USAID Madagascar Education and Food Security Portfolio Overview - Questions & Answers.pdf

USAID Madagascar Education and Food Security Portfolio Overview – June 4, 2020

Questions & Answers

1. Thank you so much for this presentation - it was very packed, full of information! I did not hear any specific mention of how the pilot might (or might not) have focused on children with disabilities. Could you talk a bit about inclusion, and how current efforts are incorporating this?

In the 8-month Mahay Mamaky Teny pilot, there was not a specific focus on children with disabilities. This is an area that could be incorporated into the larger scale national education program. For more information, applicants should reach out to the World Bank, and explore if inclusion-related work has been done under the broader Education Sector

Plan.

2. How has the portfolio been addressing the COVID crisis?

USAID Madagascar has been focusing first on strengthening and building the capacity of the health system to identify, trace, treat and manage; and is exploring possible ways of emergency food assistance for those who have lost their livelihoods. The situation is evolving week by week.

When it is designed, the new USAID education program will take COVID-19 and other potential crises into account. The COVID-19 crisis has constrained development programs in-country, but emergency assistance has been authorized by the government of Madagascar.

Food distribution in schools could be considered emergency assistance by the government of

Madagascar.

3. Do you have any information you could share about the GoM's school feeding strategy and implementation plan, and where there might be gaps or GoM priorities that should be addressed through the MGD program?

The government is focused on trying to find a sustainable solution to school feeding. This includes for example, working to connect with farmers to procure food for school meals locally, when possible; pooling funds at the school level or for families to contribute foods;

and setting up school gardens to complement school canteen meals. The government plan places a focus on sustainability, optimizing partnerships with local producers as much as possible, and involving the private sector where applicable.

4. Regarding the PSE, there were some decision made in the last months that are not aligned with it. What would USAID think about this government keeping this document and the strategies in it?

All stakeholders and development partners have made it clear to the new government of

Madagascar that it is important to keep the PSE even though it was formed under the previous government. The prime minister has confirmed that he plans to retain the PSE.

Continued GPE support is also contingent on retaining the PSE.

5. It seems that nutrition issues are not addressed for the grant in Madagascar. Do you only want to focus on EGR and scale up your previous MMT Program?

USAID’s primary role in the McGovern-Dole program is to connect on primary grade education initiatives. The FY 2020 McGovern-Dole NOFO includes the requirements and objectives around nutrition.

6. Has USAID been supporting any of the GOM ECD/ECE/preschool efforts?

USAID has been absent from education in Madagascar for the past ten years. But this does not mean that preschool efforts will not be considered in future plans.

7. Does USAID encourage MGD applicants to consider distance learning and response to

COVID within this opportunity? Although not starting up a USAID education program for a couple years, does USAID envision it will focus working on ECE/Preschool or still focusing on lower primary grade? And similarly for higher grades in primary school?

Please refer to the FY2020 McGovern-Dole NOFO.

The government itself is exploring distance learning. It is difficult to teach reading over the radio. Most children in Madagascar are still entering school in grade 1, especially in rural areas. Other donors, such as UNICEF are targeting early childhood development and are working on building a better structure for training teachers and priming children for reading.

8. Will you entertain a new educational Agriculture program for capacity building and utilization of technical schools?

Please question submit to PPDED@usda.gov and refer to FY 2020 McGovern-Dole NOFO.

9. Would you please provide a link or information on the programs that are addressing WASH, nutrition education, and MCHN work under USAID that is continuing as of now. And, can you provide sources (links?) to any evaluations of those programs?

Most of the programs mentioned during the presentation are still ongoing and do not have evaluations yet. The best option would be for interested applicants to reach out to implementing partners directly. The only program that has been closed that was mentioned during the presentation is Mahay Mamaky Teny, and relevant documents should have been uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) at dec@usaid.gov. USAID stated that if Mahay Mamaky Teny information cannot be found on the DEC, to contact

Carrie Antal at USAID (cantal@usaid.gov) or to reach out to FHI-360.

10. Is FHI authorised to share more information on the pilot and future plans with us?

mailto:PPDED@usda.gov mailto:dec@usaid.gov mailto:cantal@usaid.gov

To USAID’s knowledge, anyone can reach out to the government, to the donors, and to the implementers to request information. Applicants can find information on the FHI-360

Mahay Mamaky Teny activity on the DEC.