Weekly Update #47 (FY 2005)

ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE

USAID works with Iraqi institutions to establish an environment for sustainable economic growth. Assistance empowers policy makers to formulate and execute decisions based on economic data, and to implement modern best practices in economic governance. USAID projects provide a framework for private sector trade, commerce, and investment throughout Iraq.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

USAID's Economic Growth Program partners with the  Muli-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) to allow small and medium-sized businesses access to credit. The microfinance program combines USAID's financial, technical, and project management resources with the MNF-I's Commander's Emergency Relief Program (CERP) funds. CERP allocates money to allow military commanders on the ground to immediately enhance the quality of life for Iraqi citizens.

"This partnership takes advantage of the core competencies of both the military and USAID," said the Infantry Division Captain tasked to the MNF-I, a bank vice president in civilian life. The military's on-the-ground personnel will identify local membership organizations that will form the basis of a non-bank financial industry in communities outside of Baghdad. Funds distributed to qualified membership organizations will become seed money to provide sustainable microfinance loans, typically $1,000 to $25,000, to small and medium sized enterprises that are seeking capital to grow their businesses and generate new employment. The USAID and Military partnership is an important step in strengthening Iraq's private sector and creating sustainable jobs.

Five Iraqi agricultural officials complete intensive training at a renowned program at the University of California, Davis. Sponsored by USAID's economic growth project, the training helped key Ministry of Agriculture officials gain additional expertise about the proper procedures for handling vegetables, fruits and nuts in order to comply with public health and safety regulations required by membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). This will allow Iraqi farmers to sell in global markets. The Post Harvest Handling Technology program teaches agricultural officials about the current technological procedures used for handling produce from the time the products are harvested until they reach the hands of the consumers. Iraq is seeking to join the 148 member nations of the WTO, giving its exports better access to global markets.

AGRICULTURE

USAID's goals are to work in conjunction with Iraqi ministries, the private sector, and higher education institutions to revitalize agricultural production, stimulate income and employment generation, nurture rural initiatives, and rehabilitate the natural resource base.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

More than 50 staff members from the Ministry of Agriculture complete training course on how to install and maintain the irrigations systems. Hundreds of these systems are being stored by the Ministry of Agriculture in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Arbil, and will soon be installed on Iraqi farms. The three types of irrigation systems being installed are mini-sprinklers used in orchards; drip irrigation systems used for vegetables and cash crops; and hose-move systems used for a variety of crops. The improved irrigation will help farmers increase their agricultural production and income.

During the seven day course, MOA staff assemble, test, perform maintenance, and calibrate the three types of systems. This practical training prepares the Ministry staff to instruct and assist the installation and operation of irrigation systems upon returning to their home governorates . They also learn how to teach water management skills which will help maximize the efficiency of irrigation systems.

27 members of the Baghdad Agricultural Chamber trained in the operation and maintenance of seed cleaning machines. USAID has delivered 110 seed cleaners to farmer cooperatives and NGOs in 13 governorates to date. The cleaners enable farmers to plant pure, high-quality treated wheat seeds, improving wheat yields, and increasing income. A seed cleaning machine removes the debris from a farmer's seed, sorts into grades according to seed quality, and treats the seed with fungicide. This improves the quality of the seed and reduces the incidence of fungal diseases that severely affect harvest yields. Once distributed, the trained agriculturalists will operate the machines for area farmers, who will eventually pay a fee for the service. The farmers will recoup this investment in clean seed with a higher return in wheat harvests. To date, USAID has sponsored seven trainings for 127 representatives of organizations that have received seed cleaning machines. By the end of the summer, USAID will distribute 164 machines increasing the wheat yields and incomes of farmers throughout Iraq.

NATIONAL GOVERNANCE

USAID continues to plan and implement a variety of programs, undertaken in partnership with Iraqi counterparts, matching the needs of the evolving Iraqi democracy. In particular, USAID is accelerating support to the Iraqi National Assembly for the upcoming referendum and elections.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

The Election Information Network (EIN) commences final analysis of monitoring reports gathered from all 18 Iraqi governates. The EIN, an Iraqi NGO, indicated that 1,486 monitoring forms were submitted from 315 voter registration centers out of 550 located nationwide. EIN has also begun recruiting the 5,000 persons who will monitor the October 15 referendum.

A media monitoring training was conducted in anticipation of the December 15 Parliamentary election. The five-day workshop in media monitoring activities helped participants from local NGOs to develop the tools and training skills to create a coordinated local, regional, and national media monitoring effort throughout Iraq. The training covered the potential impact of media monitoring on the fairness and impartiality of elections, the promotion of democratic processes, the selection of media to be monitored, and the identification of resources and personnel. One full day was dedicated to developing the media monitoring coalition around a shared vision and procedures.

USAID partners help National Assembly with procurement of equipment and training. USAID partners were able to secure contracts with two Iraqi companies to provide 250 desktop and 50 laptop computers for the Iraq National Assembly. Also purchased was a VSAT satellite internet system complete with three months of bandwidth able to support 300 simultaneous users. This equipment has been installed in the National Assembly headquarters.

A two-day "Basic Parliamentary Skills" workshop was conducted for 8 new INA staff members. The training introduced basic components of the parliamentary system including forms and functions of legislative committees, rules of procedure, budget oversight, media relations, administrative transparency, and the importance of professional staff to ensure the efficiency and the credibility of the Iraqi National Assembly.

The National Women's Coalition of Iraq conducts "Basic Advocacy" training. Twelve former political prisoners participated in a program that introduced the basic elements of an advocacy campaign; including details on planning steps that would help promote new legislation on rights and compensations for former Iraqi political prisoners. NGOs demonstrating a commitment to advocating personal rights, including those of women, will be offered more advanced advocacy and media training in the coming months.

The Constitutional Drafting Committee adopted anti-corruption measures proposed by a group of civil society organizations. With USAID support, the organizations worked in the months leading up to the drafting of the constitution to identify and lobby for the inclusion of an anti-corruption platform in the new Iraqi constitution. Fifteen of their recommendations appeared in some form in its pages. Their concrete suggestions, presented through various avenues to the Constitution Drafting Committee, including securing a role for an independent auditing body (Articles 101 and 104), holding ministers accountable for their actions (Article 59), and securing a role for a new Public Integrity Commission (Article 100).

EDUCATION

USAID's goals are to increase enrollment, improve primary and secondary education, ensure classrooms have sufficient supplies, facilitate community involvement, train teachers, implement accelerated learning programs, and establish partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

UNICEF continues Phase II of the of the computer literacy-capacity building project. The program consists of the same 1,026 Ministry of Education/Department of Education (MoE/DoE) staff that participated in phase I. Phase II consists of intermediate level computer training courses to further enhance the skills acquired during the 1st phase. To date, 450 people have attended the intermediate level courses which are expected to be completed within a three-month period. Once completed, Phase III, the Advanced Course will start.

Coordination between UNICEF and MoE-Erbil is taking place to incorporate the three governorates of the Kurdistan region into the training program.

UNICEF completes training of 25 MoE resource persons. These individuals subsequently initiated training of 442 master trainers in Iraq. The training covers such areas as modern teaching methodologies, civil education, and the use of new technologies and teaching aids. Once these trainings are completed, MoE and UNICEF will start training 50,000 school teachers in the 23 Directorates of Education in Iraq.

In the South-Central governorates, where 363 master teachers are targeted by this initiative, the first training course benefited 173 master trainers who were trained by the resource persons. In the north, five resource persons are currently training 79 master trainers in Arbil and Sulaymaniyah. These include 17 master trainers from Dahuk, 27 from Arbil and 35 from Sulaymaniyah.

Rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities of 180 schools completed. Rehabilitation of an additional 236 schools is ongoing with 308 schools slated to be rehabilitated. As a result of these programs, vulnerable populations are gaining access to potable water, and improved sanitation is helping to decrease the incidence of waterborne diseases, thus improving public health throughout the country.

TRANSITION INITIATIVES

USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) supports the transition to a participatory, stable, and democratic country. OTI provides quick-dispensing, high-impact grants meeting critical needs-providing short-term employment, restoring basic government and community services, increasing access to information and communication, and encouraging protection of human rights.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

An Iraqi Transition Initiative (ITI) grant funds a pilot project to provide vocational training, equipment, and employment assistance for 200 youths in southern Iraq. The training course will provide participants with marketable computer skills that will enable them to seek productive jobs and a better future for themselves and their families. The grant also provided information technology (IT) equipment, internet access, and office furniture to the educational institute implementing the project. Additionally, to ensure that most of the participants find jobs upon completion of the training, the project is coordinating with regional job centers, connecting participants with local businesses. Lack of training in computer skills has both limited the employability of local residents and inhibited the growth of local businesses. This ITI grant addresses the significant skills gap and helps both individuals and businesses increase opportunities for growth and development.

Center for troubled teenagers began outreach operations in northern Iraq. A center that provides counseling services and rehabilitation to local youths was able to receive furniture and equipment through an ITI grant. Many programs will focus on adolescents who have committed crimes or have demonstrated serious behavior problems. The center will offer family therapy, educational support, life skills training, and social activities. A mentoring program has also been started, pairing young adults with teenagers, similar to the Big Brother program in the U.S. The center aims to address the needs of this key age group, building ties within the community and demonstrating the value of community service to both the adolescents and young adults.

A medium-sized town received assistance in restoring appropriate street sanitation through an ITI grant. The town, in southern Iraq, has long suffered unsanitary living conditions and the lack of a trash service. The town's high unemployment - a product of the former regime's counter-insurgency campaign and the draining of nearby marshes - has been exacerbated intertribal tensions. The ITI grant provided short-term employment for 315 town residents and supplied workers with both the equipment and the organization necessary to clean the town streets.

Program to promote Iraq's multi-ethnic musical heritage launched by a heritage institute. An organization is seeking to honor ethnic diversity in a strategic city in northern Iraq through showcasing the city's vast musical heritage. This program aims to help find common ground and foster respect for diversity. In support, an ITI grant has provided the equipment and resources needed to produce 2,500 audio and video recordings of folksongs in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, and Assyrian languages. The recordings have been distributed to various city groups including government leaders, local NGOs, and the main university.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

In the first year, USAID's humanitarian assistance focused on emergency interventions to prevent food and water shortages and provide adequate shelter and medical supplies throughout Iraq. USAID is now directing humanitarian assistance efforts through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to specifically target Iraq's internally displaced persons (IDPs).

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

OFDA partners complete a 4-month project to rehabilitate bathrooms in 11 schools across the Diyala' governorate. The project involved the reconstruction of the bathroom buildings, the repair and replacement of the damaged sinks, toilet seats, and cisterns, as well as the substitution of water pipes and tanks.

The schools, spread across three different cities, have not been rehabilitated or refurnished since the 1970s. Despite the tense security situation in the area, the project finished on time. In the following few months, OFDA partners will be conducting hygiene awareness campaigns in these places in order to combine the installment of functioning latrines and sinks with attempts to change behavior.

The Date Palm and Agricultural Inputs pilot project enters its second phase. OFDA partners are working in cooperation with the local agricultural department in establishing a date palm farm and additional irrigated land for several villages in the Diyala' governorate. Land for the date palm farm is currently being readied for planting - the land has been leveled and 17 cash-for-work laborers have dug an additional trench to increase irrigation. In all, about 5,000 square meters of newly-irrigated land have been ploughed and farmers have started irrigating the trenches periodically to be ready for planting seedlings.

The 50 families living in near-by villages will be supported by agricultural inputs such as seeds, fencing materials, and machinery for ploughing. In addition, each family will receive 50 seedlings of date palms and olive trees, along with incentives for tree tending. This project is part of OFDA's effort to help the development of sustainable projects for improved livelihoods.

Work begun on graveling a 6km long road linking five villages in Iraq. In coordination with a local internally displaced person (IDP) organization, OFDA has begun efforts to improve road conditions in a series of rural communities. The current unleveled dirt road is difficult to travel on during most of the year and can often prove impassible during the rainy winter season. Villagers depend on the road for commerce, travel to work or school, and access to the local hospital. The project will provide short-term work for 100 laborers, including 95 IDPs, and will contribute to local commerce and the daily lives of village residents.

Local NGOs and OFDA partners extend 7km of water pipeline and installed a booster pump in a village in the At' Tamim governorate. The new infrastructure is delivering clean water to 125 newly returned families. The village was razed in 1988 and little infrastructure survived. Before the completion of this project, the returnees were getting water from polluted open channels in the surrounding area, with the risk of spreading disease. The local Mullah has expressed his appreciation for the project during Friday prayers.