

• Conduct meetings with provincial governor offices in Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear to introduce the IECD senior management team and explain the project in detail to obtain their support and request that they assign liaison staff to support the implementation of IECD.

• Conduct a workshop with provincial and district government staff who are members of WCCCs to inform them about IECD and seek their support for program implementation.

• Conduct a series of meetings with local authorities to recruit active VHSGs and CDLs to support IECD implementation.

• Conduct Nurturing Care TOTs for VHSGs and CDLs.

• Conduct an in-person workshop with relevant ministries to update them on project rollout at the local level and seek their input and support.

2.4 Objective 2: Decreased stunting rates for children under 5 among the target population

Technical Activities • During Q1, the IECD technical team conducted a scoping visit with provincial health

departments; provincial departments of agriculture; provincial departments of women affairs; provincial departments of rural development; provincial departments of education, youth and sports; and provincial departments of social affairs, veteran’s and youth rehabilitation. The purpose of the visit was to collect information on different ECD programs being implemented in villages, communes, and districts in Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear Provinces that would inform IECD programming.

• The IECD team met with key development partners operating in the target provinces of Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear, including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ; German Agency for International Cooperation)/ Multi-sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Project in Cambodia (MUSEFO), Adventist Development Relief Agency, and World Vision, to better understand the work and experience of provincial departments and development partners, including type of interventions, geographic coverage, progress, challenges, and future programming plans.

• The Component 2 team developed detailed protocols and questionnaires to conduct field data collection for the situational analysis. The team conducted| Klls, | FGDs

and market analyses The situational analysis report determined that ECD gender and child disability activities can be implemented in each village of the proposed target areas.

• The IECD team successfully consulted with the MoH National Nutrition Program to obtain feedback on the Nurturing Care development key messages and key behaviors. The feedback from the National Nutrition Program was very positive, and the staff support the integrated ECD approach. The IECD team agreed that key messages on health and nutrition should be the standard messages that the National Nutrition Program promotes with other development partners.

• The IECD team met with other implementing partners, including HARVEST II, World Vision International, and Heifer International’s Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) project and visited HARVEST II and World Vision field activities to obtain input and feedback for the draft marketing strategy.

• The technical team drafted an IECD Homestead Food Production Model Protocol based on learning and best practices from previous HKI projects. These documents were adapted to suit the IECD context and tailored to target both existing groups and form new groups.

• IECD representatives, including the COP, Team Lead-Nutrition and the Deputy Country Director, HKI, attended the launching of the Second National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2019-2023, National Nutrition Day in Kampong Cham Province, and Scaling Up Nutrition Project (SUN) Civil Society Alliance monthly meeting.

• IECD developed the pre-training assessment tool for gender during this reporting period and will use it to assess the existing capacity of IECD program staff. The basic gender training outline and materials have been developed to be used for training project staff.

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge SolutionThe target agriculture products which will be promoted among smallholder farmers (chickens, vegetables) are in low demand because access to markets and rural incomes have been limited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IECD plans to develop a Marketing Strategy to strengthen market linkages to farmers in lECD’s target areas During Q1, the IECD team conducted meetings with ASPIRE, CHAIN, AIMs and visited to Heifer, World Vision, and Agriculture Cooperatives to learn from their experiences to inform the strategy development.

Plans for Next Quarter

• Finalize Homestead Food Production Targeting Manual, Homestead Food Production Model Protocol, technical training packages, and marketing model strategy.

• Conduct training for field officers on Homestead Food Production Targeting Manual, Homestead Food Production Model Protocol, technical training packages, and marketing model strategy.


• Conduct training and establishment of Village Model Farms in the target villages.

• Contribute to the development of Nurturing Care modules by refining the Essential Nutrition Action/Essential Hygiene Action Curriculum.

• Contribute to building capacity of VHSGs/CDLs on Nurturing Care modules.

2.5 Objective 3: Children with developmental delays and disabilities receive appropriate care in target provinces

Technical Activities • The COP began detailed discussions with Safe Haven and developed a detailed

SOW and budget for Objective 3 activities. The SOW includes recruitment of four Interventionist trainees, two from Preah Vihear and two from Kampong Thom. The trainees will be recruited from the provinces and then will re-locate to Siem Reap, where they will complete one year of training to become Interventionists before returning to their home provinces and joining the IECD field office teams. The process will be repeated in subsequent years of the project in order to strengthen local capacity across the three results under Objective 3: (1) Increase developmental monitoring and early identification of children with developmental delays and disabilities; (2)lncrease referral to quality, sustainable services for children with developmental delays and disabilities, and (3) Strengthen community-based rehabilitation and support services for children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. The scope of Safe Haven activities may also include expansion of the Safe Haven Mobile Clinic to serve Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear Provinces during FY 2021. Safe Haven is expecting a decision from during Q2 as to whether it will fund the Mobile Clinic. Pending the results of that decision, Safe Haven and IECD will be able to strategize the way forward.

The COP and Safe Haven Country Director presented the proposed SOW to the Safe Haven’s Founder/Board Chairperson who is supportive of the collaboration and the proposed activities. During Q2, the Safe Haven Country Director and Founder/Board Chairperson will present the proposed partnership to the full Safe Haven Board of Directors to seek approval to proceed with the partnership.

• The COP and Child Development Manager presented IECD to the Core Group (i.e., steering committee) of the CDMAT and CbDMAT tools to establish a dialogue and explore ways to strengthen the IECD promotion of the tools in the target provinces.


CDMAT and CbDMAT tools are under- utilized among CDLs, CommuneCommittees for Women and Children (CCWCs), VHSGs, and local health centers.

The IECD team will reach out to Angkor Hospital for Children and continue discussions with the CDMAT and CbDMAT Core Group to explore opportunities to broaden the update of these tools, including among health center staff. IECD VHSGs and CDLs will be trained on the tools, which will be incorporated into the IECD digital platform, CommCare.

Safe Haven partnership still pending. The COP has held numerous virtual discussions and traveled to Siem Reap for



an in-person meeting with Safe Haven to develop a partnership strategy for IECD. The Safe Haven Country Director and Founder/Board Chairperson are supportive of joining the IECD team and are presenting the proposed partnership to the full board during Q2.

Delay in staffing the Component 3 Lead position due to lack of capacity in the local labor market.

With assistance from the Asia Regional Office, RTI re-advertised the position and a second round of interviews was conducted with the COP after he was on board. The technical lead will join the project in January 2021. During this quarter, the COP and Child Development Manager filled the void and led discussions with Safe Haven, the CDMAT Core Group, Humanity and Inclusion, and others and ensured that Component 3 was included in the work planning workshop, Annual Work Plan, life of project MEL Plan, and other technical activities.

Plans for Next Quarter • Develop key behavior change communication (BCC) messages to be incorporated

into the integrated SBCC campaign package to reduce negative stigma toward children who have development delays or disabilities and their families.

• Develop a training manual and plan for capacity-building of CDLs to conduct child screening at community, health, and school facilities.

• Continue to develop Nurturing Care modules with integration of care and development for children with developmental delays and disabilities.

• Ensure the Component 3 lead joins with Component 1 and 2 leads to conduct a consultation workshop with national government staff to present Nurturing Care modules and prepare lesson plans for the initial TOT for VHSGs and CDLs.

• Plan and manage a workshop with provincial and district government staff who are members of WCCCs to inform them about the IECD project and seek their support for implementation of program activities.

• Hold a series of meetings with local authorities to recruit active VHSGs and CDLs to support IECD project implementation.

• Conduct a Nurturing Care TOT for VHSGs and CDLs.

• Develop, through the Component 3 Team Lead, a detailed activity plan with Safe Haven for development of training materials and activities for CDLs, CCWCs, and VHSGs in the target provinces.

• Collaborate, through the Component 3 Team Lead, with the MEL team and Component 1 and 2 leads on the inputs for incorporating the features and contents of the CbDMAT in the CommCare App.

• Join together the Component 3 and Component 1 Team Leads for a consultation workshop with national government staff to reach agreement on the Nurturing Care modules and prepare lesson plans for the initial TOT of VHSGs and CDLs.

Table 3 shows the USAID implementing partners, U.S. Government partners, other donors, and other stakeholders with which IECD is pursuing partnership or collaboration.

Table 3. Relevant Implementing Partners and Potential Collaborations

Organization Potential Area of CollaborationMoH Collaborate with Village Health Volunteers (under MoH)

to improve caregivers’ capacity to provide nurturing care. Ensure that nutrition messaging and interventions are aligned with MoH national nutrition priorities.

CARD Coordinate with the Food Security and Nutrition Technical Working Group and SUN activities as well as with provincial working groups for food security and nutrition, which are expanding from 4 to 24 districts in 2021.

MoEYS Contribute to MoEYS-led National Action Plan for Early Childhood Care and Development. Collaborate with National Committee on Early Childhood Care and Development. Explore the use of MoEYS Parenting Education modules as a component of caregiver support. Collaborate with MoEYS Special Education Office to improve targeting of children with disabilities.

MoAFF Consult on the design of Model Farm interventions under Component 2 (including crop selection and inputs guidance). Collaborate with the Agricultural Engineering team to explore village-level sustainable technologies to improve agricultural production and storage.

MoSVY Collaborate with MoSVY Office of Child Welfare to coordinate activities at the provincial level and learn from experiences of others implementing early childhood care and development in other provinces. Adopt BCC messaging aligned with the MoSVY first 1,000 days campaigns.

World Bank Coordinate with the Cambodia Nutrition Project, especially SBCC messaging related to infant and young child feeding.

Safe Haven Partner to extend the reach of Safe Haven specialized therapists (speech, physical, occupational) to IECD villages.

CDMAT Core Group Partner to build the capacity of health center staff and other service providers to administer the disability screening tool.


3 Activity Project Management

3.2 International Travel Due to COVID-19 restrictions in place in Cambodia, there has been no international travel under the IECD award during this quarter.

3.3 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Situational Analysis During this quarter, the MEL and technical teams conducted a situational analysis to collect qualitative data from sub-national government personnel at the district and commune levels and from village-level beneficiaries. The data were expected to identify potential geographic target areas within Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear Provinces and to prioritize interventions through an analysis of what interventions have proven successful (or not). IECD also hoped to analyze the relevance and efficacy of current interventions implemented in the target provinces. Key informants interviewed included:

• District offices of agriculture

• District offices of rural development

• District offices of education

• District offices of social affairs • Health centers

• Commune councils

• CCWCs

• Mothers groups

• Fathers groups

• Grandmothers groups The study conducted village validations to ensure that the IECD target villages are suitable for IECD interventions. Based on findings from the analysis, the IECD team has identified 75 target villages for implementation of Cohort 1:

• Kampong Thom Province, Sandan District: 6 communes and 56 villages

• Preah Vihear Province, Rovieng District: 4 communes and 19 villages

Gender Formative Research Given the critical importance of integrating gender equity awareness into IECD programming, there is a need for comprehensive and contextual understanding of gender relations in the project coverage areas and among the target population. During this quarter, IECD developed and finalized the SOW for a gender consultant to conduct lECD-related gender formative research and to explore gender dynamics in the framework of the Nurturing Care components. The results of this formative research will ensure that lECD’s gender-


3.1 Award Modifications and AmendmentsUSAID issued Modification to the IECD award on The purpose of

tothe Modification was to increase the total obligated amount from


transformative approach is aligned with the unique challenges and opportunities of the five domains of Nurturing Care. This research will help IECD develop a concrete and practical gender strategy for integrated ECD at the household and community levels.

MEL Plan Development During the first quarter, the IECD team developed the comprehensive life of project MEL Plan, using the USAID MEL Plan template as required. The draft MEL Plan was submitted to USAID on November16, 2020, and discussions between USAID and the IECD MEL and technical teams continued during the remainder of the quarter. The team plans to finalize the MEL Plan during the second quarter of FY 2021. The key components of the MEL Plan include:

• Introduction

• Activity Summary

• Results Framework

• Monitoring Approach

• Evaluation Plan

• Data Collection Instruments

• Learning Plan

• Roles and Responsibilities

• Performance Indicator Tracking Table

• Performance Indicator Reference Sheet IECD Key Performance Indicators were selected from USAID Standard Indicators and include Feed the Future handbook indicators, USAID illustrative indicators from the IECD cooperative agreement, and custom indicators created by the IECD program team. As last updated, the MEL Plan contains 33 key indicators along with data disaggregated based on the results framework, ranging from program purpose, objectives, and expected results and measured through cohort evaluations (baseline and endline) and routine data monitoring. All data will be stored in the IECD reporting system through the CommCare app after collection by VHSGs and verification by CCWCs/CDLs.

Cohort Evaluation During this quarter, IECD began developing the methodology for conducting the baseline survey for Cohort 1. The primary purpose of the cohort evaluation will be to provide baseline data for IECD key indicators, to track progress over time, and to inform program design and implementation by assessing current knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to nutrition, Nurturing Care, gender equity, and WASH among the target population. The draft timeline for the cohort evaluations (baseline and endline) follows in Table 4.

Table 4. Timeline for Cohort Evaluations

Cohort TimelineCohort 1 (75villages)

. Baseline: March FY2021• Full Implementation: March FY2021 to May FY2022. Transition Activities to Local Government: June to August FY2022• Endline: June to July FY2022

Cohort 2(150villages)

. Baseline: April to May FY2022

. Full Implementation: July FY2022 to September FY2023

. Transition Activities to Local Government: October to December FY2023• Endline: August to September FY2023

Cohort 3(120villages)

. Baseline: October to November FY2024• Full Implementation: December FY2024 to February FY2025. Transition Activities to Local Government: March to May FY2025

• Endline: March to April FY2025

Key activities of the cohort evaluation development process include:

• Create research brief

• Prepare and submit to RTI Institutional Review Board

• Develop details of protocols and tools

• Obtain letter of support (i.e., approval) from relevant provincial government authorities

• Prepare and submit the design to the National Ethics Committee

• Recruit data collection teams

• Incorporate program questionnaire into the CommCare app

• Train data collection teams

• Conduct pilot testing

• Collect data

• Analyze data

• Finalize and review the cohort evaluation report



Baseline cohort evaluation is contingent upon finalization of the MEL Plan.

The MEL team has started to create the research brief and the detailed study protocol and tools for the cohort evaluation, as well as protocols for hiring enumerators who will be recruited for the survey work ahead of time so that the evaluation can proceed quickly upon MEL Plan finalization.

The SOW for Dimagi, the firm that will partner with IECD to develop theComm Care app, is still under review.

Headquarters and the IECD team have been working with the Dimagi team to finalize this SOW and will seek USAID approval in the coming quarter.

Due to COVID-19 outbreaks in Cambodia, the situational analysis data collection was delayed.

Although the field visit for the situational analysis data collection was delayed, the technical team expedited the review, analysis, and report development in order to minimize disruption and proceed with target village selection.

Plans for Next Quarter

• Finalize MEL Plan and obtain USAID approval.

• Conduct baseline Cohort 1 evaluation.

• Finalize subcontract with Dimagi.

• Begin building the mobile data collection and reporting system for IECD, in collaboration with Dimagi.

• Conduct field monitoring.

• Develop the IECD project communications strategy.

• Create an IECD Facebook page.

• Develop the IECD USAID Factsheet and other materials, including success stories, as required.


USAID FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

IECD Activity Launches with High Level Support from the Royal Government of Cambodia

On November 4, 2020, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Activity team convened a Year 1 Work Plan Workshop at the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh. Attendees included other development partners, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; World Health Organization; USAID’s Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem Stability, or HARVEST II, project; Plan International; iDE; World Vision International; and Save the Children. Key Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) stakeholders who attended the event included officials from the Ministries of: Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation; Education, Youth and Sport; Health; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Rural Development; and Interior. As part of the Activity’s collaborative approach, the IECD technical team obtained key RGC stakeholder concurrence with lECD’s geographic targeting, as well as feedback on potential activities under lECD’s three objectives.

Work Plan Consultation Workshop with government and development stakeholders November4 ,2020

(Photo: Ms. Banung Ou for RTI International)


participants formed three groups representing each of the three program objectives. The result of the workshop was significant input from a range of stakeholders on the range of early childhood development-related activities currently taking place in the targeted districts, as well as opportunities and challenges for the IECD Activity during the implementation of Year 1 activities.

After opening remarks by Health and Education, ana

Director, USAID/Cambodia Office of PublicIECD Chief of Party, and an introductory session,

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Security, Nutrition and Health, CARD (Office of the Council of Ministers) added: “I was happy with this workshop. It reflected a good example of multi-sectoral discussions. There were great exchanges among participating stakeholders. Congratulations!” The workshop also provided the IECD management team and USAID colleagues with the opportunity to network and strengthen relationships with RGC Ministry officials and other development organization leaders to help facilitate collaboration and positive interactions as IECD begins field implementation in its second quarter of implementation.

Director, Department of Food “It was a fantastic workshop, with active participation from different actors. There were many good ideas on how to integrate existing activities with ECD. I look forward to contributing to this project wherever I can.”

Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Health

Key attendees from RGC stakeholders included His Excellency Sok Silo, Secretary General of the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development; His Excellency Samheng Boros, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation; and His Excellency Prak Sophonneary, Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Health.

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Childhood Development Activity FY202I Ql REPORT - USAID

Documents

Transcript of Childhood Development Activity FY202I Ql REPORT - USAID