ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: LEARNING, EVALUATION, AND …

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: LEARNING, EVALUATION, AND ANALYSIS PROJECT (LEAP III) MAY 1, 2020 – APRIL 30, 2021 (YEAR THREE)

May 2021This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared independently by Integra LLC under the Learning, Evaluation, and Analysis Project (LEAP III).

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: LEARNING, EVALUATION, AND ANALYSIS PROJECT (LEAP III) MAY 1, 2020 – APRIL 30, 2021 (YEAR THREE)

Date Submitted: May 17, 2021

Contract Title: LEAP III: Learning, Evaluation, and Analysis Project

Contract Number: GS-10F-083CA / 7200AA18M0004

Activity Start and End Date: 05/01/2018–04/30/2023

Submitted by: Integra Government Services International LLC 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20005 Tel: 202-898-4110

Submitted to: Katie Qutub, LEAP III Contracting Officer’s Representative Center for Economics and Market Development, Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation

DISCLAIMERThe author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acronyms and Abbreviations .......................................................................4

Project Background ........................................................................................5

Project Management and Operations ........................................................5

Key Highlights from Year Three ..................................................................6

Activity Progress Reports .............................................................................9

Monitoring and Evaluation/Knowledge Sharing .................................... 20

Challenges/Lessons Learned ...................................................................... 27

Priority Plans for Year Four ...................................................................... 27

ANNEX I: Performance Indicator Table ................................................ 30

ANNEX II: Project Briefs............................................................................31

4ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: Learning, Evaluation, And Analysis Project III (LEAP III)

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSAAR: Activity Authorization Request

AIDC: Automatic Identification and Data Capture

AID-VENTURE: Facilitating Access to Venture Funding in Belarus

AOR: Agreement Officer’s Representative

ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations

BHA: Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance

CBA: Cost Benefit Analysis

CDCS: Country Development Cooperation Strategy

CEA: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

CEP: Competitive Economy Program

CLA: Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting

CNFA: Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture

COR: Contracting Officer’s Representative

CPAR: Contractor Performance Assessment Report

CSISS: Creating Sustainable Infrastructure to Support Startups and Small Business Development in the Regions of Belarus

DDI: Development, Democracy, and Innovation

DIV: Development Innovation Ventures

DRIVES: Delivering Regional Instruction Vital to Entrepreneurial Success - Belarus

EDR: Evaluation Design Report

EG: Economic Growth

EMD: Emerging Markets Development

ESP: Energy Security Project

EU: European Union

E3: Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment

FARO: Office of Field and Response Operations

FFP: Food for Peace

FSN: Food Security and Nutrition

FtF: Feed the Future

GenDev: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council

GVN: Government of Vietnam

IP: Implementing Partner

IT: Information Technology

I3: Belarus Increasing Private Sector Competitiveness through Improving the Enabling Environment, Improving Management and Operational Capacity, and Increasing Access to Finance

JBIC: Japan Bank for International Cooperation

KEA: Kenya and East Africa

KIIs: Key Informant Interviews

LEAP: Learning, Evaluation, and Analysis

LRP: Local and Regional Purchase

M&E: Monitoring and Evaluation

MEL: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

MENA: Middle East and North Africa

ME/TS: Middle East Bureau’s Technical Services Team

MPI: Ministry of Planning and Investment

MTE: Mid-term Evaluation

NPI: New Partnerships Initiative

OEG: Office of Economic Growth

PACE: Partnering to Accelerate Entrepreneurship

PFM: Public Financial Management

POWER: Producer-Owned Women’s Enterprises

PPE: Portfolio Performance Evaluation

PPP: Public-Private Partnership

PSE: Private Sector Engagement

PSLA: Private Sector Landscape Assessment

QR: Quick Response

RFA: Request for Application

RFSA: Resilience Food Security Activities

SE4ALL: Sustainable Energy for All

SOW: Statement of Work

SSN: Social Security Network

USAID: United States Agency for International Development

USG: United States Government

VARSI: Vietnam Association of Road System Builders

VCCI: Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

W-GDP: Women’s Global Development and Prosperity

WTO: World Trade Organization


PROJECT BACKGROUND LEAP III is a five-year contract awarded to Integra Government Services International (Integra) to provide clear and unbiased analysis supporting United States Agency for International Development (USAID) interventions to ensure that programs and projects operate at an optimal level. Structured as a contractual mechanism designed to accommodate buy-ins from USAID field missions and bureaus (i.e., Activities), LEAP III provides field support for analytical services when USAID Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) (formerly Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3)) staff are unavailable, or when specialized analysis expertise is required. It also provides a vehicle for USAID to support capacity building for USAID staff, partner governments, and civil society counterparts. Assistance can be provided across all sectors, including economic growth, agriculture, education, women’s empowerment, environment, and infrastructure.

LEAP III is implemented by Integra Government Services International, based in Washington, DC, in partnership with Bixal Solutions, Limestone Analytics, and Palladium International. Together, they are referred to within this report as the LEAP III Team.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONSThe structure of LEAP III (single award, activity-based IDIQ) allows Integra to respond to a broad range of activity requests efficiently and flexibly. The management approach allows for rapid responses to activity requests and mobilizing teams and a short turnaround from concept to implementation. Recently, we were requested to develop a brief on Carbon Markets to discuss USAID’s comparative advantage in this area for DDI. The team received the scope of work (SOW) and options for experts were submitted within one day. The expert was selected and discussions with the activity manager immediately started. The deliverable will be submitted one month after AAR approval.

The Belarus I3 Performance Evaluation is a testament to the team’s adaptability. In early 2021, LEAP III quickly shifted to a remote evaluation approach while also adapting to political turmoil. The activity was delivered under budget enabling the delivery of additional tasks. The MENA PSE activity has also required adaptability. The team responded to USAID’s changing needs by shifting the work, allowing for a much broader and robust activity.

Under the W-GDP Portfolio Performance Evaluation, the team remained flexible and responsive to changing USAID directives. For example, the focus of the Expansion of Engendering Utilities Case Study shifted from an in-country focus on data collection to a more global examination of the activity; the team pivoted quickly, utilizing existing team members to schedule and conduct KIIs.


KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM YEAR THREEIn year three, the LEAP III team continued to work on evaluations and project implementations remotely. Despite the global pandemic, the team continued impactful work, mainly focusing on Mission objectives and sustainability, aiding USAID in understanding its key priorities.

LEAP III – NUMBERS TO DATE

32Missions/ Bureaus

40Countries

64Activities

100%On Budget

100%Rated Exceptional/ Very Good Quality

Over the course of Year Three of LEAP III, the team has worked on 27 activities, including 12 completed activities. To date, LEAP III has completed a total of 45 activities. During the last three years, the LEAP III team has worked in 40 countries and with 32 unique USAID Missions/Bureaus. In Year Three, based on Activity Feedback Surveys, LEAP III has received 100 percent satisfaction upon completing activities, receiving either an “exceptional” or “very good” rating. Additionally, the team has remained within budget on 100 percent of activities this year.

MANAGEMENTLEAP III continues to uphold its quality in management, maintaining staffing structures and adaptable levels of oversight. The contract mechanism (time and materials) and structure (single award, activity- based indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity), in conjunction with the applied management approach, enables LEAP III to respond quickly to SOWs and other requests from Missions and Bureaus.

Other USAID buy-in mechanisms are adopting management practices implemented under LEAP III. In the Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) received from May 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020, LEAP III’s management was lauded and rated as “exceptional” by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

“During this assessment period of two months, Integra has done an excellent job organizing new teams for each task, depending on the particular skills needed for each. The COP, backed by his home office including the Operations Manager, the Research Director and the Director of M&E, have submitted final reports with a high level quality and great success. The team has always been fast in responding to all tasks and remain well executed. The COP and Director of Operations of LEAP III is extremely competent, agile and dedicated to providing high quality service and producing reports in time. Both persons have extraordinary skills in managing multiple tasks and accommodating the needs of the missions and Bureaus, especially in responding to COVID-19 related tasks and issues. On the highly visible Vietnam PPP activity, the USAID/Vietnam Activity Manager provided commendation as to the responsiveness and pro-activeness of the CTO which contributes substantially to the smooth coordination between the project and Vietnamese stakeholder. Overall, management of key personnel has shown great management of all LEAP III activities and personnel.”

– Katie Qutub, COR

32Missions/ Bureaus

100%Rated Exceptional/ Very Good Quality

100%40On BudgetActivitiesCountries

64

LEAP III – NUMBERS TO DATE


RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMICDuring this year, the COVID-19 pandemic affected how LEAP III conducts evaluations and analyses. Given the circumstances around the COVID-19 virus, the team responded and adjusted, utilizing different tools based on contexts, such as technology-dependent solutions and online/phone interviews. At the beginning of the year, the LEAP III team stopped travel and solely conducted remote data collection. Following subsequent close examination of travel regulations and evaluating local contexts, the team turned to local data collection. During this year, the LEAP III team created “COVID-19 Field Protocols and Procedures” in conjunction with a firm specializing in health, travel, and risk management services. The team created two versions of COVID-19 guidance, one for domestic travel and one for international travel. The safety of the team members is of the utmost importance, and these procedures ensured that anyone conducting fieldwork, whether in-country or internationally, felt that they had proper support. Work was able to be done that considered the health of both the traveler and the communities with whom the traveler interacts. This quarter, the team has not had anyone travel internationally for fieldwork but has prepared these protocols for when it is appropriate. These protocols include guidance for before, during, and after fieldwork to ensure the health and safety of those involved.

QUALITY AND INNOVATIONUnder the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Quick Response Code (QR) Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Activity, the LEAP III team examined USAID’s food aid processes, conducting a CBA on alternative solutions. This study assessed the technical and economic feasibility of introducing an integrated information technology (IT) solution to allow for semi-automatic and easier tracking and tracing of commodities across the supply chain. Under this analysis, the team found through surveys and interviews with different supply chain segments that roughly two percent of food is lost in the supply chain each year. The respondents also indicated that about 30 percent (0.58 percentage points) of these losses could be avoided should an IT solution be implemented. The Activity Manager, Kevin Tutasig, expressed the impact of these findings to the team stating, that “The supply chain management division is already implementing some of their study recommendations in pilot programs.”

SUCCESSFUL DATA COLLECTION

GENDEV ACTIVITYWomen’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative Portfolio Performance Evaluation

288 Documents ReviewedRelated to the 45 Round 1 W-GDP Activities

100 Responses to Electronic Survey USAID AORs, CORs, Activity Managers, POCs, and IP Staff

115 KIIs Completed41 USAID Staff 74 IP Representatives

Despite the pandemic, the team was additionally able to coordinate and provide the crucial protocols related to COVID-19 safety and procedures for the in-country teams to collect data for three out of the four case studies conducted.

219 Case Study Interviews184 In-Country Beneficiaries430 IP Staff3 Local Government Officials2 CEOs

YES-GEORGIAMid-term Performance Evaluation

The LEAP III team had similar success in remote data collection. As a result of this evaluation, the team provided findings and specific recommendations that the next iteration of YES-Georgia can use, focusing specifically on women, to better support female beneficiaries and entrepreneurs moving forward. USAID and the Government of Georgia will use the findings and recommendations from this report. They will enable them to explore different approaches and leverage opportunities to engage the private sector in supporting workforce development and entrepreneurial activities, including under the New Partner Initiative.

237 ResponsesAcross 3 Online Surveys and KIIs


In April 2021, the team produced technical guidance to help implementing partners (IPs) conduct Participant Financial Analysis of on-farm and off-farm livelihood interventions as part of Resilience Food Security Activities (RFSAs). The primary purpose of this guidance is to be a reference manual for activity designers in understanding the Participant Financial Analysis requirements as part of their application submissions. Additionally, it provided suggestions for additional considerations, best practices, and tips to ensure consistency and quality. This document was posted on the Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) website for accessibility.

Lastly, the team has conducted several activities providing analysis for considerations in meeting country goals. Under the Bangladesh Policy and Regulatory Assessment Activity, the team assessed the critical policy and regulatory constraints to private sector-led agricultural and agri-business development. It provided recommendations to improve the country’s business enabling environment for private sector agriculture, in line with the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy. Under the Timor-Leste Customs Sector Assessment Activity, the team assessed the customs sector in Timor-Leste and provided technical recommendations for assistance for the country to achieve the goal of membership to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). This assessment also informed USAID/Timor-Leste in preparing a new country development cooperation strategy (CDCS).

USAID STRATEGIES AND PRACTICESJourney to Self-Reliance Strategically leveraging the expertise, resources, and financing of private sector partners increases the scale, efficiency, and impact of USAID’s work and creates new relationships that support partner countries on their Journeys to Self-Reliance. To effectively partner with the private sector and achieve these goals, however, USAID Operating Units must first understand the landscape in which the private sector operates. A Private Sector Landscape Analysis (PSLA) is a valuable tool for establishing a base-line understanding of the private sector engagement opportunities. This year, LEAP III conducted a PSLA for USAID/Egypt and is mid-way through a broad PSLA for theMiddle East Bureau that encompasses the Gulf and Middle East and North African (MENA) regions. These assessmentswill help USAID uncover potential private sector partners, identify private sector interests and goals, unlock USAID’s value proposition for partnership, and design new partnerships to increase self-reliance.

New Partnerships Initiative and Building Capacity of Local Partners Under the Portfolio Performance Evaluation (PPE) of the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, LEAP III is assessing how new partners under the New Partnership Initiative (NPI), are being supported by and contributing to the W-GDP effort to advance women’s economic empowerment in developing countries. The PPE provides valuable insights to USAID/Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GenDev) and how new partners under NPI can be better supported. For example, applying more targeted technical assistance to help new partners adhere to USAID procurement, monitoring, evaluating, and learning (MEL), and reporting standards. That capacity building is particularly effective during the initial stage of activity design but continues through implementation. In addition to such recommendations that USAID may use to improve NPI programming and support moving forward, the team built the capacity of local evaluators during a two-hour field study orientation and onboarding session. The capacity building effort also included a series of trainings on best practices for remote and in-person data collection that were delivered by the U.S.-based members of the evaluation team.

Private Sector Engagement This year expanded several activities that focused on USAID priorities and assessed projects to find more sustainable alternatives. Under the Middle East Private Sector Engagement (PSE) activity, LEAP III began the first-ever regional PSLA for the Middle East Bureau. The assessment considers the goals of all Missions in the region and the corresponding interests of the private sector both in MENA and the Gulf region. It is intended to identify synergies across borders and between Missions that will accelerate scalable impact. The assessment concentrates on regional ecosystems, challenges and opportunities, alignment of interests in high-growth sectors, and gulf-owned companies and investors for whom USAID is otherwise unfamiliar.


ACTIVITY PROGRESS REPORTSCOMPLETED ACTIVITIES IN YEAR THREE Activity 17: Vietnam PPP Support and ImplementationOver the past year, LEAP III has continued to support USAID and the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to develop and improve the enabling environment for the new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Law. This support has involved technical assistance provided in drafting the new PPP Law and related consultations. It has also included providing direct support to engage the private sector, publicize the Law, and identify and mitigate risks to PPP implementation via various assessments. Overall, Integra’s engagement under the Vietnam PPP Support Activity included 18 sub-activities, though work this past year focused on the following:

• Providing technical assistance to Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the National Assembly, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to finalize the new PPP Law, which was passed in June 2020 and enacted on January 1, 2021;

• Mobilizing key stakeholders with a particular focus on Vietnamese and international investors via a series of in-person and virtual events that utilized simultaneous translation technology to encourage participation;

• Mitigated risks associated with the implementation of the PPP Law by conducting an Enabling Environment and Political Economy Assessment for PPPs in Vietnam, for which the team conducted interviews with over 85 informants between September and October 2020;

• Conducted an institutional mapping of PPP stakeholders, as well as an assessment of Vietnam’s New PPP Law and Critical Implementation Needs to assist in developing decrees crucial to the Law’s implementation, which the team also assisted in drafting;

• Developed a Provincial PPP Pipeline Development Toolkit; and

• Assisted VCCI to form a working group to further reengage the private sector to work alongside government officials in developing PPP implementing regulations.

Further detailed below, through these efforts, LEAP III supported the enabling environment for PPPs and direct implementation efforts for PPPs in Vietnam. For example, with limited time and resources, USAID LEAP III worked with Ho Chi Minh City and the Danang provincial government on a pilot project to develop a pipeline of potential projects at the local level. The team was able to work with the local government and investors on developing and prioritizing a pipeline of potential projects for PPPs in Ho Chi Minh City. In Danang, the LEAP III efforts were primarily with investors, identifying and rating potential projects. The team was not able to work with the local government due to a lack of interest. Overall, the team identified 45 possible projects with more than $875 million in investment serving a wide of municipal needs, including hospitals, clinics, affordable housing, renewable energy investments, and environmental infrastructure.

Further, by providing technical assistance to the Government of Vietnam, PPP Committee was steadily forming partnerships with key business associations and institutions. These included the Vietnam Association of Road System Builders (VARSI), Amcham, Eurocham, Japanese Business Group, Korean Business Group, Australian Business Group, British Business Group, and Singapore Business Group. The PPP Committee coordinated the input from these groups into the PPP Law and implementing regulations. With USAID LEAP III support, VCCI and VARSI entered a Memorandum of Understanding, and all other business groups agreed to work with the PPP Committee. Their collaboration on inputs to the PPP Law and the Decrees deepened their overall relationship and partnership that the LEAP III team hopes will continue to develop past the period of performance for this particular activity.

Activity 20: USAID Food for Peace/ Cost-Effective AnalysisThe purpose of this activity was to conduct a cost-effective analysis (CEA) of USAID/Food for Peace (FFP, now BHA)programs, specifically focusing on variations between modalities and programming design. BHA delivers resource transfers through four food assistance modalities: 1) Title II, 2) local and regional purchase (LRP), 3) cash transfers, and 4) food vouchers. Title II is in-kind food assistance procured from the United States, and LRP is in-kind food assistance procured from within the country or region where the aid is provided. BHA provides cash transfers and food vouchers (restricted or unrestricted) as part of its emergency portfolio. This activity aimed to improve the understanding of cost-effectiveness


concerning emergency program design models through a comparative CEA of BHA emergency food assistance models. USAID, implementing partners, and others will use this information to inform programmatic and strategic decisions. The study comprised three components: 1) a review of a subset of 51 BHA projects that were used to develop the expandable model and calculate cost-effectiveness for those projects where data were available, 2) an expandable model that can be used to continue to build a database of the cost-effectiveness of all relevant BHA projects, and 3) a guidance document for using the expandable model to continue to enter project data as they become available. The team used two measures of cost-effectiveness: the cost to change a percentage of the population to an “acceptable” threshold (before/after) and the cost to change the mean food consumption score (before/after). The team presented its final recommendations for enabling greater rigor in monitoring and evaluating BHA in report and presentation formats, submitting the expandable model along with a guideline on how to utilize the model. The team delivered a webinar on the CEA and its associated model in July 2020. The team walked attendees through the objective of the assignment, methodology, findings, and key recommendations. Additionally, the team introduced the Humanitarian Assistance Feasibility Tool, explaining data entry and interpreting results. One hundred fifty-six representatives from BHA attended this webinar.

Activity 36: Bangladesh Policy and Regulatory AssessmentIn line with the objectives of the Government of Bangladesh and the goals laid out in the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy, USAID/Bangladesh planned in Fiscal Year 2020 to award a five-year policy activity of approximately $10 million to $15 million for improving the country’s business enabling environment for private sector agriculture. To that end, USAID/Bangladesh requested that the LEAP III team assess key policy and regulatory constraints to private sector-led agricultural and agri-business development. The assessment identified and diagnosed key policy impediments for agriculture. Specifically, the evaluation focused on 1) identifying and prioritizing the presence or absence of critical laws, regulations, and institutions affecting the agribusiness environment; 2) recommending approaches for USAID/Bangladesh to strengthen laws and influence policy and regulatory processes that will enhance private sector-led growth in the agriculture sector; and 3) designing a SOW for the new Agriculture Policy Activity in consultation with the Mission. The team also assessed the current

state of regulation, reform, and central issues in four key pillar areas: 1) seeds, 2) food safety, 3) social safety nets (SSNs), and 4) nutrition. The team found that, while changes in national policy and legal acts may be required to achieve reform, a regulatory delivery approach can also trigger reform through working with lower levels of the Government of Bangladesh. This work can include improving bureaucratic habits and office procedures and increasing information technology and process tracking data.

Based on clear feedback from USAID/Bangladesh and remaining funding, the team conducted a follow-on assessment, diving deeper into social safety nets and nutrition and the role of the private sector in Bangladesh. Under SSNs, the team found that more PSE can help reform service delivery systems by applying sophisticated expertise in audit, logistics, inventory tracking, data analysis, and other areas. This will help the government deliver better results at lower cost, with less program overlap and fewer gaps in population and service coverage. For nutrition, targeted support for women of reproductive age and children in the lowest wealth quintile is needed, particularly to improve access to safe and diverse nutritious food and promote the supply of and demand for healthy foods. The team received approval on the additional deliverable in June 2020 and officially closed the activity.

Activity 37: Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Quick Response Code Cost-Benefit AnalysisUSAID/FFP, or now BHA, was considering using Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC), specifically, QR codes to improve its operations’ efficiency, given recent years’ losses and damages. BHA currently tracks the U.S. in-kind supply chain by manually entering data into databases or spreadsheets based on stakeholder reports. However, BHA considered using scannable QR codes on the packaging of its commodities to track and trace food aid more effectively and improve efficiency across the supply chain. LEAP III was requested to conduct a feasibility analysis to provide USAID decision-makers with a better understanding of the relevant costs and benefits of introducing QR codes to BHA commodities. The study compared the investment, delivery times, and costs of using QR codes with delivery times and costs under the current system. This feasibility analysis evaluated the incremental impact of adopting QR codes for all four U.S. FFP in-kind food aid delivery processes: 1) U.S. prepositioning warehouse, 2) direct shipping, 3) overseas prepositioning warehouses, and 4) diverted food assistance.


LEAP III began this activity by holding meetings with stakeholders in Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas, in February 2020. The team met with several stakeholders in the food aid supply chain, such as USAID officials, freight forwarders, packaging suppliers, and warehouse operators. Additionally, a member of the LEAP III team attended the USAID and World Food Program’s 3rd Food Aid Packaging Solutions Workshop Series and presented the team’s feasibility study. The team was set to travel to Ethiopia and Djibouti in March 2020 to investigate further the investments, procedures, and incremental costs and benefits of adopting QR codes and an AIDC tracking system across the Ethiopian supply chain for the U.S. in-kind food assistance. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all travel was canceled. As a result, the team updated its work plan to continue gathering information remotely from all remaining stakeholders. Short surveys were created and deployed to shipping and handling contractors, BHA partners (private voluntary organizations, international organizations, implementing partners, and service contractors), BHA, and other U.S. government representatives, and commodity and packaging suppliers. The team extended the survey timeline to improve survey response rates and received input from stakeholders in the food aid supply chain experiencing additional workloads due to the pandemic. LEAP III presented its findings to two audiences, presenting first at the BHA all-hands meeting in late November 2020 to 649 attendees. LEAP III then reported findings to 30 Office of Field and Response Operations (FARO) staff in December 2020. LEAP III received final approval on the report from both activity managers and the LEAP III COR on December 3, 2020.

Activity 41: Timor-Leste Customs Sector AssessmentUSAID/Timor-Leste requested that LEAP III assess the customs sector in Timor-Leste and provide technical recommendations for assistance. This assessment built upon a 2016 USAID assessment and examined the current operational capacity of the Customs Administration and associated stakeholders in the international trade chain to determine adherence to 1) the World Customs Organization Revised Kyoto Convention and Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate Global Trade, 2) World Customs Organization Revised Arusha Declaration, and 3) standard operations of the National Trade Information Portal. This assessment informed USAID/Timor-Leste in preparing a new CDCS.

LEAP III began with a literature review and then completed three weeks of fieldwork in Timor-Leste, meeting with stakeholders, including representatives of local customs authorities, government ministries, and the private sector. LEAP III submitted a draft report on April 21, 2020, outlining its findings. LEAP III found that, through USAID’s Customs Reform Project, progress has been made in four areas: 1) establishing benchmarks and regular performance reporting; 2) provisioning workplace mentoring and support; 3) introducing revised customs procedures, including in risk management; and 4) enhanced use of the Automated System for Customs Data World System. LEAP III also highlighted four areas that are barriers to the customs change process: 1) a lack of compliance with international trade facilitation requirements; 2) issues with human resource management, such as centralizing recruitment processes; 3) complications in the legal and regulatory environment; and 4) a lack of regular communication and collaboration with other stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as required by the Revised Kyoto Convention General Annex. The team received COR approval on the final deliverables in November 2020 and closed the activity.

Activity 42: Rwanda Hinga Weze Activity Mid-Term Evaluation In December 2019, USAID/Rwanda asked the LEAP III team to conduct a mid-term evaluation of the Hinga Weze Activity. The aim was to guide the Mission and the Feed the Future (FtF) Hinga Weze implementor on optimizing the implementation of the activity to improve the outcomes over the remaining period of performance. In particular, the evaluation aimed to 1) assess progress made to date in achieving the activity’s three primary objectives as stated above; 2) improve understanding of the effectiveness and potential sustainability of key interventions in resilience, nutrition, and agricultural productivity; and 3) improve how USAID and the implementing partners adapt implementation throughout the remaining period of performance, per the findings of this evaluation.

The team received Mission approval for the work plan in August 2020 and conducted fieldwork in September 2020. Facilitating interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with more than 400 individuals, remotely and in person. Despite the restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the local evaluation team members visited four regions (Karongi, Nyamasheke, Rutsiro, and Bugasera) and


received key inputs from farmers affected by Cultivating Nw Frontiers in Agriculture’s (CNFA) irrigation schemes and terracing support. Upon receiving permits from the National Institute of Statistics, LEAP III was able to conduct surveys in all ten districts impacted by the Hinga Weze program, as the Mission requested.

Along with the narrative report, the LEAP III team conducted CBA of three crops supported by Hinga Weze—maize, orange flesh sweet potatoes, and Irish potatoes. This CBA analyzed the impact of Hinga Wezeinterventions, through the distribution of farming and irrigation technology and sharing of farming practices, on the net returns to farmers. The LEAP III submitted the final report on December 16, 2020, and after addressing Mission comments, received Mission and COR approval on April 1, 2021.

Activity 46: Egypt Private Sector Landscape AssessmentIn January 2020, USAID/Egypt requested assistance from LEAP III to execute a PSLA to systematically examine opportunities and approaches to solve key development challenges by leveraging private sector resources and expertise. Its purpose was to reinvigorate proactive collaboration with the private sector and enable the Mission to define longer-term engagement goals and potential opportunities through its upcoming CDCS. The final report was delivered in October 2020, leveraging the Mission’s past PSE experience, providing a big-picture analysis of options, and suggesting potential models for engagement and partnership moving forward.

The assessment consisted of desk research, consultations with Mission staff, an online survey, and approximately 50 virtual private sector interviews. Rather than designating a specific sector or sectors of focus, it was driven by Mission development priorities and examined a wide range of industries that could be appropriate to address each. The final report included sectoral analysis across the agribusiness and food processing, business consulting services, education, financial services, health care, legal services, manufacturing, and tourism sectors, and sixteen suggested collaboration models for the Mission to pursue. Also included were high-level takeaway strategies to engage the private sector and an examination of cross-cutting themes such as the COVID-19 response and emerging opportunities, digitalization, policy and institutional reforms, and women’s empowerment. The Mission was delighted with the final product, and the LEAP III Chief of Party presented these findings on an Agency-wide PSE call.

Activity 48: Partnering to Accelerate Entrepreneurship Initiative Strategic Review 2.0This year LEAP III conducted a strategic review of the USAID Center for Transformational Partnerships’ 2013 Partnering to Accelerate Entrepreneurship (PACE) Initiative. PACE catalyzes private sector investment in early-stage enterprises and identifies innovative approaches to unlock the potential of promising enterprises at a global level. The team reviewed closed and ongoing activities to 1) understand the results across the portfolio by assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of PACE-supported intermediaries; 2) enhance current PACE activities over the remaining life of the project; and 3) identify data-driven trends valuable for all stakeholders that support early-stage businesses.

The work assessed the progress of the PACE program, and USAID will use the key findings and recommendations to fine-tune investments and approaches in the program moving forward. For example, key findings included that:

1. PACE funding was catalytic in financing early-stage small and growing businesses;

2. Donor capital filled the early-stage support gap;

3. Combining funding with business capacity development is essential to success;

4. Grant capital alleviated the financial strain for intermediaries assisting early-stage enterprises;

5. A nuanced approach to PACE funded activity success aligns with USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance;

6. Additional indicators for measuring the impact of PACE grant capital are needed.

Recommendations included supporting longer runways for pre- and post-investment technical assistance; strengthening gender inclusion at the activity design stage; streamlining monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to increase the effectiveness of data collection; increasing collaboration between PACE and other USAID programs supporting entrepreneurship development and innovation; and continuing to develop local capabilities. In addition to the main report, LEAP III delivered eighteen intermediary vignettes and presented findings to the Global Development Lab in December.


Activity 50: Economic Growth Training CourseIn early August 2020, USAID/DDI requested LEAP III to prepare a budget and an initial SOW for developing the new Economic Growth Course (EG Course) planned for February 2021. Due to the current pandemic, the training was to be conducted virtually, and LEAP III will offer logistical and operational support in preparing and planning the training course, adapting course materials, facilitating sessions, and coordinating run-of-show. This course adapted the previous iteration of the course, which took place in 2016, and has the following goals:

• Provide a broad overview of the latest evidence on economic growth for USAID employees;

• Introduce the Economic Growth Policy and relevant Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation teams and economic tools; and

• Improve measurement and analysis in diverse developing country contexts to inform better country development cooperation strategies and scopes of work.

The team worked with USAID to create the agenda and provided support to lecturers on the online execution of course material by providing virtual office hours. The team also updated presentation materials to USAID standards. The team set up the meeting platform, utilizing Google Meet for its interactive features, such as breakout rooms and polling. The course ran from February 22 to March 4, 2021, with the team providing facilitation, technical, and logistical support day-of. Recordings of each day’s training were saved and shared with USAID. Finally, the team submitted an after-action report summarizing course rollout, participant feedback, and recommendations for future iterations. There were 29 registered participants for this course.

Activity 53: Mid-term Performance Evaluation of YES-GeorgiaThis past year the LEAP III evaluation team conducted a mid-term performance evaluation (MTE) of the Supporting Youth and Women Entrepreneurship (YES-Georgia) Program. Specifically, the evaluation was intended to summarize YES-Georgia’s successes and areas that could have been improved to inform the new iteration of the YES-Georgia Activity, which is planned to focus exclusively on female beneficiaries (as opposed to women and youth). Following Activity Authorization Request (AAR) approval on September 10, 2021, and two kickoff meetings with the Mission and IP, Crystal Fund, respectively, the team

prepared an evaluation design report approved for implementation on November 6, 2020.

Following USAID’s approval of the Evaluation Design Report (EDR), an in brief presentation was also held with the Mission on November 18, 2021, to discuss the evaluation requests and methodology, soliciting positive feedback from the Acting Deputy Mission Director and Office of Economic Growth staff on the design. Subsequently and throughout December 2021, the LEAP III evaluation team was heavily involved in data collection to inform the MTE.

In total, the evaluation team was able to conduct 49 key informant interviews (KIIs) with targeting stakeholders, including IP staff and trainers, Government officials, staff from financial institutions that had not yet worked with the IP, and USAID staff. To enhance this effort and adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team also administered an online survey to beneficiaries and local partners, receiving 188 responses regarding YES-Georgia training and micro-equity loans. Lastly, partner network firms conducted a separate online survey to understand how the private sector viewed the YES-Georgia internships. The team analyzed this information and reviewed relevant documentation such as YES-Georgia performance reports, procurement documents, etc.

Resulting from the team’s analysis of the data mentioned above, they produce several key findings and recommendations. Notably, these include but are not limited to:

• Increasing business and new income: Although more women participated in entrepreneurial training, a higher ratio of males submitted and received funding from loan applications than their female counterparts. This highlighted the need to make training more gender-sensitive and inclusive, as well as the importance of developing more transparent selection criteria for financing;

• The use of remote trainings was recognized as a positive, and the team suggested this be continued even post-COVID-19 to engage women further;

• Sustainability of the Business Model of Youth Entrepreneurial Training: Findings indicated that a fee-based training is unlikely to attract enough of the targeted participants, so exploring other cost structures such as corporate sponsorships may help improve the sustainability of the entrepreneurial training;


• Affordability and Accessibility of YES-Georgia Loans: Almost all participants who obtained loans through YES-Georgia found the zero-interest loans and repayment terms favorable. It was recommended that YES-Georgia conduct a landscape analysis to identify potential partners and expand the pool of applicants for both (loans and grants); and

• Design considerations: The team recommended that a more robust M&E plan be developed to gather feedback from YES-Georgia beneficiaries moving forward, as it was not possible to access feedback from former YES-Georgia interns during the evaluation. They also recommended that new iterations of YES-Georgia place greater emphasis on soft skills and technical skills, such as understanding the workplace culture, human resource policies, and career mobility.

Further, a discussion of the team’s preliminary findings was presented and discussed with USAID/Georgia on February 8, 2021, in a co-creation of recommendations presentation. Upon receiving the input and feedback from USAID staff, the team completed and submitted the draft MTE to the Mission on March 8, 2021. A separate out brief presentation was also held with the Mission on February 24, 2021, including 12 USAID/Georgia staff.

Following the USAID and IP feedback receipt, the team finalized the MTE, which was submitted to and approved by both the Mission and LEAP III COR on March 31, 2021.

Activity 56: Egypt PSLA workshopsAs a follow-on to the Egypt PSLA Activity and with remaining activity funds, LEAP III completed an additional activity for the Egypt Mission referred to as the “Egypt PSLA Workshops.” This activity included one week of virtual sessions with the Mission’s technical teams to discuss the collaboration models proposed in the PSLA report. The goals were to prioritize the collaboration models, examine which should be included in the Mission’s upcoming 2021 PSE Action Plan, and identify actionable next steps. Additionally, LEAP III pulled the action items from the Mission’s 2020 PSE Action Plan for review in the sessions, determining which had been completed and which should be carried over as an action item for the following year. This also included several recommended action items that the Mission could take internally to enhance PSE processes and coordination.

The activity resulted in a list of tangible actions the Mission can take into 2021 and beyond to implement PSE in existing and upcoming activities. The deliverables for the activity were two-fold. LEAP III cleaned the Excel workbooks used for discussion during the live sessions, including notes, comments, and feedback from Mission staff. Agreed upon actions were organized into a Word document for the Mission’s ease of access.

ON-GOING ACTIVITIESActivity 1: Reopening of Activity 1 – Review of USAID’s Vietnam Remediation Risk AssessmentAfter completing a performance evaluation of USAID/Vietnam’s Environmental Remediation of Da Nang Airport in 2018, the Mission asked the LEAP III team, in May 2020, to work with an environmental expert to review the baseline risk assessment from 2018 and provide advice on other risks related to the Dioxin Remediation at the Bien Hoa Airbase. The expert reviewed several documents over the past year, working closely with USAID to provide feedback. The team will continue to work with USAID/Vietnam for guidance on utilizing the remaining funds.

Activity 16: Recruitment of Senior Advisor to Power Africa Coordinator’s OfficeThe purpose of this activity is for the LEAP III team to support the recruitment of a Senior Advisor to the Power Africa Coordinator’s office on strategic partnerships, financing mechanisms and deal architecture, and to the Power Africa Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators. The Senior Advisor recruited by LEAP III supports both Power Africa and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) in the review of Investment Prospectuses. Specifically, the Senior Advisor will help SEforALL’s finance strategy and contribute to achieving the overall goals and objectives of both SEforALL and Power Africa. Mr. John Wasielewski was officially recruited on April 15, 2019. During this year, Mr. Wasielewski reviewed Power Africa’s COVID response efforts as well as financing mechanisms. He also worked on donor coordination efforts and the finalization of grants and partnerships with SE4ALL. This year, due to the remaining funds, USAID extended Mr. Wasielewski’s period of performance until March 2022.


Activity 25: Education Finance Training Phase IIFrom late 2019 to early 2020, LEAP III helped USAID develop and pilot training courses on education finance topics. The initial activity included separate training courses on topics in public and private financing delivered in Washington, D.C., from November 2019 to February 2020. The courses incorporated lectures by trainers from USAID and leading experts from outside the Agency. Upon successful completion of this activity, LEAP III was asked to build on these training courses in a follow-on activity to 1) develop a single course that combined topics in public finance and private and innovative financing, 2) adapt the course for asynchronous distance learning and online delivery, and 3) present the course online. After the activity, LEAP III will provide USAID the final course materials, enabling continued future delivery.

This year, the team created and launched the trainings, creating online modules for participants to take through USAID University. The course will run from March to May of 2021, with 68 participants taking the course. Live online training sessions will complement these online modules. LEAP III has worked with various USAID experts to record the content material. Additionally, LEAP III has reached out to a greater network of education finance experts, recording interviews to add a different perspective to the course modules. USAID informed LEAP III that there has been a high level of interest in these courses and have 68 participants registered in the course.

Activity 26: Middle East Private Sector EngagementThis year, LEAP III began a MENA/Gulf region Private Sector Landscape Assessment (PSLA). The first-ever regional PSLA, its objectives are to 1) map Mission priorities and USAID’s value proposition and uncover private sector actors in the region with potential to align interests with USAID development goals; 2) identify Gulf-based company and investor interests, priorities, and challenges in operating in MENA’s emerging markets; 3) unlock USAID’s value proposition to engage the private sector through aligned interests and identify the Middle East Bureau’s potential role in facilitating partnership opportunities to Missions; and 4) design high-level engagement opportunities and illustrative collaboration models. The approach to date includes desk research, KIIs, fact-finding meetings with Missions, and drafting Right-to-Win (market spotlight) 2-pagers to help Missions

engage the private sector. Rather than concentrate on sectors, the team is instead examining themes or areas of aligned interest: accelerating digital transformation, increasing access to private capital, strengthening the business enabling environment, improving natural resource management, and fostering entrepreneurship and organic growth. The final assessment will include motivations of the private sector; a deep dive into industry priorities; opportunities for PSE; a prioritization of engagement models by country and private sector actors; discussion of cultural, religious, and political factors to consider; and roles for the Bureau to play moving forward.

Following the submission of the PSLA, LEAP III anticipates conducting workshops with Bureau and Mission staff to discuss roles and division of responsibilities, immediate next steps, and recommendations for maintaining strategic relationships long term.

This activity is expected to continue through September 2021, and the list below illustrates some of the other work completed under this activity:

1. The co-development of 2021 PSE Action Plans for the Bureau and Iraq Mission;

2. 12 monthly PSE trainings/webinars;

3. Integration analyses, providing snapshots of each Operating Unit’s portfolio and opportunities for private sector engagement in existing and upcoming programs;

4. A thought piece on PSE in the region, reflecting on PSE uptake to date and looking to the future;

5. A strategy document for the Technical Services (ME/TS) office on the development context of the region, the responsibilities and priorities of the ME/TS office, and the growing number of USAID and United States Government (USG) strategies that ME/TS must implement (PSE Policy, Digital Strategy, etc.);

6. A PSE dashboard is planned that will serve as a management tool for senior Bureau leadership and will track and report out on PSE key performance indicators.


Activity 28: Belarus Increasing Private Sector Competitiveness Through Improving The Enabling Environment, Improving Management and Operational Capacity, and Increasing Access to Finance Performance EvaluationIn June 2019, USAID/Belarus requested LEAP III conduct a performance evaluation of the Belarus Increasing Private Sector Competitiveness through Improving the Enabling Environment, Improving Management and Operational Capacity, and Increasing Access to Finance (I3) project implemented by several local Belarus and U.S. implementing partners. The evaluation analyzed the performance of three of the four ongoing activities within this project that are intended to contribute to private sector development in Belarus: 1) facilitating Access to Venture Funding in Belarus (AID-VENTURE), 2) delivering Regional Instruction Vital to Entrepreneurial Success—Belarus (DRIVES), and 3) creating Sustainable Infrastructure to Support Startups and Small Business Development in the Regions of Belarus (CSISS). Ultimately, the assessment provided actionable recommendations to inform USAID/Belarus about necessary adjustments to implementing the selected activities and future programming needs and approaches.

Due to a lack of funding, in July 2019, the activity was put on hold until 2020. In April 2020, USAID/Belarus reached out to LEAP III with available funding to conduct the evaluation, and the team ran remote data collection from July to August 2020. After responding to comments on the draft report, the team submitted the final report on December 2, 2020. After receiving additional comments and requests for slight changes to the public version of the report, the team resubmitted it on December 28, 2020. The team received final approval of the report on December 30, 2020.

While this activity was considered closed in quarter three, it was reopened in quarter four. After examining residual funds, the team determined that there was enough funding for follow on work. The team communicated with USAID/Belarus and was tasked with drafting a brief on revised recommendations and suggested approaches, considering the political unrest in Belarus surrounding the 2020 presidential election. The team submitted this brief on April 28, 2021, and received initial positive feedback but is waiting for additional comments.

Activity 33: Kenya/East Africa Trade and Resilience AnalysisUSAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) asked LEAP III to analyze the trade and resilience activities that the Mission has previously conducted in the region to understand better how they have impacted food security and averted humanitarian assistance. This analysis aimed to develop recommendations to inform the Mission’s learning agenda, thus leading to appropriate adaptation of existing activities and design of future activities that would improve the household, community, and country-level resiliency and food security. LEAP III conducted a landscape analysis for USAID/KEA to review existing analytical work on the relationships among trade, resilience, and food security in the region. LEAP III began by completing a comprehensive desk review of the existing literature and analytics surrounding the interactions among regional trade integration, poverty, food security, and resilience in the KEA Region. The team visited Kenya and Uganda to meet with researchers and policymakers and attend the Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes conference in Kampala. After completing and submitting the field visit report, LEAP III also submitted the comprehensive desk review summarizing the academic and policy research on trade, food security, resilience, and the relationships between them, along with a landscape map that consolidates the findings of the desk review and stakeholder interviews. The final deliverables for Phase I were submitted in late March 2020.

This year, the LEAP III team utilized the remaining funds to draft a dynamic panel and econometric estimate, approved on January 7, 2021. Additional deliverables included presenting to key USAID stakeholders on November 24, 2020, and a subsequent presentation on April 15, 2021. The team is currently in contact with USAID about another potential presentation to a broader audience, but no decisions have been made to date.

Activity 38: Copyediting and Design Support for USAID’s Economic Growth PolicyIn October 2019, USAID/DDI requested LEAP III to provide copyediting services for USAID’s Economic Growth Policy. The purpose of the policy document is to broadly review recent learnings about development economics, summarize best practices, and guide USAID field staff. LEAP III has been working closely with Robyn Broughton, Director, Emerging Markets Development (EMD), USAID/DDI, and Entrepreneurial Environment Team Leader, USAID/DDI, on several iterations as the


document progresses. LEAP III provided copyediting for the policy throughout the drafting process and graphic design expertise to ensure the document was both professional and engaging. LEAP III has been collaborating with USAID/DDI to update the document as they respond to comments. In this quarter, LEAP III continued to respond to comments and make adjustments to the design and content of the document as instructed by USAID throughout the various levels of clearance. USAID launched the policy document to the public in January 2021. The team has made additional edits upon the request of Robyn Broughton and Wiliam Butterfield. It is awaiting communication on whether the document has been considered final or if additional revisions will need to be made.

Activity 49: USAID/GenDev’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative Portfolio Performance EvaluationUnder LEAP III, Integra has led the design and implementation of the White House-led W-GDP Mid-term PPE. It is the first whole-of-government effort to advance women’s economic empowerment globally, consisting of 45 activities, 10 U.S. Government agencies, and various private sector partners such as IKEA, PepsiCo, Microsoft, and VISA. W-GDP’s breadth and global nature required LEAP III to be creative and flexible in the design of the portfolio evaluation. The findings and recommendations will help USAID/GenDev and the USG more broadly improve programming related to women’s economic empowerment.

From May and June 2020, LEAP III worked with USAID/E3’s GenDev to develop the methodology for the overall PPE and determine the selection criteria for four select case studies, culminating in developing and presenting an EDR to GenDev for feedback. This included an overview of the evaluation questions, proposed methodology, and proposed selection criteria that would determine the four activities selected for in-country fieldwork, with a more focused effort on capture perspectives from the W-GDP Activity beneficiaries. Over 20 participants attended the presentation, including representatives from USAID/E3, USAID Data Services, the Department of State, and the White House Office of Economic Initiatives. Upon receipt of this feedback, LEAP III submitted the final EDR, including selecting ten case studies from which GenDev would make the final determination on July 31, 2020. The EDR was updated several more times through November 2020 because of changes in the original case study selections (more on this to follow).

Based on the initial EDR, USAID selected the following case studies: Expansion of Engendering Utilities (originally the Dominican Republic1), World Cocoa Foundation Partnership (Cote d’Ivoire), Producer-Owned Women’s Enterprises (POWER) (India), and the USAID PepsiCo Partnership (India). Following their selection, the team prepared and conducted two case study orientations held with USAID W-GDP Activity Managers, Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORS)/CORs, and the respective IPs in October 2020. The case study orientations and discussions enabled the team to engage the IPs directly and better select key informants. However, it is worth noting that USAID decided to change the original Engendering Utilities case study from the Dominican Republic to Mozambique after these orientations.

Given the global breadth of W-GDP and its variety of USG partners and IPs, a significant component of the evaluation’s methodology was a three-pronged approach to data collection including 1) an online survey, 2) remote KIIs with USAID staff, IPs, and local beneficiaries, and 3) in-country research conducted via the case studies. This allowed LEAP III to limit the amount of fieldwork generally required to evaluate this size and overcome many of the challenges posed by COVID-19. Accordingly, in October 2020, the team began outreach via the electronic survey to 33 AORs/CORs, 24 Activity Managers, and 77 IP representatives across W-GDP. Simultaneously, LEAP III was able to speak with 115 key informants, including USAID and IP staff, via remote interviews from October 2020–January 2021.

Following the recruitment of our local evaluators, LEAP III also conducted field study orientations and multiple trainings with each of the four teams. The orientation and training were to familiarize the teams with the methodology and timeline for the case studies, finalize the various survey instruments, and better target the selection of key informants. Ultimately, data collection for these case studies took place from January–March 2021, including interviews and focus group discussions with 219 informants. Lastly, with the revised and global focus of the European Union (EU) case study, the team conducted remote interviews with beneficiaries from 18 countries.

1 The Expansion of Engendering Utilities case study was initially intended to focus on the Dominican Republic. Following the case study presentation in October 2020, at the request of USAID, it was changed to focus on Mozambique. Following this decision, LEAP IIII began recruiting and onboarding efforts for two local evaluators in Mozambique; however in February 2021, due to challenges encountered in communicating with the IP, the scope of this case study shifted to be global, focusing on graduates of the Gender Equity Executive Leadership Program (GEELP) under the EU Activity.


Lastly, the past quarter of this activity has focused heavily on analyzing and triangulating data gathered across the online survey, KIIs, and in-country research. Using this information, the team conducted a presentation of preliminary findings to USAID on March 29, 2021. In addition to drafting the Mid-term Evaluation Report, the team has also begun to prepare presentations for each of the case studies that will be presented to USAID and the respective IPs in May 2020.

This next quarter, the team will prepare and submit the draft report and finalize both the report and four case studies based on USAID’s review and commentary during the case study presentations and the overall report.

Activity 51: Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Cost-Benefit AnalysisOn August 19, 2020, USAID/BHA asked LEAP III for assistance with CBAs of USAID/BHA’s development food security activities and guidance on improving BHA’s use of economic analysis throughout the program cycle. The intent was to inform USAID and implementing partners on programmatic and strategic decisions. In particular, LEAP III was tasked with the following:

Task 1: Provide a technical review of economic analyses submitted by applicants funded with Title II resources.

Task 2: Develop a guidance document for future Title II-funded nonemergency activity applicants to improve the quality of their ex-ante economic analyses.

Task 3: Update ex-ante CBAs of two recently awarded RFSAs funded with Title II resources.

Task 4: Provide technical support to the BHA design team when developing a request for assistance for future Title II–funded RFSA procurement.

During this year, the AAR was approved in October 2020 after a kickoff meeting. The team began by reviewing five preliminary economic analyses shared by BHA and putting together a synthesis document. Afterward, the team conducted KIIs with IPs that authored requests for applications (RFAs) on their experience in putting together these analyses. The team submitted a document summarizing these interviews. The team then began working on guidance documents, drafting Participant Financial Analysis for RFSAs, and Applying Participant Financial Analysis to the Refinement Period. BHA posted the first guidelines document on the FSN Network website.

The team is now working on piloting the Participant Financial Analysis with an IP and working on sub-tasks three and four.

Activity 52: Egypt Economic Institutional AssessmentUSAID/Egypt requested that LEAP III assess the USAID-established and USAID-supported economic institutions in the country since 2000. Currently underway, this assessment is identifying, categorizing, assessing, and analyzing the public and private institutions that were established, expanded their functions, or received general capacity strengthening from USAID/Egypt’s Office of Economic Growth (OEG). It assesses the sustainability and effectiveness of these institutions and documents key success or failure factors, measured both in terms of efficacy or ineffectiveness and continued existence of an institution and challenges to establishing and sustaining institutions encountered by USAID or the institutions themselves. This assessment is being conducted in two phases—beginning with a comprehensive desk study to provide an overview of OEG programming in Egypt, concluding with creating a summary report highlighting successes and providing recommendations for future activities. Phase two will undertake a more detailed assessment of a sample of these activities.

Activity 55: Ukraine Energy Security Project Mid-Term EvaluationIn November 2020, the USAID/Ukraine OEG asked the LEAP III team to conduct a mid-term performance evaluation of the Energy Security Project (ESP) implemented by TetraTech in Ukraine. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the relevance and effectiveness, as well as efficiency and effects of ESP activities, focusing on three main objectives:

1. Implementing energy sector reforms to be aligned with the EU’s Third Energy Package legislation which includes establishing competitive electricity and gas markets of Ukraine;

2. Diversifying supply of energy sources to reduce dependence on Russia; and

3. Provisioning secure, affordable, and reliable energy to Ukrainians.


To address these questions, LEAP III worked with USAID and TetraTech, the ESP implementing partner, to ensure the perspectives of all sectors are represented, including government ministries, regulatory boards, and energy distributors in Ukraine. The goal of this evaluation is to provide USAID and TetraTech with recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness and relevance of energy interventions in Ukraine to ensure access to cost-effective and reliable energy to all Ukrainians, reducing dependence on international providers.

A kickoff meeting was held with the Mission on November 17, 2020, and the AAR was approved on December 14, 2020. The team was notified in January 2021 that the team lead would no longer be able to serve on the evaluation team. As a result, the LEAP III team, with support from USAID, contracted two additional experts to support the Ukraine-based team. Despite the change in staffing, the interviews and report proceeded smoothly, and the team looks forward to submitting the final report next quarter. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, this evaluation was completed remotely with the team working with a Ukrainian logistics coordinator to facilitate KIIs and survey distribution. The team received approval on the evaluation work plan in March 2021 and quickly began the data collection segment of this evaluation.

The team conducted 28 interviews with key stakeholders throughout March and April and collected 22 responses via an online survey sent to over 70 individuals. The interviews and survey inputs were incorporated into the draft report, which was submitted to USAID on April 26, 2021. The team will include any comments from USAID and TetraTech at the beginning of the next quarter and submit the final report in May 2021.

Activity 58: Development Innovation VenturesIn the final quarter of this year, the Center for Transformational Partnerships requested that LEAP III assess the post-grant performance in the marketplace or target system of Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) grantees. DIV is USAID’s open innovation program that tests and scales creative solutions to any global development challenge. It provides grant funding to innovators and researchers to test new ideas, takes strategic risks, builds evidence of what works, and advance the best solutions. The purpose of the assessment is to create a deeper understanding of what engenders and what hinders funded innovations from reaching their target scale

and sustaining impact and incorporating that knowledge into DIV’s Results Framework and operations to enable more innovative investments.

Currently, the LEAP III team is working on stage one of the assessment, which is a portfolio typology prioritizing innovation types or subsets to assess in sequence. The activity is expected to continue through September 2021.

Activity 59: Ukraine Competitive Economy Program Mid-Term Performance EvaluationIn February 2021, the LEAP III team received a scope of work from the USAID/Ukraine OEG requesting a mid-term evaluation of the Chemonics implemented Competitive Economy Program (CEP) activity. The evaluation has three goals:

1. Identifying outcomes to which the CEP activity has contributed;

2. Evaluating the operationalization of collaboration, learning, and adapting Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA); and

3. Noting success in private sector engagement.

Upon receipt of the SOW, the team drafted an AAR and began recruiting for key positions on the evaluation team. As of the writing of this report, the team is awaiting approval from the Mission on the approach and staffing structure. The evaluation team will conduct the evaluation entirely remotely, given the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activity 60: Carbon Markets BriefOn March 31, 2021, LEAP III received a scope requesting quick turn around to draft a brief on carbon markets and USAID’s current role in this area and its comparative advantage. The team responded quickly proposing experts and submitting an AAR the next day. The team began quickly with the selected expert conducting calls with the activity manager and other relevant stakeholders at USAID. The AAR was approved on April 7, 2021 and the brief will be submitted early May 2021. This brief will be marked internal and will be for USG audiences only.

20 ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: Learning, Evaluation, And Analysis Project III (LEAP III)

MONITORING AND EVALUATION/KNOWLEDGE SHARING The LEAP III Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan provides annual and life-of-project indicators that describe how Integra will track, measure, report on, and learn from project implementation. As the project is structured as a series of buy-ins, each activity’s scope, scale, and technical area will directly influence how any indicator can be achieved. Below are highlighted LEAP III’s activities, including feedback survey results, performance indicators, and knowledge sharing notes.

MEL HIGHLIGHTS AND ACTIVITY SURVEY RESULTS

12 Completed Activities

in Year Three

26 Technical Analyses

Conducted

2 Evaluations

Conducted for Missions

(Belarus and Georgia)

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

71 Training Manuals

Produced

564 Mission and

Partner Staff Trained*

* During Year Three, in the third quarter, the team was asked to disaggregate those trained by sex, and the team began doing so. The team will provide complete information by sex in the next annual report.

Upon completing activities, the LEAP III team sends out Activity Feedback Surveys to solicit valuable feedback from Missions, Bureaus, and other Operation Units. USAID Activity Managers have provided highly positive feedback across the board on Integra’s work in Year Three under LEAP III. The team received 12 survey responses, and 50 percent of USAID Activity Managers gave the rating of “very good,” and the other 50 percent gave the rating of “exceptional.” A table summarizing our post-activity survey results can be found below with detailed narratives

on specific activities based on the five criteria. It is important to note that some activities do not have activity surveys due to the short nature and minimal interactions and deliverables required.

The team requests feedback from Activity Managers under five categories: satisfaction, quality, schedule, budget, and management. Out of the survey responses received, the team has highlighted some of its ratings in the graphic on the following page.


YEAR THREE PERFORMANCE

UNDER THE LEAP III

CONTRACT

exceptional

very good

satisfactory

marginal

01 SATISFACTION Please rate your overall satisfaction with Integra’s work.

50% exceptional 50% very good 0% satisfactory 0% marginal

Integra consistently provided work product of the highest quality in a timely manner. They were also extremelyresponsive and timely with respect to any requests.

02 Quality Please rate the quality of Integra’s service.


Quality of their work is very good! They worked hard to collect information from different related stakeholders. Report quality was good and they addressed our queries very nicely and submitted the revised version on time. Now, we’ll use the study findings in our new policy activity.

03SCHEDULE How effective was Integra at meeting the activity schedule?

33.3% exceptional 58% very good 8.3 % satisfactory 0% marginal

Given the large change required by not being able to travel, I was verypleased with the team’s ability to stick to the original deadline.

04 BUDGET How effective was Integra at adhering to the approved budget?

50% exceptional 25% very good 16.7% satisfactory 8.3% no response

Our contract with Integra was to submit one assessment report within the approved budget. After submitting the report, we were told that there was still money left in the budget which could be used for another short assessment... I appreciate Integra’s sincerity and honesty.

05 MANAGEMENT How effective was Integra at managing the activity?


Well managed, communicated frequently and were responsive to our needs. Delivery of a great productthrough a collaborative process.


Feedback from USAID partners has highlighted several strengths of LEAP III including its expertise in knowledge management, flexibility in response to the global pandemic, high quality of deliverables, and professionalism. The team highlights some of the feedback received this year below.

MANAGEMENT Professionalism LEAP III also received praise for how it conducts itself with Missions and partners. Under the Vietnam PPP activity, Chau Nguyen, Program Management Specialist/Mission Digital Advisor, USAID/Vietnam, spoke of the rapport that the team has built with stakeholders, noting that “LEAP III has excellent relationships with all local stakeholders, thanks to the long-term trust and relationship building of LEAP IIII’s Team Lead and their experts. The responsiveness and proactiveness of the [Chief of Party] also contribute substantially to the smooth coordination between the project and Vietnamese stakeholder.”

Additionally, under the BHA QR Code CBA Activity, Activity Manager Kevin Tutasig noted that the team was “Very professional, very accommodating, very passionate, and proactive throughout the entire study. I’ve worked with contractors doing research studies in the past however, this team was by far the best getting things done and producing high quality deliverables.”

Under YES-Georgia Mid-Term Performance Evaluation, Activity Manager Ketevan Chogovadze further explained her high satisfaction with LEAP III stating:

“All deliverables were of exceptional quality, including the evaluation design and workplan, in-brief, out-brief, matrix of preliminary findings/conclusions, co-creation exercise, and the final report itself. From day one of my engagement with Integra, the IP has been extremely customer oriented. Integra developed the AAR highly efficiently and the quality fully met the Mission’s needs. In-briefs and out-briefs were conducted by the evaluation team for senior Mission management, and both meetings were extremely informative and useful and delivered highly informative presentations. Co-creation

exercise was held in a very professional manner and included well-substantiated findings and conclusions. These meetings were facilitated in an exceptional manner by the Evaluation team lead and resulted in meaningful discussions and new ideas. Integra was also very responsive in addressing USAID’s comments in the final report, which were minor. The composition of the evaluation team was exceptional, with outstanding team lead and highly-qualified local experts.”

Response to the Pandemic LEAP III has received positive feedback from several Activity Managers and Missions on its flexibility in adjusting work plans and data collection efforts due to COVID-19.

In completing the YES-Georgia Mid-Term Performance Evaluation, Activity Manager Ketevan Chogovadze rated the team “exceptional” in all five categories. She specifically highlighted the team’s adaptability during COVID-19, stating that “The evaluation process went very smoothly, with minimum administrative or programmatic burden on the Mission. All processes were managed in a highly effective manner, despite the pandemic and despite remote data collection and supervision.”

Under the Ukraine ESP Mid-Term Evaluation activity, the team conducted data collection this year and adapted its methodology in response to COVID-19. The team turned to a supplementary online survey which USAID appreciated. Upon submitting the survey, the team received praise, and Tamara Palyvoda, Program Development Specialist at USAID/Ukraine, commented that the Energy Security Program (ESP) survey, designed by the LEAP III evaluation team, was the best one she had seen for an evaluation.


QUALITY This year, the team continued submitting high-quality deliverables, ensuring client satisfaction. Under the Belarus I3 Performance Evaluation Activity, LEAP III received a “very good” rating in terms of satisfaction.

“The overall tremendous work and the valuable findings, conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation team (ET) produced a valuable source of information for the USAID/Belarus and partners as well as other interested stakeholders. The results of USAID’s programming under I3 project come across in a clear and user-friendly way. The Evaluation Team was professional, knowledgeable and responsive to USAID’s feedback.” Larissa Komarova, Belarus Deputy Director USAID

Furthermore, the team received similar positive feedback under the YES-Georgia Mid-Term Performance Evaluation Activity, Activity Manager Ketevan Chogovadze rated LEAP III as “exceptional” in overall satisfaction, specifically noting that “The quality of the evaluation report was high. The evaluation report was extremely useful to the Mission in refining programmatic approaches for the remaining years of implementation of YES-Georgia program.”

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT/ KNOWLEDGE SHARING Under the EG Training Activity, the team received “exceptional” ratings across all five categories from Activity Manager Sakari Deichsel. In submitting the After-Action Report, Katie Qutub, LEAP III COR, added, “This is a great summary which I will share with others who are working on professional development throughout DDI. I can’t wait to take the course in the future.”

Under the Middle East PSE Activity, LEAP III has put on 11 unique trainings on various topics in PSE, attracting more than 450+ attendees combined. The team is consistently commended on these trainings.

“Thanks so much for organizing today’s PSE6 session, Reimagining Technology for Better Development Impact in the MENA Region. Today’s session was quite extraordinary. Each presenter and demonstration was EXCELLENT!! They hit PSE6 out of the park. The content and demonstrations were truly engaging and a real learning experience for everyone. The attendance of about 60 participants, and 53 an hour later, confirms how well-received PSE6 was.”

Denise Lamuate, Senior Economic Officer, ME/TS MIDDLE EAST PSE ACTIVITY

“It was excellent to get the staff thinking about how digital programming can also check off our sustainability earmarks. I would imagine that this webinar and recording will spark conversation.”

Sara Siddig, Activity Manager MIDDLE EAST BUREAU ECONOMIC GROWTH TEAM


Knowlege Management Activities This year, the LEAP III team has emphasized knowledge management activities, holding several different events and presentations. In Year Three, there were three public events under the Vietnam PPP Activity and 33 different webinars or learning engagements, ranging from trainings to virtual events and presentations of findings. More details on knowledge management activities in Year Three are found below.

Under the Vietnam PPP Activity, the team held three public events. On May 13, 2020, LEAP III hosted a roundtable event for representatives of the GVN and the private sector to discuss barriers to investment for international PPPs. Building on a roundtable on risk-sharing held the previous quarter, and this event brought together over 70 participants from the GVN and a host of international investors such as the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, Amcham, Eurocham, and Duane Morris. Representatives from GVN included Vietnam’s Congressional Office, MPI, the PPP Committee, and VCCI. USAID also was represented. Attendees provided valuable feedback and input on the draft PPP Law. Additionally, on September 16, 2020, the team assisted the VCCI in conducting a webinar with over 130+ attendees between VCCI and the Vietnam Association on Road Systems, including foreign investors and presentations from MPI, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and LEAP as part of VCCI a working group event. Notably, the event had over 100 participants engaged remotely, overcoming some of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 22, 2020, the team launched the Study on PPP Services Report at VCCI with 150 attendees. This workshop enabled the business community to discuss the differences between and importance of the roles played by the Government and private sector in PPPs while also allowing businesses to raise concerns related to the regulation of private participation in public services. Despite these concerns, however, it is believed that ultimately this type of engagement from the business community will increase trust between the private sector and the Government of Vietnam to further support the implementation of PPPs moving forward. Notably, the event received wide publication with mention in approximately 20 articles and publications.

VIETNAM PPP ACTIVITY

At the time of activity completion, LEAP III had produced:

6 Brief Papers and 5 Case Studies

A Political Economy and Enabling Assessment

A PPP Pipeline Development Toolkit Plus several other reference materials used to support USAID’s efforts in Vietnam.

Hosted and facilitated:

3 Workshops and Consultative Events – 250 Participants Attending in Person and Remotely This included a roundtable event on foreign investment, a VCCI working group event on the topic of government guarantees with the American Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (AmCham), and a webinar with 130+ attendees between the VCCI and the Vietnam Association of Road Systems, as well as a workshop publicizing the PPP Law and the important roles of both the Government and private sector.

In partnership with the Institute for Policy and Media Development, LEAP III publicized the new law:

300,000 Views across 20 Newspapers and Media Outlets


Lastly, the team developed and is executing an online training under the Education Finance Phase II Activity. The three overarching goals of the course are to help education officers:

1. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the education finance landscape. This will help USAID improve the volume, efficiency, and effectiveness of education finance through public and private sector channels.

2. Prepare for a new workstream. As USAID redefines its relationship with partner governments, education officers may have to rethink policies, program tools, and operational approaches. This course is one tool to help education officers prepare for that shift.

3. Get more comfortable dialoguing with a broader range of stakeholders and working cross-sectorally. The new workstream may require education officers to broaden the stakeholders they work with: from Ministers of Finance to colleagues at the World Bank to commercial actors through private sector engagement.

The course comprises 20 modules that fall under five sections:

1. Overview of Education Finance;

2. Public Finance of Education Systems and Projects;

3. Non-state Actors and Private Finance;

4. Beyond Traditional Development Assistance; and

5. Special Topics.

The team has created 64 unique lecture videos. Sixty-eight participants are in this first cohort and taking the course from March to May 2021. Three live sessions are accompanied by these lecture videos. The first live session covering public financial management (PFM) took place on April 8, 2021, with 36 attendees. The second live session on non-state actors and private finance will take place on May 6, 2021. Lastly, the participants will take part of a final live session on a capstone on May 25, 2021. This capstone will be a case study of South Africa’s education context. USAID decided that the course would be on their University’s platform to offer a number of options for the Africa Bureau in continuing the course asynchronously.

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT Under the Middle East PSE Activity, the LEAP III monthly PSE training webinars have had 467 attendees combined this year. Furthermore, most attendees have returned attending other monthly webinars. The team has also reached an additional 170 unique attendees throughout the year. These numbers do not include those who viewed the recording later. The overarching goals of these PSE trainings are fourfold:

1. Increase comfortability with PSE concepts, debunk myths, and improve buy-in for PSE as outlined by the PSE Policy,;

2. Increase PSE skills amongst staff members, bringing in outside experts to share cutting edge PSE techniques and answer questions from staff;

3. Build awareness of the PSE efforts within the Bureau and Missions and create opportunities to continually brainstorm ways to implement PSE in their work moving forward; and

4. Expand staff networks and engage with potential partners.

MIDDLE EAST PSE TRAININGS HELD IN YEAR THREE (MAY 1, 2020 – APRIL 30, 2021)

PSE 05

MAY 28 2020

Partnering with the Private Sector for Improved Service Delivery Partnering with the private sector for improved service delivery (energy, solid waste, water).

Panelists discussed engaging the private sector to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the face of inadequate public sector performance.

PSE 06

JUN 30 2020

Reimagining Technology for Better Development Impact in the MENA Region Included representatives from Google, MIT D-Labs, Salesforce, EON Reality, Splunk, and Sowit.

Topics included: Augmented and virtual reality, drones, big data, cybersecurity, fintech, mobile money, and artificial intelligence, and how to achieve development objectives in the region.

PSE 07

AUG 52020

Building Private Sector Relationships For Better Development Outcomes Topics included: How do these companies view the MENA region as an investment opportunity; What would motivate each company to invest/ expand in the region; What threats/opportunities do these companies see in investing in the MENA region; among other matters.

Goal: To better understand the point of view of the private sector to inform and improve USAID’s private sector engagement.

PSE 08

SEP 2 2020

Engaging with the Private Sector to Drive Development of the Circular Economy This training centered on private sector engagement and the green and circular economy in the MENA region.

Goal: To provide real-world examples of how this green approach to business can be economically successful and to inspire USAID staff to consider the green and circular economy in designing programs and activities.

PSE 09

SEP 22 2020

Engaging with the Private Sector for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship This training centered on private sector engagement and the green and circular economy in the MENA region.

Goal: To provide real-world examples of how this green approach to business can be economically successful and to inspire USAID staff to consider the green and circular economyin designing programs and activities.

PSE 10

OCT 27 2020

Fostering and Leveraging Private Sector Relationships to Address Development Challenges in Conflict and Post-Conflict StatesThis training centered on how USAID can promote greater private sector collaboration and expand relationships with a wider band of private sector actors to address and possibly prevent the outbreak of conflict in the MENA region.

PSE 11

NOV 17 2020

Female Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Focused on using PSE approaches to empower women to become successful entrepreneurs.

The training looked at some of the key issues women entrepreneurs face in the MENA Region and looked at ways USAID can expand its PSE relationships and promote greater private sector collaboration with women business leaders.

PSE 12

DEC 152020

A Year in Review During the final PSE training webinar of 2020, the presenters discussed some of the Bureau’s and Missions’ great PSE work in 2020, shared PSE lessons learned, and looked ahead to 2021.

PSE 01

JAN 19 2021

5G and Smart Cities Audience members learned more about how 5G and Smart Cities can improve the quality of life in the communities served in the Middle East.

PSE 02

FEB 23 2021

Entrepreneurship and Innovation This session provided an overview of where the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in MENA is today and what it might look like in 2030 and the role USAID can play in building this ecosystem.

PSE03

MAR 232021

Digital Transformation as a Tool to Create Sustainability

This PSE training included a panel of three speakers discussing how digital transformation enhances sustainability and how USAID can work with the private sector and partner with MENA governments to make this digital transformation a reality.

PSE 04

APR 20 2021

Engaging the Private Sector to Strengthen Supply Chains for Development

This PSE training took an in-depth look at supply chains and their ever-increasing importance for delivering good and impactful development outcomes.

Annual Progress Report: Learning, Evaluation,And Analysis Project III (LEAP III) 26


CHALLENGES/LESSONS LEARNED Using lessons learned from previous years, the LEAP III team strives for success and is ready to take on more activities as they come down the pipeline. Further activities are becoming limited by contract financial capacity with less than $1 million of the ceiling unfunded as the contract enters is fourth year of a five year performance period.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions, LEAP III continues to see demand for new activities. The team has completed 45 activities, both large and small, and continues to work on 14 ongoing activities, and is preparing to begin three new activities.

There have been several challenges in Year Three, but LEAP III continued to deliver quality work.

The most significant challenge has been learning how to operate in a virtual/remote environment. For much of the work, the team has been able to pivot using remote ways of conducting data collection and leveraging local and regional expertise. Team members have been spread out between different regions and time zones. While no travel has been cost-saving, remote work has required a greater level of effort. A good portion of Year Four is anticipated to remain virtual and will continue with remote activities. However, there is optimism that travel may begin later in 2021. Regardless of this challenge, there are continual good reviews from clients, including a few repeat customers from last year. The big lesson learned is that the team needs to be flexible and adaptable to meet client needs.

An additional challenge this year has been recruiting. The team has been able to leverage past knowledge and resources to staff most of activities. When the recruiting was challenging, the team broadened their networks, used recruitment assistance, and got creative with staffing. The team learned that more effort to utilize all of the resourcesavailable was required for some activities and some countries. The team also learned that recruiting efforts need to continue until several viable candidates have been identified. USAID operating units then have more choice for key team members and provides flexibility if a team member resigns during the activity.

Finally, looking at remaining funds from older activities and pots of funds for anticipated activities has been both a challenge and an opportunity. In many cases, Missions are not starting new work because of the pandemic or are slow to engage. The team continues to reach out and offer ideas

of work that can be done. The key lesson learned is that the team should contact activity managers within a few weeks of activity completion. This allows the team to leverage the work completed while the activity remains fresh in everyone’s minds and the technical teams remain available.

PRIORITY PLANS FOR YEAR FOUR Year Three proved to be a very busy year for LEAP III. Despite the difficulties the world is experiencing during the COVID-19 Pandemic, LEAP III continued offering rapid, high-quality support to USAID Missions and Operating Units.

SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTINUAL OVERSIGHT OF ACTIVITIES In Year Three, LEAP III began 11 new activities, with another three in the AAR submission or final negotiation stages in April 2021. LEAP III had the highest number of simultaneous activities, at 19 in the second quarter of the year, with an average of 15 throughout most of the year.

Q1

MAY 1 – JUL 31 2020

Africa Bureau – Education Finance Training Phase II

Rwanda Hinga Weze Activity Mid-Term Evaluation

Reopen of Activity 1 – Review of USAID’s Vietnam Remediation Risk Assessment

Q2

AUG 1 – OCT 312020

Mid-Term Evaluation USAID’s YES-Georgia Program

Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance – Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)

Egypt – Assessment of USAID: Established and Supported Economic Institutions since 2000

Egypt Private Sector Landscape Assessment (PSLA)

Q3

NOV 1 – JAN 312020 2021

Egypt Private Sector Landscape Assessment (PSLA) Workshops

Ukraine Energy Security Project Mid-Term Evaluation

Q4

FEB 1 – APR 30 2021

Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Assessment

Carbon Markets Brief


The LEAP III team continues to accept a variety of SOWs from DDI, Missions, Bureaus, and other Operating Units. In Year Three, assessments or evaluations of five new activities were begun, which is over half of the new activities for the year. The team has continued to rapidly respond to these SOWs through AARs for immediate project start-up. Integra continues to strive for quality deliverables and work and will continue to go through a very rigorous quality control process with each activity to ensure that all deliverables meet high-quality standards in data validity, reliability, accuracy, integrity, and usefulness. The team has received an overall satisfactory rating for all activities implemented, with no activities over budget.

With an official change of COR to Katie Qutub in November 2020, LEAP III began streamlining the meeting and reporting frequency. In September 2021, the weekly activity tracker was changed to monthy. Additionally, meetings with the COR were changed to an as needed basis.

LEAP III supports USAID’s PSE Policy in the USAID/Middle East Bureau and related Missions. PSE monthly trainings are expected to continue into Year Four, likely through September 2021. Potential topics for upcoming events include machine learning and artificial intelligence, PSE in tourism, and a follow-up to this year’s event on PSE and youth.

Late in Year Three, LEAP III began an exciting new partnership with the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) at USAID. There is one ongoing activity, one activity in the planning stages, and the team expects more collaboration with DIV in the future. The initial work is an assessment of the success of DIV-funded Innovations over the last ten years. DIV is interested in learning if these innovations had a lasting impact. Currently, the team is negotiating another activity with DIV—a look-back study of the DIV work in India. Working with DIV and sharing those lessons with a broader audience is incredibly important for the Agency, and LEAP III is very pleased to have a small part in sharing DIV successes.

As LEAP III enters Year Four, the team wants to be strategic on the new activities pursued. LEAP III has a current balance of funds available for new activities of approximately $830,000. Additionally, several USAID Operating Units have balances with LEAP. Where those balances were small, they were swept into the CORE line item. However, the team has begun reviewing activities with larger balances and is working with the COR to start reaching out to these operating units. With limited funds available, the team would like to meet with the LEAP III COR in person at

least once every quarter to ensure smooth implementation and strategic decision-making for new activities.

IDENTIFYING LEAP III LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES As Year Four of LEAP III begins, the team wants to look at the work completed and determine how lessons learned, best practices, and impacts can be better captured. A significant amount of work has been done, that when looked at holistically, could provide valuable information to DDI (Formerly E3) and the Agency as a whole.

In Year Four, the team proposes conducting a meta-analysis of select LEAP III evaluations and other analytic work performed across the LEAP III contract. The objective is to complete the meta-analysis, and take it one step further and develop tools and technical guidance to support USAID Operating Units in applying the lessons learned. To focus the research and ensure that results are valuable and applicable to USAID, lessons learned will be organized around four themes that correspond to some of the principles laid out in the Economic Growth Policy:

Enable partners to become self-financing. LEAP III analytical theme: Partnerships and PSE

Prioritize inclusion, sustainability, and resilience. LEAP III analytical theme: Inclusion of vulnerable groups; local capacity building

Be innovative, data-driven, and adaptive. LEAP III analytical theme: Management and process analysis (including adaptive management and evidence-driven decision making by IPs.)

Be systemic or catalytic. LEAP III analytical theme: This is what is referred to as sustainability in evaluations, including plans for handover, institutional development, legal and regulatory reform, etc.)

These themes were selected because they are a focus of nearly all performance evaluations and assessments. They also provide a structure for constructing the research process and developing the technical guidance and tools for applying the insights and lessons derived from this research.

The hope is that this analysis may inspire additional research and analysis around LEAP III activities. Throughout the upcoming year, the team plans to put much thought into different types of analyses that can be conducted to inform USAID programming better in the future.


SUPPORTING THE NEW PARTNERSHIPS INITIATIVE Under the NPI, USAID seeks to expand and strengthen how it works with new and underutilized partners. LEAP III has always tried to use local partners as much as possible, which continued in Year Three. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the landscape of development because travel is substantially reduced or impossible. On LEAP III, this has led to an increased reliance on local partners.

Under the MENA PSE Activity, the LEAP III team works to create new partnerships with local organizations. Each month the PSE training series features representatives from companies throughout the region to discuss their business operations, goals, and aligned interests with USAID. The series, designed to be educational, also expands the networks of USAID attendees and showcases potential partners for the Missions. Under the Gulf region PSLA, LEAP III conducts outreach and key informant interviews with multinational, national, and local firms across Global Cooperation Council (GCC) and MENA countries. The goals of the PSLA are to unlock new potential sources of funding from the Gulf region, identify opportunities for private sector partnerships at a regional level that could improve scale and impact at the Mission level, and recognize region-wide trends and unrealized synergies between Missions. Also, under the Gulf PSLA efforts, LEAP III is engaging local business consultants in the United Arab Emirates to provide on-the-ground insight and experience.

This year, due to COVID-19, LEAP III completed the Egypt Private Sector Landscape Assessment entirely remotely. Heavy reliance on local partners and on-the-ground expertise was required to navigate the rapidly changing environment, arrange KIIs, distribute online surveys in a challenging time. Local facilitators, local private sector experts, and networks such as the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund enabled the assessment to be completed successfully, securing approximately 50 KIIs.

The team relied heavily on local staff and local firms to be the feet on the ground during several evaluations. In Rwanda, LEAP III worked with Dalberg Research, a regional data collection firm, to distribute surveys and conduct focus group discussions (FGD) in all regions impacted by the USAID and CNFA Hinga Weze interventions. Additional interviews and FGDs were conducted by Rwandan national consultants, who provided critical local context to the international team. To evaluate the USAID-Funded Energy Security project, the LEAP III team worked closely with national experts and a Ukrainian logistics coordinator to reach 28 key stakeholders, whose inputs were critical to the mid-term evaluation.

Additionally, in alignment with NPI encouraging collaboration with promising new organizations, LEAP III has begun a new subcontracting relationship with Cui Prodest. Integra has a practice of supporting and helping to grow small businesses, which directly aligns with the NPI key principle of seeking bold, creative, and innovative approaches to fostering self-reliance. Cui Prodest is a small, woman-owned business. The owner of Cui Prodest brings enormous competency, and a wealth of experience in LEAP III technical activities. One of the most challenging things about starting a small business is getting quals under your business and not as a consultant. This collaboration will help Cui Prodest establish themselves as a qualified USAID partner.


ANNEX I: PERFORMANCE INDICATOR TABLE

Indicator Title Total Year 3

% Year 3 Target

Reached Target: Year 3

Actuals to Date Years 1 – 3

Target: LOP

Verification Data Point

Project Objective: Support DDI to support economic growth and effectiveness by increasing the effectiveness of USAID programs through better-informed design, monitoring, and evaluation.

1 Percentage of Missions/ Offices reporting high satisfaction with LEAP Activities

100% 100% 80% 97% 80% Activity Follow-on Survey

COMPONENT 1: ANALYSIS FOR PROJECT DESIGN

Result 1.1: Improved Project Design through Evidence-based Analysis 2 Technical analyses

conducted 26 100% 2 59 10 Reports developed

COMPONENT 2: CAPACITY BUILDING

Result 2.1: Improved Capacity of USAID to Apply Informed Design, M&E to Economic Growth Projects

3 Training materials developed 71 100% 0 109 4 Training materials developed

4 Mission and partner staff trained

564 100% 0 1,133 100 Training sign-up sheets

Result 2.2: Improved Capacity of Partner Governments and Civil Society to Implement Economic Growth Projects

3 Training materials developed 1 100% 0 10 4 Training materials developed

4 Mission and partner staff trained

130 100% 0 290 100 Training sign-up sheets

COMPONENT 3: EVALUATION OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE

Result 3.1: Improved Accountability and Project Implementation through High-Quality Evaluations 5 Evaluations conducted

for Missions 2 50% 4 7 20 Reports developed

COMPONENT 4: IMPROVED LEARNING FOR DDI ACTIVITIES

Result 4.1: Improved DDI Activity Effectiveness through Dissemination of Lessons Learned 6 Number of

public events with project participation

Custom 3 3 2 12 18 Events

7 Webinars or other learning engagements conducted

Custom 34 100% 1 40 9 Events

ANNEX II: PROJECT BRIEFS Click on images below to view Project Briefs from LEAP III Year Three.


COST- EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS FOOD FOR PEACE

I3 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION USAID BELARUS

POLICY AND REGULATORY ASSESSMENT TO INFORM THE NEW AGRICULTURE POLICY ACTIVITY USAID/BANGLADESH

FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF QR CODE ADOPTION BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

CUSTOMS SECTOR ASSESSMENT USAID TIMOR-LESTE

MID TERM PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: FEED THE FUTURE HINGA WEZE ACTIVITY USAID/RWANDA

PRIVATE SECTOR LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT USAID/EGYPT

PARTNERING TO ACCELERATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP (PACE) INITIATIVE STRATEGIC REVIEW 2.0

YES-GEORGIA MID-TERM PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

PRIVATE SECTOR LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT (PSLA) WORKSHOPS USAID/EGYPT

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1ProjectBriefFFPCEA.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2ProjectBriefBelarusI3Evaluation.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/3ProjectBriefBangladeshAg.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4ProjectBriefQRCodeFeasibilityStudy.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/5ProjectBriefTimorLesteCustoms.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/6Project-Brief-Rwanda-Hinga-Weze.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/7ProjectBriefEgyptPSLA.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/8PACE-project-brief.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9ProjectBriefYESGeorgia.pdf

https://www.integrallc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/10ProjectBriefEgyptPSLAWorkshps.pdf