FINAL REPORT EVALUATION OF THE PEACE AND PROSPEFUTY PROJECT IN JAMAICA Submitred to: U.S. Agency for International Development In response to: Contract No. AEP-I-00-00-00023-00 Tusk Order 827 Prepared by: Francis Valva Lamont Crawley Development Associates. Inc. 1 730 North Lynn Street Arlington, VA 22209-2023 April 7, 2003 Dr. John Wright Deputy Director Office of Economics Growth 2 Haining Road Kingston 5 Dear John: Re: E~nluutio~ ofthe Pence and Prosperifv Project As promised the following are my comments. I. Treatment of the role of the Executive Director. There is a deficiency in the way the report treats the role of KRC's Executive Director. Page 4 of the Report - Quality of Project Management makes the point very clear 'The ultimate person responsible for the Peace and Prosperity Project is the KRC Executive Director, Mr. Morin Seymour". While on page 2 1 the report observes; "The team questions the appropriateness of having the KRC Executive Director chair the project Steering Committee. Since. one of the primary roies of the Committee is to oversee the implementation of the project, they have essentially placed the Executive Director in the prime position to oversee himself'. Apart from being an approved contradiction. the report ignores the fact that at least three attempts have been made to elect a chairperson who is independent of KRC. The first relates to Reverend Roy Dodman of the Shortwood United Church and who chaired the Committee on several occasions but refbsed the position. The second relates to our offer to Mrs. Dawn Marshall-Ken, Corporate Communication Coordinator of Shell Company Limited; while she has pledged support to the project she has rehsed to serve in that capacity. The third, relates to Mr. Sing Chin of the Super Valu Supermarket who offered to sell products made by artisans in the community, but declined the chair. The rationale given by these three individuals is that KRC is a strong implementing agency and has the required balanced approach to chair. While we search for a chairperson, the project must go forward. @age 31, pamp-nph 2) 2. Factual Errors a. In Paragraph 2 of the second page of rbe Executive Summary. the last sentence speaks to a variety of agencies in the communities that can be subgranted to conduct these activities that have acceptance, presence and competencies for specific tasks. We do not believe this to be true and we would be grateful to receive a listing of such agencies. (NAI b. Page 4 Line 4 speaks to delay in renovating of several playfields in the communities. The playfields were not upgraded because after background checks were done it was revealed that these were privately owned properties that could not be developed without the consent of the owners. (page 7, paragraph 4) c. Page 15 last paragraph spoke to improvement of relationship between the Peace Centre and the Police. There was never a problem between the Peace Centre and the police. The relationship between the residents and the police has improved with the intervention of the Peace and Prosperity Project, wherein interface was facilitated to discuss problems and find solutions. (Page 24, paragraph 3) d. Page 16, Paragraph 5, The Senior Project Oficer is a trained counselor. while on the other hand the Community Officer is a trained mediator. page 25, paragraph I/ e. Page 18, bulked point 4 Peer Mediation training is done at New Day Primary and Junior High and not Providence Primary School as stated in the report. (pap 27, bullet 4) I shall endeavour to bring the observations made in the report to the attention of KRC's Board at our next Board Meeting. Yours tmly, KINGSTON RESTORATION COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morin Seymour EXECUTIVE DIRH'TOR SpO Team's Comments on the Draft SpO Evaluation Report In general terms. the Report is well laid out in a manner that directly focuses on the specific areas outlined in the Scope of Work. There were no major surprises in terms of the recommendations or observations. Foliowing our review of the Draft Report. we are however offering the following comments and questions which are intended to assist the Evaluators to improve the quality and usefulness of the Report. 1. The Executive Summary needs to be a bit more balanced and in keeping with the substance or main elements of the Report which reflect a positive picture of the state and progress of the project. (page iii) 2. The reference to any possible or probable removal of $600.000 from the pipeline should be deleted. (See page 5 of the Report). No reference whatsoever should be made to this possibility since there has been no official communication From USAIDtW regarding this possibility. (deleledfrom page 6) 3. Do the evaluators believe that the KRC project staff complement (8 persons) is adequate, considering the diversity of activities? (pages 5, paragraph 3 K- 8. p~aflph 1) 4. The Report would be more balanced if it also included an assessment of the management of the project by USAID given the comments relatins to KRC's management that are reported in the section on. the Quality of Project Management. (page 10, paragraph 2, page I I, reconrrnet~dation 5) Although the evaluators admit that KRC has made significant progress in completing every IR performance target except for new jobs (see page 1 I), the narrative in the section on the Achievement of IR Performance Targets does not support this observation as the evaluators did not elaborate on the accomplishments and impact in relation to conflict resolution training. The evaluators could have elaborated on the statement made (on pase 11) that The PPP team has done an outstanding job in conflict resolution and in identieing cornmunit y problems." (pages I-l, pal-ap-aph 5 rhrough page I (il 6. In relation to the training that is beins provided. while noting the suggestion for initiating a program of internship (on page 14). could the team make an]; other recommendations that may increase the impact on the community in light of the targets that were set for the project? For example, should the training initiatives be expanded to address other social issues? (page 20, h.sr parapaph thruz~gi~ page 2 3, paragraph 2) 7. As indicated in separate communication from Morin Seymour. the statement (on page IS) "that the relationship between the Peace Center and the police has improved" could imply that the relationship was not always good. That observation is incorrect as the relationship has always been positive. (page 24, paragraph 3) ' Would the evaluators offer any specific suggestions that may be helpful to KRC in developing a program plan for Center operations? (page 26, recomrnendatio~~ 2) There is no basis to suggest that the reduction in the crime level observed by DSP Thompson (as reported on page 19) is directly attributable to the PPP. For example, there were no testimonials from residents who benefited from training in conflict resolution which would conclusively indicate that the sensitization and training in conflict resolution has resulted in less crime. (page 27, paragraph 1-2, page 28, paragraph 3, andpage 29, paragraph 2. fie evaluators cited the views of several stakeholders from the targeted communities. This information is not ofleered as objective fact, but simply as observations based on their perceptions of the dflerences within these communities since the implementation of the KRC/PPP. 10. Based on the receptiveness of the residents to the assistance being provided (pp18-21) by the project, in the opinion of the evaluators, what prospects are there for the sustainabiIity of the conflict resolution and other activities being carried out under the project? What strategy or mechanism for achieving sustainability would they recommend other than depending on the Steering Committee to identify "an organization that will be suitable or better equip itself, to assume management of the project" (page 22)? @age 30, recommendation 5 andpage 31 recornmenabtion I) 11. Apart from the recommended hiring of an expatriate professional, are there other recommendations for addressing the problem of the organizational capacity (see pp24-5) of KRC? What suggestions would the evaluators make that would assist KRC to develop an organizational business plan as is needed based on the observations made by other donors (see page 24)? (page 35, recommenda~ion 2) 12. Has KRC adequately exploited the synergies available through more effective coordination with other donors? (pap 34, paragraph 5-6) 13. Despite the positive experiences that other donors have with KRC, what accounts for the fact that our results remain elusive? Is this observation due to the project design, timeline, targets, systems and methodologies or quality of communication between USAID and KRC? (page 9, last paragraph, page 12) Page No. . . Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................. 11 - - - Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 111 Background ............................................................................................................................ I Introduction ................... ... ................................................................................................ 3 A. Implementation Issues ................................................................................... 4 B. Other Issues .................................................................................................... 35 C. Special Evaluation Notes ............................................................................... 38 ANNEXES Annex A Annex B Annex C Annex D Annex E Annex F Persons Interviewed ............................................................................................. A- 1 Documentation Reviewed .................................................................................... B- I Organization Structure ........................................................................................ C-I Acronyms .............................................................................. D- 1 Statement of Work ..............................................................................................€-l Creative EnterpriQ Studio Model ................................ ........ ............................... -1 Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiq I 3fq 14.2003 Project in Jumaica Final R~OR Development Associates. Inc.. wishes to express its appreciation to the USAIDiJamaica Mission. the Kingston Restoration Company. and to the residents of Grants Pen and Standpipe communities and organizations for the open and full cooperation afforded to the evaluation team. We especially acknowledge with thanks the interest and commitment demonstrated by Mosina Jordan, Mission Director, in support of the Peace and Prosperity Project. A vote of pratitude is offered to Dr. John Wright, Team Leader. Dorna Service, Althea Spence. Robbin Brinkley. Dennis Darby. Sasha Parke, and Denise Lawrence for their collaboration in supplying unbiased and frank information to the team. Ms. Spence was most patient and persevering in arranging the numerous interviews. The KRC management and the PPP Management Team. especially Morin Seymour and Patricia Balls, were honest and forthright in making available complete information and documentation. The evaluation report is submitted with the sole purpose of offering independent and objective conclusions and recommendations to move the PPP towards complete and sustainable success. Francis Valva Lamont Crawley - - Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiw I1 ,Vur 14.2003 Project in lomica final Rqpofi Development Associates. Inc. was contracted to conduct the mid-tern evaluation of the Peace & Prosperity Project that has a completion date of September 2004. The evaiuation was to assess the progress and impact to date and make recommendations for modifications in project design and implementation for the remaining iife of the project. A11 stakeholders have noted that in order to achieve the specified IRs and corresponding indicators. it is necessary to face and resolve enormous obstacles. such as: an overall stagnant economy; businesses leaving the communities: starting a new program in a hostile comrnuni~-: overcoming literacy deficits; the lack of social skills: the dire need for basic infrastructure programs: the low level of self-esteem of the residents; a lucrative drug trade: a political tribal mentality; and communities that require major transformation of cultural and educational values. Real progress has been made in overcoming many obstacles, but the IR indicators that have so far not been achieved at this point are the very important ones of business assistance and job creation. There is a feeling of urgency on the part of USAID Mission for the KRCPPP to move forward expeditiously to achieve key project targets during the remaining months of the activit). To date, some Mission expectations for implementation are not being met. KRCPPP has money but is not moving fast enough in program implementation. KRCIPPP has done a good job on the social and preparatory side of the project such as literacy. pre-employment. securi~. and skills training. These factors were not previously considered by the PPP Management Team. but are essential to the larger goal of business creation and employment. Howe\~er. the evaluators recognize that such preparatory activities would be unproductive unless there are jobs and businesses created at the end of the process. The evaluators consider inadequate and/or insufficient project staff as the underlying problem for funds being under-utilized and in not attaining the performance targets of jobs created. businesses assisted and new businesses created. To staff-up the KRCIPPP to meet these program goals, it is recommended that two important staff positions be creazed and filled: a Personal Services Contractor to offer institutional strengthening to the KRUPPP. and a professional Business Project Officer to expand entrepreneurship and employment activities. Simultaneously. it is recommended that the KRCIPPP enter into a sub-granu'subcontract arrangement with a specialized micro enterpriseismall business organization that offers training. technical assistance. micro financing and loan preparation. The establishment of a Creative Enterprise Studio to rerail residents' products to the public is also suggested. The training component of the KRCPPP has taken on real importance as a prerequisite to completion of IRs and indicators for employment and entrepreneurship. It is also seen as a tool for community sensitization and to show tangible benefits for residents. Developing literac_v skills for an adult chanses the entire outlook and lifestyle of that person and is lauded b), family and fellow citizens. These program spin-offs are imponant to inner-city residents and produce a positive image for the KRClPPP and USAID. 11 is the beginning of building individual and community pride and should not be underestimated. An internship with training providers and other private sector companies is recommended as another means of employmenr seneration. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosprrig Project in Jamoico Devel~~m~nf Associates. Inc. Task Order 827 Certainly the KRCIPPP has been implementing numerous activities and services throughout the past year with many residents participating. All of the residents interviewed were grateful for the KRCIPPP and the opportunities that have been afforded to the community. Participants clearl~. see the project as helping them as individuals and uplifting the community as well. It is recommended that the Peace Center and the Resource Center initiate an effective communication plan to reach a greater number of community residents with expanded services such as education workshops, citizenship, parenting skills, etc. With regard to community empowerment and program continuity, the evaluators' recommendation is to conduct strategic planning training for Steering Committee members to build capacity at the local level while expanding their role in the KRCPPP. USAID/Jamaica has taken the lead role of being the major implementing agency with other donor organizations in executing a comprehensive approach to developing peace and prosperity is inner-city communities. There is a high level of synergy and complementarity with other donor agencies implementing programs in the target communities. The KRCiPPP is in a prime position to enhance this synergy, while achieving its objectives at the same time. A working group of donor and government agencies should be formed to enhance coordination in dealing with the costly, complex and diverse needs of the two communities. In conclusion the team notes this is a very challenging project. It has involved dealing with many more problems than expected. Progress is being made on some of the underlying problems that must be addressed before employment and job creation can be achieved. Additionally, there has also been a problem in fully staffing the program to accomplish all that needs to be done in the months remaining in the project. As a result there has been under-spending. Since this is a vital program to the affected communities and to USAID. this problem needs to be addressed quickly. We recommend that USAID contract the required expertise to work in NGO strengthening, business partnerships for training, and program implementation so that the project can build on the strong foundation it has developed. The evaluation team has drawn many conclusions and made several recommendations that if implemented should facilitate the achievement of the desired outputs and lay the groundwork for future sustainability. Evaluation of the Peace und Prosperin. Project in Jamaica MUJ 14, 2003 Final Report FINAL REPORT EVALUATION OF THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY PROJECT IN JAMAICA Based on prior research conducted by Development Options. USAID published a Request for Applications (RFA) to execute a pilot projec~ in response to specific all^. identified cornmunit>. needs in the communities of Grants Pen and Standpipe. In March 2001. USAID signed a Cooperative Agreement No. 532-A-00-0 1-00 1 16-00. known as "The Peace & Prosperin. Project", with the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) to implement and manage the Special Objective (SpO) of -'Improving the Economic and Social Conditions of Grants Pen and Stand Pipe Communities" during the period of 2001 -2004. The Cooperative Agreement, Program Description, makes KRC responsible for implementing and managing the various activities necessary to achieve the IR in the targeted communities of Grants Pen and Standpipe to achieve the Mission's Special Objective. Two Intermediate Results (IR) with respective indicators were established for LOP as follows: b IR 1 Increase Employment & Entrepreneurship: number of persons employed. number of businesses assisted and number of new businesses created. b IR 2 Conflict Resolution: number of crimes reported. number of conflict resolution programs impfemented/sustained. and. number of residents trained in conflict resolution. KRC is required to develop creative and unique methodologies and to propose the appropriate staff needed for program implementation. As detailed in the Cooperative Agreement. activities to be undertaken to It~crmsc Entpk!\~iot/ Enrrepreneurshzp Opporfztniries include: I. Obtaining commitment of the residents. CBOs and private sector individuals to cooperate and assist KRC in implementing the program. 2. Developing methodologies to determine products and services that can be sold. 3. Determine training needs for residents who might become involved in such activities. 4. Provide the necessary training to residents to meet market demand. 5. Providing raw materials and equipment to carry out training activities. 6, Determining the type of assistance to be provided for employment opponunities. 7. Establishing mechanisms that will assist trained residents to stan their own businesses. 8. For sustainability, determine who should own the training facilities for project continuin.. Activities to be undertaken for Improiving C'onlnnmirj- Capacifj--for Cbt?flic/ Rc.soiirrim include: All Acronyms are presented in Annes D. Evoluofion of the Peace ond Prosperi~ 1 .Way 14, 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Repori Development Associates, Inc. Task Ordm 82 7 Identify community leaders to benefit from training in communications and conflict resolution. Define how communication and conflict resolution will be imparted to community leaders. Implement activities that will build positive relationships between residents and the police. Developing and promoting partnerships among community groups to find solutions to the problems of crime and violence. Developing/implementing an effective mentoring program. Examine the possibility of supporting uniform groups such as girl guides, boy scouts, 4H clubs, etc. Examining the possibility of developing school programs such as that of Junior Achievement. Developing cross linkages to other USAID programs that are being carried out in the communities. During the period March 2001 to December 2002, foflowing the signing of the Cooperative Agreement in March 2001, the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) initiated activities aimed at achieving the Special Objective "Improved Economic and Social Conditions in Targeted Inner City Communities". The two Intermediate Result are: a) Increasing Opportunities for Employment and Entrepreneurship; and b) Improving Community Capacity for Conflict Resolution. There are a number of indicators that link directly to each of the two key results. For Intermediate Result One (IR 1) the indicators are: Number of persons employed; Number of businesses assisted and new businesses created. For Intermediate Result Two (IR 2) the indicators are: Number of major crimes reported; Number of conflict resolution programs implemented and sustained: Number of residents trained in conflict resolution. KRC the implementing agency has embarked on a number of initiatives that are expected to yield the results as measured by the indicators. These initiatives include: Establishment of a Peace Center Vocational Jobs Skills Training for Community Residents Training in Conflict Resolution Training Mediators Establishment of Homework Centers Technical Assistance to Micro and Small Business Firms Establishment of Computer Laboratories in Primary Schools Peace Day Concert Sports Festival To implement the above activities, USAID approved a grant to KRC in the amount of US$2,640,000 -- - Evaluafion of the Peace and Prosperip Project in Jamaica May 14, 2003 Final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 83 Development Associates. lnc.. under contract No. AEP-1-00-00-00023-00 u-as requested 10 conduct the mid-term evaluation of the Peace & Prosperit?. Project. The KRCPPP has a completion date of September 2004. A two-person team with extensive experience in both inner￾city development and Jamaica was fielded to carry out the following scope of work objective. (See Annex for SOW) "USAID requires the services of a Contractor to conduct a mid term evaluation of the Peace and Prosperity Project which has a completion date of September 2004. The evaluation will assess the progress and impact to date of the Peace and Prosperity Project and to make recommendations for modifications in project design and implementation for the remaining life of the project. The focus of the evaluation will be on examining the major project interventions. project impact to date and overail effectiveness in contributing to Intermediate Results achievement." The Development Associates evaluation team is required to submit a report to USAID/Jamaica based on the reviews and interviews and make recommendations concerning the following: I. The extent to which the activities being implemented by the KRC/PPP are like!) to achieve the performance targets under both Intermediate Results. 2. The operation and impact of the Peace Center in stabilizing the communio. 3. How resourceful is the Resource Center in the Stand Pipe community? 4. The effectiveness of the Steering Committee. 5. The quality of project management. 6. The appropriateness of the method of selecting the residents for the training courses. The appropriateness of selecting the training courses and institutions. 7. The quality and impact of the training that is being provided to the residents in both communities. 8. The effectiveness of the project design. performance targets. and immediate results indicators. 9. The level of synergy or complementarity with programs being implemented by the other donor agencies. government agencies. and other organizations that are present in these two communities. 10. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the design to develop the entrepreneurship element." 11. Consideration/recommendation as to the possible merger of the SPO and the Democraq & Governance programs. 12. The influence of the political. social and economic environment on the progress~success of the project. 13. How responsive/receptive are the residents to the assistance being provided bj- the project. (Do the residents have the desire and capacity for change?) Issues Number 11 through 13 were added to the SOW upon arrival of the Development Associates, Inc. evaluation team during the first meeting with the USAID SpO Team. The Evaluation Team used a participatory methodolog_v thar included involvement of the donor agency, the implementing agency. service providers, counterpart orsanizaiions. police. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiq Project in Jamaica .%fq id. 200.3 final Repon Development Associates, he. Task Order 827 community clubs, churches, participating schools. and residents; beneficiaries and non￾beneficiaries. This methodology focused on gathering information from all program stakeholders to collect a diversity of views from important sectors and to collect data on results to acquire information for follow-up actions and recommendations. Methods used included: key informant interviews, focus group interviews, and direct observation. A list of key persons and organizations interviewed can be found in Annex A. The pertinent documentation reviewed is included as Annex B of this report. Direct observation was conducted onsite in both the communities of Grants Pen and Standpipe. Informal interviews were conducted at a community grocery store, a graduation ceremony, and talks with residents. Detailed questions were prepared in advance for specific interviews such as the focus groups and certain CBOs. A. IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES I. Quality of Project Management Findings The person responsible for the Peace & Prosperity Project is the KRC Executive Director, Morin Seymour. Under his leadership, KRC has been successful in leveraging new donor agency funds for similar programs. KRC has based the present PPP activities on past successes in other communities, particularly Jonestown. The Project Manager, Patricia Balls, is the key person in undertaking project implementation. She reports to the Executive Director. The Project Manager has an extensive background in social development and is accepted in both target communities. The Project Manager is responsible for execution, monitoring, coordination and project oversight. She supervises a team of eight KRCPPP staff who implements and monitors a variety of program activities that include the Peace and Resource Centers, skills training coordination, sports programs, literacy training, counterpart relationships with CBOs and police, maintenance of a database, onsite conflict resolution and mediation, etc. Project Officers are college graduates in charge of coordinating a variety of program components. However, each of the Project Officers has sole responsibility for a specific program component. The Senior Project Officer is responsible for all activities in the Standpipe community, as well as the supervision of the Community Officer who manages the Resource Center. Of the remaining two Project Officers, one has responsibility for the implementation of activities related to all training programs and the other coordinates activities.in conjunction with all Homework Centers. The Project Officers are educated persons and highly committed to the program, but have limited capability in job placement or business development. Therefore in January 2003, KRC hired a business development consultant to implement strategies to achieve the goals of employment placement and business development. Equal in authority to Project Officers. are the two Center Managers at the Peace Center. The Center Managers are responsible for administering the various programs and services, associated with the Peace Center. such as: conflict resolution and mediation services; coordinating counseling and training activities: and community relations with CBOs, schools, churches. clubs, -- Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi~ Project in Jamaica Mac' 14, 2003 Fino1 Report Development Associates. Inc. Task Order 83' etc. The Center Managers attend community meetings, write reports. .prepare work plans and supervise the Community Officer. The Community Officers are residents of the communities in which the!. \vork. The Cornmunit> Officers have a basic high school education. which is complemented by their innate concern and involvement within their respective communities. In their positions. the Cornmunit>- Officers interface with community residents who enter their facility. register people for services. keep a database, and assist with logistics. KRCPPP has recognized some of their stafting shortcomings and recentlj, hired nvo new employees who are represented in the stafing descriptions above. This has allowed them to departmentalize staff responsibilities. while reducing workloads and inappropriate assi, Onments. One new position is the Project Oficer responsible for training and the other is the second Center Manager at the Peace Center. The Peace Center was functioning grossly under capaci~. primarily due to the lack of experience of the lone, previous Center Manager. He does not have the background appropriate to the mission and role of the Center which is essentiall: an independent entity with respect to KRC's main office downtown. To augment his strenghs. which seems to be in the area of community outreach, KRCPPP hired a previous KRC employee with a strong background in administration and project management to serve as a co-Center Manager. The KRCIPPP Project Manager is currently refiguring the staffing structure for the Peace Center. which really only needs one Center Manager. She is considering changing the first Center Manager's position to a Community Outreach Officer. However, none of the regular staff have expertise in business development and job creation. Thus the only formal work in these critical areas is by the limited time consultant. (See Annex C for a Project Organization Chart.) The number of staff persons who worked for KRCPPP and staff turnover since March 2001 during project implementation occurred as follows: Position Number Project Managers 1 Administrative Assistant I Center Managers 2 Community Officers - 3 Project Officers 3 Turnover 1 I i 2 5 Regarding the ten staff that left the KRCfPPP. the following was found: One Project Manager was not performing and had a poor perspective on the use of project funds. He was terminated. One Project Officer left after one month for personal safety reasons. One person accepted a KRC/PPP position but had three other interviews and left KRCIPPP after 2 days on the job. One person received a better offer and left the project. Three persons took positions. worked for a while and stated it was too risky. They later left once better offers came available. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi USAID that project funds could not be used to procure property. Since then. three playfields have been identified uithin the two communities: one is at the Providence Primary School; one at St. Margaret's Church. and the third at the New Day Primaq School. To a limited degree. these fields are used by the residents for a variety of activities. but are in dire need of renovation. It took considerable time for KRCIPPP to identif?, ownership of two of these fields. and they are presentl~. working with a contractor who is developing plans for renovation. Therefore. the construction budget has remained virtually untouched. but it is anticipated that this will change within a few months. when they break ground in late spring or early summer. The pla! fields are an essential component of iR2 - conflict resolution. Other obstacles are also discussed in regard to the sluggishness of project implementation and expenditures in Secrion 2. Achievement of Performance Targets. Evaluation of the Peoce and Prosperi~ 7 .)far 14. 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 Conclusions The evaluators note that although this report focuses on project findings essentially through December 2003, which is prior fo KRCIPPP hiring three additional high-caliber staff. These three employees, two full-time and a business consultant, started work literally weeks before the evaluation team arrived. They were hired to address deficits in the program performance targets. The consultant was specifically hired for six months to implement strategies to positively impact the economic goals of the KRC/PPP. The consultant's role is discussed further in Section 2, Achievement of IR Performance Targets. At the time of our evaluation, we had little evidence of the impact of the new staffs expertise on project outcomes, but this is due to the limited time that they have been employed. The evaluators feel confident that the present complement of staff is adequate when combined with other recommendations cited in this document. The quality of the KRC/PPP management is limited by lack of significant staff experience in community development and implementation of socio-economic programs. The evaluation team also considers insufficient project staff as the underlying problem in attaining the performance targets of jobs created, businesses assisted and new businesses created. KRCPPP requires organizational strengthening with an aim towards hiring appropriate staff and developing subcontracting agreements with qualified organizations to achieve the economic goals of the project. Having stated this, most stakeholders and the donor agency agree that KRC is the only viable organization with the potential to successfully implement the PPP. Acceptance of an expatriate group or other local NGO by these inner city communities was not considered feasible. The KRCIPPP Management Team has done a good job on the preparatory work of the project such as literacy and skills training, pre-employment aspects, conflict resolution and community relations. However: on the entrepreneurship and employment creation components. the team has accomplished little. Results in these two areas will not be easily achieved, but even during an economic downturn, micro enterprise programs can develop and create jobs. Staff turnover is a normal process under the difficult community conditions in which this project operates. Persons who fear for their safety as well as career advancements will make personal decisions not necessarily in support of the project. Staff turnover can also be attributed to faulty management that is manifested in poor communications with staff, delegation of responsibility without corresponding authority, no upward mobility, and a rigid system for expending budgeted funds. Ex KRCIPPP staff have indicated these factors as management shortfalls found in KRC. KRCPPP staff have limited capabilities for conducting the many programs as well as for producing the reports and other contract requirements. The multifaceted project approach offers challenges to the project team and places many burdens on staff capabilities and time. There are many activities that require specialized expertise that the KRCIPPP staff do not possess such as business assistance, job placement, computer technology, strategic and project planning, training and curriculum design for vocational trades, police relations and domestic violence. The hiring of short-term technical assistance to address the difficult employment creation tasks is understandable but ultimately it is shortsighted given the IR performance targets to be achieved. In other words, who will complete the tasks after her six-month contract has ended? The evaluation team did not find KRC/PPP staff with essential business expertise. Therefore, staff and project implementation changes will be necessary to provide the special expertise required to complement present staff functions if the preparatory work completed to date is to bear fruit. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi(r Project in Jamaica Mqv 14, 2003 Final Report Development Assoches. fnc. Tosk Urder 8,'" The use of the sub-grant as an instrbment would have greater affect on program results than attempting to hire individuals. The benefits of sub-grants (as opposed to a sen-ice contracr') is that they seek to obtain results while achieving a higher objective. For KRCPPP. a sub-grant agreement would set specific milestones and objectives in order for the CBONGO sub-rantee to obtain funds. These milestones when attained would add to the overall completion of a major KRC/PPP objective. The sub-grant can be employed as an instrument to demonstrate trust in the NGOKBO with the use of grant funds and to attain a program result for which the sub-grantee has already shown experience and expertise. For KRC/PPP. the sub-grant process funher justifies the use of hnds to achieve results. KRCPPP is also in the posirion to offer local organizations empowerment and institutional strengthening at the activity level which in turn is a step towards sustainability. A good example of where the sub-grant instrument is mutually beneficia! is the National Development Foundation of Jamaica, a recognized micro finance. small business organization with demonstrated experience and expertise in its field. At the local level. there are several examples where sub-grant instruments can be effective inciuding CBOs such as Stella Maris Foundation, PALS, Minister Fraternal. HACO, etc. Presently, in their partnering arrangements with CBOs. KRCPPP uses an MOU mechanism. However, the evaluators feel that this instrument does not demonstrate trust with grant funds nor does it provide institutional strengthening for sustainability. There are some obvious activities that can utilize either the sub-grant or sub-contract instrumenr depending upon results desired such as skills training, upgrading plq. fields. and sports. However, a sub-grant instrument would also help to clariij questionable activities andor expenditures such as Day Schools. Bands. Uniform Groups. etc. The KRCiPPP under a sub￾grant instrument would be required to demonstrate the linkage between the activit? and the expected results towards achieving a target IR. KRCPPP was slow in project stan-up and expectations for planned activities did not ultimarel) happen. There are indications that KRC/PPP management will only spend mane?- for proven value. and will not accelerate spending patterns solely to meet projections. This should be of comfort to USAID as the focus of concern is properly on activities to artain results. However. USAID should also look at the absorptive capacity of KRClPPP in a similar manner in which KRCPPP has to deal with the absorptive capacit of the communities it serves. It would be most beneficial to the project staff if they had approved yead). work plans with corresponding budget line items so that implementation of program activities could move along in a prompt manner. KRC has been most successful in leveraging new donor funds that have been complementaq- to the KRC/PPP. Other donor agencies including CIDA and DFiD give KRC high grades in accountability and attainment of proposed results as indicared in their program reviews and evaluations of other inner city activities under their auspices. However. these same donor agencies expressed concern about the management capacity and staff changes in KRC since the previous Deput~- Director resigned. KRC's ability to leverage funds is further discussed in Section 8, Level of Synergy and Complementarity with programs of other agencies. The project performance criteria do not take into account the benefits of lessons learned from what does not work. Results should not be considered elusive only because the?- take longer than expected to be achieved. Should the Mission decide to remove the job creation factor from the Evaluation of ,he Peace and Prosprrih 9 .Wq Id. 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Devdopmenl Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 concept, then what remains? As in research. if the hypothesis is not achieved. the learning experience is still valid. In the KRCIPPP context, the SpO team has realized that changing behavior in preparation for employment in inner city communities is a long-term process that is required before the desired results will be achieved. This does not negate the need for indispensable expertise to achieve the tasks. The evaluation team did note a need for better communications between Mission staff and the PPP team on a day-to-day basis. The level of detail for overall program implementation strategy (PeaceIResource Centers, homework programs, skills training, sports, etc.) and documentation (sub-grant agreements, work plans, progress reports, PMP, etc.) needs to be increased and then discussed and explained to the implementing agency. This can be accomplished by increased participation by Mission staff through systematic documentation revisions, frequent meetings, site visits, financial reviews and convening of strategy sessions. In administrative areas where special staff knowledge is required for new issues faced, short-term TA (most likely from within the Mission) or onsite OJT with training objectives could be utilized. For example; the sub-grant agreement process used in the UAP can be replicated with KRC in working with NGOICBOs. Recommendations 1. The evaluation team recommends that USAID contract a PSC, preferably an expatriate, to function as a de facto Chief of party, to implement the following tasks: review, revise and approve KRCIPPP yearly work plan; assure proper hiring and stafing patterns for the KRCIPPP; design and conduct (contract out) an organizational personnel training plan; identib sub-grantees with expertise to implement project components; participate in the review process for sub-grant proposal agreements; design, according to USAID guidelines, sub-grant agreement documents; assist with the design, review and approval of KRCIPPP semi-annual reports and review Performance Monitoring Reports; offer onsite technical assistance to major program components (PeaceIResource Centers, homework programs, sports activities, computer labs. mediation, etc.) including sub￾grantees; design and conduct ongoing training programs with the steering committee and the community management committees promote communication methods with community residents and organizations including KRCIPPP implementers; devise/design a probable plan for project sustainability; and mentor the KRCIPPP manager to strengthen her capacity for project management. 2. KRC/PPP should hire a full-time staff person with a strong background in business/entrepreneurship development, i.e., Business Project Officer. 3. KRC/PPP, should consider entering into a sub-grant agreement with an experienced micro enterpriselsmall business organization to specifically focus on the Grants Pen and Standpipe communities. Such an organization should specialize in business training (production, marketing, pricing. bookkeeping, etc.), micro-financing and loan preparation, technical assistance follow-up, and would also have distinct private sector connections within Kingston. Such an arrangement would institutionalize relationships between the communities and the organization to ensure continuity after project termination. - Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiq Project in Jamaica May 14, 2003 Final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82- KRC/PPP should enter into sub-grants do sub-contracts with more cornmunit>- counterpart organizations to complement areas where it lacks expertise. In this wa?. KRCIPPP can take advantage of other agencies expertise as welt as operate as an institutional buildins entity for program continuit)-. These sub-?rants could include bur not be limited to SMF, Minister Fraternal. HACO. DRF. and others identified b- KRC management. USAID needs to systematically review the KRCPPP Corporate Plan and the PMP on a report-period basis to compare attainment of project milestones with actual espendirurcs. This would offer the SpO team detailed and current information as an effective monitoring tool. The KRCPPP Management Team can facilitate the implementation of the many tasks b? redesigning the type and level of work plans. KRCPPP should consider placing into effect individual Project Officer weekly work plans that when compiled together \vould compose a complete KRCPPP Management Team work plan. These work plans should include actions required by training providers, CBOs schools. clubs. etc. Project Officers should be responsible for monitoring the implementation of their sub-contract providers and reporting on their progress. Other management tools such as PERT charts. meetings and reporting by IR activities ah creation of sub-committee plans should also be considered. Weekly KRCPPP Management Team meetings should be held to repon on progress made and problems encountered. The CTO or another USAID representative shouid attend these meetings to keep posted of current activities. Achievemenf of lR Performance Targets Findings The inner-city communities being served under the Peace 8: Prosperity Projecr have special characteristics that were outlined in profiles developed by the GOJ's Social Development Commission. There are many similarities between Grants Pen and the Standpipe communities but some differences do exist such as size. level of violence. and social infrastructure ~vith Standpipe being smaller and having fewer problems. The most vulnerable group of crime-prone residenrs in these inner-city communities is males between the ages of 17-25. These young people face high levels of unemployment. Generally. they are not functionally literate. lack social skills and usuall>~ have attitude and behavioral problems that makes them unemployable. Even under these difficult conditions. KRC/PPP has placed 27 male residents as students in the EXED community college. There are also a large number of females who are heads of households with low parenting skills and who were teenage mothers: they too are vulnerable. Many of these women support adult males. It is not uncommon to find males who are 43 years of age and who have never entered the work force. At the halfivay point of the project and with the above preface. KRCIPPP has accomplished the following results: - Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiq Project in Jamaica Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 There is a feeling of urgency on the part of USAID for KRCPPP to accelerate its pace in accomplishing the goals of the project. All stakeholders including KRCIPPP and USAID staff, as well as ex-KRC/PPP staff. agree that the reason for this is that there were many problems to be faced to break-into a community due to the exceptionally high crime rate and criminal element that had to be overcome. KRC even considered not bidding on the RFA because of the extremely bad reputation of Grants Pen. Upon initiating the project, KRCIPPP found a very high rate of illiteracy that was not noted in the original Development Options research. The sequence of events that caused implementation delays follows: C Indicator New Jobs Created Businesses Assisted New Businesses Created Conflict Resolution Programs Residents Trained in Conflict Resolution Some job opportunities were identified by KRCPPP but when they attempted to find residents to fill the positions they encountered people who could not read nor fill out forms. Other persons claimed to have diplomas do certificates but never produced them for interviews. Residents cited for interviews never showed up. The initial response from the communities for employment was dismal; people had little self-confidence and a poor mind set for the job market. KRCIPPP therefore had to address these obstacles of illiteracy, skills training, poor mind￾set, motivation and self-confidence before they could send people to employment opportunities. Sending residents to interviews with potential employers was halted to avoid developing a reputation in the business community for sending applicants who did not have the skills to interview well. To deal with these issues. KRCIPPP conducted a community survey, including demographics. educational levels, skills, and interests, that would be used to initiate the prerequisite training programs. The survey took approximately 3 months to complete. The KRCIPPP team spent much time in identifying residents by selected skills and urging people to participate in a training course. Some residents just wanted to buy and sell things or to receive grants from the project. Therefore, the drive to get student participants was difficult. One failure was a course in which 25 persons enrolled and only two appeared for the first session was particularly disheartening. This was a time consuming process that is part of the overall delay in project progress. From start to finish. the sub-contracting process for training takes anywhere from 4 weeks to 4 months. Once an area of training matching resident's interest is identified, the process to seek-out and contract a service provider begins. KRCIPPP, following USAID regulations, conducted competitive bidding by seeking out at least three proposals (ref: Section 3. Training). "nformation is not disaggregated by community. improved efficiency and number of new businesses. Indicates a two day course. LOP 360 60 15 12 2460 Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi~~. 12 Mav 14,2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Actual 12/31/02 35 3oL 0 12 1401 YO Completed 10% 5 0% 0 100% 57% Remaining 325 20 I5 0 1059 Development Associates. Inc. Task Order 82 - Once this cycle is complete. the KRClPPP staff has to follow-up with panicipants to motivate them and to assure attendance. The above process requires a great deal of KRCPPP staff time. but did not require expending large amounts of project funds. This is how the first nine months of program activities \yere expended. Most stakeholders believe that with this groundwork the project is now ready to ha\-e its intended impact on the specified targets. All stakeholders involved in the KRCIPPP have noted that along with attaining the specified IRs and corresponding indicators. it is necessary to face and resolve enormous obstacles that include: acceptance of a new program in a hostile community: overcoming literacy deficits: the lack of social skills the dire need for basic infrastructure programs: the low level of self-esteem of the residents: a lucrative drug trade: a political tribal mentality: and communities that require major cultural and educational transformation of values. The Grants Pen communit?; is volatile and can explode at any time. There is also a hardcore criminal element in the ghetto that needs to be dealt with by the police. It is the universal opinion of the implementing CBO counterpart agencies that a comprehensive approach is required to realize the SpO of employment generation and in turn. to achieve significant impact in the target cornmuniries. Therefore, the KRCPPP has developed a database in both communities that collects demographic data as well as the interests and preferences ofthe residents surveyed. In recognizing the project's dilemma in not being able to achieve relative success in increased employment and entrepreneurship, KRC/PPP hired a business consultant who started in January 2003 to implement strategies to positively impact lR1. She has a sis-month contract ending on June 30, 2003. Her overall goal is to assist businesses. new or esisting. in becoming and remaining viable. She has been charged with accomplishing four deliverables: 1. To provide assistance to 40 existing businesses in the community 2. To help establish 15 new businesses 3. To place residents in 100 new jobs 4. To establish 2 business information centers To date the consultant is providing ongoing assistance to 18 business owners. while continuing to identify additional businesses. The services she's providing are individualized and include, though not limited to: an assessment of current status-giving business owners an accurate picture: an examination of bookkeeping practices: an assessment of satisfaction wirh current status. i.e.. the direction the business is moving in: to aid in exploring ways to make the business more viable: to aid in determining the need for. identifying. and obtaining additional financing: and assistance in developing business plans. In regard to helpins establish IS new businesses. the consultant has identified and begun discussions with 4 budding business owners. The consultant will assist them with some of the same services as above. along with information on how to start and operate a business. financial management, and pitfalls. etc. Additionall. she is to place 100 residents into neu jobs. Due to the present economy in Jamaica. she admits that this will be her biggest challenge. It is her understanding that many companies are not hiring right now and a significant number are la~ing Evalua/ion of the Peace and Prosperin. 13 .tIq 14. 2003 Projecf in Jamaica Enal Report Developmenf Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 employees off and have also started to contract work out. In fact. many ofthe 60 companies that previously agreed to provide employment for project residents have backed away from their commitment due to redundancy. However, the consultant is aware of the success of the job placement skills bank program that the police are implementing and does have plans to talk with DSP Thompson to determine how they can work together. The consultant stated that if the police program is stronger and could handle the additional capacity she will refer KRCIPPP's clients and database to the job skills bank program that the police are implementing. The consultant is also developing plans for establishing the Business Information Centers. which will be housed within the Peace and Resource.Centers. In addition to the business center concept of providing support services, such as computer and printing capabilities, copying, and a temporary workspace, the Centers will provide mini-workshops and other business development services, The consultant is also seeking to establish within the Centers, a more formalized employment service. It is important to note, as sited in the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), that the bulk of employment placement activities are targeted for the 3rd and 4'" year of the project. That is to say, in 2003 they targeted 180 job placements and 100 in 2004 out of a total of 360 over the LOP. This means that approximately 78% of all job placements were targeted for the last two years of the project. According to the PMP, KRCIPPP targeted 20 job placements in the first year of the project, of which they placed 10 and they placed 25 in year 2, instead of the targeted 60. Overall, for the first two project years, KRCIPPP had a 44% rate of success in job placement activities. Also, out of a total of 60 micro and small businesses assisted and created over the LOP, no targets were proposed for 2001, fifteen for 2002. fn 2002, KRCIPPP provided assistance to 30 business owners, of which four were referred to financial institutions for credit. Of the four, 2 persons received credit. Thus, 75% of the project's targets for micro and small businesses assisted and created were proposed to be completed in 2003 and 2004. KRCIPPP has successfully achieved a number of project activities designed to improve community capacity under IR 2: Conflict Resolution: The Peace and Resource Centers have been established to serve as vital community-building resources within their respective communities. The activities of the two Centers are further discussed in Section 4, Peace CenterIResource Center Operations. Five, I-day Conflict Resolution Training events were conducted for 287 residents by the DRF, who also provided a special 2-day workshop for the seventy-eight 9"' grade students at New Day Primary & Junior High School. Weekly conflict resolution workshops were conducted for 71 sub-committee members and community representatives by Dr. Wendel Abel and Sistren Theatre Collective also provided an additional conflict resolution workshop for 24 participants. A 6-day Mediation Training was conducted by DRF with 16 KRC/PPP staff, community leaders, and residents participating. Two-hour. weekly Group Counseling sessions conducted for the carpentry trainees at the Stella Maris Foundation. These sessions are held to address behavior problems, including lack of discipline, poor attitudes, and inability to resolve conflicts effectively. Dr. Wendel Abel, Consultant Psychiatrist and his team are presently providing this service to the second Evaluation ofthe Peace and Prosprriq 14 Mav 14,2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associofes. Inc. Task Order 82' group of carpentry trainees and to the all male participants of a new literacy program at the Resource Center in Standpipe. To date. this service has been provided to 53 parrjcipants. Six Homework Centers have received support ranging from physical infrastructure upgrades to the provision of computers and supplies. including literacy sofiware. Currentl:.. these centers are serving approximately 80 participants. Peace and Love in Schools (PALS) is being implemented at New Da?. Primap 2k Junior High School. To ensure integration of PALS methodology into lesson plans. PALS trainers provide continuing education for teachers. along with regular classroom visits. In addition. parent sensitization lessons. provision of curriculum materials, a peer mediation program. and program evaluation are being provided. 650 students in grades one through sis and -U teachers have received PALS training. One Literacy Training program has been established in each communi5 with a total of 52 participants. The program in Grants Pen is facilitated by a Special Education Specialist employed by KRC/PPP part-time and the JAIMAL Foundation is providing services in Standpipe. Assisted in implementing the National Peace Day Concert and a community Sports Festival in 2002 at the New Day Primary & Junior High School. Conflict resolution skills awareness was incorporated into the Sports Festival through a performance by the Sisrren Theatre Coliective. These events were designed to mi& the community and an estimated 500 people participated. Support in the form of establishing a Drum Corps is being provided to strengthen and sustain the Cub Scout program in Standpipe and to a Cub Scout prosram in Grants Pen. There are 68 boys participating. A Music Program with a conflict resolution skills building component has been esrablished at the New Day Primary & Junior High School. A Computer Lab has also been established at the New Day Primav & Junior Hish School designed to serve as a training facility for both students and residents of the Grants Pen community. Residents who complete the program will receive joint certification from NCTVET & KRC. Currently. 28 residents are participating. In an effort to further empower each community to address their respective problems and concerns in a structured way. Community Management Committees were established in both communities to identif?. needs and work in conjunction with KRCiPPP to plan and implement initiatives. It is thought that this will further strengthen their capacity to provide governance and to manage community-building activities beyond the life of the project. The committees comprise of business and community leaders. CBO representatives, members of clergy, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). and the Social Development Commission (SDC). Additionally, other services have been provided or are planned to aid the achievement of IR 2: Conflict Resolution. such as: b The development of a long-term contract with DRF to provide additional conflict resolution activities and training. b The establishment of 6 new uniform groups. to include Girl Guides. Brownies and Cadets. Currently. 15 adult females are being trained as group leaders and KRCIPPP is in the process of recruiting males for this role as well. Additionally. the project is seeking to revive the Future Kids program at St. Margaret's church and develop a cultural program to be implemented by EXED Community Colle,oe. - - Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi~ Project in Jamaica Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 A music program and computer lab is under development for New Providence Primary School. Assistance to strengthen the two Homework Centers in Standpipe. One is operated by Providence Outreach at New Providence Primary and the other is at St. Margaret's Church. The management committees in both communities are proposing to conduct cornmunity￾wide events, i.e., Peace Concerts, Cultural and Sports Festivals. In Grants Pen they are seeking to make the Sports Festival an annual event. Upgrading the 3 Piayfields and to develop a sport events sub-committee to devise plans for utilizing these fields. A specialist has been contracted by KRCIPPP to conduct a needs assessment and to deveIop a proposal for upgrading the Basic Schools in Standpipe. Implementation of an Education for Change Program, i.e., YEWNET, PASS, Technical School Equivalency Program. Fostering continued police involvement on the Steering Committee, as well as in community events and activities. In considering each individual program or initiative, KRCPPP is well on its way to surpassing the target indicator/measurement of developing 12 sustained conflict resolution programs that provide residents with mechanisms for utilizing alternative conflict resolution techniques. The Project is also on target to accomplish the indicatorlmeasurement of 2460 residents trained and engaged in sustained conflict resolution programs. Excluding the daily contacts made by the Peace and Resource Centers, and the community-wide events, the project has provided conflict resolution training and program services to approximately 145 1 participants and has atready established 12 initiatives, which amounts to approximately 21 .individual programs. They include: the Management Committees; the Peace Center; the Resource Center; a Computer Lab; a Music Program; Uniform Groups; Literacy Programs; a PALS Program; Homework Centers; a Group Counseling Program : Mediation Training; and Conflict Resolution Training. Reports from KRCIPPP to USAID are full of data and useful information that generally meet most requirements. It is noted that much thought and preparation is put into the semi-annual reports. However, information related to program activities - targets achieved. is not disaggregated. Conclusions KRC has made significant progress in completing every IR performance target except for new jobs and businesses created. Recently, KRCIPPP recognized this issue and hired a business consultant to address it. The business consultant has the ambitious task of trying to accomplish in six months what the KRCIPPP could not do in the prior year and a half. However, the consultant is confident that she will be able to significantly impact IRI by June 30,2003. There remains the question, "what happens after that?" KRC/PPP management has so far not sufficiently addressed the need for future plans and goals beyond June 30. In other words, if present staff were not capable of reaching these targets prior to hiring a consultant, what is to assure that they will be able to build on her efforts after her contract ends? Even if the present staff proves capable of continuing the efforts of the consultant, it is not clear whether their present experience and background will put them in a position to do more than maintain the status quo. In addition, KRC/PPP needs to give greater attention and focus to developing and working toward long range goals. Evaluation of the Peace and Prospeti(v 16 May 14, 200.7 Project in Jamaica Final Report Developm~nt Associates. Inc. Task Order 82' Since it is a long-term process to attain behavioral change and to revitalize an enrire communit!. the Peace and Prosperi~. Project must be implemented in several phases. The firsr phase. sensitization. is presently being conducted b~ KRCIPPP. It involves acceptance and trust via tangible evidence and visible results affecting residents. The economy is stagnanr and a yep limited job market exists. There are many organizations (NGOs. CBOs. schools. government agencies. police. churches. etc.) with a presence in the community. Many committees and councils are formed to assure resident participation and representation. Ho\vever. in the process of creating involvement. layers of bureaucracy have also been created that are causing implementation delays that in turn frustrate the intended beneficiaries. Althoush late in coming. KRCPPP is in the process of addressing and coordinating many of the needs of residents kvith a variety of different activities among the established entities including literac~. training. sports programs, skills training, homework programs. computer classes, uniform programs. etc. The KRCPPP team has done an outstanding job in conflict resolution and in identicing community problems. The staff is most astute in assessing the political and social roles of distinct groups and persons. Without such knowledge project implementation would have been based on trial and error and progress would have been slower as a result. KRCPPP has been effective in responding to felt and real needs of the communities. These factors are laying the eroundwork for impact to be achieved at a future date. Residents can walk into the Peace or u Resource Centers to sign up for a program and receive services regardless of political afiliation. In a pilot project located in a ghetto environment that has to overcome major obstacles. the leap from sensitization to completion of a difficult objective such as employment seneration and business creation is great. Therefore. based on the above information and actual performance to date. it is probably unlikely that the target of obtaining employment for 360 persons bl- LOP will be completed. For the record. the evaluators note that KRCIPPP management insists it can be accomplished with the help of a business development consultant. Finally. KRCIPPP reports can be improved and simplified to save sraff time bj follouing the Performance Indicator Reference Sheets found in the Performance Monitoring Plan for the SpO. A simple matrix would present important data at a glance. Additionally. stakeholders and other concerned parties should be able to call the central office and get veF specific. though basic information on every program that is being or has been implemented through the project fairl? quickly and with minimal effort. Project staff should not have to consui~ a multitude of sources before requested information is obtained. Recommendations I. USAID should allow KRCIPPP to continue its high aims of creating 360 emplol+mcnt opportunities by LOP and coordinate KRCIPPP's efforts with that of the jobs skills bank program that the police implement. New yearly minimum goals for project years 3 and I should be established while keeping the present _coats as an upper limit. 2. KRCIPPP should seek-out or create a job placement agency with a database for hotel workers. tourism. trades. professions. information technolog.. etc. - 3. KRCtPPP should develop a strategic plan for future gro~;th and sustainability \vith specific tarzets. time lines. identify skills needed to accomplish identified tasks. etc. Ir - Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin hoject in Jamaica Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 would also be useful for a suitably, identified staff to work in conjunction with the consultant in somewhat of a protege capacity. 4. As a means of rapping a natural resource within the two communities while providing income opportunities at the same time, KRCIPPP needs to creatively develop an innovative entrepreneurial project. For example: Creative Enterprise Studio (CES) is a community-based arts program designed to provide participants the opportunity to explore their potential through the "creative process" while developing entrepreneurial and employability skills. A detailed description of the CES model is presented as Annex F to this evaluation. 5. KRCIPPP needs to incorporate a new system within their central office for collecting and reporting data on program activities. It does not have to be complicated, but a simple matrix with disaggregated data could be presented in a clear and concise manner, which could easily be updated on a monthly basis. Whatever format is decided on, all staff must utilize the same reporting mechanism for logging information from the field and for submission to the central office. 3. Training Component Findings The methods of selecting residents for training and the training providers are as follows: a.) A community database is functional that gathers information on residents which includes demographics, educational levels, skills, literacy needs, and areas of interest. More than 1,500 residents have been entered into the database. b.) The PPP team looks at the residents' needs, interest and skills in the database and compares them with information provided by HEARTINTA on market demands. c.) A training course is identified and developed taking into account residents' interest and needs and based on market demand. d.) The most experienced and skilled training providers that meet HEART standards and criteria are sought out. e.) RFA letters are sent to each potential training provider requesting technical and cost proposals. f.) The KRC/PPP Project Officer conducts an initial screening of proposals to compare course outline vs. curriculum set by HEART for the industry and a cost analysis. g.) Site visits are made to those providers who have met the basic criteria and passed the first screening process. h.) Three proposals (where applicable) for each course are submitted to the KRCIPPP executive committee with recommendations for decisions. The committee is comprised of the KRC Executive Director, Deputy Director, and KRCIPPP Project Managers. i.) KRCIPPP then enters into a contract that includes costs, deliverables, payment schedules, terms of references. etc., with the successful provider. j.) The process from RFA to contract award takes an average of four weeks, There are also specific customized courses provided by JAGAS and EXED that are sole sourced due to their unique specialties and capabilities. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi offered the classes earlier in the day for KRCIPPP residents (9 a.m. -1 p.m.) the panicipants seem to perform better. indicating that participants are more alerr in the earlier hours has also proven to alleviate some concern on behalf of those \vith young children in regards to being home when their children arrive from school or having to pick them up after school. Some of the problems HEART has faced in regards to the KRCI'PPP recruits are evidenced by an overview of the attendance records for 20 panicipants taking their Welding Certificate Program (54 hours): three people attended 90% of the time: four 80%: four 70%: four 60%: one 50%: and four 40% or below. Often. a participant's attendance is directly impacted by some event within the cornmunit-. such as curfews. a political campaign. etc. Residents who succeed and move on to advanced training programs usually have an employment history or have achieved a higher educational level. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin. Project in Jamaica Muv 14.200.3 Final Repon Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 HEARTIGARMEX provides drapery and upholstery classes, along with interior decorating training and has been working with KRCIPPP for two years. These skills are in high demand and the residents are very enthusiastic and work well together. GARMEX continues to see repeat involvement from participants desiring to learn the different skills. Of the fourteen participants from the KRCIPPP two are male. There were four participants in interior decorating, five in upholstery making. and five in drapery making. In considering occupational standards and models of employability, the skill and academic levels of the residents from the two communities participating in these training programs are consistently below standard, i.e., low literacy rates. Furthermore, it was said that although KRCIPPP is doing a good job in trying to help these young people, it proves to be a very difficult task, because, unfortunately the KRCPPP participants are just not prepared to enter the workforce. HEART has found that 50% of these participants will advance to a higher level, if they stay focused. That is to say, staying focused or committed through the duration of a long training course. It must be noted that if the training does not work out for a particular resident, KRCIPPP continues to work with that person. This leaves residents feeling that society has not totally abandoned them. It keeps hope alive for them. While HEART provides placement services for full-time students onIy, KRCPPP does attempt placement for all participants. Conclusions The training component of the KRCIPPP has taken on extreme importance as a prerequisite to completion of 1Rs and indicators for employment and entrepreneurship. it is also seen as a tool for community sensitization and a means of tangible benefits for residents. Although the specific impact on job creation is not immediately visible. other benefits that are acknowledged by the recipients include increased literacy and positive behavioral changes. The fact of developing literacy skills for an adult changes the entire outlook and lifestyle of that beneficiary and is lauded by family and fellow citizens. These program spin-offs are important to inner-city residents and produce a positive image for KRC/PPP, and USAID. It is the beginning of building individual and community pride that should not be underestimated. The methods of selecting residents for training are appropriate. The methods of selecting training courses and training providers are also appropriate. The quality of training and the subsequent impact as stated above is impressive. However, not every graduate of the training program can be guaranteed a job. KRCPPP may need to consider some creative approaches to capitalizing on the training residents receive, and in light of the economy, provide opportunities for community residents to gain valuable work experience and earn an income at the same time. Recommendations 1. KRCIPPP should initiate a program of internship with the private sector, including organizations who could hire graduates of the training program. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi(r Project in Jamaica May 14, 2003 Final Report Development Associates. Inc. Tmk Order 82- 3 . KRC/PPP should consider developing an apprenticeship/internship program of a specific duration. within the greater Kingston business community by identieins at least t\\ent> (20) business partners that meet the general interestJskil1 areas of the rarseted communities. These apprenticeships/internships coutd provide residents the oppomnir? to gain real "on the job" experience in a job interest area of their choice. The apprenticeship would include a stipend paid by KRCIPPP. To be considered for an apprenticeship. residents would have to meet specific requirements determined b~ KRCIPPP. For example. these could include successful (determine level of evalualion) completion of a training course: completion of at least a hventy-four (24) hour job readiness training class (to include. though not limited to: communication skills: ivork site expectations: assessing and knowing one's skills and abilities: building a resumeibio: grooming; and attitude) and interviewing for the apprenticeship position. even if there's only one person with that particular interest/skili set. In working with the empioyers rhis interview process would be based on information gained from the job readiness training class and basic skill level. The idea is that residents must make a commitment. thereb>- giving something to the process. There should not be an expectation by the residents that they would only have to show up assuming everything else would be done for them. Another potential benefit is that the offer of an apprenticeshipiinternship provides an immediate reward for those who have given significant time and effort to a training course without guarantee of a job upon completion. It also offers a viable goal for those considering a training course or who have just started one. Additionally, KRC can utilize the new business partners to present segments of the job-readiness training - offering sessions on what to expect at the work sire and qualities ond skills enlplovers look.lor in employees. 3. The KRCIPPP should begin institutionalizing its own business projects that seek to hire residents as employees. even if initially they are only paid a stipend. For esample: PartnerShops are a unique type of franchise. Independenti. o\vned and operated by comrnuni~-based non-profit organizations. PartnerShops offer supportive employment and job training ro people who may face barriers to employment. PartnerShops help people develop the skills they need to build their wal- 10 berter lives. Ben & Jerry's Partnershop Program is a ke>- part of Ben it Jem.'s Ice Cream social mission. Building on a traditional ice cream scoop shop business model. participating non-profit organizations create and operate franchises tha~ provide employment and training opportunities for the people they serve. Ben & Jeq's Ice Cream suppon these social-purpose businesses with start-up and ongoing management assistance. Ben & Jerry's is an extremely popular and vep successfui gourmet ice cream company. The evaluators shared this information for the idea. not to suggest that KRCIPPP should partner with specificaliy Ben 8; Jerry's Ice Cream, However. in viewing their website (www.beniern-.corn) it does not appear that Ben 8: Je~'s have franchises in Jamaica. However. there are other franchises and other potential business opportunities in Kin, uston. -. - -- Evoluafion offhe Peace and Prosperin. 21 Project in Jamaica .tfos Id. 2003 final Repon Development Associutes, Inc. Task Order 827 = An Herbal Gardening project. The herbs grown would be based on an assessment of the restaurants in the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area and the herbs they use in preparing their respective menus. The assessment would also ascertain the restaurant's interest in purchasing herbs from a community-based, social development project geared to training and hiring local residents who will otherwise be unemployed to garden and manage the business with professional assistance. Community Beautification and Uplifting Projects. The renovation of play fields is already part of the project work plan. However, the effort might be modified to foster job creation in the communities. After the leveling and other major work is completed, KRCIPPP could design a program in conjunction with the landscaping contractors to hire residents as apprentices to aid in landscaping designs, planting flowers, shrubs and trees, and painting, etc. There are other projects within these two communities that could be considered for apprenticeships, i.e., mural projects, where residents would work in conjunction with a hired reputable local artist to do tiling or work in other media. Dressmaking. To develop a sewingltailoring manufacturing shop (30-50 sewing machines). KRC/PPP could manufacture school uniforms, particularly since they are required dress for ail students and "dance hall fashions" for those youthful night club goers and those that value contemporary fashions, etc. KRC should consider a line item in its budget or set aside program funds for stipends to make an apprenticeshiplinternship program more viable, particularly in light of the Jamaican economy and the requirements of their present contract with USAID and its current requirement for employment creation remains. Considering KRC's relationships with various donor agencies they should be able to solicit funds in this regard. When recruiting residents for training programs that HEARTIJAGAS will provide. KRCIPPP should wait until they have a group of at least 15 participants. This will allow HEARTIJAGAS to train them as a homogenous stand alone class whose participants have similar needs and whose skills are at a similar level. Offer to the community an extensive (40 hours) job readiness training program that has a strong rrYou, Incorporated" focus. This program concept encourages participants to view themselves as a business whose product (themselves) they are selling to the world. We all have natural attributes that can be enhanced with effort. Through this course participants will learn. understand and incorporate vital concepts that will aid them in becoming st very attractive. therefore sellable product. Traditionally, the Four "P's" of Marketing a product are: product; placement; price; and promotion. In this program concept, individuals are challenged to apply the above marketing concepts to selling themselves to a potential employer: I) Product - to identify attributes and deficits, attitude and behavior adjustments. etc.: 2) Placement - to identify interestkkill set and those related organizations. people. and other opportunities for channels of distribution; 3) Price -to identify appropriate wage, salary, etc. and level of commitment and conviction to becoming more marketable: and 4) Promotion - completing applications, building resumeslbios and other communications, grooming, training, interviewing, etc. The above concepts are then complemented by the New Four "P's" of Marketing, which are: Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi(~ 22 Mgv 14, 2200.3 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associates. he. Task Order 81' I) Power - the power of communication. a striking or compelling visual. spoken or wriuen word. a communication that creates interest: 2) Passion - to be passionate about and have a conviction for your work. interests. learning. about life in general: 2) Perspective - is the abilit) to see things in their proper relationship to each other. \!-hat are the general economic conditions and hou does that impact me? U'hat arc m!. compelling attributes? Whj should someone care about hiring me? Orher concerns: 4) Persuasion - is the abili~ to "induce someone to do or think something." The more credible the person is. the less information the need to suppll in order to persuade someone. The aim of this kind of program is to enhance life skills. promote positive attitudes and proactive behaviors that will assist participants in achieving success. It should incorporate communication, problem-solving. decision-making. and goal setting skills and help participants gain insight into their own behavior patterns. which aids or hinders their efforts to reach their goals. 4. Peace Centermesource Center Operations Findings A. Grants Pen The Peace Center was officiaily opened in January 2002 with the purpose of servinz as the hub for community building and conflict resolution. The Center is regarded by community residents as a neutral ground accessible to all (a reference to the two political parties and their respective supporters, which historically have literally divided the community) and offers senices in counseling. conflict resolution training. mediation. personal development. skills training. employment. and small business development. The Center is also used as a meeting place for various community groups. The staff consists of two Center Managers and a Cornmunit>- Officer. who is a resident. They respond to residents who are walk-ins and wish to sign-up for programs. These persons are entered into the KRCPPP database. Center staff also provide training referrals. approve and control transportation costs. supply uniforms. books and materials for student participants. Some 400 residents have used the centers for skills training. job hunring. conflict resolution. sports. and small business assistance, Each person entering a program is given a one-day conflict resolution sensitization lesson. A11 Peace Center staff are trained mediators. One Center Manazer conducts mediation activities onsite and on the streets as well. However. due to the informality of these street interventions, he does not record them. An average of two to three mediations are performed monthly. mostly domestic violence with follow up home visits. A Grants Pen Project Management Committee has been formed for greater community representation and is comprised of residents, cornmunit! clubs, churches. police. schools. etc. The committee has an intrinsic role of supervising the programs of the Peace Center. The Management Committee has submitted a proposal to KRCfPPP to implement a Sports Festival designed to promote camaraderie and community cohesion within Grants Pen. A sports committee has been organized and if approved. they are planning to make this an annual event. . -- Evaharion ofthe Peace and Prosperin. Project in Jamaica Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 The Peace Center serves as a resource for recruiting residents for employment and job readiness skills training opportunities, which is mainly implemented by HEART. KRC/PPP does develop contractual agreements between all of their service providers, as we11 as providing uniforms. books, some clothing items and transportation for trainees. When asked, what he would like to improve about the program, the Center Manager stated the need to develop: I. programs in positive parenting skills, including child management skills; 2. a prevention program that targets young girls who are at risk of teen pregnancy; 3. a Boy Scouts in schools program to enhance those already existing programs to include issues of discipline and drug abuse; 4, programs that empower residents to take charge of their lives, and 5. enhancement of the feeding program at Providence Church. The police value the role of KRCPPP and the Peace Center within the community and even refer do defer to them cases not necessarily warranting arrest. Due to their mutual respect, KRCPPP facilitated an intervention between the residents and police that markedly improved comrnunity￾police relations. B. Standpipe The goal of the Resource Center is to get the youth of the community off of the streets and into constructive activities that occupy their time and are geared toward expanding their horizons, developing their potential and providing opportunities for educational advancement and employment placement. The low literacy rate within the community was the first problem the staff faced upon opening their doors. The residents talked about the stigma of not knowing how to read and their pressing need to overcome that obstacle. The Resource Center responded by developing a remedial program designed to aid residents in learning to read. This strategy is tied to their conflict resolution objective and the program presently has thirty participants and growing. The majority of these participants are male with only four females participating. KRC/PPP has contracted with JAMAL to provide the educational remedial services. A CD Rom reading program has been ordered to aid these residents in their plight. which will also provide them the opportunity for computer training. The Resource Center presently has five computers and is awaiting nine additional units. which will fully outfit their computer-training center, Once all computers are in place, they will also offer a comprehensive computer-training program for community residents. When asked, how he knows if the remedial program is having an effect, the Community Officer stated that the participant's self-esteem has increased. He sees evidence of participants incorporating discretion in their behavior. They are arriving earlier to class and doing or reviewing their school work; they are sharing more with others and taking the initiative to sign up for other skill training programs. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperip 24 May 14, 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82' The Senior Project Officer is a trained counselor and the Community Officer is a trained mediator. and offer mediation services through the Resource Center. Ho\vever. the Resource Center has yet to receive a request for mediation due to the fact that the community has prot-en to be peaceful and safe. Residents are informed of the various programs being offered througb flyers disseminated throughout the community. However. residents have been slow to get involved. Along \vith the three Basic Schools: New Providence Primary School. and the Resource Center. there are essentially three other community organizations in the Standpipe Communit~.. The! are the Liguanea United Sports Club. HACO. and Providence Outreach Program. The police are also directly involved in KRCIPPP through their work with the Drum Corps and uniform groups. The above organizations. along with community residents. have formed the Standpipe Interim Management Committee to oversee the implementation of the KRCPPP: this should sene to produce greater involvement of residents. Conclusions Residents who approach either the Peace Center or the Resource Center with requests for assistance accept these Centers as a community resource that previously was not available. It is a new hnction in both communities that will experience growing pains as they progress due to the extensive and complex activities each encompasses. Community needs are limitless and the Centers cannot and should not attempt to fill them all. There is a tendency ro avoid refusing community requests when obvious needs are so apparent and readily justified. This is an error into which inexperienced center managers can easily fall. The Centers have been able to maintain political neutrality. which is a major accomplishment in this volatile environment. They operate as coordinating entities that are accepted b? the residents. The staff is seen as being residents even though only two of the five are so in realit?. The Centers staff is basically young with limited project implementation experience. Inexperience is readily noted from reports filed on a scattered basis between shon monthl~ activity reports. specific meeting memos. and incident reports. Center effectiveness can only be measured by feedback from communitj. groups. counterpart organizations. the police. the private sector and the person on the street. An esample garnered is that the police now call KRC/PPP staff to mediate and resolve disputes that are not violent. This service was not accessible prior to KRCIPPP. The Peace Center and Resource Center appear to have had a definite stabilizing effect in the community as indicated b). residents and representative groups. However. the Centers are not as responsive as the? could be due to staff* limitations and lack of experience. Recom rnenda tions 1. The Peace Center and Resource Center staff requires training in project planning, implementation and management. including report preparation and the value of documenting all interventions and contacts. If for no other reason. having proper documentation will cenainly provide a fuller picture of sen~ices rendered. utilization of staff time. identification of community needs. and possible impact. Followup could be Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperig Project in Jamaicu .If*- l4.2iW3 final Rtpo~ Development Associates, Inc. . Task Order 827 provided to determine impact or sustainability of intervention and the retention of informationlskills imparted. KRCIPPP needs to develop a strategic plan for the Peace and Resource Centers. There should be a separate plan for each facility. Strategic planning is a process by which organizations seek to identify goals, objectives, and action steps so that optimal results in terms of efficiency and desired impact can be achieved. A strategic plan helps to clarify future direction by involving key stakeholders in prioritizing activities and decision￾making. As an outgrowth of the visioning process, an organizational mission statement will need to be developed. This is a focal point that defines, in broad strokes, how the organization will achieve its vision and serves as a foundation from which goals, objectives and action steps are developed. Goals, objectives and action steps form the nucleus of the strategic plan and provide a bridge between the strategic and operational levels. While goals are comparatively broad, objectives are more focused and action steps specify in very concrete terms responsibilities and timing. Goals are statements of organizational purpose that remain constant over time, whereas objectives and action steps are tested, tried, completed, modified and even abandoned over time. The Peace and Resource Centers should offer other services related to mediationlconflict management and resolution to the community that would be proactive. They could include workshops, general discussion groups about issues related to conflict in the world, families, and within communities that could build a better general understanding of the topic, while developing a rapport with the community and allowing them to become acquainted with the Center and its staff. This not only holds true for the conflict resolution component, but for every other way the Center carries out its work there. An effective communications plan needs to be developed in order to keep all stakeholders apprised of the various activities, while constantly informing the larger Kingston community of what's happening in Grants Pen, i.e., PSA's. a newsletter, press releases. The communication mechanisms between all stakeholders within the Stand Pipe community need to be greatly improved, and they need to be extremely conscientious about making sure that all agreements are fully understood between all parties involved, provide full disclosure and assure consistency of information shared. Receptivify of residents to the assistance being provided. Findings Those persons who are aware of the KRCIPPP have been very receptive of the assistance being provided. However, not all residents in both communities are completely aware of the project. There is still a large portion of community residents who need to be informed of what the KRCIPPP is and what services are being offered. There are more female participants than males because males just like to "hang out". It is also a matter of pride that at the end of a training program, men might be paid less than women and that would hurt their macho image. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiv 26 Moy 14, 200.7 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associates. Inc. Task Order 82- Certainly the KRC/PPP has been implementing numerous activities- and services throushout the past year with man? residents participating. The residents appear to feel good about the KRCfPPP. because they have seen positive changes within their communities since the implementation of the project. They seem to know that it takes time and are encouraged bt. sr-hat they have seen so far. They know that the communi& did not become what it is over night and lasting changes will not be evident over night. Some residents have emphaticall) stated that the Grants Pen community is far better off today than it has been for a long. long time. Others talked about how the project has brought hope into their lives like nothing before. Even the Principals of the New Day Primary and Junior High School and Providence Prima? School reports 1ou7er hostility among youth. increase in parental involvement at school. and an increase in the self-esteem of students as a direct impact of the activities being implemented by the KRCPPP, such as conflict resolution sessions that also address other life issues. The information cited below indicates the desire and capacity for change on the part of residents. as well as a good example of the many activities developed, supported or augmented b? the KRCPPP. b Recently, eighteen residents graduated from Stella Maris Foundation's woodworking program. While going through this six-month program they also participated in group￾counseling sessions to address issues related to behavior management and conflict resolution. b New Day School initiated a Computer Lab where twentyeight community members are presently being trained. 8 The Resource Center in Standpipe started a remedial education program to encourage youth who have dropped out of school to return; there are thirty youth in this program. b As a result of peer mediation training at New Day Primary and Junior High School. older students have started showing up on their own. during the morning school hours. walking around the play fields and premises helping to resolve disputes. Twenty participants started and completed the nine month fosmetolog. Le~el I. certification training. Successful completion gives participants the credentials to obtain employment in the field. Furthermore. seven panicipanrs decided to enter the eleven month Level II. certification training program. which upon completion ivill give them the credentials to work on their own and supervise others. The Level I[ Cosmetology class had knowledge of the overall mission or goal of the Peace and Prosperity Project and many of its activities and sewices. Specificall). the! were able to talk about the activities of the Peace and Resource Centers. the cornmunit!. management commitrees. the conflict resolution programs and training. At least nvo of these residents attended a one-day conflict resolution training and talked about the positive impact of utilizing the skills in their interpersonal relationships. One participant attended what she described as a nvo-da? entrepreneurial training. and others further knew about the resident skills bank and the many skill/empIoyment training opportunities. as well as the possibility for employment placement. Residents knew how the job skills training program fits into the overall scheme of the Peace and Prosperity Program. These participants were also realistic in regards to their expectations for employment after completing the skills training program: all of them had an alternative plan. Evaluation of the Pence and Prosperin. Project in Jamaica Mur Id. 2003 fiat Repon Developmmt Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 Currently. two of these participants style hair out of their homes or within the community for family and friends, and will continue to do so. Another is working at a fast food restaurant on weekends and will continue until something better develops. All three of these participants will seek to be employed by a salon after completing their certification. However. the one participant that is styling hair out of her home right now has plans to eventually grow that business into her own salon. She is already working with the KRCIPPP business consultant. who serves as a mentor and is helping her with a business plan and with other considerations. A focus group was conducted in the Grants Pen community consisting of those residents who have benefited from the KRCIPPP directly and other community members. There were fourteen people in attendance who openly expressed themselves and had very positive things to say about the project that is echoed throughout this report, including the things they suggest improving. All of the residents interviewed were grateful for the KRC/PPP and the opportunities that have been afforded the community and at the same time they realize that many people are not taking advantage of the opportunities, which is why they encourage theirs peers to get involve every chance they get. Residents clearly see the project as helping them as individuals and uplifting the community as well. Several residents talked about there being lots of improvements, more peace and unity within the community even across political Iines since the implementation of KRCPPP. Still others echoed that political tensions were less and people generally have more consideration and respect for one another. Residents related knowing that the community needs to take responsibility for uplifting itself. Others can provide opportunities, but individuals within the community must have the desire to utilize the opportunities for personal growth and development, which can only make the community a better place to live. Homework centers have been established in many churches within the Grants PenIBarbican community, with a sports program component that focus on changing the attitudes of participants. The homework centers average between 30-50 participants, three to four times a week and they have recruited volunteers from the community to serve as teachers. According to the Ministers Fraternal, the response has been thrilling and the homework program has helped to re-establish the spirit of service to and involvement in one's community. According to DSP Thompson of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, there has been a marked reduction in crime-gun violence and murders in the Grants Pen community. Approximately two years ago, there was at least one shooting a day. Now. it has been about two months since the last shooting. He went on to state that the KRCIPPP has had deep sociological impact within the community beyond their expectations. It has already brought people together across group lines, unlike anything before, and residents have witnessed and are participating in a number of activities that has helped them realize that they do have options. People have begun to get a better sense of their own worth and therefore are thinking more about personal development. When asked, how would he rate the level of safety within the Grants Pen community, using a scale of 0 tolo, with 10 being extremely safe, DSP Thompson rated it a seven. Two years ago, he would have rated the safety level at zero and did not send a lone car into the community. It was just too dangerous. Now, he can send a single car in. and does so all of the time without fear of attack on his officers. It was determined, after a review of the crime statistics for the two communities that the crime indicator decreased from 28 at the start of the project in 2001 to 22 in Evaluation of the Peace and Prosprrit.~ Project in Jamaica May 14, 2003 Final Reporr Developmen f Associates. Inc. Tali Order 82' 2002. In KRC's proposal for the same period. they projected that through the activities of the KRC/PPP crime would be reduced to 26 at the start of 2003. Through the years DSP Thompson has seen projects come and go. but he sees KRCIPPP as having the greatest potential for making a sustained impact on cornmunit?. development within Grants Pen. He recognized that the rate of crime and violence is significantl! lower since the KRCPPP initiative and he feeis as though they cannot afford to let the project fail. He is not attributing the chanzes he has seen solely to KRCPPP. but to the influx of all asencies in recent years, working at the grassroots level serving to stabilize relationships between the two political parties, as well as the community in general. However. he does feel that KRCPPP has pla>ed a vital role in making this happen and that they have the ability to strenghen this front by continuing to coordinate with the various communi~ orsanizations and services-guiding the renewed vision. Conclusions The Ministers Fraternal stated that more volunteers are needed for the homework programs in order to decrease the teacher-to-student ratio. so as to avoid burnout and to be able to provide more individualized attention. The Ministers Fraternal is an enthusiastic. capable. invested. and innovative group that is willing to increase their capacity and take on more responsibility and direction for making a difference within the community. One can easily be impressed with the discipline and time commitment that all participants of the Cosmetology program have made-nine months for thirteen participants and it \vill be went) months for the current group of seven. which is a great indication of their desire and capacit>- for change. Obvious\}.. these residents feel that they have and are benefiting from this experience. This evidence is mirrored in the many other trainings and activities that are being or have been implemented within the two communities and have had a number of enthusiastic participants involved. In the focus group at the Peace Center there were five residents registered and exiled about the start of their various training programs. which will be in a week or nco. In fact. prior to the start of the focus group there were twentyseven males on a bus leaving to atlend their firsr session of a computer training course. A consistent thread of data that have surfaced from discussions lvith residents. formall> or informally. is that individuals who alreadj- possess the will and the proactive atritude to improve their life are more likely to take advantage of the programsiactivities offered through the KRCIPPP. Seemingly. as more residents participate-more will participate. fueled by word of mouth and the increasing presence and stability of the project uithin the nro communities. Recommendations 1. KRCIPPP should develop and implement an ongoing volunteer recruitment plan for the homework Centers and provide a stipend for volunteer teachers. which will sen-e as an incentive. as well as a token of appreciation while maintaining stability within the homework pro, -rams 2. KRCIPPP should provide community education workshops through the Peace Center on various topics of public interest. i-e.. Responsible Citizenship. Parenting Skills, Domestic - Evalua~ion of the Peace and Prosprri(v 29 Project in Jamaica .Var I4 200-3 final Report Development Associates, inc. Task Order 827 Violence, Understanding the Justice System-the Role of the Judge. the role of the Justice of the Peace, conducting mock trials, etc. 3. KRCIPPP should deveiop a public education campaign to continually inform the community about the various activities and services that are available to them. The project needs high visibility, while simply promoting in a big way what the KRCIPPP is doing. One recommendation from a resident is that each male participant should bring one friend into the program. Recommendations 2 and 3 will be complementary to activities to be conducted under SO 5. Improving Community Policing. 4. KRCIPPP should develop an overall vision for the two communities and assume the role of guiding all stakeholders toward this vision. 5. KRCPPP needs to develop a plan that incorporates capacity building, where needed, of existing and potential community-based, implementing partners. Partners such as Stella Maris Foundation, Grants Pen Ministers Fraternal, HACO, Providence Outreach Committee, Liguanea United Sports Club, and the community management committees may need organizational strengthening, for example, in fund development, including grant writing skills. This will assist in giving them the capacity to approach donor agencies directly, to solicit those funds that will allow them to continue providing current programs and services and in many cases the services they initiated under limited capacity prior to KRCIPPP. Because these organizations are based in the targeted communities, in other words, they were there before KRCIPPP and they will be there after the project, this kind of capacity building will provide the opportunity to ensure that quality programming will be sustained within these continues beyond the LOP. Such capacity building can be initiated through the sub-grants process that creates credibility for KRCIPPP and other donors with the sub-grantee. 6. Steering Committee Effectiveness Findings The Steering Committee now oversees two components of the SpO, as well as the Democracy and Governance Project. A number of stakeholders interviewed stated that the Steering Committee is not effective and the reoccurring indicators of ineffectiveness were: members are unclear about their role; the committee is too large; and many members do not come to a significant number of the meetings. The Steering Committee is presently functioning without specific terms of reference with KRCIPPP. Several members indicated that perhaps such a document is needed to aid members in feeling empowered, while serving to clearly define their role. However, many, if not all members of those interviewed, stated they perceive the Steering Committee as an entity which ensures that the project meets its targets and to intervene on issues related to management and program effectiveness. The Ministers Fraternal states that having one Steering Committee for both communities is proving to be a problem. There are similarities between the two communities, but there are also distinct differences. Usually when the Steering Committee meet, they end up spending more time talking about Grants Pen. which has begun to cause some dissension for those that live and/or work in Standpipe. who expect equal time for their concerns. EvaIuation of the Peace and Prosperitr 30 May 14,2003 Project in Jamaica Final Rtporr Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82: Conclusions There seems to be a real lack of ownership. as well as leadership on the pan of the project Steering Committee. The committee has not assumed responsibili~y for the direction of the project. nor do they seem empowered or capable of holding KRC/PPP or any of the collaborative partners accountable. The committee seems to be at a loss as to how to intervene on issues related to management and program effectiveness. This is not unusual for any group \vhen it first comes together. The committee still seems to be in its infancy or forming stage of group development and is functioning as a group of individuals performing a perfunctop- task. as opposed to a team that is empowered to take charge of its own destiny-working hand-and-hand as a unit, motivated by the will to achieve its ultimate vision. The team questions the appropriateness of having the KRC Executive Director chair the project Steering Committee. Since one of the primary roles of the committee is to oversee the implementation of the KRC/PPP, they have essentially placed the Executive Director in the prime position to oversee himself. However, it is recognized that at least three attempts have been made to elect a chairperson who is independent of KRCiPPP. This amounts to three different people being asked to chair the committee at various intervals since its inception and they have all refused the position. Meanwhile. the search goes on and the project as well. Also, the present structure of the committee keeps the focus of the Peace and Prosperity Prosect on KRC. In other words. the committee does not feei a sense of ownership of the program. This is evidenced by repeated comments about what KRC is or is not doing in regards to project implementation. but never. "we're not." or "the committee is or is not doing on behalf of the KRCPPP." There is concern about the size of the Steering Committee and that it might be too large to be effective. Often with large membership the process tends to move slower due ro weli-intended input from all members. there is a diverse arra? of opinions to consider. personal agendas to wade through. and the lack of motivation that may occur when cenain members fail to attend most meetings-to cite some of the issues. The evaluators were pleased to see that the project Steering Committee has recognized some of its issues and have staned the process of restructuring. The committee met on March 7. 2003 to develop a long-term vision for the communities they represent. to identify constraints and strategies. to identify additional members and the roles/responsibilities of its membership. The evaluators are also concerned that youth are not represented on the committee. nor does it seem to be a consideration for committee members. However. there is a community management team in each cornmunit> that senses to address relevant issues related to their respective communities. The management team sen-es to increase the involvement of residents in the process. seemingl). expediting a sense of team and ownership. Recommendations I. The steering committee needs organizational development trainins that includes strategic planning. which will aid them in developing and expanding their role in the KRC/PPP and in project management. This vision for organizational development must be an investment over an extended period of time for all involved if the project is reall>- serious about building capacity and sustainability at the local level. Other factors are discussed Evaluation of the Peoce and Prosperig 3 l .\jar 14.3002 Project in Jomaica final Repon Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 in Section 5, Receptivity of residents to the assistance being provided. see recommendation #5. 2. Appoint a minimum of two youth to serve as members of the project Steering Committee. 3. To ensure sustainability beyond the funding cycle, the project Steering Committee should consider identifying an organization that will be suitable or better equip itself, to assume management of the project. Furthermore, the project Steering Committee should seek to clarify and secure its role with the KRCIPPP by developing and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with KRCIPPP. 7. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Design to Develop the Entrepreneurship Element Findings The design of the entrepreneurship component of the project is substantial with solid conceptualized factors. As in any proposal the design is a projection of potential actions to complete outcomes that address specific problems. The KRCIPPP entrepreneurial design is based on past historical experiences and has potential for success. An analysis of the entrepreneurial design demonstrates numerous strengths as follows: Recognition that only the market creates employment, not NGOs Creation of conditions needed to enhance business opportunities Recognition of conditions that will meet resident's needs Creation of a strong in-house database for analysis Design of business selection criteria Development of an extensive skills training program Leveraging of funds with good access for loans, technical assistance, and tools Extensive networking within and outside the communities Development of community business centers. Design weaknesses include: Limited business sector management capabilities for implementation Private sector participation overly optimistic Lack of taking into account high illiteracy rate in the communities Start-up projections not realistic for volatile community Conclusions The groundwork has been laid for assisting existing businesses and creating new ones. The KRCIPPP has gained acceptance in the community, the crime rate has been reduced and large amounts of resources are being put in these two communities. Even though the economy is sluggish, micro-enterprise development can move forward. There is time remaining for this project component to complete its IR. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosper;[,. 32 Project in Jamaicu May 14, 2003 Final Report develop^ Associu~es. Inc. Task Order 82- One of the major constraints in moving the entrepreneurship component at a faster pace is the lack of a strong. experienced. business project offrcer responsible for implementation and oversight. This requires a full time position and shouid not be managed bl- consultants or short term TA. Recommendation Additional professional staff: ie., an experienced Business Project Officer needs to be incorporated into the KRCPPP. 8. Level of Synergv and Complementarity with programs of ofher agencies Findings USAIDIJamaica has taken the lead role of being the major implementing agenq- with other donor organizations in executing a comprehensive approach to developing peace and prosperih is inner-city ghettos. Participating agencies include international donors such as IDB. CDB. CIDA. the Governments of Great Britton and Japan. the Ministries of Local Government. Social Security, Social Development Commission. the Jamaica Constabulary Forces. etc. The USAID SO 5 Democracy & Governance component complements the KRCPPP lvith elements of strengthening civil society. rule of law and police community relations. KRC has de\-eloped relationships with nonprofit and private sector organizations including Bank of Nova Scoria, Shell Company. Super Value Supermarkets. etc. In conjunction with the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS). CIDA is financing the Micro Enterprise Financing Limited (MEFL). a private non-profit corporation dedicated to micro financing in seven inner-city communities. MEFL was founded with KRC input in November 2002 tvith a grant from CIDA. They are presently working in three communities and have given 24 group loans. By April 30. 2003. MEFL will be operative in Grants Pen and eventual1 in Standpipe communities. MEFL is aiming to become self-sufficient after the five->ear CID.4 ?rant is terminated. CIDA is highly satisfied with the KRC because the leveraging of funds from various sources to implement complex programs is one of its priorities. They envision the use of USAID funds to offer skills training while ClDA monies will be used for loans. CIDA suppons the concept of community Business Development Centers that KRC is proposing to initiate. These centers would assist micro-enterprise owners with functions of bookkeeping. cost analysis. marketing and other aspects of profit making. CIDA further stated its satisfaction with the past track record of KRC in attaining resdts and funds accountability. The Department for international Development (DFID) is a division of the British High Commission that has funded KRC over the past five years to implement the Jamaica Urban Poverty Program (JUPP). A key element of this program was for DFlD to place an expatriate into the KRC organization for policy direction and project oversight. The espatriate in question was included as part of the KRC Management Team in the PPP proposal. He has recently departed Jamaica leaving his position vacant. JUPP implements a holistic approach to Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin. 33 Project in Jumuica Nay 14,2003 Final Repon Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 community development 'including commerce, conflict issues, environment. CBO strengthening. and welfare activities. The JUPP experience with KRC is positive since KRC delivered what they proposed which in turn helped KRC to receive funding from USAID, IDB, CDB, and Government of Japan. They have found KRC to have had good technical staff but at the organizational capacity level KRC is too stretched out and lacks an organizational business plan. DFID has also noted the management limitations and weaknesses of KRC. KRC through JUPP sponsors an annual donors meeting which involves the private sector. government, donor agencies, community organizations, etc., which receives wide acceptance and media coverage. One plan is to have KRC deliver and present one yearly report to all stakeholders. This would alleviate the multiple reporting burdens placed on KRC by all parties involved especially donors. The DFID sees KRC as the only alternative to inner-city development since it can be trusted as opposed to government agencies that have proved to be ineffective. They do however envision stronger future cooperation between KRC and the Social Development Commission (SDC). There is a high level of synergy and complementarity with other donor agencies implementing programs in the target communities. KRC has exploited the synergies available by effectively coordinating with other donor agencies. Of course, there is always room for improvement when resources are sorely limited and the need so great for socio economic development. KRC has developed exceptional credibility with the GOJ, and where practical and feasible could begin to work towards obtaining infrastructure development including recreation facilities, hygiene and sanitation programs. etc. for the target communities. Agencies such as the SDC. Social Security and the JSIF could possibly be leveraged to have significant input to the project. The KRC Executive Director is positioned to deal with these agencies since the GOJ has stated its interest in working through this local NGO. KRC should further seek to expand its working relationships for the PPP with private sector groups especially in the hotel and tourist industries. The role of KRCPPP: at this point. has been one of activities coordinator and developing partner relationships. However. KRCIPPP. with its capacity for leveraging funding, should also function as an entity that builds other NGO capacities, uses other organizations as instruments and builds strong partnerships through specific sub-grant agreements. KRCiPPP can move in that direction with homework centers, business development, sports programs, and other activities by utilizing present working relationships with counterpart NGOs. CBOs, and church organizations. KRC/PPP could further be more active with using its donor contacts by functioning as a broker between CBOs and donor agencies. Recommendations 1 There is a perceived need from the donor agencies interviewed for KRC to receive institutional strengthening possibly via an expatriate professional who could instruct staff. design urban development policies. conduct research, and feed into other agencies of the GOJ and donors. Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperi!~ 34 May 14, 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associares, Inc Task Order 82- 2. KRC/PPP should develop an organizational business plan as a tool to improve performance and to ensure a salient financial picture. A business plan aids an organization in proactive decision-making that guides the activities of all sraff to meet the real and legitimate needs of the firm. A business plan helps an organization track the really important objectives that must be achieved to accomplish success and provide mechanisms for addressing particular situations as they arise in light of those priorities. It is a plan for action. There are several key points to keep in mind when developing a business plan. they are: Put it in Writing. Getting it all down on paper tends to reveal where the plan is vague or undeveloped. If it's not in writing. it is too easy to skate over the process. Make It Shorl. Six to ten pages is adequate. Focus on what you realistically want to improve about the business and what has to be done to realize those goals. Limit [he Plan to One Year. Review the plan every two to three months and revise it as necessary to adjust for actual events and results. Get the Staff to Participate. The staffs open agreement with the plan is also a ke? to its success. They usually know best what the realistic needs of the orzanization are and what has to be done to meet them. An effective. comprehensive plan should include certain specific components: (1) Overview: (a) General: mission and critical factors of success: (b) Marketins Plan: the analysis. assumptions. and needs regarding customers. products and services. assessnlent of competition. prices. and promotion and selling: (c) Production and Deliver? Operations: (d) Staff: a review of personnel. compensation. staffing needs. and the executive director's supervision and organization of the staff: (e) Financial Status: cash situation and needs. costs and expenses. and working assets: (f) Administration: day-to￾day operations and procedures. adequacy of accounting sysrem. and internal controls: (gl Business Environment: the economy. demographic changes and trends. and government regulations. taxes. etc.: (h) Contributions of the Owner-Manager: (i) Summaq and Conclusions: list the priority needs. problems. and opportunities: (2) Cbnwerr. Prim-ie￾Bzrsines.~ Objectives: first tier and second tier: (3) Action Plars; (4) Budgers: cash flou. income and expenses. and other. B. OTHER ISSUES I. Effectiveness of Project Design, Perforrzance Targets, and Intermediate Resrrirs Indicators Findings The Development Options research report was separated into distinct programs with conflict resolution and violence reduction being discrete from the economic empowerment program. The RFA for the PPP basicall!. mirrors the Development Options approach by combinins the two programs into one. Development Option's concept of economic empoivermenr places job creation as an output of preceding initiatives: although their timeframes for completion of those initiatives was overly optimistic. While. the KRCPPP projecr design is efkctive in that it Evaluafion of the Peace and Prosperin. 3 MOJ I42003 Project in Jamaica Find Rrpor~ Developmenf Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 focuses on real community needs, the one performance target and intermediate results indicator for job creation is placing excessive stress on the implementing and donor agencies. During the process of determining IRs and indicators for each KRCPPP component. there was a heavy emphasis placed on job creation. This emphasis is carried over into the reporting responsibilities of both the implementing agency and USAID. As noted earlier, all targets except for job and business creation, are viable and being achieved. KRC/PPP on several occasions has had the opportunity to change and/or lower the employment creation indicator but has steadfastly insisted on completing it as proposed. USAID is open to such indicator adjustments stating that they are not etched in stone and perhaps the employment readiness component should be the new indicator. Conclusion The Jamaican reality is that jobs are scarce due to the economic situation in the country. Coinciding with that hurdle, the residents within these two communities do face a perception problem from the greater business/working community. They are stigmatized virtually by where they live. in addition, the residents in these two communities possess low educational achievement and skill attainment. OAen, their work ethic and values do not readily compliment those of mainstream society. Far beyond their expectations, KRCPPP is faced with addressing major behavior changes before many of these residents could successfully face the world of work and business development. The PIOJ stated its belief that targets should be modified downward in a future-planning meeting. KRCPPP management believes it can attain the employment target because the precedents required are presently being addressed. Recommendation The evaluation team has previously recommended and maintains that KRC should continue to set its aim high to complete the job and business creation indicators by LOP. 2. Influence of the Political, Social and Economic Environment on the success of the Project Findings Political In Grants Pen there are nine sub-communities or sub-divisions. Crossing from one area to another is a constant cause of danger and concern to residents. In such a volatile community, time is required with residents to receive acceptance before one can initiate activities. Social Crime in the communities is most prevalent for males between the ages of 17 and 25. There is a need to challenge the youth in both communities to participate in the KRCIPPP in order to break the cycle of receiving training: frustration with no jobs available after training, and ultimately a Evaluafion of the Peace and Prosperil?. Project in Jamaica Mav 14, 2003 Final Reporf Development Associates. Inc. Task Order 82' turn to crime. Literacy. numeracy. and social skills are major hurdles in the communities that need to be overcome for the KRC/PPP to succeed in attaining its results. A11 community residenrs need to receive conflict resolution training via non "talk and chalk" methodologies. KRCFPP identified the need to build trust and strengthen the relationship between the police and the community. There is a complex balance between rights and responsibilities that creates a dilemma for inner-city residents. USAID. under the D&G activity. will conduct police training programs in ethics, corruption. public relations. as Lveli as areas of salary standards. Behavioral attitudes and limited resources tend to create apathy and to generate small or limited goals. Constant rejection for support of small events reinforces this mentality among the people. A slow implementation of program activities further strengthens a negative attitude by some residents towards the project. So. sitting back and waiting for things to happen becomes the norm even for active players wanting to achieve KRCPPP targets. It is difficult to take initiatives or aspire to greater targets when the ordinary things take forever to accompiish. Economic During project design and community research activities. the private sector promised participation that was not forthcoming as expected. With a downturn in the economy and also due to the high crime rate, businesses located in the communities have left. creating sreater unemployment and a bleak future outlook for job seekers. There is a need for a qualified permanent KRC/PPP staff member exclusivel: to link with the private sector. Inner-city community residents have a pool of talent that has yet to be esploited. KRCPPP needs to search for unique ways to market and exploit local talent that is not confined ro traditional thinking. Project staff and other stakeholders should begin to think "out of the bos" and move trainees to the next higher level of becoming experts. The KRCiPPP needs dynamic approaches for residents to deal with employment opportunities. Conclusion The project has had to deal with many complex political. social and economic factors. Their patient approach appears to be paying dividends. 3. Consideration of a Possible Merger of the SpO and the Dentocraq and Govername Programs Findings Positive factors for continuing SpO activities and structures: KRC/PPP has a strong presence and acceptance in Grants Pen: Already they have networks with CBOs, schools. churches. etc: Sensitization programs are underway: They are deeply involved in dispute resolution including PALS: There are several uniform programs in place; Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperiw 37 Mar Id. 2003 Projecr in Jamaica final Repott Develo~men! Associates, Inc. Task Order 827 They have initiated and continue training of mediators in the community: They could be instrumental in developing broad based community dialogue: There is already an IR to reduce crime and violence; The merged SOs effort could be instrumental in strengthening NGOs and CBOs: KRCIPPP would be part of the Model Police Station: They could assist with training citizens of rights and responsibilities: KRCIPPP has the same constituencies as D&G; They have a strong track record working in ghettos; The merged activity would share the same Project Steering Committee; and KRCIPPP has a community Project Management Committee in place. Questionable factors: KRCIPPP is not a human rights organization; KRCIPPP involvement is in social services, not criminal activities; Would KRCPPP become too identified with police and compromise it's reputation with the community? Is there a loss of neutrality issue?; and Does KRC/PPP have a role in the PERF work plan? Conclusion Looking at all the positive aspects of KRCIPPP's potential involvement in the Community Policing Project, it appears that the SpO could be easily moved into the D&G portfolio. Half of the KRCIPPP performance indicators would readily fit into SO 5. The other half regarding business assistance and employment would need to be revised. If one would consider the first phase of the KRC/PPP as sensitization and/or pacification, there would be a good justification for the revision and change. The big question however, is whether KRCIPPP, as an organization, would accept the close identification with the police. Recommendation From a management perspective, it makes sense to have both activities, while continuing as two separate projects, under one USAID office especially to facilitate the flow of information and to avoid the duplication of meetings and other activities. or the funding repetition of local entities. C. SPECIAL EVALUATION NOTES In the course of carrying out the evaluation, the team took note of various items not in the SOW. They are presented below. b Peace Corps should be involved as part of the Mission's strategy for KRCIPPP implementation. This should be accomplished on a Director-to-Director level to institutionalize the placing of volunteers in key positjons such as sports, scouts, 4H Clubs, music. etc. b Recreational properties are needed in Grants Pen that are community owned, i.e., basketball courts. playgrounds, parkslwater fountains. playfields, etc. Evaluation of the Peace ond Prosperih. 38 Mav 14,200.3 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82' b The Jamaica Social Investmen; Fund should be approached by the communities of Grants Pen and Standpipe to request financial support for infrastructure pro, Orams. b A community malllcenter would transform Grants Pen and could include: Post Office Internet Cafd Police Academy Arts & Crafts Daycare Center Community small businesses Health Center Pharmacy b UNDP brokers requests to the U.N. Foundation (funded by Ted Turner. CNX) that finances socio economic development projects with matching funds. There is a precedent and USAIDIJ may wish to explore this possibility. The precedent is rhat USAID/Guatemala's regional environmental program granted $1.5 million to UNDPIJamaica's reef project with the U.N Foundation matching $1 -5 million. This type of donor leverage would be mutually beneficial. b A high level consortium of donor and government agencies should be formed to deal with the costly. complex and diverse needs of the two communities. In conclusion the team notes this is a very challenging pro-iect. It has involved dealing u-ith man>- more problems than expected. However progress is being made on some of the underlying problems that must be addressed before things like employment will happen. There has also been a problem in staffing-up to accomplish all that needs to be done and as a result there has been under-spending. Since this is a vital program this problem needs to be addressed quick]!. We recommend that USAlD work with KRCPPP so the). can acquire the expertise needed to \\ark in NGO strengthening and program implementation so that the project can build on the strong foundation developed and fully succeed. Evaluation of the Peace und Prosperi(r 39 ,tta~- 14, 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Reporr ANNEXES Page No. Annex A Persons Interviewed .......................................................................................... I Annex B Documentation Reviewed .................................................................................... B-I . . Annex C Organization Structure ........................................................................................... C- I Annex D Acronyms ......................... .. ..............*.................................................................. -1 Annex E Statement of Work .................................... .... ......................................................... E- 1 Annex F Creative Enterprise Studio Model ....................................................................... I Evaluation cfthe Peocr and Prosperin. Ala~ 14. 2003 Project in Jamaica En01 Report USAlD Mosina Jordan, Mission Director John Wright, SpO Team LeaderKTO Dorna Service, Project Management Assistant Dennis Darby, Team Leader/D&G Sasha Parke. Project Management Specialist Robbin Brinkley, Director. Program Office Denise Lawrence, Development Program Specialist Peter Klosky, Controller Avril Britton. Financial Support Advisor Kingston Restoration Company Morin Seymour, Executive Director Patricia Balls, PPP Project Manager Alain Williams, JUPP Project Officer Grace Leslie, Resource Center (SP) Alrick Sutherland, Peace Center Lillieth Dixon, Peace Center Claudine Anderson, Project Officer Betsy Davis, Project Officer A1 Alexander, Resource Center (SP) Leslie Davis-Bennett: Community Officer Angella Blackwood-Baker Deanna McFarlane, Business Consultant Viola Banton, Ex-employee/ Antonette Richards. Ex-employee Samantha DuQuesnay, Ex-employee GOJ Denise Irving, Planning Institute of Jamaica Sanya Laing, PIOJ Delroy Chuck, Minister of Parliament Dr. St. Aubyn Barren, Minister of Parliament Dep. Super, Thompson, JCF Pauline Pink, JCF Sandra Berry. HEARTtNTA Merlyn Brown. HEARTNTA Residents Anthony Simpson. Stand Pipe Monica Gordon. Principal New Providence Primary Sonia Ormbsy. Principal New Day Primary Byrant Jacas, Barbican Grants Pen Uplifting Movement Evaluation of Be Peace and Prosperin. A- l Mar Id. 2003 Project in Jomnica final Report Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 Norris Jackson, Barbican Grants Pen Uplifting Movement Focus Group Cosmetology Focus Group Community Residents Grants Pen Counterpart AgenciesISewice Providers Rev. Richard Albert, Founder, Stella Maris Foundation Keith Russell-Brown, Executive Director, SMF & Steering Committee Frankson, SMF Donna Parchment, Dispute Resolution Foundation Karen Gentles, Dispute Resolution Foundation Bridgett Mills, Garmex Academy Desmond James, Jamaica German Automotive School Rev. Catherine Gayle, HACOI SC Patricia Allen, HACO Rev. Vivian Cohen, HACO Rev. M. Morgan, Minister Fraternal ChajrmanISC Rev. Green, Minister FraternalISC Rev. Dodman, Minister Fraternal1 SC Rev. E. Mairhead, Minister Fraternal Rev Mitchell, Minister Fraternal Rev. D. Miller, Minister Fraternal Mrs. T. Greene, Minister Fraternal Rev. Dr. Kinley, Minister Fraternal Rev. Hall, Minister Fraternal Mary Dawes, Mary's School of Cosmetology (focus Group) Donor Agencies Vivian Monteith, First Secretary, ClDA Debra Williams, Microenterprise Financing Limited Gordon Saggers, British High Commission Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperilr A-2 May 14,2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report Development Options Basic Research USAID Request for ApplicationdPeace & Prosperity Project Community Profile-StandpipdCedar Valle Community Profile Grants Pen, St. Andrew KRC Cooperative Agreement KRC Technical Project Proposal KRC Corporate Plan & Annual Work Plan Performance ~Monjtoring Plan Project Managers Semi Annual Reports (2) Summary of SpO SAR Issues Final Report - Micro Enterprise Project for KRC Brief on USAIDfJarnaica Democracy & Governance Project Implementation Status USAID/J Car-Supported Community Policy Activity Grants Pen Expenditure/Advances/Liquidations work sheets Memorandum of Understanding - KRC and Stella Maris Foundation Standard Contract for Purchase of Services - KRC and Jan's School of Catering Report on Training - Cosmetology Level It Personal Services Contract - KRC & Yvonne Elliott-Mattis Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin. B- I Aim. Id. 2003 Project in Jamaica find Report ORGANISATION STRUCTURE - PEACE & PROSPERITY PROJECT (PPP) Alrick Sutherland Lillittb Dixon BNS CBOs CDB CES CIDA CTO D&G DFID DPS DRF €XED GARMEX GOJ HACO Bank of Nova Scotia Community Based Organizations Caribbean Development Bank Creative Enterprise Studios Canadian International Development Agency Cognizant Technical Officer Democracy and Governance Department for International Development Deputy Superintendent Dispute Resolution Foundation Excelsior Community College Garmex Academy Government of Jamaica Hope Area Church Organizations HEARTNTA ~u&n Employment and Resource Twining/National Training Agency IDB 1 R JAGAS JAMAL JLP JSIF JUPP KRC LOP MEFL MP NGOs PALS PERF PERT PIOJ PN P PPP PSC RFA SDC SOW SPO SMF TA UNDP USAID Interamerican Development Bank Intermediate Results Jamaica German Automotive School Jamaica Movement for the Advancement of Literacy Jamaica Labor Party Jamaica Social Investment Fund Jamaica Urban Poverty Program Kingston Restoration Company Life of Project micro Enterprise Financing Limited Member of Parliament Non Governmental Organizations Peace and Love in Schools Poke Executive Research Forum Program Evaluation and Review Technique Planning Institute of Jamaica Peoples National Party Peace 8: Prosperity Project Personal Services Contractor Request for Applications Social Development Commission Scope of Work Special Objective Stella Maris Foundation Technical Assistance United Nations Development Program United States Agency for International Development Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin D- I .\fa! 14. 2003 Project in Jumnico fino1 Rwrr STATEMENT OF WORK FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY PROJECT 1. Purpose USAID/Jamaica requires the services of a Contractor to conduct a mid term evaluation of the Peace and Prosperib. Project which has a completion date of September 2004. The evaluation will assess the progress and impact to date of the Peace and Prosperiv Pro-iect and to make recommendations for modifications in project design and implementation for the remaining life of the project. The focus of the evaluation will be on examining the major project interventions. project impact to date and overall effectiveness in contributing to Intermediate Results achievement. 2. Background The Special Objective activity is a Pilot project designed to assist with creating an improved way of life for the residents of the Grants Pen and Stand Pipe communities. These communities are characterized as urban inner city communities plagued with high levels of unemployment. illiteracy, crime and violence. During the period March 2001 to December 2002, following the signing of the Cooperative Agreement in March 2001. the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) has initiated ad\-hies aimed at achieving the Special Objective "Improved Economic and Social Conditions in Targeted Inner City Communities". The two Intermediate Results are: a) Increasing Opportunities for Employment and Entrepreneurship: and. b) Improving Cornmunit) Capacit! for Conflict Resolution. There are a number of indicators that link directly to each of the two key results. For the intermediate Result One (IRI) the indicators are: Number of persons employed; Number of business assisted and new businesses created. For Intermediate Result Two (I=) the indicators are: Number of major crimes reported; Number of conflicr resolution programs implemented and sustained: Number of residents trained in conflict resolution. KRC the implementing agency has embarked on a number of initiatives that is expected to +Ad the results of the targets agreed for the indicators. These initiatives include: Establishment of a Peace Center Vocational Jobs Skills training for community residents Training in Conflict Resolution Training of Mediators Establishment of Homework Centers Technical Assistance to micro and small business f rms EstabIishment of Computer Laboratories in Priman. Schools Peace Day Concert Sports Festival -- Evaluation of the Peace and ProsperiF Project in Jamaica Development Associates, Inc. Task Order 82 7 3. Scope of Work The Contractor will carry out the following activities as part of the evaluation exercise: Meet with USAlDiJamaica SpO team and USAID Mission senior management Interview community residents (randomly) Review the following documents: The Grant Agreement, KRC's Workplans. the Project Manager's quarterly reports, Minutes of the Steering Committee Meetings, Peace Center monthly reports and the relevant financial reports dealing with the level of disbursements to and expenditure by KRC. Interview: KRC's project team and senior management, leaders of community based organizations in Grants Pen and Stand Pipe communities; KRC-led Steering Committee; residents who have completed training programs; and, private sector firms employing graduates of the project's training programs. Interview: Principals of the Primary Schools in both communities; Stella Maris; Dispute Resolution Foundation; Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); HEARTiNTA; Department For lnternational Development (DFID); Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); Clergy's Ministers Fraternal; and, private sector managers operating businesses in these communities. The Contractor will submit a report to USAIDIJamaica based on the reviews and interviews described above and make recommendations concerning the following: The extent to which the activities being implemented by KRC are likely to achieve the performance targets under both Intermediate Results; The operation and impact of the Peace Center in stabilizing the community; How resourceful is the Resource Center in the Stand Pipe community The effectiveness of the Steering Committee; The quality of project management; The appropriateness of the method of selecting the residents for the training courses. The appropriateness of selecting the training courses and institutions. The quality and impact of the training that is being provided to the residents in both communities. The effectiveness of the project design. performance targets, and intermediate results indicators. The level of synergy or complementarity with programs being implemented by the other donor agencies, government agencies, and other organizations that are present in these two communities. Examine the strengthdweaknesses of the design to develop the entrepreneurship element. The contractor is required to deliver a first draft report within fifteen (1 5) working days of the signing of the contract. A second draft ten (1 0) days after submission of the first draft. Five (5) copies of a draft of the final report will be submitted to USAIDIJamaica five (5) days after the second draft to be reviewed by OEG staff and comments forwarded to contractor within two (2) Evaluation of the Peace and Prosperin. Project in Jamaica May 14, 2003 Final Report Development Associates, Ittc Task Order 82' days. The Contractor will provide the Economic Growth Office with five (5) copies of the final report along with a diskette (in microsoft word). All appendices. tables. ex shall be included in both the report and on the diskette. 5. Qualifications Contractor shall provide two person team to complete this assignment. The lead person wiiI have a University degree in Sociology and knoxvledge of Business Management or other relevant areas and must have experience with inner cie developmenr programs for at least three years. This person must have demonstrated analgical abilities and have excellent writing and interpersonal skills. Previous experience in inner city cornmunit>- development programs funded by USAID is desirable. The second person must have a minimum of three years experience in conductinp research/evaluations, a college degree and a demonstrated ability to conduct interview-s and focus group sessions. 6. Work Days Ordered Work must commence on or before February 10: 2003 and shall be completed b> 40 work days after commencement. This includes timely provision of the deiiverables described above. A total of 80 man-days is required for this assignment. The contractor is expected to complete 30 days in country and 10 days in home country. Technical Direction The OEG Office Director (or his designate) and the Special Objective (SpO) team \vill provide on-going guidance and direction to the Contractor. 7. Evaluation Criteria Past PerformanceIExperience 70 % Demonstrated experience in evaluating and analyzing development projects over the last 5 years Timeliness 30% Record of completing assignments within agreed contract periods. Total 100% Evaluarion of the Peace and Prosperiw Project in Jamaica Art is a dynamic and unifying activity that can play a vital role in the development of rhe whole person. Art is a vehicle through which participants can enhance their self-esteem and learn to utilize inner resources in order to relate more positively to their environment. The firsz phase of CES, which is ongoing. involves engaging participants in the creative process. producing the artistic products. This can include paintings. mask making. portec. \vood\vorking and carpentry products. and refurbished furniture as art. It can also include the perfomin, 0 am. such as music, dance and theatre. The program should also incorporate projects specifically designed for community involvement and beautification. i.e.. mural paintings. mosaic tiling. landscape and sculpture design and construction in public parks and other spaces. CES is an entrepreneurial, retail enterprise where items residents produce are sold to the senera1 public, of which they receive a percentage and the remaining amount goes back into operations. This second phase is designed to increase participants' entrepreneurial and empIoyabilir>. skills. A building could be obtained in a reputable retail district of Kingstoflew Kingston to house the project. The building will need to be large enough to provide spaces for production. performance groups and the Studio Gallery for displaying artistic creations. CES could also partner with other similar enterprises and artisans, such as MONEX LTD at Sir John Golding Rehab Centre. xvhere woodworking products are produced and soid. MONEX and other similar entities could use CES as an outlet for their products as well. CES is also designed to serve as an on-the-job training program. Participants can be hired on a rotating schedule to manage and provide retail services in the Studio's Gallen- and as securit) staff for the building. Upon designing their project. KRCIPPP would identi6 other paid positions as well. Other prospective entrepreneurial projects could include developing contracts tvith businesses and individuals to design t-shirts for specific eventslactivities. graphic desipisignage. designing menus* business cards and brochures. etc. If performing groups are incorporated into the project. the project should develop opportunities for public performances at an admissions cost and opportunities to perform at various public events for continued esposure and affirmation. A mentoring and apprenticeship component is vital to the ongoing support for youthas interest in the arts, and/or in an art-related career. Mentoring will allow a young person the oppomnity to work one-on-one with an older person to help re-enforce positive behavior panems. andh further development in a particular artistic area of interest. Apprenticeships on the other hand will be arranged for those youth of working age. to provide them with opportunities to gain real "on the job " experience in a career interest area of their choice. This would be a paid position. KRCPPP would develop working agreements which include the capacity for an apprenticeship with a minimum of twenty businesses or individual professionals in various art-related careers (Printers, Furniture Designers. Advertising Agencies. Interior Designers. Theatres. Textiles. Artists. etc.). This group. along ~vith others. will also serve as presenters for \vorkshops provided for the youth on art-related careers. Evaluation of the Pence and Prosperi~ Project in Jarnaica Development Associates, Inc . Task Order 82 7 The above programmatic concept was inspired by YAIYA (Young Aspirations/Young Artists Inc.). YA/YA1s founding vision (1 988) was based on the theory that "given the right tools and a fertile environment, motivated young people can do extraordinary things." For the past fifteen years, YAiYA design studio and gallery. located in the New Orleans central business district, has povided young people professional opportunities through its fine art and commercial art training programs. internationaliy renowned, YA/YA combine the arts with entrepreneurship as vehicles for teaching young people and preparing them with essential life skills. For more information: www.yayainc.com. Jama~ca. Peace & Prosper~p Reporl doc/tvallQC-24 Evaluation of the Peace and ProsperiQ F-2 May 14, 2003 Project in Jamaica Final Report