USAID Iraq: Fact sheet no. 47, 1 September 2004

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF September 1, 2004 Weekly Update #47, Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 This fact sheet highlights overall accomplishments and some weekly activities from USAID’s reconstruction efforts in Iraq. For more information on USAID’s programs in Iraq please see: www.usaid.gov/iraq Program Overview: USAID assists Iraqis in reconstructing their country by working with Iraq’s Interim Government. USAID programs are implemented in coordination with the United Nations, coalition country partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector partners. The USAID mission in Iraq carries out programs in education, health care, food security, infrastructure reconstruction, airport management, economic growth, community development, democracy and governance, and transition initiatives. USAID/Iraq implements programs in four strategic areas: 1. Restoring Essential Infrastructure 2. Supporting Essential Health and Education 3. Expanding Economic Opportunity 4. Improving Efficiency and Accountability of Government Raising a new water cooling pump at a Baghdad power plant being refurbished with USAID support Table of Contents Program Overview 2 Economic Growth 6 Electricity 2 Food Security 7 Airports 2 Agriculture 8 Umm Qasr Seaport 3 Marshlands 9 Bridges, Roads, and Railroads 3 Democracy and Governance 10 Telecommunications 3 Transition Initiatives 11 Water and Sanitation 4 Community Action Program 13 Health 4 Financial Summary 14 Education 5 1 Program Descriptions and Accomplishments 1. Restore Essential Infrastructure Electricity -- Objectives include the emergency repair or rehabilitation of power generation facilities and electrical grids. Teams of engineers from the Ministry of Electricity, USAID, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been working since May of 2003 to restore capacity to Iraq’s power system, which was dilapidated from decades of neglect, mismanagement, and looting. Accomplishments to Date: • By October 2003, facilitated the rehabilitation of the national electric grid to produce a peak capacity greater than the pre-war level of 4,400 MW. In June, after months of power reduction for generation unit maintenance, generation began steadily increasing and reached 5,000 MW in July 2004. Daily production is now regularly exceeding 110,000 MW hours. • Collaborating with other US Government organizations and private sector partners to restore Iraqi electricity on projects to repair thermal units, replace and repair turbines, rehabilitate the transmission network, and install and restore generators. Placing a transformer at Kirkuk power plant Highlights this Week: • Overall construction work at the Kirkuk power plant is nearly 60% complete, and more than 95% of civil work is complete. The construction work involves the installation of two new generators that will combine to add 325 MW of generation capacity. • Rehabilitation work at a major power plant in Baghdad is continuing and is approximately two-thirds complete. During the past week, four cooling water pumps were installed at the plant, and current projections expect the units to come online in late 2004. Once running, the units being rehabilitated by USAID are expected to produce a total of 300 MW, in addition to 260 MW produced by other units at the plant. Airports and Seaports -- Objectives include: providing material and personnel for the timely repair of damaged airport facilities, rehabilitating airport terminals, facilitating humanitarian and commercial flights, and preparing for the eventual handover of airport operations to the Iraqi Airport Commission Authority. Also: managing port administration, coordinating transport from the seaport, and facilitating cargo-handling services such as warehousing, shipment tracking, and storage. Accomplishments to Date: Airport • Processing an average of 45 non-military arrivals and departures a day at Baghdad International Airport. 2 o More than 5,000 military and NGO flights have arrived and departed at Baghdad International Airport since July 2003. • Completed sufficient infrastructure work to prepare Baghdad International Airport for commercial air operations. • Preparing Al Basrah International Airport for commercial operations. Seaport • USAID’s $14 million program for the management of the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr was completed on June 30. • Reopened port to commercial traffic June 2003; completed first passenger vessel test in July 2003; Cargo, which has increased by 400% since June 2003, includes bulk grain, bagged rice, sugar, and construction materials. • Dredged the port to an average depth of 12.5 meters. Previously, the port was 9-10 meters deep, and limited cargo could arrive only during high tide. o Two Iraqi dredgers, which have been rehabilitated by USAID, are assisting with maintenance dredging. • Instituted port tariffs, which provide a revenue stream for financially sustainable port operations. Roads, Bridges and Rail -- Objectives include: Rebuilding major transportation routes that were damaged during the conflict or from two decades of neglect in order to restore the flow of goods and services, including humanitarian assistance. Accomplishments to Date: Bridges • Demolished irreparable sections of three key bridges and started reconstruction. Two of the three are complete and have reopened to traffic. The third is due for completion in September, 2004. • Repaired a floating bridge on the Tigris River, improving traffic for approximately 50,000 travelers a day. Railroads • Reconstructing 56 km of rail track between Umm Qasr and Shuaiba Junction near Basrah and 16 km of siding at Umm Qasr Seaport. Telecommunications -- Objectives include: install switches to restore service to 240,000 telephone lines in Baghdad area, and repair the nation’s fiber optic network from north of Mosul through Baghdad and Nasiriyah to Umm Qasr. Accomplishments to Date: • Handed over the Al Mamoun Telecommunications site to the Ministry of Communications in February 2004. Twelve new telephone switches and an International Satellite Gateway have been integrated with fourteen Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company switches. • Purchased tools, equipment, and parts to enable Iraqi engineers to restore the network. • Reconstituted Baghdad area phone service by installing switches with 240,000 lines of capacity. Training Iraqi telephone engineers to ensure continued operations and maintenance of the systems. 3 Water and Sanitation -- Objectives include: rehabilitate and repair essential water infrastructure to provide potable water and sanitation to communities and improve irrigation. Accomplishments to Date: • USAID is rehabilitating a total of seven major wastewater treatment plants and five water treatment plants. • Additional projects include the expansion of a water treatment plant and construction of a new one, as well as repairs to the Sweet Water Canal and the Basrah water treatment system. o USAID repaired hundreds of breaks in Iraq’s critical and long neglected water network, significantly increasing water flow. Highlights this Week: • Local government officials in Baghdad Municipality’s water department are developing a plan to improve water treatment throughout the city. This program will be implemented with a five-person team, (two from LGP and three from the Department of Water). The team will compile data on plant performance, conduct interviews with plant staff and utility officials, evaluate field operations, identify and prioritize performance limiting factors, and train plant staff on how to use software to track the water’s turbidity, which is the amount of soil or foreign material in the water. • A new cost-based accounting system has been installed in Under-treated wastewater in Baghdad the finance section of a Maysan Governorate city Water Department. This new system will help the Department manage the city’s water system sustainably through a combination of central budget financing and locally generated revenues. • The rehabilitation of a wastewater treatment plant in Babil Governorate is continuing and is on schedule for completion by November. Once complete, the plant will serve approximately 53,000 Iraqis. • USAID has begun a project to restore a major water treatment plant in Baghdad and provide potable water. The plant—designed to treat 540 million liters of water a day—is operating at 60 to 80 percent capacity. This project is expected to be complete in July 2006. 2. Support Essential Health and Education Health -- Objectives include: supporting a reformed Iraqi Ministry of Health, delivering essential health services, funding vaccines and high protein biscuits for pregnant and nursing mothers and malnourished children, providing basic primary health care equipment and supplies, training and upgrading health staff, providing health education and information, and identify the specific needs of the health sector and of vulnerable populations such as women and children. Accomplishments to Date: • Rehabilitating 110 primary health care clinics throughout the country. • Delivering primary healthcare kits to 600 clinics countrywide. • Training more than 750 primary healthcare providers in maternal and child health services. • Training health providers and communities on prevention and early intervention on causes of child mortality such as diarrhea. 4 • Re-establishing the country’s vital disease surveillance system. • Supporting $1.3 million in grants for Iraqi NGO and civil society healthcare efforts. • Distributing eight million liters of clean water a day. • Immunized more than three million children under the age of five through routine immunization activities and five million school aged children aged 6-12 against measles, mumps and rubella. • Administered tetanus toxoid vaccine to more than 700,000 pregnant women. • Distributing high-protein biscuits to more than 240,000 children and pregnant and nursing mothers. • Supporting the development of a strategic plan to guide sector development over the next several years. Highlights this Week: • One hundred seventy-nine primary health care centers in southern Iraq have been re-equipped through USAID’s Health Systems Strengthening Program. The centers received primary health care kits containing approximately 60 items of basic medical equipment, office furniture, and laboratory equipment for improved provision of essential health services. A total of 600 clinics will be re-equipped by USAID and the Ministry of Health. • A union of medical practitioners in a northern Iraqi city has received computer equipment and other supplies necessary to carry out a training program for its members. A grant provided the equipment and funded the logistics for these workshops. • The rehabilitation of an educational hospital in south Primary healthcare center kit before shipment into Iraq central Iraq has been approved. This hospital was occupied during a recent conflict in the area, and the structure of the building was damaged. Under this initiative, the building will be repaired, the hospital’s Prosthesis Fabrication Center will be re-equipped, and 50 patients will receive medical treatment and prostheses based on their medical needs at no cost to them or their families. Education -- Objectives include: increasing enrollment and improving the quality of primary and secondary education, ensuring that classrooms have sufficient materials, facilitating community involvement, training teachers, implementing accelerated learning programs, and establishing partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities. Accomplishments to Date: • Immediately After the Conflict o Provided technical assistance for the resumption of education functions and salaries. o Funded 5.5 million examinations for transitional grades, which ensured the smooth continuation of education. • Facilities and Supplies o Awarded 627 grants worth more than $6 million to rehabilitate schools and equip Directorates General. o Rehabilitated 2,358 schools countrywide for the first term of the 2003/04 school year. o Provided materials, equipment and supplies: o Distributed nearly 1.5 million secondary school kits that included pens, pencils, paper, math supplies, and other essentials. o Distributed 159,005 student desks, 26,437 teacher desks, 59,940 teacher chairs, 26,050 metal cabinets, 61,500 chalkboards, and 58,500 teacher kits. 5 o Delivered 808,000 primary student kits. o Delivered 81,735 primary teacher kits. o In consultation with the Iraqi Ministry of Education, reviewed 48 math and science textbooks for grades 1 through 12. o Printed and distributed 8,759,260 math and science textbooks throughout Iraq. • Institutional Strengthening o Trained 860 secondary school Teacher Trainers during September 2003 to January 2004 nationwide. o Trained 31,772 secondary school teachers and administration staff. o Conducted a pilot accelerated learning program in five Iraqi cities to allow out-of-school children to complete two school years in one year. More than 550 students participated in the program. o Approximately 87 percent of the students passed the year end exams and will now be integrated into the main school system. • Higher Education o Supporting the Higher Education and Development (HEAD) Program. Awarded five grants worth an estimated $20.7 million for U.S.-Iraqi university partnerships. The program supports rehabilitation of research laboratories, rebuilding library resources and establishing internet centers; invigorating academic human resources and university administration leadership through workshops, seminars, conferences, research grants and one year graduate studies in the U.S.; stimulating curriculum development through introduction of supplementary new materials. o In collaboration with Iraqi university partners, research laboratory needs assessments have been completed and procurement is underway; library facilities and internet centers have been rehabilitated and prepared for receiving materials and equipment; workshops, seminars and conferences are underway allowing senior Iraqi faculty to present papers in an international forum. Highlights this Week: • Academic departments at two colleges have received educational equipment, scientific instruments, furniture and other supplies through a series of grants from ITI. Students at the colleges developed the grants through activities that educated them about the democratic process. A local NGO facilitated this program at both schools. 3. Expand Economic Opportunity Economic Growth – Substantive areas include: currency conversion, development of economic statistics, rationalizing small business credit, drafting commercial legislation, supporting a national employment program, strengthening micro-finance programs, creating a bank-to-bank payment system, implementing a computerized financial management information system, developing a tax policy and administration, budget planning, insurance reform, telecommunications reform, and electricity reform. Accomplishments to Date: Financial • Strengthening accounting, budgeting and lending activities at Iraq’s commercial banks. • Evaluating and updating commercial laws pertaining to private sector and foreign investment; assisted in the development of the new company law. • Recommended reforms for insurance regulations and trained Iraqi insurance staff. • Improved statistical analysis, monetary policymaking, and bank supervision procedures at Iraq’s Central Bank Fiscal 6 • Assisting in developing, installing and training staff to use the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), a new accounting and reporting system for all Iraqi ministries. • Assisted in developing the reconstruction levy in collaboration with the CPA and the UK Customs Service; this levy imposes a five percent tariff on imports to Iraq. Private sector development • Providing technical assistance as well as information on contracting opportunities for Iraqi businesses through business centers. • Assisting Iraqi companies to prepare applications for loans ranging from $2 to 5 million through the firm- level assistance program. • Created more than 77,000 public works jobs through the National Employment Program. • Assisted CPA in managing a $21-million micro-credit program. • Provided technical assistance for the re-opening of the Iraq Stock Exchange after it was closed down for more than 15 months; 3.6 billion Iraqi dinars ($2.4 million USD) in shares were traded in the first day. Utilities and Regulation • Developed an Electricity Master Plan and a Telecommunications Master Plan as a basis for reforms in these two sectors. Special projects • With the Ministry of Finance, introduced the new national currency, the Iraqi dinar. o The currency exchange began on October 15, 2003, and was completed on January 15. o An estimated 6.36 trillion new Iraqi dinars are now in Iraq, and 4.62 trillion Iraqi dinars are circulating—106 percent of the original demand estimate of 4.36 trillion. • Provided technical assistance for the Oil for Food transition to prepare Iraqi ministries to assume responsibility for OFF contracts. • Developed a government-wide IT strategy to support the automation of planning, budgeting and reporting processes across ministries. Highlights this Week: • Six Ministry of Finance employees have completed two introductory courses on the new communications systems installed at the Ministry to support the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) and the VSAT satellite communication system. These systems allow the Ministry to share information with other government offices and ministries. The training will improve their ability to operate and maintain the equipment and ensure continued access to the FMIS for other Ministries and Governorate Treasury offices. The training will also help ensure the long-term sustainability of the new technology which has been installed. These two new systems utilize state of the art data communications hardware to establish local and wide area network connectivity. The equipment was provided through a US-based networking solutions provider which will assist the Ministry in implementing the FMIS system in the seven line ministries through the V-SAT network. • A workshop on “Business Conduct and Sales Practices” was held for thirty Iraq Stock Exchange brokers. The goal of the training was to help develop high standards for ethical conduct within the Exchange in an effort to strengthen its role as a self-regulatory organization. This was one of several recent training sessions conducted by USAID to improve operations at the new Stock Exchange, which opened at the end of June 2004. In addition to providing training, USAID advisors are helping to draft the Exchange’s new membership rules, by-laws, and disciplinary code. Advisors are also helping to streamline trading processes at the Exchange until an automated trading, clearing, and settlement system can be installed. Food Security -- Objectives include: providing oversight support for the countrywide Public Distribution Accomplishments to Date: System, which provides basic food and non-food commodities to an estimated 25 million Iraqis, participating in the design of a monetary assistance program to replace the commodity-based distribution system to support local production and free-market infrastructure, and promoting comprehensive 7 agriculture reform to optimize private participation in production and wholesale markets. • Worked with the UN World Food Program (WFP) to re-establish the Public Distribution System in less than 30 days, avoiding a humanitarian food crisis and maintaining food security. • Contributed cash and food aid totaling $425 million to WFP’s emergency operations immediately following the conflict, making the U.S. the foremost contributor to WFP emergency operations in Iraq. • Provided ongoing support and technical assistance to WFP and local Iraqi authorities in the Ministry of Trade and the Kurdish Food Departments to ensure the smooth transition of PDS management tasks to the Iraqi government. • Played a role in negotiating a memorandum of understanding between the CPA, the Ministry of Trade, and the WFP that details areas of responsibility including: capacity building and training, procurement of food commodities, renegotiation of food contracts, shipment and overland transport of food commodities, and pipeline management. The WFP will continue to support the public distribution system through June 2004 and will begin work immediately to assure continuation of food deliveries. • Currently providing food aid expertise to the Ministry of Trade and assisting WFP and the Ministry to continue to distribute food to all Iraqis. Agriculture -- Objectives include: expanding agricultural productivity, restoring the capacity of agroenterprises to produce, process, and market agricultural goods and services, nurturing access to rural financial services, and improving land and water resource management. Accomplishments to Date: Since October 2003, USAID has been implementing the Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI) to formulate a long-term vision for the sector, while designing activities for quick impact including: • Summer and Winter Crop Technology Demonstrations: On 334 hectares in 15 governorates, 128 farm families established plots with new winter crop varieties for extension field days. Under the summer demonstration program, farmers are planting vegetables, maize, and rice. • Veterinary Hospital Renovation: The renovation of a hospital in At’ Tamim Governorate was completed in early April 2003 under an ARDI grant; the hospital serves more than 100,000 livestock in the area. • Veterinary Clinic Rehabilitation: This project was completed in early April 2003 through a grant which was matched by supplies and equipment from the Ministry of Agriculture. These rural clinics are the two principal sources of vaccines and medicines for animals in 125 local communities. • Internet Connectivity and Repairs to a Student Union Building: The School of Agriculture at an Iraqi university will receive a grant that will benefit 4,509 students. • Seven grants were approved in February 2004 to build the capacity of Iraq’s agriculture sector. The grants’ emphasis on veterinary programs allows an immediate, highly visible response to the challenges that herders and farmers face in the north and central regions. • The Ministry of Agriculture is establishing 18 date palm nurseries throughout Iraq in support of its goal to reestablish Iraq's dominant position in the international date market, a position it lost under the former regime. Dates are a national treasure for Iraq with both symbolic and economic significance. This project, which receives support and technical assistance from USAID, will ensure the preservation of Iraq’s 621 varieties of date palm. • Developed a transition plan for the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture to move the agricultural sector from a command and control production and marketing system to one which is market-driven. • Initiated an agricultural extension services program for farmers in late May. Extension agents are working with farmers to teach agricultural best practices by encouraging farmers to analyze their own problems and independently develop solutions. In collaboration with USAID, the Ministry of Agriculture expects to replicate the program in other villages, as extension services have been successful in increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries around the world. 8 Highlights this Week: • A Letter of Agreement has been signed to implement a joint program for a Winter Vegetables Participatory and Extension Project in Arbil. The goals of the project are, first, to improve vegetable farmer incomes and, second, to develop a model on-farm research and extension approach to respond to farmer needs. • Farmers in As Sulaymaniyah Governorate are collaborating to identify common challenges and to develop agriculture and extension programs that respond to their needs. This activity is being implemented in two villages with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, a local NGO, and USAID’s Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI). Most recently, the farmers identified bee disease as a major problem and helped establish a working group to develop beekeeping projects in the two villages. • The Ministry of Agriculture is working with ARDI to revitalize its national agriculture programs. These programs focus on bringing new technologies and agricultural practices to farmers. The An Iraqi beekeeper in As Sulaymaniyah revitalization of these programs is also identified as a top priority in the Transition Plan for Agriculture, which was developed by the MOA and ARDI in April 2004 to lay out steps for developing a productive, market-based agricultural sector. • Two workshops have been conducted in Arbil to kick-off the Winter Vegetable Research and Extension Project. The workshops were conducted by Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and ARDI technical experts. They are collaborating on this project to introduce new farming methods and technologies to farmers in northern Iraq in an effort to increase crop productivity. The first workshop was conducted for project support teams that included researchers, extensionists, plant protection staff, and agriculture college students. The workshop introduced the teams to the project objectives and to their role in the project. The second workshop was conducted for swiss chard farmers to explain the project and its goals. ARDI technical staff explained that farmers would plant swiss chard on their own fields and assess specific practices and/or technologies on these fields. Participating farmers will host a field day, about every month, for a group of around 30 neighboring farmers so that these farmers can also learn from the field assessments. Marshlands -- Objectives include: construct environmental, social and economic baselines for the remaining and former marshlands, assist marsh dwellers by creating economic opportunities and viable social institutions, improve the management of marshlands, and expand restoration activities. Accomplishments to Date: • Operating at both national and regional levels, the Marshlands Restoration Program developed an integrated strategy for wetland restoration and management and is providing social and economic assistance to Marsh Arabs. • The first date palm nursery was established with 1,000 mother trees of different varieties. The trees will produce 10,000 off-shoots, of which about 7,000 will survive. • The Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Public Works have selected a first site to build a constructed wetlands for treating domestic wastewater. The service area is the largest settlement in the marshlands, and will serve roughly 5,000 people. 9 • Demonstrations of alfalfa cultivation to improve livestock nutrition and dairy production in five locations are ongoing. • The program will re-establish a water and soil laboratory in the Ministry of Water Resources headquarters in Baghdad. A proposed list of equipment has been developed and is being reviewed by the Ministry staff for immediate procurement and training in their use. • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ministry of Water Resources are jointly developing a hydrologic model of the Tigris and Euphrates basin. • Work began on setting up demonstration plots for field crops and horticulture in eight locations in the marshlands. Plans are underway to do soil and water analyses at possible demonstration sites. The program is recruiting staff to implement the establishment of date palm nurseries for growing and distributing off-shoots. • Representatives from the Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program and USAID attended a water resources management academic conference in the Netherlands. Also, the Minister of Water Resources attended a study tour of the U.S. that included a tour of the Mississippi Delta. USAID’s $4-million marshlands initiative includes these study tours as a primary objective in order to strengthen the skills and international linkages of Iraqi academics and scientists. 4. Improve Efficiency and Accountability of Government Accomplishments to Date: • Implementing local governance activities in 18 governorates, engaging Iraqis in policy discourse through local government entities and civil society organizations to: o Enhance transparency and participation in local decision-making processes. o Restore basic services. o Improve the effectiveness of local service delivery. o Establish, develop and expand the number of civil society organizations that can interact with local government entities. • Established or refreshed 16 governorate councils, 91 district councils, 194 city or subdistrict councils, and 445 neighborhood councils. • Awarded $15.5 million to government agencies and civil society organizations to enable municipal authorities to deliver core municipal services. • Committed $2.4 million to support the CPA’s nationwide Civic Education Campaign, which facilitates dialogue and increases democracy awareness. • Conducted more than 21,000 democracy dialogue activities throughout Iraq. Highlights this Week: • An association of local councils in Al Muthanna Governorate is developing a handbook to inform councils on their powers, legal status, structure, and parliamentary procedures. A draft of the handbook—which is based on one developed by Basrah area councils—was presented to the association three weeks ago and discussions within the councils and the association have since taken place. The handbook will be presented to the Governorate Council next week for approval; the Council is considering using it as the structure for its own members. • Ninawa’ Governorate Departments of Municipalities and Water and Sewage are improving the delivery of services in the governorate with the support of technical experts from USAID’s Local Governance Program (LGP). The current focus of the assistance is to help the departments prepare their 2005 budget requests in a performance-based budgeting format. • Local government officials in Wasit Governorate are working USAID partners to increase the supply of diesel fuel to the governorate in order to ameliorate shortages in the area. In early August, the efforts of the Wasit Oil Products Storages Office and the State Company for Oil Pipelines were coordinated, and as 10 a result, more fuel products will be pumped to Wasit from Basrah via An Nasiriyah. This effort supported USAID’s goal of helping local governments meet the critical needs of Iraqi citizens. • Senior officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are working with technical advisors from LGP to develop economic development strategies for northern Iraq. Currently, efforts are focused on the establishment of a new business center which will offer assistance with business plan preparation, computer skills training, and technical skills such as in the areas of legal and financial management. It will also provide business incubator services, micro-lending opportunities, and an employment center. • A municipality in a Ninawa’ Governorate city has received 50 computers and network equipment through a Local Governance Program rapid response grant. The construction of a network to connect all the sections in the municipality is underway and will improve access to information for reporting and planning purposes. This new equipment will help the municipality improve its efficiency, and be more responsive to the needs of the community. LGP is also preparing a rapid response grant proposal to provide Geographic Information System (GIS) workstations for the Departments of Physical Planning, Water and Sewer. GIS will allow the departments to develop maps for services: existing infrastructure, customer complaints, and more efficient capital investment programs. • Five local council members and five engineers from Babil Governorate’s local government participated in training on project management and funding. Funding sources discussed at the training include the Local Governance Fund, which currently falls under the Ministry of Finance. Babil Governorate has $500,000 allocated for 30 approved Local Governance Fund projects. Contracts have already been signed, and contractor will begin work upon the issuance of work orders. LGP advisors are working with Babil local government officials to implement these new projects. • Baghdad City Hall is working with LGP on the implementation of a new computerized budgeting system and a computerized personnel and salary system in order to improve the management of public resources and increase the efficiency of operations at the Amanat. This past week, LGP advisors worked with City Hall staff on the implementation of a new computerized property management system to manage 17,438 revenue-providing properties belonging to the government of Baghdad. • LGP advisors are working with the Arab Society of Certified Accountants (ASCA) to develop a specialized training program for Supreme Audit Board members from Al Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Al Basrah, and Maysan Governorates. The Supreme Audit Board is a government entity responsible for detecting corruption and fraud in the Iraqi government. This program would involve four courses: International Standards for Auditing, Financial Analysis Skills for Auditors, External Auditor’s Reports, and Control and Auditing Systems. • Eighty residents of Salah ad Din Governorate participated in a Civic Dialogue Program conference on the topic of federalism. These conferences are held several times a week in the governorate and give Iraqis a forum for discussing Iraq’s political situation and learning about democracy. Transition Initiatives -- Objectives include: building and sustaining Iraqi confidence in the transition to a participatory, stable, and democratic Iraq and working closely with the CPA, USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative assists Iraqi NGOs, national government institutions, and local governments to increase Iraqi support for the transition to sovereignty through quick-dispersing, high impact small grants. Accomplishments to Date: • Awarded 1,463 small grants totaling more than $109 million for quick impact activities that support good governance, civil society, conflict management and mitigation, human rights and transitional justice. • Supporting initiatives crucial to the democratic transition, including civic education, civil society and media development, increased women’s participation, conflict mitigation and transitional justice. Groups targeted for assistance include women’s and youth groups, professional associations and human rights organizations. 11 • Met critical needs during and immediately after the conflict by providing short-term employment, restoring basic government and community services, increasing Iraqi access to information and communication and encouraging protection of human rights. • Funded over 60 grants totaling $3 million that focus on women’s issues, including supporting the establishment of 14 women’s centers in Iraq. Rehabilitated over 264 Iraqi national ministries, schools, clinics and other municipal buildings. Supporting 65 Iraqi groups in documenting human rights abuses of the Ba’athist regime and promoting peace, tolerance, and reconciliation. Highlights this Week: • A cultural center in northern Iraq has received equipment under a grant from USAID’s Iraq Transition Initiative (ITI). The materials will be used to enhance the organization’s ability to promote women’s rights and to encourage women to become involved in the issues and concerns of society. With this assistance, the center will be able to offer music and computer courses for women and expand its outreach in the community. • A youth center in northern Iraq has been rehabilitated and has received new supplies and equipment under a grant from ITI. • A national organization that represents lawyers will receive needed resources through a grant from ITI. The project will provide office equipment, library enhancements with up-to-date legal references, computer training for lawyers, and office furniture. It will also cover the installation of donated computers and minor rehabilitation work. These activities will bring modern technology to their work and facilitate providing computer training to their members. • A governorate in central Iraq received a grant from ITI that will help improve Iraqi government efforts to protect the antiquities and national heritage of Iraq. Specifically, the grant will supply computers, furniture and equipment to five local offices of the government agency charged with overseeing antiquities preservation. • An Iraqi non-governmental organization is providing outreach activities to two vulnerable communities with support from ITI. The towns have suffered greatly in past conflicts. Poverty is a major problem, with most of the households headed by women who have no incomes and little education. Planned workshops focus on human rights and democracy – detailing how women can play a vital role in the new Iraq. A grant from ITI has provided materials for the workshops as well as a stipend for the tutors and their transportation. • A home for orphans and handicapped children in northern Iraq has been renovated with a grant from ITI. The home will also receive new furniture that will improve the conditions at the facility and ensure a healthy living and learning environment. • Fifty children in a northern Iraqi city took part in a summer music camp presented with the assistance of a grant from ITI. The group that presented this program is committed to preserving art and culture by promoting traditional forms among school-aged children. This summer, they invited boys and girls from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to learn instruments and perform traditional songs. While engaged in these activities, the children also learned tolerance, team work, and leadership skills. Community Action Program -- Objectives include: promoting diverse, representative citizen participation in and among communities to identify, prioritize, and satisfy critical community needs, while utilizing local resources. CAP is implemented by five U.S. NGOs with offices in nine major Iraqi cities. Each NGO concentrates on one region in Iraq, which includes the north, south, southwest central, southeast central, and Baghdad regions. Accomplishments to Date: 12 • Established more than 670 Community Action Groups in 17 governorates. The projects undertaken by these groups are part of a campaign targeting grassroots democratic development. • CAP has committed $84 million for 1,617 projects across Iraq; 1,195 projects have been completed. • Iraqi communities have contributed more than 25 percent of the value of the community projects. Contributions have included labor, land, buildings, and other in-kind assistance. • The north program focuses on areas of Mosul, Kirkuk and the Iran-Iraq border. Their work has resulted in 259 completed projects and another 44 in development. These include establishing a youth center in At’ Tamim Governorate and developing a new local water supply in Salah ad Din Governorate. • The southwest central program has established a strong presence in the Shi’ia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, as well as Hillah by facilitating very active community associations. A strong emphasis on critical infrastructure needs has provided these communities with results such as sewage and water rehabilitation, school repairs, swamp clean-up and repairs to vital social infrastructure. They have completed 166 projects. • The Baghdad program has completed 278 projects in working with 142 community action groups. Income generation is an important emphasis. A marketplace for over 700 vendors is being constructed, and crews are cleaning up medical waste dumps and educating medical personnel on proper disposal methods. • The southeast central program has completed 129 projects and 95 more are in development. In the Shi’i heartland, these projects are addressing needs resulting from decades of governmental neglect and focus on water, sewerage, community clean-up and school rehabilitation. • The south program has completed 363 projects through 138 community action groups which average 33 percent women’s participation. Projects have focused primarily on immediate community needs such as sewage clean up, water treatment and distribution, public health, and girls’ access to education. Highlights this Week: • Community groups in Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, and Dhi Qar Governorates are developing projects to improve their communities. Thirteen new projects have been approved in these governorates. The new projects will improve local water systems, pave roads, expand and equip health facilities, improve education training facilities, improve street lighting, and provide support for youth and sports. These initiatives are being supported by CAP. A Community Action Program water network reconstruction project. 13 USAID Iraq Reconstruction Financial Summary Agency Implementing Partner Sector Regions Amount FY 2003-2004* RECONSTRUCTION USAID/ANE ..................................................................................... Subtotal: $3,417,240,173 Abt Associates Health Countrywide $22,624,704 AFCAP Logistics Countrywide $91,500,000 Army Corps of Engineers Architecture and Engineering services Countrywide $22,000,000 BearingPoint Economic Governance Countrywide $79,583,885 Bechtel National Airports, buildings, emergency communications, power, railroads, roads and bridges, Umm Qasr seaport, water and sanitation Countrywide $1,029,833,259 Bechtel National Infrastructure II: Airports, buildings, emergency communications, power, railroads, roads and bridges, Umm Qasr seaport, water and sanitation, Basra Hospital Countrywide $1,443,359,782 Community Action Program Development in impoverished communities Countrywide $120,080,000 DAI Marshlands Dhi Qar Al Basrah Maysan $4,000,000 DAI Agriculture Countrywide $9,352,912 Fed Source Personnel Support Countrywide $163,572 IRG Reconstruction Support Countrywide $51,698,152 RTI Local Governance Countrywide $236,911,000 CAII Education Countrywide $56,503,000 CAII II Education II Countrywide $51,809,000 CEPPS Education Activities in Support of Electoral Processes Countrywide $18,000,000 CEPPS Iraq Governing Council Countrywide $675,000 CEPPS Transitional Government Countrywide $20,700,000 UNICEF Health, Water, and Sanitation Countrywide $36,700,000 UNICEF Education Countrywide $19,600,000 UNESCO Textbook Printing and Distribution: Math and Science Countrywide $10,000,000 WHO Strengthen Health System Countrywide $10,000,000 SSA Port Management Umm Qasr $14,318,985 SkyLink Airport Management Baghdad Al Basrah Mosul $27,200,000 MSI Monitoring and Evaluation Countrywide $5,038,772 14 University Partners Consortium led by the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook which includes Columbia University, Boston University and Oxford University (England), University of Hawaii, DePaul University College of Law and the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences in Siracusa, Italy; and Jackson State University and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development; and Oklahoma State University. Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad, Mosul University, Mosul University’s College of Agriculture and Forestry in Hamam al-Alil, Basrah University, Al-Anbar University, and University of Salahaddin. $20,730,000 Yankee Group Telecoms Planning Countrywide $58,150 VEGA Business Skills Training Countrywide $4,800,000 UNDP Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 World Bank Trust Fund Contribution Countrywide $5,000,000 EMERGENCY RELIEF USAID/DCHA/OFDA ...............................................................................................$112,700,477 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,389,348 AirServ Logistics Countrywide $5,309,876 ARC Capacity building, Disaster support Al Basrah $537,746 The Cuny Center Research studies Countrywide $40,260 GOAL Coordination, Nutrition Al Muthanna’ $1,507,900 International Dispensary Association Health Countrywide $1,318,437 InterAction Coordination Kuwait City $92,860 IOM IDP programs Countrywide $6,545,780 Logistics Commodities and DART support Countrywide $22,553,653 UNICEF Health, nutrition, water/sanitation Countrywide $4,000,000 UN OCHA Coordination and Information Countrywide $1,200,000 USAID Amman Support for emergency water activities Countrywide $500,000 WFP Logistics and pre-positioning of food Countrywide $5,000,000 IMC Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Water/Sanitation, Capacity building Countrywide $16,252,898 IRC Health, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $8,000,411 Mercy Corps Health, Non-Food Items, Shelter, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $8,699,786 SCF/US Food Security, Health, Shelter, Nutrition, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation, NGO Consortium Countrywide $7,957,783 World Vision Health, Logistics, Non-Food Items, Water/Sanitation Countrywide $6,793,739 CARE Quick-impact projects, Water/Sanitation, Health, Blankets Countrywide $9,000,000 USAID/DCHA/FFP .................................................................................................$425,571,000 WFP Operations Countrywide $45,000,000 15 WFP Emerson Trust – 81,500 MT Countrywide $40,337,000 WFP P.L. 480 Title II emergency food commodities – 163,820 MT Countrywide $140,234,000 WFP Regional Purchase – 330,000 MT Countrywide $200,000,000 USAID/DCHA/OTI.................................................................................................. $175,199,299 Administrative Administrative Costs Countrywide $7,043,186 IOM Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $7,087,595 DAI Iraq Transition Initiative Countrywide $149,974,605 Internews Media Countrywide $160,359 Radio SAWA Media Countrywide $400,000 NDI/IRI National Governance Countrywide $650,000 IFES National Governance Countrywide $1,042,315 ICNL Civil Society Countrywide $39,238 Spa War** Inter-Ministry Communications Countrywide $8,703,001 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ IN FY 2003/2004 .............................................$4,130,411,949 * Figures in funding sheet are subject to change and do not represent a final official accounting of USG obligations. ** For accounting purposes, funding for this activity has been obligated by OFDA under an existing interagency agreement. 16