BRIDGE: Building Responsibility for Delivery of Government Services in South Sudan

Through the Sudan BRIDGE program, Winrock International, together with its partners RTI International, ACDI/VOCA, PACT and GOAL, will build Sudanese capacity to fulfill the promise of the CPA in the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap and Unity. BRIDGE promotes community development and strengthens the ability of state and local governments to deliver agriculture, education, and water and sanitation services. In supporting the government to provide critical services and enabling communities to rebuild after decades of conflict, BRIDGE serves as an important link in Southern Sudan's transition from relief to development.

Specific objectives:
• Strengthen the capacity of government to deliver social services and promote economic growth
• Strengthen the capacity of communities and government to jointly address community needs
• Increase food security and promote rapid, broad-based, and self-sustaining economic growth through development of the agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and non-timber forestry product sectors
• Increase access to safe water and sanitation in a sustainable manner
• Expand access to quality education

The heart of the Sudan BRIDGE program is to build Sudanese capacity and spark Sudanese initiative. Key activities include:
• Facilitating sector policy workshops, bringing together representatives from various government agencies to discuss and develop policies in key sectors.
• Training government officials on topics including financial management, human resource management, tax administration, community planning, gender, agricultural extension, value chain analysis, and English language.
• Facilitating town hall meetings, whereby community members and representatives from the government come together to identify and discuss community needs.
• Leveraging a Local Government Development Fund to support projects identified and developed by local government and/or community groups.
• Developing and supporting Community Action Groups (CAGs) and Women's Support Groups (WSGs) to help identify, prioritize, and address local needs. CAGs/WSGs are led by elected representatives from the community and play an active role in planning, reaching out to beneficiaries, and monitoring development initiatives supported by BRIDGE. 
• Supporting producer groups to increase agricultural development and food security. BRIDGE provides agricultural training (on topics such as vegetable production, post-harvest practices, animal traction, tree crop production, and fisheries), as well as micro-grants in the form of vegetable or fishing kits containing basic materials and tools.
• Forming and training Water User Committees (WUCs), comprised of community members and hand pump technicians. Training topics include: the roles and responsibilities of the WUC, operation and maintenance of the water point, hygiene and sanitation, action planning, facilitating community meetings, gender issues, and financial management.
• Coordinating a monthly water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) forum, involving representatives from UN agencies, USAID, local government, and NGOs working in the water sector.
• Constructing new water points and latrines, and rehabilitating old water points.
• Hosting hygiene education sessions for WUCs, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and community members.
• Improving teacher in-service training.
• Providing English language and mother tongue language training to teachers and PTA members.
• Conducting Girls' Education Campaigns to increase awareness and promote dialog about girls' education.
• Training Parent-Teacher Associations on government education policy, general objectives of education and its importance for all children, roles and responsibilities of PTA members, and school planning/budgeting.

• 1,160 Government officials received training, including on management skills and fiscal management, to strengthen local government and/or decentralization
• 177 Local mechanisms for citizens to engage their sub-national government (town hall meetings) supported
• 4,281 individuals received agricultural micro-grants to facilitate improved farming practices
• 4,440 individuals trained in agricultural productivity to increase productivity and improve food security
• 591 boreholes introduced, rehabilitated or repaired, providing access to improved drinking water for over 304,230 people
• Water Management Committees formed and trained to monitor borehole use and report maintenance issues
• 267 Community Action Groups and Women's Support Groups formed
• 58,774 people trained in improved hygiene and sanitation methods to reduce the spread of water-borne diseases
• 4,575 students have access to improved sanitation facilities that will improve hygiene conditions
• 62 school classrooms constructed or in progress, providing learning space for 2,480 student
• 85 teachers completed in-service training, improving their ability to deliver lessons to students