The launch of ILRG II during this past quarter was primarily focused on clarifying project objectives, advancing early contract deliverables, and carrying out initial engagements with project partners, while the core team associated with ILRG II (both within Tetra Tech and USAID) finished completing close out tasks under the predecessor ILRG contract. As ILRG II considered multiple, multi-year activity development and start-up ideas for the coming six months, ILRG II and USAID communicated frequently to ensure common prioritization. During this quarter, ILRG II’s contracting office (CO) management moved to the Office of Acquisition and Assistance division that supports the Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security, and a dedicated CO has not yet been assigned to the contract.
By the end of the quarter, ILRG II had initiated implementation of the IPARD evaluation, as well as confirmed two countries for long-term implementation (with progress on a third). The ILRG II team was able to meet with each of its core subcontractors who were actively engaged in two start-up workshops with USAID and work planning. The primary challenge of this quarter was associated with starting up ILRG II while completing final deliverables and close out tasks under ILRG.