SOL-641-12-000005_REVISED_SECTION_C.pdf

USAID/Ghana SOL-641-12-000005

SECTION C ‐ SPECIFICATIONS

STATEMENT OF WORK

RESILIENCY IN NORTHERN GHANA (RING) PROJECT

ACRONYMS

ADS Automated Directive System AEA Agriculture Extension Agent ASCA Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations BCC Behavior Change Communications CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CAP Community Action Plan CBO Community Based Organization CDC Centers for Disease Control CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CFSVA Comprehensive Food Security & Vulnerability Assessment CHO/CHN Community Health Officers / Community Health Nurses CHPS Community-based Health Planning and Services CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CSO Community Support Organization DA District Assembly DFID Department for International Development (UK) DHS Demographic & Health Survey DP Development Partner DWAP District-Wide Assistance Project ENA Essential Nutrition Actions EU European Union FASDEP II Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy II FBO Faith Based Organization FOAT Functional Organization Assessment Tool FTF Feed the Future GHI Global Health Initiative GOG Government of Ghana GHS Ghana Health Service GUC Grants Under Contract HSMTDP Health Sector Medium Term Development Plan IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute IGF Internally Generated Funds IR Intermediate Result IT Information Technology IYCF Infant & Young Child Feeding LEAP Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty LNGO Local Non-Government Organization LQAS Lot Quality Assurance Sample MDG Millennium Development Goal METSS Monitoring, Evaluation and Technical Support Services M&E Monitoring & Evaluation

METASIP Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan 2011-2015 MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey MLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development MOFA Ministry of Food & Agriculture MOFEP Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning MOH Ministry of Health MOSW Ministry of Social Welfare NDPC National Development Planning Commission NGO Non-Government Organization NORST Northern Region Small Town (Project) NRCC Northern Region Coordinating Council PASA Participatory Agency Service Agreement PMP Performance Monitoring Plan PTA Parent Teacher Association RCC Regional Coordinating Council RING Resiliency in Northern Ghana SADA Savannah Accelerated Development Authority SBCC Social & Behavior Change Communication SHG Self Help Groups TA Technical Assistance UN United Nations USAID United States Agency for International Development USDA United States Department of Agriculture USG United States Government WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WFP World Food Program WIAD Women in Agricultural Development

C.1 INTRODUCTION

The United States Agency for International Development’s Ghana Mission (USAID/Ghana) contemplates the award of a five year contract to provide technical assistance to USAID’s Resiliency in Northern Ghana (RING) Project. RING is an integrated project and partnership effort under USAID’s Feed the Future (FtF) Initiative designed to contribute to Government of Ghana (GoG) efforts to sustainably reduce poverty and improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations.

C.2 OBJECTIVES

The goal of RING is improved livelihoods and nutritional status of households in Ghana. This goal directly aligns with IR 2 of the FtF Multi-Year Strategy for Ghana.

In support of the above goal, the purpose of the RING project is to improve livelihood and nutritional status of vulnerable households in targeted communities in Northern Region.

Consistent with USAID Forward principles of direct support to host governments to the maximum extent possible, this project will be decentralized and employ mixed modalities for implementation. RING’s interventions will be implemented through a collaborative approach with the District Assemblies (DAs) in Northern Region and with the Northern Region Coordinating Council (NRCC). For eligible DAs, USAID support and funding for district management requirements and the implementation of interventions at the community level will go directly to the DAs. For DAs not yet eligible for direct funding, the Contractor must provide technical assistance for the achievement of RING objectives while building the capacity of the DA.

The overall RING project will be led by a Project Steering Committee which will include representatives from USAID, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Contractor. The primary responsibilities of the steering committee will be to provide overall policy direction at the central level.

The steering committee will meet semi-annually to discuss overall policy issues affecting project implementation, to review project progress, and discuss and resolve implementation challenges.

The anticipated overall budget for RING interventions is approximately $60 million over five years which would include the following (the costs for external M&E services and the impact evaluator expenses are not included in these estimates):

An estimated cost in the range of $24 and $27 million for technical assistance provided by the Contractor to DAs and the NRCC;

An estimated $1 million for grants to local NGOs including the private sector under a GUC mechanism, managed by the Contractor in districts in which DAs are not yet eligible for direct funding from USAID;

An estimated $1 million for sub-contracts to DAs that do not yet qualify for direct USAID funding, managed by the Contractor;

An estimated $3 million for innovative Contractor-developed and implemented/coordinated activities in support of RING objectives, as approved by USAID;

An estimated $28 million in direct funding from USAID to qualified DAs and the NRCC.

C.3 BACKGROUND

A. Context

Situation of food insecurity and under-nutrition in Ghana and Northern Region In aggregate, Ghana is considered to be generally food secure, with only 5 percent of the population deemed food insecure and another 9 percent vulnerable to food insecurity. However, this nationwide perspective masks important regional dynamics and disparities. Persistent food insecurity is concentrated in the poorest regions of Ghana: Northern with 10 per cent of the population food insecure, Upper West with 34 per cent, and Upper East with 15 per cent. About 453,000 people are food insecure in Northern Region of Ghana, more than the rest of the rural areas nationwide combined. Further, regional disparity is a key characteristic of poverty trends in Ghana. A recently released World Bank report found that between 1992 and 2006, the number of the poor declined by 2.5 million in the south and increased by 0.9 million in the north. Low population density in Northern Region means that distances between communities and households can be considerable. In addition, poor infrastructure connecting towns and villages isolates rural communities, prevents access to markets, and exacerbates food insecurity during lean periods.

Indicators of poor nutrition status The 2008 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) found greater rates of under nutrition in these areas as well with one in three children stunted (32%) in Northern Region and rates of wasting creeping toward the emergency threshold of 15 per cent. Wasting among young children is a result of failure to receive adequate nutrition during a specific period and is likely a consequence of recent illness or of seasonal variations in food availability. The most severe micronutrient deficiency among Ghanaian mothers and children is iron deficiency, with 81% of children under five in Northern Region burdened by anemia. In addition to impairing mental and physical development of children, anemia is also particularly serious for pregnant women, as it contributes to premature delivery and low birth weight. In Ghana malnutrition is estimated to be the underlying cause of 55% of mortality cases in children under the age of five years, in addition to poor care and feeding practices, lack of quality health facilities, limited access to safe drinking water.

Awareness of these issues, however, is limited. Districts and communities need to develop awareness of and responses to the needs in their communities of households most vulnerable to under-nutrition and food insecurity. They need packages of services and an enabling environment (i.e., community support) to step out of extreme poverty.

Food security in northern Ghana is affected by a combination of underlying factors (availability, access, utilization, and, stability), leading to reduced resiliency among households.

Causes of Under-Nutrition: Poor Availability of Food.

More than half of Ghana’s work force is directly engaged in agricultural activities. However, more than 90% of farm holdings are less than 2 hectares in size and are subsistence farms, yet they contribute 80% to Ghana’s total agricultural output. In the northern savannah, the smaller the farm holding, the less diverse is the variety of crops cultivated, usually staple crops. While Ghana remains food secure in most staples, it has a significant deficit of nearly 70% of its rice needs and 15% of its maize needs. The GoG has identified several problems within the agricultural sector, such as: reliance on rain-fed agriculture;

high post-harvest losses; poor extension services; inadequate livestock and husbandry management; and lack of ready markets.

In the northern regions, natural hazards, such as floods and droughts, disproportionately impact on the poorer households. Floods have destroyed large areas of cultivated land at crucial times during past cropping seasons, leaving the farming population with reduced harvests to sustain them throughout the year and a damaged asset base that takes a long time to replenish, if at all. Reduced resilience is likely to trigger a chain reaction, the outcome of which has been found to be limited access to sufficient and nutritious food. To address fully food insecurity and under-nutrition, GoG pro-growth policy reform and strategies and investments in improving agricultural productivity will need to be complemented by deliberate efforts to also address access and utilization constraints, especially in regards to diverse foods.

Analysis of the evidence underscores the need for Ghana to address its economic and nutrition disparities in an integrated approach with complementary investments in health and education investments and targeted nutrition and hygiene education in order to achieve its overall development goals.

Causes of Under-Nutrition: Poor Access and Affordability of Food Seventy percent of the Ghanaians living in extreme poverty live in the three northernmost, largely rural regions of the country. The majority of households are farming households, with almost half (46%) falling below the poverty line; of those, Northern Region, the largest of the three regions, accounts for over half. The food price increases of 2008 also disproportionately affected households in the northern regions. Markets are a significant source of food in Ghana, with 80% of all households purchasing food during the period immediately following the main harvest. Although variations do occur, this phenomenon is remarkably consistent across income segments and livelihood groups. Even among those pursuing agricultural livelihoods (cash crops, food crops, and agro-pastoralists), only about 30% of households get all their food from their own production, which is remarkably low, especially during the harvest period.

In this context, limited household purchasing power is a clear barrier to food access and improved food security. Poor asset wealth is strongly correlated with stunting and other nutritional status indicators.

Asset wealth is a proxy for household purchasing power, and stunting was attributed to a lack of food access leading to poor and borderline food consumption. For poor farmers, their main source of income is likely to come from sales of staple crops following the main harvest in September-November. Although these households may have other income sources from other economic activities or sales of stored crops, their challenge is to finance household consumption – with food purchases as a major expense – throughout the year.

To reduce food insecurity and under-nutrition, cash flow among vulnerable households must be improved, so they have cash (or cash-equivalent assets) available to purchase food, especially during periods of the year when household food stocks are low or exhausted. They also need to adopt income generating activities, i.e., value-chains, such as horticulture and small animal husbandry, in which women play predominant roles throughout the value chain. While women may participate in the trading and marketing of staple crops (rice, maize), these value chains are principally within the domain of men.

Causes of Under-Nutrition: Poor Utilization/Consumption Food utilization refers to a household’s use of foods they can access and the ability of all members to properly absorb the nutrients needed from those foods. Possible reasons for poor food utilization include a lack of dietary diversity, poor quality food, and poor food choices and insufficient feeding frequency for young children. The percentage of children who are fed appropriately (frequency and recommended number of food groups) is lowest in the Northern Region (22%) and there are particularly low levels of dietary diversity among women. .

Optimal utilization of available food is also affected by the health and hygiene environment. Childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and acute respiratory infections are most common in the northern region with 33% and 9% respectively. Malaria affects all children in Ghana and has been estimated to account for 22% of under-five mortality and 9% of maternal deaths. The President’s Malaria Initiative is supporting the GoG to increase support to the Northern Region to improve overall utilization rates of insecticide treated nets, which was only 11% in the Northern Region in 2008.

Although access to improved water sources has increased over the past five years, coverage for sanitation remains low in Ghana at 18% for urban and 7% for rural regions. In the rural areas of the Northern Region, more than 80% of households use unsafe sanitation facilities. Food consumption has been found to be strongly related to the types of sanitation facilities the household uses; 70 per cent of households with poor food consumption use open pit latrines, buckets, or no facilities at all while those with acceptable consumption, only 29% of households use these types of sanitation facilities.

As families build resources to access a more diverse diet, they will need, at the same time, to gain knowledge to effectively use those diverse foods. Therefore, nutrition and hygiene education should be combined with livelihoods interventions. Socio-cultural practices and gender dynamics in northern Ghana have significant implications on nutrition and care practices, in addition to intra-household allocation of resources. These factors must be carefully addressed by an integrated program approach. Given the importance of illness on nutrition status, effective linkages with maternal and child health services are needed in target areas to respond to the needs of vulnerable households.

Causes of Under-nutrition: Lack of Stability in Availability/Access to Food Stability means that a population should not be at risk of losing availability or access to food as a consequence of sudden economic or climatic shocks or cyclical events (e.g. seasonal food insecurity).

Vulnerable households in northern Ghana must regularly cope with changes in weather and rainfall patterns and climatic shocks such as floods and droughts. Unlike the rest of the country, the northern part of the country has one rainy season between April to September, followed by a long dry season, which lowers food availability during some seasons and raises prices. Added to these environmental challenges are poor post-harvest management and storage practices, with losses estimated at 20-50% for most crops.

Due to insufficient storage and drying facilities, many farmers sell their products at post-harvest time when prices are low and re-buy during the lean season when prices are high. These factors exacerbate food insecurity for already vulnerable families and communities.

Other factors affecting food security:

In addition to the standard parameters of food security, lack of coordination among implementing partners is a key issue in Northern Region. Numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and development partners now target the three northern regions under a variety of development initiatives, including multiple efforts to improve food security. For example, the World Bank, DFID, CIDA, the EU, and the GoG have all recently announced that they will be focusing programs in northern Ghana. Thus far, there has been little success in coordinating food security activities, resulting in duplication, competing objectives, and ineffective targeting. Local authorities complain that development partners have not adequately coordinated with the local government bodies, which has hindered their ability to ensure effective development programming. Lack of consultation sidelines local government in understanding the extent of food security issues and programs in their regions and districts and weakens these officials’ leadership within the district. As a result, the impact and sustainability of food security interventions are undermined.

Given the number of actors in northern Ghana, coordination with relevant line Ministries, DAs, LNGOs, and other local actors is vital to ensure adequate coverage of communities and reduce duplication. The capacities of the DAs and the NRCC should be supported to enable them to fulfill their mandate of coordinating local actors and to increase sustainability of efforts to meet the long-term needs of vulnerable communities.

Alignment with USAID and USG Strategies RING is consistent with the present USAID/Ghana Country Strategy, the Health Sector Strategy, and its Integrated Nutrition Investment Framework, and directly responds to the objectives and principles of Feed the Future (FtF) and the Global Health Initiative (GHI). These initiatives support country-led efforts to achieve food security, poverty reduction, and improvements in health status. RING will be jointly funded by Economic Growth,Health, and Water funds.

Ghana Mission and Health Sector and Nutrition Strategies USAID/Ghana is presently developing its Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which is due for submission by the first quarter of FY 2012. As part of this process, the USAID Health Sector Strategy will be updated. USAID/Ghana also has an Integrated Nutrition Investment Framework that lays out priority areas for USAID attention and resource allocation for nutrition interventions. To date, RING is well-aligned with these strategic processes and documents.

Feed the Future (FtF) Approved in February 2011, the FtF Multi-Year Strategy for Ghana outlines three Intermediate Results to achieve the high level of objectives of the FtF Results Framework. These include:

IR 1: Increased Competitiveness of Major Food Value Chains (rice, maize, soya, fisheries)

IR 2: Improved Resilience of Vulnerable Communities

IR 3: Improved Nutritional Status of Women and Children

RING will be the principal project for achieving IR 2 and an important complementary effort to both IR 1 and IR 3. RING targets the most vulnerable households in the Northern Region where poverty and under-nutrition are concentrated. Due to constrained household resources and diminished capacity to take on risks, these households may not be ready to participate and/or immediately benefit from the larger, commercially oriented value chain approaches of IR 1, focused on staple crops. RING will accelerate the participation of the most vulnerable households in rural growth. RING will align also with other health investments (USAID and non-USAID) to increase access to quality maternal and child health services, as well as improved water and sanitation, as indicated for IR 3. RING will build upon the potential synergies between IR 1 and IR 2, as appropriate, to meet community needs and priorities. (See Section J for other USAID activities and partners supporting FtF IRs and activities.)

Global Health Initiative (GHI) GHI is the cornerstone of coordinating action in health across US government agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State Department, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps, and the Department for Defense all implement activities that are directly or indirectly related to health, in Ghana. These USG agencies are in the process of elaborating Ghana’s GHI strategy, which was timed to coincide and align with CDCS strategy development in Ghana. It is anticipated that many of the areas that will be highlighted under GHI will be in the area of governance and systems strengthening; the experience of RING’s project partners in these areas is a potential resource for the GHI implementation plan. Every effort will be made to ensure coordination across projects with the same goals and/or in the same geographic area.

USAID Forward Under RING, USAID/Ghana intends to use GoG systems to fund regional, district and community level activities to the maximum extent feasible and is reflective of its commitment to USAID Forward principles and objectives. USAID/Ghana will provide direct financial and technical resources to districts and the NRCC that are assessed as competent to manage USAID funding to plan, implement, manage, monitor, and evaluate community-based livelihood and nutrition activities. While USAID will directly engage with these districts and the NRCC the Contractor will be responsible for providing most of the technical assistance needed to assure quality interventions and impact over the life of the RING project period, including provision of support for financial and progress reporting as required.

Alignment with Government of Ghana policies and programs Among the priorities of both the Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy II (FASDEP II) and the Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (METASIP) 2011-2015 are improving food security and emergency preparedness, income generation, and institutional coordination. The Health Sector Medium Term Development Plan (HSMTDP) also consists of complementary strategic objectives that focus on reducing inequities in access and improving quality of health delivery services, improving governance, and intensifying prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

The June 2010 Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) review of the METASIP underscored the need for a more ‘targeted vulnerability agenda’ for the North. Even with accelerated economic growth efforts that will enable Ghana to meet MDG1 goals, the poverty rate in the north will remain at 35% by 2015. Current trends indicate that more than 66% of the country’s poor will live in the north in 2015, compared to 45% today. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has also included nutrition in the food security and emergency preparedness program of the METASIP. This component has been identified as a priority investment area, with the plan noting an “increase in incomes may be a necessary condition for decrease in malnutrition but it is not a sufficient condition. There is need for nutrition education and advocacy to ensure people have adequate knowledge and appreciate the importance of both macro and micronutrient malnutrition.”

Ghana is also in the process of developing a national nutrition policy to respond to the current nutrition needs and priorities of the country. The policy emphasizes the importance of nutrition in overcoming food insecurity and has been developed through a multi-sector consultation process across line ministries (Health, Agriculture, and, Education) and development partners.

B. Key Elements of RING

USAID FORWARD

The RING project is consistent with USAID Forward principles, and USAID/Ghana will directly fund the NRCC and as many DAs as feasible to implement nutrition and improved livelihood activities prioritized by RING. USAID will also provide selected technical support to the directly funded DAs as well as the

NRCC.

Geographic scope: Seventeen Districts of Northern Region Given its situation of under-nutrition and poverty, Northern Region will be the focus region for RING.

Northern Region has received significant attention and development assistance, i.e., there are many initiatives on-going in the region. Yet, there are still many gaps and challenges in reaching the most vulnerable households.

Until recently, the Northern Region had a total estimated population of 2.2 million in 20 districts.

However, the Government of Ghana has begun to create a number of smaller districts and it is expected that the Northern Region will be home to a total of 26 districts.

USAID has selected 17 districts for inclusion in RING, identified in Table One below. Please note that the total population sizes, and even the names of the new districts are not currently known in their totality but the total population and area sizes are. The 17 districts selected for RING were chosen based on a number of factors including: magnitude of under-nutrition among women and children, prevalence of extreme poverty; potential for co-location with USAID’s Economic Growth implementing partners’ activities (i.e. ADVANCE); and fulfillment of minimum conditions of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and the Environment’s Functional Organization Assessment Tool (FOAT) assessment areas in 2010.

Each of these 17 districts are undergoing an assessment of their financial and management capacity (conducted by USAID). Of the 17 selected districts, USAID expects that 10 DAs will qualify for direct funding from USAID initially (along with technical support from the Contractor), while the remaining seven DAs will be supported through Contractor-funded activities until their capacity is increased sufficiently to qualify for direct USAID funding.

Table 1. RING Districts District Estimated

Population Est. Women of Reproductive Age

Est.

Children under Five

1.West Gonja 86,483 21,620 17,476

2. Newly split district from West Gonja

3. Chereponi 58,074 14,519 8,711

4. East Gonja 215,966 53,992 32,395

5. East Mamprusi 216,416 54,104 32,462

6. Gushiegu 77,618 19,405 11,643

7. Karaga 77,618 19,405 11,643

8. Kpandai 200,000 50,000 30,000

9. Nanumba North 89,282 22,320 13,392

10. Nanumba South 89,282 22,320 13,392

11. Saboba 58,074 14,519 8,711

12. Tamale 363,716 90,929 54,557

13. Newly split district from Tamale

14. Central Gonja 86,483 21,620 17,476

15. Savelugu Nanton 111,347 27,837 16,702

16. Tolon Kumbungu 164,398 41,100 24,660

17. Newly split district from Tolon Kumbungu

Total 1,973,051 457,388 281,721

Selection of area councils RING is an integrated program, and as such, has many stakeholders. The level below districts is defined differently by different Ministries. The Ministry of Health calls them sub-districts. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture calls them zonal councils and the Ministry of Local Governance calls them area councils.

Each delineation has differing boundaries and inclusion criteria, which further complicates the clear demarcation for programming purposes. Therefore, for the purposes of clear definitions and the inherent recognition of both agriculture and nutrition as the most important drivers of RING, RING will use the definition of the Ministry of Local Governance (area councils). Within each of the 14 districts, there are a number of area councils; in some cases RING will cover up to five area councils while in other cases; the whole district will be covered.

Focus on vulnerable populations The 2008 Lancet Nutrition Series established the evidence base for targeting nutrition interventions to children within the “development window of opportunity” (-9 to 24 months, or the one thousand days from conception). During this period, children are growing rapidly and are the most vulnerable to growth faltering. It is also the period during which nutrition interventions can have an impact of health well-being. All of the RING Project partners will focus on the poorest households that have women of reproductive age and children under two years who are identified as vulnerable using the Common Targeting Mechanism (a national protocol being developed by the Department of Social Welfare).

Within the population of the selected districts and area councils, it is estimated that 54 per cent of the region’s population are in rural, agriculturalist households, and that 61 per cent of these are the poorest.

The activities and interventions intended to meet the nutrition and hygiene education and livelihood needs of these vulnerable populations will also include older children and other family members, including men, who affect many critical household decisions.

Priority political structures and their roles

Northern Region Coordinating Council. At the regional level, the Northern Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) has the mandate for reviewing and harmonizing district plans, coordinating region-wide activities, and monitoring activities across the region.

District Assemblies. Municipal and District Assemblies (DAs) are the decentralized government bodies at the district level that facilitate effective and efficient administration at the local levels. The DAs are made up of representatives elected from area councils across the district, and they approve policies and budgets, and review program implementation. DAs are supported by various committees, including those for social welfare and social services. These committees are guided by representatives of the line ministries (e.g., Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Food and Agriculture) who coordinate among programs operating in the district. DAs rely primarily upon the line ministry staff such as personnel from the Ghana Health Service, the Agricultural Extension Service, WIAD, or Social Work staff to plan and implement activities.

The DA executive is, normally, appointed by the federal government and works closely with the District Management Committee made up of representatives from all line ministries working at the district level and below. This Committee will help to identify communities for RING programming, design and implement small-scale nutrition-related programs, and coordinate RING programming across the districts.

Area Councils and Communities. Area Councils and communities have varying populations, challenges, and resources available to help address their challenges, including those of responding to the needs of households vulnerable for under-nutrition and food insecurity. Among the resources are various community organizations: community action groups, representatives of line ministries, and others.

The Ministries of Education, Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) also have representation in most communities through their own staff and infrastructure of schools, clinics and agriculture extension agents, and volunteers trained to provide advice and services at the household level.

For example, under the GHS’s community-based health planning and services (CHPS) program, nurses called Community Health Officers (CHO) are posted in communities as community-based front-line health workers who visit households and organize community health services in compounds near local households. Women In Agricultural Development (WIAD) is a technical directive within MOFA that focuses on improving the livelihoods and well-being of women in the agricultural sector. WIAD could play a key role in promoting behavior change nutrition messaging at the community level and monitor programs targeting vulnerable households.

Other community level resources include: private sector entities, such as pharmacies, shopkeepers, agriculture commodity sellers; programs supported by UN and international non-governmental organizations, such as CARE, WFP, and UNICEF; and traditional authorities.

Functions: De-centralized planning, other activities To mobilize communities and their resources, the communities in Northern Region have developed Community Action Plans, which present the communities’ requests for financial and other support from district, regional and central resources. These Community Action Plans are then reviewed and, as appropriate, the activities and requests are incorporated into the District Plan. District Plans are submitted to the Northern Region Coordinating Council National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for approval and for submitting requests to the Ministry of Finance for funding (with a cc to the NRCC). The NRCC reviews and harmonizes DA plans to promote efficient use of resources and avoid duplication.

Some activities in District Plans may receive funding from locally generated resources. For the most part, the Community Action Plans propose activities related to improved water resources (e.g., construction of bore holes), construction of roads and other infrastructure, and in some cases, agriculture-related activities, such as improved storage facilities. They do not reflect activities that would directly address the needs of the most vulnerable groups and households for under-nutrition and food insecurity. At all levels, the needs and requests are significantly more than the funding available.

It should be noted that, although decentralized planning is common at the community and district levels, there is less capacity and experience with activity implementation and oversight, and monitoring and evaluation.

C.4 DETAILED WORK STATEMENT

The Contractor must provide the full range of technical assistance needed by all 17 DAs and the NRCC to enable achievement of RING results described in Section C. This approach will provide a template for a new way of doing business, under the principles of USAID Forward, while managing financial risk and providing appropriate technical resources. The Contractor must provide all needed support to the DAs and the NRCC for effective targeting, planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on appropriate activities, in consultation USAID, and in collaboration with the line ministry staff at the regional, district and community level.

To date, the NRCC and two DAs (Chereponi and Saboba) have qualified for direct funding from USAID.

The Contractor must assure that sufficient technical assistance is provided to the NRCC, all targeted DAs (including those directly funded by USAID), area councils, and beneficiary communities for sound technical decision making and effective implementation of RING activities.

In addition, the Contractor must partner with and provide all required technical assistance to the additional targeted DAs that have not yet qualified for direct funding from USAID in order to enable them to transition to direct USAID funding as quickly as responsibly possible.

The Contractor must collaborate closely with USAID, particularly regarding the provision of technical assistance and support for the NRCC and those DAs which USAID is funding directly. The Contractor must collaborate closely with USAID, the NRCCs and the DAs to develop appropriate and customized packages of interventions for each area council, out of the appropriate combination of proven interventions described in Section III below. A sequenced approach of planning and implementation will ensure implementation plans that fit specific needs of each community and are enhanced by the inputs of host country partners.

The Contractor’s role will differ in those districts in which USAID directly funds operational costs and those in which the Contractor funds the operational costs of activities/interventions. The following two modalities explain this difference.

Modality of Direct financing assistance from USAID to targeted DAs and the NRCC

In this modality there is a direct relationship between the NRCC, USAID and the eligible DAs, who share responsibility for management and success of activities with the Contractor. It will be used when an initial independent financial risk assessment conducted by USAID shows a DA to be capable of managing direct funding from USAID through a bilateral implementation letter. USAID and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) have agreed on a financial disbursement process to enable selected DAs and the NRCC to receive USAID funds in a timely manner on a quarterly basis based on approved NRCC and DA work plans and budgets. As a norm, it is not expected that the Contractor will have any responsibilities regarding MOFEP. Ten DAs are expected to receive funding directly from USAID during the first year and the remaining two DAs are expected to transition from receiving financial support through the Contractor (via sub-contracts) to direct funding from USAID within the RING project period.

Funds will support the operational costs of managing and providing the interventions at the community and household levels.

It is anticipated that DAs selected for direct funding from USAID, and possibly the NRCC will require technical assistance to help identify vulnerable communities and households, work with the selected groups to determine priority actions that are most likely to lead to desired results, prepare and provide direct support or issue sub-grants to selected communities, arrange for the necessary technical support of these activities, monitor performance, and support the production of adequate technical and financial reports. While USAID and partners working on FtF IR1 and IR3 may provide some technical assistance to the DAs and the NRCC, the Contractor will be the primary source of technical assistance for DAs and the NRCC for RING activities and must closely coordinate with USAID and other RING partners.

USAID will directly engage with eligible DAs (particularly in the period before the Contractor begins), to conduct assessments and initiate planning processes, but will rely on and refer most technical assistance needs to the Contractor. An immediate priority of the Contractor will be to ascertain the relative technical needs and capacity gaps of the NRCC and those DAs receiving direct USAID funding, and provide appropriate technical assistance in close coordination with USAID, the NRCC and FtF partners.

The Contractor must provide technical assistance and capacity-building efforts (including the possibility of imbedding an advisor from the Contractor) to the NRCC, so that this body is strengthened to play a more dynamic and proactive role in helping DAs develop and implement effective plans, ensuring that DA plans are harmonized within the region, and providing overall program oversight to ensure activities meet the needs of vulnerable populations. The Contractor must ensure that the technical assistance provided effectively builds the capacity of the NRCC to perform these functions, rather than simply supplements NRCC resources.

Directly funded DAs and the NRCC will also be able to utilize the USAID funding to provide sub-grants to local NGOs and CBOS to support livelihood and nutrition interventions, expand M&E, and strengthen service delivery as appropriate. The Contractor will provide technical support to DAs and the NRCC in developing processes for the solicitation, review, award, M&E and financial and progress reporting of these sub-grants. The Contractor must also provide technical assistance to sub-grantees, as requested by the NRCC and the DAs, to ensure activities are conducted effectively and efficiently.

Figure 1: Relationships between organizations in the USAID/GoG Direct Assistance model for RING

Modality of Contractor assistance to DAs not yet ready for direct funding from USAID The Contractor may provide performance-based sub-contracts as well as technical assistance to the districts that have not yet qualified for direct USAID Assistance (Sub-contracts not exceeding $500,000 each to Government entities for this contract have been authorized in accordance with ADS 302). In this context, the Contractor will ensure proper oversight of these funds by establishing proper accounting systems at the district level. The Contractor will be accountable to USAID for processes, outputs and outcomes of the assistance provided as performance-based sub-contracts to the DAs. The Contractor will also be responsible for building capacity in these DAs to enable them to “graduate” to direct USAID funding over the course of the RING project. The Contractor must develop a process for providing and managing such sub-contracts in compliance with ADS 302.3.3.

The Contractor must provide the full range of technical assistance needed by these DAs that have not yet qualified for direct USAID funding to enable achievement of RING results as described in Section C.

This will include providing support to the DAs for targeting, planning and implementing appropriate activities, in consultation with the NRCC and USAID, and in collaboration with the line ministry staff at the regional, district and community level.

The Contractor must also develop, manage and support grants to local NGOs and/or private sector actors that qualify for such support under a Grants-Under-Contract (GUC) mechanism in the DAs that have not qualified for direct funding, in order to achieve RING project results, while building the capacity of those DAs to provide such services directly. USAID has authorized a GUC mechanism for this Contract.

USAID coordinates with NRCC, directly funds RING activities through the NRCC and selected DAs, manages performance of Contractor and monitors effectiveness of use of USG funds

District Assemblies (DAs)lead identification of target beneficiaries, selection of specific livelihood and nutrition interventions, and sub-grants to sub-districts, NGOs or other groups, manage performance of all activities and requests TA as needed from the Contractor

Private Sector Actors provide services and commodities to support effective implementation of selected

DA portfolio of livelihood & nutrition activities, potentially funded through sub-grants from DAs.

Local NGOS and CBOs support livelihood and nutrition interventions and service delivery in targeted sub-districts, as recipients of sub-grants from DA’s and monitor and evaluate ongoing efforts.

Local line ministry officers (health, ag. extension, etc.)

assist DAs in technical selection and implementation of livelihood and nutrition activities, funded through DAs.

Contractor provides technical assistance to DAs and the NRCC on technical quality of selected livelihood & nutrition activities and helps develop, monitor and report on these activities, as needed

Northern Region Coordinating Council

(NRCC) oversees performance of all DAs interacts with USAID on program management, and supports coordination and knowledge sharing among districts. Receives TA from the Contractor in form of embedded advisor and other technical assistance as needed.Establishes a monitoring

Because community action groups are community-specific, no specific groups have been identified as strategic partners at this time. However, once the area councils are identified, the DA, in collaboration with USAID and technical assistance from the Contractor, will work closely with the area councils and community groups to strengthen social support networks. Examples of potential partners include: water groups, mother to mother groups, local NGOs, credit and savings groups, PTAs, farmers groups, and religious groups.

Figure 2: Relationships between organizations in the USAID/GoG Indirect Assistance model for RING

Roles of Contractor under both modalities The Contractor must collaborate with and provide technical assistance to targeted DAs to build their capacity to plan, manage, and monitor the livelihoods and nutrition and hygiene education activities and interventions for the vulnerable households in the targeted area councils and communities. This will

USAID coordinates with NRCC, manages performance of Contractor and monitors effectiveness of use of USG funds provided to the NRCC and Contractor

District Assemblies (DAs) receive TA and sub-contracts from the Contractor to develop robust systems and processes, as well as performance-based contracts to lead implementation of RING activities

The Contractor is accountable to USAID for capacity-building of local partners, joint planning, development and execution of performance-based sub-contracts to DAs not yet able to receive direct USAID funds, and TA in livelihood and nutrition to NRCC, DAs and other local partners. Provides grants under contract to NGOs and the private sector as appropriate.

Northern Region Coordinating

Council (NRCC) oversees performance of all DAs in RING, interacts with USAID on program management.

Receives TA from Contractor in form of embedded advisor and other technical assistance

Local NGOS and CBOs support livelihood and nutrition interventions and service delivery in targeted sub-districts, as recipients of grants from Contractor

Local line ministry officers (health, ag. extension, etc.)

assist DAs in technical selection and implementation of livelihood and nutrition activities, and in monitoring sub-district performance

Private Sector Actors provide services and commodities to support effective implementation of selected DA portfolio of livelihood & nutrition activities, as recipients of grants from Contractor include providing technical assistance for procurement and ensuring that activities are of high quality.

The Contractor must support the DAs in engaging the appropriate line ministry staff at the NRCC and community level for effective planning, coordination and implementation of activities. DAs will also be encouraged to call upon and fund local non-governmental organizations or obtain inputs from private sector partners to assist communities in carrying out their agreed RING activities. Together, in various combinations depending on the specific priorities and available resources in each district, these local actors will deliver the package of interventions and services necessary to achieve the results and sub-purposes of RING.

Under both modalities, and complementary to the illustrative activities under Component 3, the Contractor must provide technical assistance to the NRCC and DAs for:

Setting up processes and systems to manage the overall performance of RING activities;

Community mapping and analysis so as to identify gaps, resources, and specific issues affecting vulnerable households and populations;

The selection of interventions likely to lead to improved livelihood and nutritional outcomes in the targeted, vulnerable populations;

Budgeting for the operational and other costs for livelihood and nutrition and hygiene related interventions at the area council level, and inserting these as line items into district budget requests and as activities under the District Plan; with USAID developing guidelines for uses of these funds, as needed (e.g., for per diem, vehicle purchase);

Joint planning with the relevant sector heads (health and agriculture) at the regional and district level, and coordination of selected livelihood and nutrition interventions;

Planning, supporting, monitoring and assessing community-level implementing partners (NGOs, CBOs, GoG actors, private sector);

Targeted capacity-building, training, and/or materials for community-level implementing partners to enable effective delivery of livelihood and nutrition interventions and services.

Setting up and building capacity to conduct on-going monitoring of RING activities at the NRCC, district, and community levels.

In addition to the Contractor’s technical assistance to the NRCC and DAs, the Contractor must also:

Develop and implement a performance monitoring system that will track progress in achieving all of the results of the Contractor activities;

Identify and foster relationships with Ghanaian organizations that can provide selected, relevant technical assistance to RING partners.

The Contractor must also explore, develop and propose innovative activities to be implemented directly by the Contractor, and in collaboration with communities, DAs, and the NRCC, subject to USAID approval, to complement activities of the DAs, NRCC, and NGOs to achieve the objectives of the RING project.

USAID will provide overall guidance on coordinative aspects and the Contractor will provide logistical, administrative, technical and communications support.

The following principles will guide the Contractor’s partnership with the DAs and the NRCC.

Collaborative, capacity-building approach to partnership: The Contractor must ensure that all activities and support under RING will be implemented with approaches that develop RING’s key Ghanaian partners’ capacity to plan, implement, manage, and monitor the program. For example, work plans will be developed using a participative, capacity building process before DAs roll out implementation of area council-specific livelihood and nutrition interventions/activities. This inclusive analysis and planning approach ensures local ownership of selected activities that effectively respond to identified needs and priorities at area council and community levels. Additionally, the collaborative process will sensitize DAs to the needs of the most vulnerable community members and directly inform the development of DAs’ broader annual work plans, indicators and targets.

Willingness to innovate in all aspects of RING implementation: Whether in the context of district and community-specific livelihood and nutrition interventions and activities, capacity building approaches, use of IT technology for improved data collection and monitoring and…