The Farmer-to-Farmer Special Program Support Project (F2F SPSP) is a program implemented by VEGA, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program’s overall goal is to build on previous successes and generate rapid, sustainable, and broad-based food security and economic growth in the agricultural sector. The F2F SPSP works closely with F2F core program implementers to develop and implement good practices and promote agricultural volunteer services.
During the reporting period from October 21, 2013, to September 30, 2014, VEGA carried out various F2F activities that contributed to supporting the overall goals of the F2F SPSP. These activities included identifying and reaching out to potential small grant and PDP implementers, conducting RFAs for small grants and PDPs, and developing policies, procedures, and systems to govern the small grant and PDP programs. VEGA also developed a grants manual, templates for Fixed Obligation Grant agreements, and a scorecard for Proposal Evaluation Committees to help administer the small grants and PDPs in a professional and transparent manner.
The F2F SPSP small grants program is intended to provide an opportunity for organizations that have not participated in the F2F program before to develop their own small-scale F2F programs with guidance from VEGA. The target audience for small grants are implementing organizations that represent a pool of volunteers who have not participated extensively in the F2F program before. VEGA conducted a pre-bidders conference to educate organizations about the solicitation process and answer questions, and released RFA 2013-1 for Farmer-to-Farmer small grants on December 9, 2013. A total of 23 Concept Papers were received from various organizations, and six finalist organizations were advanced to the proposal round. Four, 12-month, $100,000 small grants were made to FAMU, Haiti Coffee, NCBA CLUSA, and the University of Minnesota for the following F2F programs.
The FAMU-Haiti Farmer to Farmer Special Program Support Project aims to provide eight F2F technical assignments to assist subsistence and small-scale women farmers and youth school groups in the West Department of Haiti, to increase their capacity to produce food and generate an income from it. This project will be carried out to achieve two broad objectives: to increase the capacity of subsistence and small-scale women farmers and youth school groups to produce food and generate an income from it, and to promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve food security in the West Department of Haiti.
VEGA’s actual performance in the Purpose #1 Indicators varied from its targets. For the indicators Amount of Grant Funds Disbursed, Number of New Organizations to Farmer-to-Farmer, and Number of New Hosts to Farmer-to-Farmer, the actual results were lower than the target results because VEGA’s three PDP projects had not begun at the end of FY15. Bringing the three PDP projects online will allow VEGA to quickly make progress towards its goals for Amount of Grant Funds Disbursed, Number of New Organizations to Farmer-to-Farmer, and Number of New Hosts to Farmer-to-Farmer during the next FY.
VEGA’s actual performance in the Purpose #3 Indicators also varied from its targets. VEGA completed more workshops and special studies than originally planned because additional guidance was needed for MSIs and the PERSUAP. Therefore, both topics were targeted for special studies at the start of the project.