Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon - Year 5 Work Plan - DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE ...
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Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous
Organizations in the Amazon
Year 5 Work Plan
Approved Date:
Version: 1
Implemented by: Pact, Inc.
1List of Abbreviations
Abbreviation Definition
AIRR Amazon Indigenous Rights and Resources
APEA Applied Political Economy Analysis
AREP Amazon Regional Environmental Program
CD Capacity Development
CDO Capacity Development Organization
CSP Capacity Solutions Platform
FH Freedom House
HRSM Human Rights Support Mechanism
IPOs Indigenous Peoples Organizations
ISP Institutional Strengthening Plan
ITOCA Integrated Technical Organizational Capacity Assessment
OPI Organizational Performance Index
OH Outcome Harvesting
RCDAM Regional Capacity Development Activity Manager
RFA Request for Application
SARRA Sub-Awardee Risk and Responsibility Assessment
SCIOA Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon
SI Social Inclusion
2Table of Contents
1. Introduction 4
1.1 Objective of Work Plan 4
2. Program Overview 4
2.1 Program Objective 4
2.2 Geographic Scope 4
2.3 Theory of Change and Results Chain 4
3. Technical Approach 7
3.1 Strategic Overview 7
3.2 Key Result 1: Activity design adapted by incorporating APEA results, social inclusion strategy, and
indigenous organizations’ input. 7
3.2.1 Key Result 1: Description of Activities 7
3.2.2 Key Result 1: Implementation Timeline 8
3.3 Key Result 2: IPO capacity gaps addressed and strengths cultivated 9
3.3.1 Key Result 2: Description of Activities 9
Key Result 2: Implementation Timeline 11
3.4 Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance 12
3.4.1 Key Result 3: Description of Activities 12
3.4.2 Key Result 3: Implementation Timeline 14
3.5 Key Result 4: At least one resource generated that can be shared with other organizations supporting
human rights of indigenous peoples facing infrastructure development on their lands across the Amazon
region 15
3.5.1 Key Result 4: Description of Activities 15
3.5.2 Key Result 4: Implementation Timeline 15
4. Resources 15
5. Activity Management 16
5.1 Staffing and Activity Support 16
5.2 Coordination and Outreach Efforts 16
5.3 Political Environment and Contextual Trends 16
Risks and Mitigation Strategies 16
6. Communications 16
7. Reports Calendar 17
8. Annexes 19
8.1 Annex A: Gantt Chart of Activities aligned with SCIOA Results Chain for FY22 19
31. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Objective of Work Plan
The objective of this work plan is to serve as a detailed guide to Activity implementation and represents an
agreement as to the nature and timing of discrete tasks and interventions. The following work plan covers the
period from October 1st, 2021 through September 30th, 2022.
2. PROGRAM OVERVIEW
2.1 Program Objective
Pact’s proposed approach for implementing the “Strengthening the Capacity of Indigenous Organizations in the
Amazon” (SCIOA) program, hereinafter referred to as the Activity, will enable us to successfully achieve the
overall objective of: At least eighteen selected indigenous peoples' organizations (IPOs) in the Amazon region
(at least three each in Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, and Ecuador, two in Peru and four in Suriname) demonstrate
improved capacity to manage financial resources and improve their ability to take ownership of their own
development planning and priorities.
To this end, Pact has designed a set of activities under four Key Results areas:
Key Result 1: Activity design adapted by incorporating APEA results, social inclusion strategy, and
indigenous organizations’ input.
Key Result 2: IPOs' gaps in capacity addressed and strengths cultivated.
Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance.
Key Result 4: At least one key tool or resource identified and developed to be shared with other IPOs
facing infrastructure and extractives development on their lands.
With the addition of Ecuador to the Activity’s scope of work, Pact expects to primarily rely on a review and
analysis of secondary sources of information to adapt the design in this sixth country under Key Result 1.
2.2 Geographic Scope
This Activity will strengthen indigenous organizations operating in the Amazon region. Priority will be given to
organizations based in the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Ecuador. In Year 5, Pact
will determine the specific geographic focus within Ecuador based consultations with local and/or regional USAID
missions and information gathered through a rapid analysis of secondary information. For Brazil, Colombia,
Guyana, Peru and Suriname, the geographic focus has been already defined through the thirteen IPOs that have
taken part in SCIOA since Year 1.
2.3 Theory of Change and Results Chain
The proposed approach and application of Capacity Development (CD) tools is grounded in a theory of change
that underlies Pact’s CD work: If IPOs improve their performance in technical and organizational areas,
then they will be able to access external donor funding and take ownership of their own development
planning and priorities in a sustainable manner.
Three critical assumptions underpin the Activity’s theory of change. These assumptions are:
● IPOs selected to participate are open to internal organizational improvements; possess the political will to
enact changes/improvements; and have the time and people necessary to support a capacity
development process. The activity will seek to control for this assumption by creating clear expectations
among potential IPO participants to avoid a mismatch between the demands of the activity and the
abilities of IPOs.
4● No external barriers exist that are strong enough to impede IPO strengthening. For example, if a natural
disaster or unforeseen event (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic challenges beyond what the project has been able
to adapt to)1 impacts indigenous people in an area of Activity intervention, an IPO may deprioritize capacity
strengthening for the more immediate and important survival of its people.
● IPOs selected to participate are open to self-reflect on their level of inclusiveness and enact changes to
address exclusion or discrimination.
1To adapt to the current COVID-19 context, the Activity will ensure IPOs’ access to technological equipment, digital skills,
and biosecurity supplies (e.g., masks, sanitizers) to facilitate reasonable levels of participation.
5Figure 1. Updated SCIOA Results Chain
63. TECHNICAL APPROACH
3.1 Strategic Overview
The overall purpose of the Activity is for at least eighteen selected IPOs in the Amazon region demonstrating
improved capacity to manage financial resources and improve their ability to take ownership of their own
development planning and priorities. To this end, Pact has designed a set of activities under four Key Results
areas:
Key Result 1: Activity design adapted by incorporating Applied Political Economy Analysis (APEA)
results, social inclusion strategy, and indigenous organizations’ input.
Key Result 2: IPO’s capacities gaps addressed and strengths cultivated.
Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance.
Key Result 4: At least one key tool or resource identified and developed to be shared with other IPOs
facing infrastructure and extractives development on their lands.
With the addition of Ecuador to the Activity’s scope of work, Pact expects to primarily rely on a review and
analysis of secondary sources of information to adapt the design in this sixth country under Key Result 1.
3.2 Key Result 1: Activity design adapted by incorporating APEA results, social inclusion
strategy, and indigenous organizations’ input.
During years one and two, SCIOA commissioned and conducted an Applied Political Economy Analyses
(APEAs) for Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guyana and Suriname. The findings and recommendations of the APEAs
helped to inform activity adaptations that included the use of local Capacity Development Organizations (CDOs)
instead of individual consultants or teams of consultants, to provide the on-the-ground support to IPOs. Based
on learnings from APEAs in the these five countries, during Year 5, the Activity will carry out a rapid review and
analysis of secondary information for Ecuador.
This rapid analysis will help refine the Social Inclusion Strategy (SI) and apply it with the IPOs in the country’s
context. SCIOA will continue to have two SI indicators included in the MEL plan. The SI strategy provides
guidance, framing questions, and practical tools that allow participants in the Integrated Technical Organizational
Capacity Assessment (ITOCA) workshops to reflect on how their organizations can improve how they include,
promote, or attend to the needs of marginalized or under-represented groups. In addition, the SI strategy will be
used in the design and monitoring of the small grants that each of the participating IPOs will develop and
implement.
3.2.1 Key Result 1: Description of Activities
Activity 1.1.1 Rapid analysis of secondary information for Ecuador. During Year 5, the Activity will carry out a
lighter analysis of secondary information for Ecuador, which will primarily focus on the economic and political
context of the country, as related to the operations of the IPOs; threats to the rights, property and environmental
conservation activities of indigenous peoples; the role of the IPOs in dialogue and advocacy efforts with the
national, regional and/or local governments; the level of involvement of indigenous communities in decisions
related to development projects in the Amazon, such as mining and roads. The analysis will use information
organized by external and recognized sources, such as government agencies, media, chambers of commerce,
among others. This exercise will help identify the CDO that the Activity will work with to strengthen capacities of
IPOs, as well as the three of IPOs the Activity will select to strengthen.
Finally, based on the results from the rapid analysis, SCIOA will update, if necessary, the SI strategy before its
application in Ecuador’s context, engaging the selected CDO from Ecuador to incorporate approaches from the
7SI strategy into the planned CD activities.
Activity 1.1.2 Disseminate and apply findings. During Year 4, SCIOA carried out a self-assessment to reflect on
the Activity’s impact to date, founded on the Outcome Harvesting (OH) methodology. The OH exercise sought
toidentify changes - positive and negative, intended and unintended - that have occurred as a consequence of
the implementation of the Activity, both in the experience of IPOs and in the experience of the CDOs. .
This qualitative self-assessment was built on a series of change statements to assess the effects of the
Activity. During Year 5, SCIOA will consolidate the results of the assessments into a single report to be shared
with IPOs, CDOs, USAID, Amazon Regional Environmental Program (AREP) partners, and other SCIOA
stakeholders to communicate valuable findings and recommendations and consider how they can be applied in
SCIOA’s last years of implementation, as well as any other relevant current and future programming.
Activity 1.2.1 Apply Social Inclusion Strategy. During Years 1 through 4, the SCIOA team supported the
implementation of several prioritized activities of the ISP with the thirteen IPOs in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guyana
and Suriname. In Year 5, through an RFA process open to those thirteen IPOs, Pact will select a maximum of
five to continue strengthening their capacities through the design and development of small grants which will
also incorporate relevant elements of the SI strategy.
Activity 1.2.3 Monitor Social Inclusion Strategy’s Progress. Two custom SI indicators have been added to the
SCIOA MEL Plan at the beginning of the Activity to track progress on the Social Inclusion strategy. Data reflecting
this progress will continue to be included in annual reporting and in the Activity’s final report. The SI strategy and
the resulting progress achieved through implementation of the Activity will be made available to key stakeholders
in the region and will serve to inform broader USAID strategy. Below are the descriptions of the two mentioned
SI indicators in the current MEL Plan:
● C.1 Number of selected IPOs that include at least two statements of excellence in their ITOCAs
that assess the organization’s policies or practices related to the inclusion of women, youth,
and/or other relevant population groups: The Integrated Technical Organizational Capacity
Assessments (ITOCAs) provide information on capacity areas or functions carried out by the
organizations that are considered critical to achieving high performance as an organization. This indicator
will track the development of statements of excellence within the ITOCAs that specifically address the
participation of women and youth.
● C.3 Number of selected IPOs that include at least one action in their ISPs to improve the
involvement of women, youth, and/or other relevant population groups: This indicator measures
the extent to which participating IPOs are including specific actions that promote the involvement of
women and youth as part of their institutional strengthening plans. Actions are specific time-bound
activities (one year or less) to be carried out by the IPO without external aid/funds and activities that are
facilitated by Pact and local CDOs, and are directly linked to the results of capacity assessments.
Indicators C.1, C.3, and indicator DR 6.1-2 keep track of the number of women and youth who participate in
trainings, and thus, are strengthening their individual capacities as much as those of their organizations.
3.2.2 Key Result 1: Implementation Timeline
Target Completion
Activity Timeline Milestone(s)
Date
Activity 1.1: APEAs in
Brazil, Colombia, September-
December 2021
Guyana, Peru, and December 2021
Suriname.
Activity 1.1.1: Rapid
Reports in English and Spanish with
analysis of secondary October 2021 December 2021
recommendations finalized.
information for Ecuador.
8Consolidated and disseminated report with
Activity 1.1.2:
September- OH findings developed with information
Disseminate and apply December 2021
October 2021 from Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Brazil, and
findings
Suriname in English and Spanish
Activity 1.2: Social March-September
September 2022
Inclusion Strategy 2022
Small grants include SI strategy for five
Activity 1.2.2: Apply March-September IPOs in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guyana
September 2022
Social Inclusion Strategy 2022. and Suriname, as well as for three IPOs in
Ecuador
Activity 1.2.3: Monitor
March-September Data on SI indicators to track SI Strategy
Social Inclusion September 2022
2022 progress
Strategy’s Progress
3.3 Key Result 2: IPO capacity gaps addressed and strengths cultivated
With the addition of Ecuador to SCIOA as part of the project expansion approved in August 2021, some activities
included under Key Result 2 will only involve this country as these have already been completed in Brazil,
Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname over the course of Years one through four. Nevertheless, once the IPOs
from Ecuador complete their ISPs, there will be opportunities that allow IPOs from all the countries to take part
in joint activities. Additionally, SCIOA will roll out a competitive process for the selection of five IPOs from the
original group to participate in an additional small grants program for continued strengthening of their capacities,
as well as application of their learnings to date.
All activities under Key Result 2 will continue to be founded in Pact’s participatory approach to CD. The
experience applying the ITOCA methodology with IPOs in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname has
been positive, with participants highlighting the ease with which they have understood the process; the ownership
they feel throughout each step in the assessment design, application, and development of ISPs, the possibilities
of adapting the ITOCA methodology for use by the IPOs with their own communities. In Year 5, SCIOA expects
to bring this experience to Ecuador, including the application of the adapted ITOCA toolkit developed with input
from the current participating IPOs (see Key Result 4).
3.3.1 Key Result 2: Description of Activities
Activity 2.1 IPOs' understanding of strengths and weaknesses increased. In Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guyana and
Suriname, during Year 5, SCIOA will issue a request for applications (RFA) to invite the thirteen IPOs the Activity
currently works with to submit applications for continued engagement with the Activity. The RFA process will
allow IPOs to put into practice some of their learnings and capacities strengthened through SCIOA and take into
account recommendations from the Outcome Harvesting (OH) exercise conducted by SCIOA during Year 4. The
Activity will select a maximum of five IPOs from these countries to continue strengthening their capacities.
During the same period, through similar small grants mechanisms, Pact will also begin supporting the
implementation of prioritized activities in the ISPs of the three organizations identified in Ecuador.
Activity 2.1.1 Adaptation of ITOCA tool and training of CDOs on ITOCA. In Q2 of Year 5, Pact will carry out an
orientation and methodology transfer to the CDO in Ecuador on the Activity’s organizational capacity tools,
activity monitoring approaches, and grant management requirements, using the adapted ITOCA toolkit based
on insights from the first group of CDOs and IPOs who participated in the Activity. Pact may invite CDOs from
Colombia, Brazil and Peru to share their experiences with adapting and implementing the ITOCA in their relevant
country contexts.
The adaptation process with the CDO from Ecuador will take into consideration the main institutional capacity
challenges facing IPOs in the country, the need to promote and ensure participation of women and youth at all
9levels of decision-making, as well as communications plans and strategies. The rapid assesstment (Activity
1.1.1) will also help inform additional contextual considerations that require unique adaptations of the ITOCA to
Ecuador’s context.
Activity 2.1.2: ITOCA Contextualization and Organizational Capacity Assessment Workshops. Following the
orientation in Ecuador, the CDO, with technical assistance from the RCDAM, will hold a contextualization and
capacity assessment workshop with each participating IPO in Ecuador. These workshops, planned for Q3 of
FY22 (Year 5), will allow the IPO representatives to first narrow the capacity areas to be assessed and customize
their own statements of excellence, to more appropriately respond to their contexts. The contextualization
process is an activity in which all organizations customize their tool, thereby facilitating ownership of the process
and results. This participatory tool customization process will be used as a CD activity in and of itself, enhancing
strategic thinking and joint planning.
Participants will next complete their contextualized organizational capacity assessment. Participants begin by
exploring important areas of organizational capacity via in-depth facilitated discussions and anonymous
individual scoring of statements of excellence under each capacity area. Statements of excellence describe the
ideal criteria for any given capacity area. Upon completing the assessment, each participant receives a report
that includes scores on a scale of 0-100 for the existing capacity for each of the capacity areas assessed, as
well as a score for the level of consensus among respondents for each individual capacity area. The capacity
score provides an indication of how strong or weak the organization is in meeting the performance indicators for
each capacity area, whereas the consensus score is primarily used to reveal to what extent is there agreement
or disagreement on how the organization is meeting those performance indicators. Within the same report,
participants will receive individual reports for each of the capacity areas that allow for a more detailed analysis
of each area and the respective scores for the individual indicators or statements of excellence under each
capacity area. Participants review the report and take part in a facilitated discussion that will serve to identify the
areas or functions that require immediate attention and that will be included in the IPO’s institutional
strengthening plans.
In the five countries that will continue to have IPO participacion in SCIOA, this activity was completed through
workshops and virtual meetings in Years 1 and 2 with IPOs in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, and in Year 3 with
IPOs in Guyana and Suriname.
Activity 2.2: Development of Institutional Strengthening Plans. As mentioned in Activity 2.1.2, ITOCA results,
including the capacity and consensus scores for each capacity area, are debriefed during the ITOCA workshop
and fed into the ISPs, which prioritize capacity strengths and gaps and identify appropriate actions to address
gaps. These may include areas such as financial management, strategic planning, advocacy, communications,
and resource mobilization. During Q4 of Year 5, the CDO from Ecuador, with technical support and guidance
from Pact’s RCDAM and Knowledge Specialist will facilitate the process through participatory sessions, while
the IPOs lead the prioritization and action planning, thereby enabling alignment and ownership of the process.
Specifically, IPOs are tasked with prioritizing strengths and weaknesses, identified through the ITOCA, around
which they will generate specific actions. IPOs then prioritize the actions, considering which can be achieved in
the short versus long term and which they can achieve themselves versus with community or external assistance.
Throughout the ISP’s implementation, Pact will continuously check in with the CDO and IPOs they are working
with to provide technical guidance, track progress and refine ISPs accordingly.
In the five countries that will continue to have IPO participacion in SCIOA, the development of ISPs took place
during Year 2 for IPOs based in Brazil, Colombia and Peru, and Year 3 for IPOs based in Suriname and Guyana.
Activity 2.3: Addressing Capacity Gaps and Cultivating Strengths. In Q4 of Year 5, the CDO and IPOs from
Ecuador will decide on the mechanisms to employ to address their capacity strengths and gaps. These may
include in person and/or virtual workshops and trainings; direct technical assistance; and other forms of
knowledge exchange. Most activities will serve multiple purposes and, as applicable, will be tied to the small
grant efforts to maximize learning by doing and effective grant design and implementation. Using a variety of
methodologies better addresses a need from multiple angles and factors in diverse ways in which people and
10organizations learn. These various activities will commence in Ecuador upon the application of the ITOCA and
the creation of the IPOs’ institutional strengthening plans.
During Years 1 through 4, SCIOA supported the implementation of prioritized activities of the ISP among thirteen
IPOs in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guyana and Suriname. In Q3 of Year 5, through an RFA process open to those
thirteen IPOs, Pact will select a maximum of five applications to continue strengthening their capacities for the
remainder of the Activity.
Activity 2.4: Input results of ITOCA and OPI into CSP and capture SARRA baseline. In Ecuador, baseline data
will be collected in Q4 of Year 5 primarily at the organizational level and through two main tools: the
Organizational Performance Index (OPI) and the Sub-Awardee Risk and Responsibility Assessment (SARRA).
Baseline and midline data have already been collected for IPOs in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana and
Suriname. For IPOs that do not present applications in response to the RFA or are not selected for additional
grant funding, the midline data will serve as the enline. For those who receive additional funds, Pact will carry
out endline data to track performance.
The OPI captures an organization’s performance across four domains: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and
sustainability. Each domain is composed of two sub-domains. Effectiveness: achieving results and meeting
standard; Efficiency: delivering services and increasing reach; Relevance: engaging target populations and
promoting learning; Sustainability: mobilizing resources and increasing social capital.
Pact will continue using the Sub-Awardee Risk and Responsibility Assessment (SARRA) throughout
implementation as a proxy benchmark assessment of a local organization’s readiness for direct funding. For
Ecuador, Pact will administer the SARRA with each organization as part of the IPO’s selection process (refer to
Activity 3.1.2), providing Pact with a benchmark upon which to respond to remaining capacity gaps.
Pact also will continue using its Capacity Solutions Platform (CSP)2, a global platform designed to administer,
measure, and report on OPI results, to capture CD inputs, including training and mentoring events, and ITOCA
results. The CSP allows Pact, USAID/Peru, and other USAID Missions to easily compare and track CD inputs
and assessment results across the Activity, including analysis at individual partner, country, and entire program
levels. Results will remain accessible and available through the user-friendly platform even after the program
ends, enabling all partners to continue monitoring progress and to have access to their data and documentation.
Key Result 2: Implementation Timeline
Target Completion
Activity Timeline Milestone(s)
Date
Activity 2.1: IPOs'
January-September
understanding of strengths September 2022
2022
and weaknesses increased
Orientation in Ecuador.
Development of adapted ITOCA
Activity 2.1.1: Adaptation of
for customization at
ITOCA tool and training of January- March 2022 March 2022
contextualization workshop by
CDOs on ITOCA
selected IPOs and application of
ITOCA with participating CDO.
Activity 2.1.2: ITOCA
Contextualization and April-June 2022 for Defined capacity areas and
Organizational Capacity IPOs based in customized statements of June 2022
Assessment Workshop with Ecuador excellence for IPO’s ITOCA.
IPOs
2 Capacity Solutions Platform: http://pact.capacitysolutionsplatform.com/home
11IPOs’ Institutional Strengthening
Activity 2.2: Development of July- September 2022
Plan with prioritized action areas
Institutional Strengthening for IPOs based in September 2022
to be addressed, developed with
Plans for IPOs Ecuador
support from CDOs and Pact
July September 2022 September 2022 for
for IPOs based in IPOs in Ecuador.
Activity 2.3: Addressing Ecuador.
Capacity Gaps and April-June 2022 for June 2022
Cultivating Strengths IPOs based in (Colombia, Brazil,
Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Peru, Guyana and
Guyana and Suriname Suriname)
Activity 2.4: Input results of
July- September 2022
ITOCA and OPI into CSP Baseline scores for ITOCA, OPI,
for IPOs based in September 2022
and capture SARRA and SARRA for IPOs Ecuador
Ecuador
baseline for IPOs
3.4 Key Result 3: IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational
performance
In Year 5, participating IPOs across the six countries (including all three from Ecuador and selected five from the
other five countries) will manage and implement a small grant activity developed with support from the local
CDOs. The small grant activity is intended to provide IPOs with an opportunity to learn about and apply financial
management capabilities and create the space to pursue concrete actions that advance priorities conducive to
protecting indigenous community rights and mitigating impacts of extractive or infrastructure industries. Pact
uses grant making as a hands-on opportunity to provide coaching and other technical support to local
organizations for planning, implementation, donor reporting, and financial management, among other CD goals.
As such, as IPOs implement their small grants, the Activity will build the capacity of these IPOs through the CD
activities outlined under Key Result 2.
In Ecuador, Pact will conduct the selection of local CDO and IPOs during Q2 and Q3 of Year 5 (see Activity 3.1).
As was the case in Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil, the CDO and IPOs’ selection process in this
country will incorporate lessons learned from the APEAs and the rapid analysis carried our in Ecuador.
With the addition of Ecuador to SCIOA’s scope, as part of the project expansion approved in August 2021, some
activities included under Key Result 3 will only involve this country, as these have already been completed in
Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname over the course of year one to four. Nevertheless, once the IPOs
from Ecuador complete their ISPs, there will be opportunities that allow IPOs from all six countries to take part
in joint CD activities.
3.4.1 Key Result 3: Description of Activities
Activity 3.1: CDO and IPO Selection and Risk Assessment.
3.1.1. CDO Selection. The selection of CDOs in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and Guyana was completed
in Year 3. In Year 5, Pact will prioritize the selection of the CDO in Ecuador, largely informed through the rapid
secondary analysis, as well as any relevant engagements with key stakeholders in country. The selected CDO
from Ecuador will determine to a large extent the IPOs that will participate in the Activity. Additional factors will
be considered in the selection process, such as a CDOs’ existing relationships with local communities, their prior
experience providing capacity development support to IPOs, and their physical presence or ability to access
specific geographic areas. This activity will be completed by Q2 of Year 5.
12Based on lessons learned during the CDO selection process in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname,
the RFA process for Ecuador will request that the CDO includes at least five letters of interest from IPOs that
would be considered for participation in the activity.
Activity 3.1.2: Shortlisting and inviting IPOs to participate in Activity. Previous experience has shown that CDOs
who included letters of interest from potential IPOs in their responses to the CDO RFA were more likely to have
the established relationships with IPOs necessary to ensure the proposed IPOs were committed to participating
in the activity and its CD process. Therefore, Pact will follow this process for Ecuador, and during Q3, with the
the selected CDO, work together to finalize the selection of the three IPOs. The indigenous organizations
proposed in the CDO’s response to the RFA and other IPOs identified through the rapid analysis (Activity 1.1)
will be engaged directly, and a determination will be made regarding which IPOs to invite to participate in the
initial risk assessment (see Activity 3.1.3 below).
Pact and the selected CDO in Ecuador will utilize the Activity’s selection criteria in the selection of the IPOs. The
established criteria are the same as was used in the selection of the IPOs in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guyana
and Suriname:
● Level at which the organization operates (local, national) Minimum level of institutional capacity so the
Activity can build on strengths and achieve its objectives within time and resource constraints
● Alignment of organizational priorities to the broader USAID Amazon Vision
● Extent of concurrent CD from other organizations and ability to absorb additional CD activities
● Demonstrated understanding of the value of social inclusion as it relates to organizational
effectiveness, or interest in increasing social inclusion within the IPO
● Logistical concerns (such as economies of scale achieved by working in certain geographies)
IPO selection will need to carefully consider coordination with other donors working with IPOs due to the number
of actors involved in the Amazon. Coordination efforts will be achieved through regular communication and
consultation with stakeholders, commencing with initial national-level meetings led by Pact’s RCDAM and
continuing through involvement of the selection committee, yearly reflection activities, and regular
communications with USAID and other donors supporting CD activities.
Selected IPOs will be approached by the CDO to complete their SARRA. The CDO will provide additional
information on concurrent or recent CD support received by IPOs and will help verify the information presented
in the IPO’s SARRA results. The selection of IPOs from Ecuador will take place between April and June 2022.
During Q2, Pact will open an RFA process for the CDOs and the thirteen IPOs from Colombia, Peru, Brazil,
Guyana and Suriname, and select a maximum of five IPOs for additional small grant funding to continue
strengthening their capacities based on their ISP and the progress made during Years 2 through 4.
Activity 3.1.3: Assessing IPOs’ Level of Risk. Once the IPOs from Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname
and Ecuador have been selected, the CDOs, with support from Pact, will contact the selected IPOs and carry
out Pact’s internal risk assessment, the SARRA, a tool that Pact has developed to assess a potential sub-
awardee’s readiness for grant funding. The SARRA tool will be used to determine the appropriate award
instrument for new subawards/grants and inform the design of the subrecipient monitoring plan. SARRA can
also be used to define any special award conditions that may need to be incorporated into the subaward to
mitigate risk and support ongoing monitoring requirements. Pact designed the SARRA specifically for nascent
and developing local organizations, and the tool serves principally to screen out only those organizations that
represent an unacceptable level of risk. Pact will continue to assess applicants in order of technical merit, as
ranked by the selection committee, until at eighteen pass this baseline risk assessment.
Activity 3.2: Small Grant Design. Selected IPOs in Ecuador, with support from the CDO in that country and Pact,
will lead a design of their own small grants in Q4 of Year 5 through a multi-step process that includes a concept
note and a co-design workshop. As in the other countries, the grants will focus on advancing each organization’s
priorities in relation to protecting their rights and mitigating the impacts of extractive industries and infrastructure
development in the Amazon. For example, an organization may design a grant that focuses on strategic litigation
13or sustainable forest management practices, the implementation of which will involve the application of financial
management, advocacy, and M&E skills, among other capacity areas.
Activity 3.2.1: Drafting Concept Notes. Upon completing the ISPs (see Activity 2.2), the IPOs in Ecuador, with
support from the CDO and Pact, will submit concept notes that present the activities that will receive support
through the small grants. The development of a concept note will serve as an important learning opportunity
because many funding mechanisms require the submission of a concept note before a full proposal. The CDO
in Ecuador will lead the review of the concept notes and provide mentorship and coaching as needed to ensure
a solid concept serves as the basis for a subsequent co-design workshop. This activity will be finalized in in Q4
of Year 5.
Activity 3.2.2: Facilitating Co-Design Workshops. Co-design workshops will take each IPO’s concept and expand
it into a fully designed grant activity that has a clear scope of work, a defined work plan, and realistic deliverables.
Pact and the selected CDO from Ecuador, will lead a workshop with each IPO. This process reflects the Activity’s
guiding principle of participatory approaches and places power and control in the hands of IPOs. Co -design
processes can produce more original ideas, a final product that is more responsive to a given community’s needs
and interests, and can support greater agency and confidence among participating community members. By
ensuring IPOs exercise agency over the design process, the small grant activities can further serve to improve
ownership of development planning and priorities. This activity will be finalized in September 2022 with the
participating IPOs in Ecuador.
Activity 3.3: Grant Monitoring. Due to the high transaction costs, Pact will not issue grants directly to the
participating IPOs. Instead, the CDOs for the transfer of the funds to the IPOs in each of the countries. As such,
Pact has established clear reporting and monitoring protocols in collaboration with the CDOs to ensure that
financial and programmatic reporting is completed. Depending on the nature of the grant, this may include
monthly or quarterly financial and programmatic reporting, in-person monitoring visits, when possible, or virtual
meetings.
Monitoring visits by the CDOs will be coupled with institutional capacity building activities, and as with all other
interventions in the Activity, grant monitoring will serve as a learning opportunity. For example, during a meeting
to check on ISP progress, the CDOs will consult on the progress of grant deliverables and assess the need for
additional or different institutional support. By enabling IPOs to check their own progress, self-reflect, and adapt
their ISPs to better serve the scope and requirements of the grant activity, grant monitoring will serve as an
important driver for increasing institutional capacity across each IPO, further ensuring alignment between grant
activities and institutional strengthening interventions.
3.4.2 Key Result 3: Implementation Timeline
Target Completion
Activity Timeline Milestone(s)
Date
Activity 3.1: IPO Selection
January-September
and Risk Assessment for
2022
IPOs
CDOs selected and
Activity 3.1.1: CDO Selection January-March 2022 March 2022
subawards issued
April-June 2022
June 2022 (Ecuador)
(Ecuador)
Activity 3.1.2: Inviting IPOs
IPOs selected in each country March 2022
to participate in Activity March 2022
(Colombia, Brazil, Peru,
(Colombia, Brazil, Peru,
Guyana and Suriname)
Guyana and Suriname)
Activity 3.1.3: Assessing Level of risk for each IPO as
July-September 2022 September 2022
IPOs’ Level of Risk. reflected by Pact’s SARRA
14Activity 3.2: Small Grant
July - September 2022 September 2022
Design
Activity 3.2.1: Drafting July-August 2022 Design and development of
September 2022
concept notes (Ecuador) concept notes by IPOs
April-June 2022 June 2022 (Colombia,
(Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Finalized grant activity Brazil, Peru, Guyana
Activity 3.2.2: Co-design Guyana and Suriname) including a scope of work, and Suriname)
workshops work plan, and defined
July- September 2022 deliverables September 2022
(Ecuador) (Ecuador)
Reporting and monitoring
Activity 3.3: Grant February 2022- protocols customized to each
Monitoring September 2022 IPO, such as quarterly or
monthly programmatic reports.
3.5 Key Result 4: At least one resource generated that can be shared with other
organizations supporting human rights of indigenous peoples facing infrastructure
development on their lands across the Amazon region
During year one to four, the SCIOA team complemented the ITOCA tool, by developing audiovisual content for
facilitators, building a toolbox with SCIOA’s journey map, a roadmap to present every stage and remind of the
purpose of the exercise, simplifying the tool´s language and include specific recommendations for the facilitators.
During year five, SCIOA team will design a toolkit for facilitators and develop visual content from the IPOs of
Ecuador adapting and implementing the ITOCA. This might be done with the help of youth from the IPOs.
3.5.1 Key Result 4: Description of Activities
Activity 4.2: Design and Dissemination of Resource(s). In Year 4, after consulting with the CDOs and the IPOs
from the first five countries of the Activity, Pact developed a series of resources to complement the ITOCA tool
in more visual and interactive ways. During Year 5, Pact will collaborate with CDOs and IPOs to launch and
share the complementary ITOCA tools with other IPOs, national and regional bodies, and other stakeholders.
Pact’s RCDAM and Knowledge Specialist will lead this initiative, including developing a strategic communications
plan to support the dissemination of the resources, tapping into Pact’s and other HRSM partners’
communications resources for support, as needed.
3.5.2 Key Result 4: Implementation Timeline
Target Completion
Activity Timeline Milestone(s)
Date
Activity 4.2: Design and Dissemination ITOCA complementary
April-June 2022 June 2022
of Resource(s) tools disseminated
4. RESOURCES
The activity budget includes anticipated level of effort of key staff members, both from Pact’s Washington, DC
based staff and those based in the countries of implementation; estimated costs per activity; estimated travel
costs; and other cost elements relevant to the implementation of the work plan.
155. ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT
5.1 Staffing and Activity Support
The project extension and expansion to include Ecuador will also require additional administrative support from
Pact’s Colombia office. This includes, the support of Pact Colombia’s Grants Officer in the issuance and
monitoring of additional subgrants, as well as facilitation of travel and other logistics by the Procurement and
Logistics Analyst, with a portion of their level of effort covered by the SCIOA project. In addition, to realize cost
efficiencies in grants management (i.e., transaction costs for direct cash transfers to IPOs, travel costs
associated with monitoring IPOs in remote areas), CDOs in each country will continue to serve as the conduits
to transfer the sub-awards to the IPOs.
5.2 Coordination and Outreach Efforts
During Year 5, SCIOA staff will continue to proactively seek opportunities to engage with other USAID projects
under AREP and USAID partners in the region working with indigenous peoples and related issues. Emphasis
will be placed on sharing lessons learned and creating opportunities for participating IPOs to expand their
professional networks in the region. SCIOA will also seek to attend relevant events hosted by regional indigenous
peoples organizations, research institutions, NGOs, foundations, bilateral institutions and government agencies
to raise awareness of the activity and the work of the participating IPO’s.
5.3 Political Environment and Contextual Trends
The activity will monitor the political and security context across the six countries, sharing any pertinent
information gathered with USAID missions, other USAID partners, and project stakeholders. Coordination with
the individual CDOs and USAID missions will be critical to ensure that any proposed activities, outreach efforts,
and communication materials do not generate risks for participating IPOs. Additionally, the Activity will closely
monitor COVID-19 developments and advisories in each of the countries to ensure that any presential activities
take into account the trends and risks in each country and take measures to mitigate them.
Risks and Mitigation Strategies
Throughout the implementation of SCIOA, the Activity will monitor and adaptively manage around several
ongoing risks. Of primary consideration is the COVID-19 context context in each country of implementation,
which is expected to continue to evolve and require regular monitoring in light of new variants, government
mandates and emergency responses. Additionally, the project will continue to closely monitor the political
contexts in the six countries, as well as developments related to the rights of IPs, the state institutions that
support or inhibit their missions, and the state’s relations to ongoing or planned large-scale development projects
are all linked to politics. The Activity will monitor ongoing changes to the political context in each country, as
relevant, and maintain communication with bilateral USAID missions to ensure programming continues to
respond accurately to evolving environments.
6. COMMUNICATIONS
During Years 3 and 4, SCIOA made significant strides in communication efforts to: a) share Activity updates with
relevant stakeholders; b) convene and share outcomes with key project stakeholders, including CDOs and IPOs;
and c) make visible IPOs’ success stories within the Activity. The SCIOA team proactively developed content to
meet these objectives and continued to foster exchange spaces for exchange and reflection to take place among
Activity participants and stakeholders.
During Year 5, SCIOA’s communication strategy will aim to transfer the voice to tell stories to the IPOs
themselves, in the spirit of the capacity development focus of this Activity. In addition to directly developing
content for different audiences, the Activity team will also involve IPOs and CDOs in their development and
16dissemination.
Type of Responsible
Audience Content Objective
Content Parties
USAID, Freedom Quarterly reports,
- SCIOA Team
Activity- House, other USAID written success stories, Communicate SCIOA’s
(produces)
driven Activities, external learning pieces, progress and learnings
- CDOs (inform)
public (success stories) research products
- Explicitly integrate Activity
Pause and reflect - SCIOA Team objectives with IPOs’ missions
events, experience and CDOs - Convene Activity
Shared
exchanges (in (organize) stakeholders to reflect on
person/virtual) - IPOs (share) accomplishments and priorities
for next period
Quarterly newsletter, -Empower IPOs, with focus on
- IPOs – youth
Results/ CDOs, IPOs, USAID, virtual events (e.g., “The youth to tell their own stories
(produce)
outcomes- other USAID Activities, Amazon proposes”) -Make visible IPOs’ actions
- SCIOA Team
driven NGOs, external public audiovisual stories, -Learn from others’
(supports)
learning pieces experiences
Activity-driven content: This content will seek to update relevant stakeholders on the Activity’s progress, including
providing updates on upcoming events and activities, key challenges and successes, as well as share Activity
achievements and lessons learned. SCIOA will also produce photo stories or case studies to highlight
participating IPOs’ small grant activities, and allow external stakeholders to better understand the specific CD
priorities of IPOs in the region. Additionally, Activity research products, such as the Outcome Harvesting results
report, will be shared with USAID missions and resource partners, among other stakeholders.
Shared content: The Activity will continue to hold annual pause and reflect events, bringing together CDOs,
representatives from the participating IPOs, and other relevant stakeholders. These sessions will be designed
to help capture and share information on CD activities, discuss contextual events and factors that influence the
ongoing activities of IPOs in their communities, and offer opportunities for ongoing learning and adaptation of
the Activity. During Q4 of Year 5, SCIOA expects to hold an in-person pause and reflect event if safe during the
COVID-19 pandemic at the time, which can be easily adapted to a virtual format if more appropriate.
The SCIOA team will also foster exchange activities among IPOs to share experiences and knowledge and
strengthen their networks with peers in their and other countries.
Results/outcomes-driven content: This new approach aims to empower IPOs, especially youth, to tell their own
stories. During Year 5, SCIOA will support and foster audiovisual trainings and meetings among interested youth
from IPOs of all six countries, ideally with engagement from USAID. This strategy serves a dual purpose: a)
making it easier for the Activity team to gather content and stories from the six countries; and b) ensuring the
sustainability of the communications strategy of the Activity over time through CD of IPOs on this topic.
Youth will create audiovisual contents (e.g. videos, podcats, photo stories) with SCIOA team’s support, and will
find local and/or national spaces/channels to share them, making visible their organizations’ and communities’
efforts, successes and challenges.
7. REPORTS CALENDAR
Report Coverage Due Date
FY22 Q1 Quarterly Report October 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 January 31, 2022
FY22 Q2 Quarterly Report January 1, 2022 – March 31, 2022 April 30, 2022
17FY22 Q3 Quarterly Report April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 July 31, 2022
FY22 Annual Report October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 October 30, 2022
188. ANNEXES
8.1 Annex A: Gantt Chart of Activities aligned with SCIOA Results Chain for FY22
Fiscal Year 22
Result Activity Outputs Outcomes
FY22 – Q1 FY22 – Q2 FY22 – Q3 FY22 – Q4
1. Activity design adapted by incorporating APEA results, social
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
inclusion strategy, and indigenous organizations’ input.
1.1.1: Rapid Consolidated and
analysis of disseminated
1.1.2 Disseminate
secondary report with OH
and apply findings
information for findings in English
Ecuador. and Spanish
1.2.2 Apply Social Activity design
Inclusion Strategy adapted
Activity 1.2: Small grants
Social Inclusion include SI strategy
Strategy for IPOs
1.2.3 Monitoring
the Social Inclusion
Strategy’s Progress
2. IPO capacity gaps addressed and strengths cultivated
2.1.1: Adaptation At the end of
of ITOCA tool and September
training of CDOs on IPOsfrom
ITOCA designed
ITOCA Ecuador have
2.1 IPOs' for IPOs; ITOCA
developed an
understanding contextualized with
2.1.2: ITOCA ISP. IPOs from
of strengths and selected IPOs;
Contextualization Colombia, Peru,
weaknesses ITOCA workshop
and Organizational Brasil, Guyana
increased conducted; ISPs
Capacity and Suriname
developed
Assessment continue
Workshop with addressng
IPOs capacity gaps
19based on their
2.2
ISP.
Development of 2.2 Institutional
Institutional Strengthening Plan
Strengthening co-developed
Plans for IPOs
2.3 CDOs and
2.3 Addressing IPOs jointly decide
Capacity Gaps on the mechanisms
and Cultivating to employ to
Strengths address capacity
strengths and gaps
All selected
2.4: Input ITOCA results IPOs show an
results of analyzed and increase in
ITOCA and OPI 2.4 CDOs and Pact socialized; OPI organizational
into CSP and input CD results score recorded and performance
capture SARRA into CSP system SARRA scores over baseline
baseline for all recorded as as measured
IPOs baseline measures through the
OPI.
3. IPOs demonstrate improved financial and organizational performance
3.1.1: CDO CDO selected and
Selection subawards issued
By the end of
3.1: IPO
2022, five IPOs'
Selection and
are
Risk IPO selection
3.1.2: inviting IPOs implementing at
Assessmentfor process defined;
to participate in least 2 more
IPOs IPOs selected;
Activity actions on their
SARRA conducted
ISPs. And three
IPOs join the
activity
20Identified level
of risk for each
3.1.3: Assessing SARRA scores
IPO as reflected
IPOs’ Level of Risk. recorded
by Pact’s
SARRA
3.2.1: Concept
notes drafted with
support from CDOs
By the end of
3.2: Small Small grant
the fiscal year
grants design activities
IPOs will have
developed and
3.2.2: Co-design designed and
proposals
workshops held start
submitted for
implementing
review and
activities of their
approval
small grants.
3.3: Pact and
Quarterly or
3.3: Grant CDOs monitor
programmatic
Monitoring small grant
reports.
activities
4. At least one tool or resource need identified and developed
At least one
resource
4.2 Pact designs
developed and
and shares
4.2 Design and shared with At least one
resource(s) with
dissemination participating IPOs, resource
CDOs, IPOs, and
of resource(s) national and disseminated
other project
regional IPOs, and
stakeholders
other project
stakeholders
5. SCIOA Events
5.1 Hold SCIOA
Annual Pause and
Reflect event
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