Citizens’ Voice Project

Third Quarterly Report October 1 – December 31, 2011

Contract No. AID-391-C-11-00001

January 2012

Disclaimer:

Citizens’ Voice Project is being implemented with support from the American People through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the responsibility of The Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA), and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.

List of Acronyms

AASR Anjum Asim Shahid Rahman – Grant Thornton ASP USAID Assessment and Strengthening Program CBOD Capacity Building and Organizational Development CEO Chief Executive Officer COP Chief of Party GEP USAID Gender Equity Program GF&C Grants, Finance and Compliance HBL Habib Bank Limited IT Information Technology IFES International Foundation for Electoral Systems KPMG Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler - Taseer Hadi & Co. MIS Management Information Systems M&E Monitoring and Evaluation ME&R Monitoring, Evaluation and Research PMP Performance Management Plan PTCL Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited TAF The Asia Foundation TDEA Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability TNA Training Needs Assessment USAID United States Agency for International Development

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 5

1. ADMINISTRATION AND PROCUREMENT ...................................................................................................... 6

2. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 6

3. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND RESEARCH ............................................................................................... 7

3.1. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH: ........................................................................................................... 7

3.2. MONITORING AND EVALUATION: ......................................................................................................................... 8

3.3. M&E PERFORMANCE BY AASR-GT: .................................................................................................................... 9

4. FINANCE, GRANTS AND COMPLIANCE ........................................................................................................ 11

5. MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) ........................................................................................... 12

6. CAPACITY BUILDING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................................... 13

7. COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS ........................................................................................ 14

National Launch – Islamabad ...................................................................................................................... 15

Information Session - Lahore …………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Information Session - Karachi ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…16

Information Session - Peshawar ………………………………………………………………………………………………17

8. CHALLENGES .............................................................................................................................................. 17

Executive Summary This report covers the third quarter of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Citizens’ Voice Project from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. The Project is being implemented by the Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA). As noted in the earlier quarterly report, TDEA is a Pakistan-based organization, not having any technical or personnel support from any well-established systems in a foreign-based headquarters, as is typical for almost all large USAID contracts. Nor does TDEA rely on highly paid international consultants or personnel. Despite these limitations in relative terms, TDEA has been able to make significant progress not only in terms of developing or improving its systems as required for implementing a Project of this nature and size, but also towards to the realization of set objectives of the Project. In the process, the TDEA management and Project staff continuously review their performance in order to make use of valuable lessons being learned to further improve relevant systems, procedures and strategies. During the period covered by this report, the Project made significant progress in terms of having the Grants Manual approved, establishing the Grant Management Information System (GMIS), recruiting and training project personnel, launching the website, and advertising the first grants cycle. Besides, TDEA Board of Trustees approved several important amendments to the TDEA policies, as required to meet the post-award conditions agreed with the USAID. The Project staff also took initiatives to develop ideas and program descriptions for sharing with USAID for possible Project interventions. For outreach purpose, the national launch of the Project was held in Islamabad, whereas two provincial information sessions for the first grants cycle were held in Lahore and Karachi. Around 800 persons participated in these events. The Project staff used these events to share information about the Project, as well as about the first grants cycle and application procedures. An event was to be held in Peshawar as well, but it had to be cancelled twice due to security considerations. Furthermore, during the reporting period, several most essential operating systems and project documents were drafted and implemented, or submitted to the USAID for approval. These included, among others, a revised Security Plan, revised Annual Work Plan, draft RFA, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). In response to the advertisement for the 1st grants cycle, the Project received 156 validly submitted applications by the end of the closing date, which was December 15, 2011. Out of these, 95 were related to the municipal service theme, 28 to energy sector theme and 28 to water rights theme. The evaluation of grants applications was being carried out by the end of the 3rd quarter of the Project. In the meanwhile, the Project teams were working on plans related to capacity building, pre-award assessments and monitoring and evaluation. The activities and accomplishments reported in the third quarter clearly demonstrate that the Project is fully mobilized, and has now moved into the grants-awarding and implementation process. As all the required systems and procedures had been established by the end of December 2011, the grants implementation could move at a faster pace in the following quarters.

1. Administration and Procurement During the reporting period, the Administration and Procurement department worked hard to the

meet the logistical and other needs of the Project Office to facilitate staff and ensure a smooth and

comfortable work environment. The key activities and achievements are as follow:

Procurement process for setting up of workstations, file racks and book-shelves was completed.

Laptops and desktops were procured to meet the needs of Project staff.

As the purchase of official vehicles remained pending due to delay in obtaining tax exemption

certificate, a vehicle on rent was arranged for the office use.

The department supported the arrangements for outreach events in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore

and Peshawar. It also facilitated the process of publishing newspaper advertisements for the first

grant cycle in November and December 2012.

Transfer of furniture and equipment from IFES to the Project Office was supervised and

managed by the relevant staff.

Process for obtaining tax exemption certificate for various purchases was initiated in September

2011.

In the absence of a dedicated security supervisor, the administration staff took care of security

related matters including meetings with relevant USAID staff.

The department performed a range of routine functions including support for various internal

and external meetings, office maintenance, necessary repairs, logistical arrangements for staff,

and assistance to program staff, as and when required.

2. Human Resource Management Until the end of September 2011, TDEA Secretariat took care of recruitment process and other HR related matters for the Project Office. However, one Human Resource Officer joined the Project team in late September, and started working from within the Project Office. This one-person HR Department has performed the following functions in the last quarter:

Job descriptions and TORs were developed for all the Project Staff, excluding the staff already recruited in the first phase.

22 vacancies for 12 types of positions were advertised in the national dailies on October 2, 2011. The recruitment process for these positions involved short-listing, written tests, interviews, reference checks, security related checks, salary negotiations, policy compliance checks with TDEA, issuance of offer letters, USAID approvals and process relating to joining and orientations.

11 persons joined in the reporting period on the basis of recruitment process initiated through the advertisement on October 2, 2011.

6 persons including Director (ME&R) joined the Project Office on the basis of advertisement for jobs published on August 8, 2011.

1 driver and 1 office boy/ assistant joined the Project Office.

Orientation sessions on TDEA policies were also organized for the Project staff.

In the meanwhile, The Asia Foundation (TAF) also initiated the recruitment process for the staff approved under their sub-contract with TDEA. TAF staff finalized the Terms of Reference (TORs) for project staff, including a ‘Capacity Building’ (CB) team and ‘Finance, Grants and Contract Management’ (FG & CM) team. Relevant positions were advertised in the Daily Jang and The News on 29 September 2011. The advertised positions were for 3 Senior Program Officers (SPO) and 3 Program Officers (PO) for the CB team reporting to Director Capacity Building; and one Contract and Grants Specialist and 2 Finance and Grants Officers, for the FG & CM team reporting to Director Finance Grants and Compliance.

On the basis of written tests and interviews, six PO candidates cleared the first stage and after the second stage interviews four were offered the position. One candidate, however, declined to accept the contract but the remaining three POs were expected to join the Project in early January 2012. For one of the two SPO positions, three candidates appeared in the second stage interview and one was offered the job, who will be joining the project on 15 January, 2012. For the other SPO position, TAF decided to internally hire, and an SPO from the Gender Equity Program was to join the CB team by January 2012. By the end of the quarter, process was underway to hire the remaining program officers.

Similarly, for the FG & CM team, roughly five hundred applications were received. Seven candidates gave the written exams and five gave an interview. Four candidates were selected for the final interview, two backed out (due to various personal reasons) and the remaining two were offered the positions. For the Contract & Grants Specialist position, the selection process involved a two d interview process. Five candidates were selected for the first interview, whereas two made it to the final interview. One candidate, however back out, and the remaining candidate has been selected.

In the reporting period, five persons joined the AASR-GT team. These staff members included 3

Supervisors Compliance, 1 HR Specialist, and 1 Procurement Specialist.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Research

3.1. Program Development and Research:

The Program Development and Research (PD&R) Unit plays a leading role in undertaking basic

research, identifying appropriate intervention areas, developing program descriptions, evaluation of

grant applications, negotiations with recommended or approved potential grantees for the purpose

of improving their applications, and evaluating the impact of project interventions. In keeping with

its mandate, this Unit performed the following functions in the last quarter:

The Unit carried out basic research in a range of areas to develop basic understanding and identify areas for project intervention. The research related work covered areas like health, education, consumer protection, governance, local governments, municipal services, water rights and energy sector.

The Unit developed the 7 themes provided by the USAID into program descriptions; 3 of these program descriptions were later included in the RFA for the first grants cycle, which was advertised on November 3, 2011. These themes on which the program description were developed included: water rights, citizens’ oversight of municipal services, energy sector reforms, citizens’ oversight and campaigns for anti-corruption, citizens’ voice and accountability with focus on mother and child health, economic growth framework and

education sector reforms. First three of these themes were approved by the USAID for the first grants cycle.

Following the announcement of the first grants cycle, it was decided to organize four outreach events in in a very short span of time in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi in November 2011. In this context, the Communication Unit, which was also under staffed at that time, needed help. The PD&R unit provided this help in terms of identifying potential participants, extending invitations, seeking confirmations and organizing the events.

The Unit provided support to the HR Unit in recruiting staff against the vacant positions. This support included development of job descriptions/ TORs, assistance in short-listing suitable candidates, developing written tests and participation in interviews and final recruitment process.

On the basis of the applications evaluation criterion provided by the USAID, the Unit drafted detailed criteria, which could be used for the evaluation of grants applications by members of technical review committees (TRCs). Later, these criteria were approved by the Grants Management Committee (GMC) as well as Project Steering Committee (PSC). The Unit also developed and implemented a calendar and responsibilities matrix for the evaluation process of the first grants cycle.

The Unit constituted TRCs for the technical reviews and marking of grants applications received under the first grants cycle. Members of these TRCs included staff of the PD&R Unit as well as staff of M&E Unit. The TRCs were provided adequate training to build their capacity for the purpose of evaluations. Such training sessions were held in-house, while senior project staff served as trainers.

The technical review process began in the third week of December 2011. An initial review of all received applications was carried out to check completeness of applications. Incomplete applications were filtered out, and the remaining applications were then reviewed using the approved Assessment Matrix; and the assigned marks were logged on the Grants Management Information System (GMIS).

The PD&R Unit provided help to the ME&R Unit in drafting and finalizing the Performance Management Plan (PMP).

The Unit also contributed to the process of developing due diligence tools and methodology to be implemented during the pre-award programmatic assessments of potential grantees.

3.2. Monitoring and Evaluation:

The main objective of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit is to monitor the activities of

grantees to ensure that the awarded projects are being implemented as per contractual obligations

and as per the recognized best practices. The Unit is mandated to track Project progress

continuously through, among others, grantee reports and monitoring visits to ensure that desired

outputs and results are being achieved and are contributing to the goal and objectives of the project.

During the reporting quarter, the M&E Unit carried out a range of activities including the following:

Preparation of the Performance Management Plan (PMP): The M&E Unit drafted the PMP and then

finalized it after incorporating the feedback from colleagues in other units. Later, it was shared with

the PSC and then submitted to the USAID for approval. The PMP is designed to assist in setting up

and managing the process of monitoring, analyzing, evaluating, and reporting progress towards the

objectives of the Citizens’ Voice Project. PMP indicators will guide the measurement of the project’s

progress by enabling comparison of projected with actual achievement. The PMP will be utilized to

provide regular feedback data to the Project’s management, and to communicate results to the

USAID and other key stakeholders. Specifically, it will support institutional memory of definitions,

assumptions and decisions, alert staff to imminent tasks and provide documentation to help

mitigate risks.

Technical Review of Applications under the First Grant Cycle: The Unit participated in the evaluation

of applications received under the first grant cycle by being part of the TRCs. This involved checking

the completeness of energy, water and municipal sectors applications, marking them and recording

marks on the GMIS.

Field Travel Plan: The Unit drafted and then finalized the field travel plan after feedback from other

relevant units. The main purpose of this document is to explain the objectives of field visits and

details of expected future travel. The overall field travel plan is divided into two main phases i.e.

Phase I and Phase II. Phase I is related to pre-award assessment stage, whereas Phase II is about post

award M&E activities. During each phase, the M&E team along with PD&R team will conduct regular

field visits to assess the grantees’ programmatic capacity at pre-award stage and to monitor on-

going project activities.

Programmatic Pre-Award Assessments: One of important responsibilities in the process of making

grants is to assess the risk level of a potential grantee. In view of this, immediately after the

completion of the technical review process of the first grants cycle applicants, the M&E Unit started

the process of assessing the adequacy of internal governance systems and programmatic capacity of

the potential short-listed grantees to perform the project’s scope of work. The objective of the study

was to systematically and objectively assess the institutional, governance and programmatic capacity

of the potential grantee in the light of the objectives specified in the project’s Grants Manual as well

as the requirements of Mission Order 200.4. On the basis of the assessment, potential grantees are

ranked as low risk, medium risk or high risk. In order to conduct the programmatic pre-award

assessment study of shortlisted applicants, the M&E Unit designed a comprehensive tool in the

reporting period. This tool covers various factors of an internal governance system such as board

and staff expertise and qualifications, systems and procedures, compliance with legal requirements,

as well as program implementation capacity featuring past performance of successfully completing

and managing projects of similar size and scope. The detailed assessment study was expected to

complete by the end of January 2012.

Setting Up of Systems and Procedures for the M&E Unit: The M&E Unit prepared and finalized

necessary formats for field monitoring reports and internal meeting minutes in order to ensure that

all necessary records are properly maintained.

3.3. M&E Performance by AASR-GT:

Anjum Asim Shahid Rahman-Grant Thorton, under its M&E component, carried out the following activities as per its scheduled work-plan and based on task orders issued by the project management:

I. Prepared and finalized checklists for post award financial management and financial M&E procedures.

II. Drafted, revised and finalized financial M&E manual along with requisite toolkits, while

including the feedback provided by the project management.

III. Financial M&E Team prepared training curriculum for orientation of financial M&E team members to conduct pre-award assessments.

3.4. First Grants Cycle: For the first grants cycle, up to 24 grants were announced on November 3, 2011 in relation to three

themes i.e. energy sector reforms, water rights and citizens’ oversight on municipal services. In

response to this solicitation, 156 applications were received online or through the designated P. O.

Box. The Grants Management Committee (GMC) decided to accept only those applications, which

had been strictly submitted through the prescribed channels. All other applications were rejected.

The initial check and screening of all the applications for the first grants cycle was completed during the reporting period. The technical review process formally started on December 21, 2011.

4. Finance, Grants and Compliance

4.1. Finance Unit:

During the quarter, the Finance Manager and three Finance Officers joined the Finance Unit of the

Project. Among others, the Unit performed the following activities:

Routine financial operations for smooth implementation of the Project.

Preparation and submission of financial reports, as required by the USAID.

Processing of reimbursement requests of sub-contractors i.e. TAF and AASR-GT.

Facilitate the AASR-GT in their compliance function.

Carefully monitor the liquidity problem faced by the Project. The issue was raised with

USAID for additional support.

In the reporting period, the project spent around PKR 25 Million, as compared to PKR 13 Million in

the previous quarter. Total spending up to December 31, 2011 was PKR 38 Million (including PKR 11

Million for Sub Contractor payments), which is only 1% of the total contract budget. The spending

has been on the lower side due to supply of furniture and equipment in-kind by USAID through IFES,

progressive build-up of project team, pending waivers for procurement and tax exemptions and

other challenges being faced as highlighted in the report. Another reason for lower spending is that

the grants are yet to be made, although the first grant cycle was announced on November 3, 2011.

The forecast for the next quarter is PKR 140 Million, as the spending is expected to increase with the

grant activity. This forecast, however, depends on the number and timely approval of grants by

USAID.

4.2. Grants Unit:

In the reporting period, the Grants Unit performed the following functions:

A Grants Manual was finalized after incorporating the feedback from the TDEA and USAID.

The process of developing and finalizing the Manual was managed by Director, Finance,

Grants and Compliance.

The Unit made preparatory arrangements for the award of grants after the evaluation of

applications received under the first grants cycle.

The Unit identified its needs for managing grants through the GMIS, which was being

developed and maintained by the MIS Unit.

The Unit prepared the Request for Applications (RFA), which was used to advertise the first

grants cycle in November 2011 after USAID approval.

The Unit developed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which were posted on the website

for the benefit of potential applicants for the first cycle of grants.

The Unit also contributed to the process of preparing application forms and other relevant

materials for the potential grantees.

4.3. Compliance: AASR-GT is responsible for performing the compliance function in relation to the Project and grantees. Within the scope of its mandate, AASR-GT team started the compliance review and testing of TDEA/ project for the period of June to October 2011 in the reporting period. In addition, the compliance team performed monthly internal compliance checks on vouchers and purchase orders of TDEA and TAF for the month of October, November and December 2011. The compliance check on invoices of TDEA, TAF and AASR for the months of October, November and December 2011 was completed and the feedback received was used to further strengthen the procedures and practices both within the Project as well as at TDEA. The AASR compliance team also continued to update and improve the compliance procedures. The compliance manual, compliance SOPs, SOPs for administrative procedures and compliance matrix were drafted, reviewed and finalized.

5. Management Information System (MIS) The Management Information System (MIS) Unit is mandated to provide technological support,

services and solutions for various needs and requirements of the Project. The related work is

performed with the aim of improving efficiency, transparency, easy and timely flow of information,

and grantees’ confidence in the grants management system. In this context, the MIS Unit performed

the following functions:

The Project website www.cvpa-tdea.org was finalized and formally launched on November 03, 2011 after approval from USAID on the format and content.

The Unit continued to develop and maintain a Grants Management Information System (GMIS), which is perhaps the first of its kind in Pakistan. It continues to evolve and expand to incorporate more solutions required by the Project. This system is going to be the main repository for most of the project records related to grants and internal project management.

The Unit developed an online application form for the prospective grantees to apply against solicitations online. The system was beta tested for any glitches. After hours of effort and debugging, the Project staff finalized an online application form for the first cycle of grants; and it was made available on the Project website for the use of potential grantees.

The Unit responded to a large number of queries that were submitted online regarding the first cycle of grants. The website and online application form were regularly monitored to ensure that any problems identified or reported by potential grantees are immediately addressed. It also provided applicants access to their profiles on the GMIS and enabled them to track the status of their applications.

An online facility for the evaluation of grant applications was established. The facility was regularly evaluated and improved. The MIS team plans to expand the on-line system to deal with post-award grant management requirements.

The system is under feature re-evaluation in view of the feedback of the existing users and is under an ongoing process as new modules are being added.

The MIS team of the Project also worked with Project IT team of UASID’s Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program to define the requirements and customization of design related to the USAID/OTI grant management database. The finalization of this database and any linkages with the project GMIS will be carried out in the next quarter.

6. Capacity Building and Organizational Development In the Project, the capacity building and organizational development work is to be largely performed by sub-contractors, which are TAF and the AASR-GT. The mandate of TAF is to build capacity of TDEA as well as grantees in the areas related to program implementation and organizational development. On the other hand, AASR-GT is responsible for capacity building in the areas of finance, procurement and human resource development, especially in terms of USAID regulations. In this context, the following activities and functions were performed within the scope of the Project:

The Capacity Building Unit of both TAF and AASR-GT developed a joint Annual Work Plan for the September 2011 to August 2012 period. This covers both the programmatic and financial capacity building steps for the sub-grantees.

The draft of the strategy to deal with capacity building activities needed to be re-aligned with the new scope of work and revised targets for this period. The original target for grants set in the contract was up to 1000 grants in the project’s life with focus on small grants up to $ 25,000. However, with the grants making approach used in the first grants cycle, it seems that the realistic target would be up to 500 grants during the project duration. In the reporting period, the capacity building teams started adjusting their plans and strategies accordingly.

One of the deliverable of TAF under its sub-contract with TDEA is to facilitate/ conduct strategic planning of TDEA with a focus on, among others, clearly identifying TDEA’s ambitions, objectives and organizational development needs in order to emerge as a strong and effective organization in the areas of handling large funds and managing grants. For this purpose, TAF started the process of engaging a consultant through a competitive process, who would analyze the existing strengths and weaknesses of TDEA and facilitate the process of strategic planning. The process will be completed in January 2012.

For delivering quick impact trainings to grantees, TAF started the process of engaging consultants for preparing background research reports and developing training manuals. These will be prepared, initially, with a focus on accountability mechanisms for health, education and municipal services in view of the 18th amendment. The TORs for the consultant were finalized and arrangements for the advertisement were completed in the reporting period.

The AASR’s Capacity Building team drafted and finalized the Internal Audit Manual for TDEA in November 2011. After approval, this Manual would be used by TDEA in order to establish and strengthen its Internal Audit function.

The AASR’s team drafted tools for the Training Need Assessment (TNA) process, which will be used to assess the training needs of grantees as well as staff of the project and TDEA. Besides this, the team continued to work on developing an appropriate training methodology for the staff of grantees of different types and with varying capacities.

The AASR conducted a one-day training for the staff of the Project and TDEA in financial management, HR and procurement, especially within the context of ensuring compliance with USAID regulations.

7. Communications and External Relations

7.1. Website Design and Content:

The Communication Unit worked with the technical staff to develop the design of the Project

website in line with USAID branding requirements. Simultaneously, the Unit worked on developing

appropriate content for the website. After necessary approvals of both the design and the content,

the website was launched in early November 2011. Amongst others, the project website provides

information about the project, grants cycle, application procedures, frequently asked questions,

media announcements and latest announcements.

7.2. Designing and Development of Outreach Materials:

The Unit began its work by designing the stationary for the Project. Selected designs were later

shared with the USAID and approval was obtained after including the guidance or feedback received.

In the reporting period, the Project was able to get the required stationary printed to meet its

communication and outreach needs.

Later, the Unit focused on developing outreach materials, which include the following:

Project Brochure

Fact Sheet for the First Grants Cycle

Project’s Newsletter (still to be approved)

Project’s Diary (still to be approved)

7.3. First Grants Cycle Advertisement:

The Unit developed the advertisement for the first grants cycle and, after approvals, got it published

on November 03, 2011 in two national newspapers: Daily Jang and The News. Through this,

applications for grants were invited from interested registered Pakistani organizations (e.g.

community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, professional and business

associations, research institutes and think-tanks). Initially, the closing date had been announced as

November 30, 2011. Later, it was extended till December 15, 2011 on the request a number of

potential grantees. This extension was also advertised in the newspapers as well as through other

media like project website.

7.4. Project Launch and Information Sessions:

The Project was successfully launched in Islamabad on November 17, 2011, followed by organization

of two Provincial Information Sessions in Lahore on November 21, 2011 and in Karachi on November

25, 2011. The aim of the official project launch and information sessions was to provide interested

organizations, policy makers, journalists and sector practitioners with an overview of the project. In

the backdrop the already announced first grants cycle, these events were also used to share

information about the grants program and how potential applicants could successfully apply for

grants.

National Launch – Islamabad

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA) hosted the National Project Launch of the Citizens’ Voice Project on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. USAID/Pakistan Mission Director Dr. Andrew Sisson was the Chief Guest. A total of 425 people attended the event; including potential grant applicants from all four provinces as

well as representatives of the civil society, government, donor community and media outlets. Some key officials from the Government of Pakistan, including the Federal Tax Ombudsman, participated in the launching event. The international and donor organizations represented at the event included, amongst others, DFID, CIDA and the United Nations.

Erin Krasik giving a brief of the project at the National Launch

The key speakers at the launch included Ms. Erin Krasik (Deputy Director of the USAID/Pakistan Office of Democracy and Governance), Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali (Chief of Party, Citizens’ Voice Project), Ms. Mossarat Qadeem (Chairperson, TDEA), and Dr. Andrew Sisson (USAID/Pakistan Mission Director).

Dr. Sisson, Mr. Mukhtar Ali and Ms. Qadeem also responded to various questions raised by the media about the Project. Video excerpts from this session were carried on several national news channels.

Technical Staff from the Citizens’ Voice Project and USAID held a question-and-answer session for potential grant applicants, which covered a wide range of questions regarding eligibility criteria, project objectives and themes, geographical outreach, and application procedures.

Information Session -- Lahore

The first Provincial Information Session of the Project was held on Monday, November 21, 2011, at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore. The U.S Consul General, Ms. Nina Fite, was the Chief Guest at the event. A total of 250 people attended the event, including 200 potential grant applicants from Punjab as well as representatives of 25 media outlets. Participants also included government officials, academicians and civil society members.

Mr. Waseem Ashraf (Democracy and Governance Specialist of the USAID/Pakistan Lahore Office), Mr. Mudassir Rizvi (Chief Executive Officer of TDEA), Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali (Chief of Party), and Ms. Nina Fite were the key speakers.

Information Session -- Karachi

The second Provincial Information Session of the Project was held on Friday, November 25, 2011, at the Avari Towers Hotel in Karachi. The US Consul General, Mr. William Martin, was the Chief Guest. A total of 183 people attended the event, including 164 potential grant applicants from Sindh and 18 representatives of media outlets. Mr. Syed Sardar Ahmed, Senior Minister of Sindh Government, also attended the information session and shared his views. Mr. Nazeer Mahar (Governance Advisor at USAID/Pakistan Democracy & Governance Office), Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali (Chief of Party), Mr. Javed Jabbar (Former Senator and Federal Minister), Mr. Edward Birgells (Regional Director Sindh and Baluchistan, USAID), Ms. Erin Krasik (Deputy Director, USAID/Pakistan Democracy & Governance Office) and Mr. William Martin were the key speakers at the event.

Mr. Javed Jabbar addressing the participants of the orientation session

Dr. Andrew Sission along with Mukhtar Ahmad Ali & Mossarat Qadeem talking to the media

Mr. Waseem Ashraf inaugurating the Provincial Information Session

Information Session -- Peshawar

Initially, the information session in Peshawar was scheduled for November 23, 2011, but it had to be postponed just a day prior to the event in view of security concerns raised by the USAID. It was rescheduled for November 29, 2011 but it had to be cancelled due to the security situation, which developed after the killing of Pakistani soldiers by NATO forces on the Pak-Afghan Border.

8. Challenges The Project faced numerous challenges in the course of implementing the Project, which include the

following:

TDEA is a local Pakistan-based organization, which is implementing the Project of this size

and type for the first time since its establishment. While TDEA has a number of advantages

for being locally based, it remains in the process of developing or improving the

management capacities or required systems and procedures, while keeping in view the

USAID regulations or needs of managing large funds. This situation presents a unique set of

challenges, which are usually not confronted by well-established organizations with the

experience of managing large funds. However, TDEA leadership is cognizant of these

challenges, and has been actively working to address these for the purpose of ensuring

smooth functioning of the Project.

Unlike the projects of this type being managed by well-established international

organizations with strong head-officers, the Citizens Voice Project has limited technical

support or required capacities at its head-office, which it could draw upon, if and when

needed. Besides, the Project is almost completely being implemented by local staff, who

have numerous advantages in terms of working in Pakistan; though their expertise level is

not necessarily at par with international experts engaged in projects of similar size or

nature. In this situation, the Project management occasionally feels constrained, though the

performance of the Project has not been affected as a result of these challenges.

Security situation in the country has also been presenting challenges in terms of outreach

efforts and staff mobility. In general, the project staff has to consider the security

implications of various initiatives and activities, which require the staff to make extra

efforts. It is due to security related concerns that, in the reporting quarter, the scheduled

information session in Peshawar had to be first postponed and then cancelled in November

2011.

From the response to first cycle solicitation, it appears that there exist limited capacities in

the private and civil society sectors for developing good quality applications. It is especially

so in relation to themes or sectors in which limited work has been carried out by potential

grantees in the past. Hence, while it will have value to support civil society in terms of

expanding the scope of their work to non-conventional but important sectors, the Project

will face challenges in view of weak response. Hence, an innovative approach will be

required to address this challenge.

Despite the above-mentioned challenges, the performance of the Project has been largely in

accordance with the initially established targets. It is expected that, now that the Project is fully

mobilized, the pace of work would speed up in the coming months, especially in terms of

announcing more grants cycles, awarding grants and implementing capacity building program,

subject to timely approvals from relevant forums and offices.