Monitoring & Evaluation in Postconflict Settings
USAID has a long history of establishing performance monitoring systems in a wide range of postconflict situations around the world. With the current two major postconflict USAID programs (Afghanistan and Iraq) and the introduction of White Paper goals that specify a tailored approach to the goals of fragile states and humanitarian assistance, PPC/CDIE commissioned Management Systems International (MSI) to undertake a desk review of the state of the art for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in postconflict societies.
After a systematic review of existing literature and interviews with policymakers and practitioners, MSI prepared this report, which has three components. First, the report identifies various constraints and challenges that USAID and its partners face in enforcing sound M&E standards and practices in postconflict societies, particularly in those where the United States has major strategic interests. Understanding these constraints is essential to the development of an effective system that can realistically monitor performance of USAID-funded projects and programs. Second, the report documents “best practice” examples in key sectors and subsectors that can inform future performance M&E functions. It concludes with a set of lessons for USAID and its partners. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADG193.pdf
USAID/Iraq Gender Assessment
Introduction
USAID/Iraq is committed to the development of a “sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq.” As the Mission develops its 2010-2012 country strategy, it will find that the state of gender relations in Iraq is central to its success. Around the world, gender inequality has been found to hamper reconstruction and development efforts, while the promotion of gender equality has been shown to promote sustainable development, greater national security and peace. In a place like Iraq where security is often linked to gender roles, where women’s legal, social and political rights are contentious and where the equal participation of women and men in economic development is hampered by corruption and a gendered division of labor, the positive returns that can flow from women’s and girls’ equal participation in national development are too significant to be ignored. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADW085.pdf
USAID and ISRAR Project Announcement
The signing event officially launches USAID’s participation in the Iraq Solution for Regulatory and Administrative Reform (ISRAR) project. ISRAR will review and eliminate unnecessary regulations that hinder business and private investment. ISRAR working groups, drawn from both the Government of Iraq and the private sector, will produce reform recommendations to make it easier to start a new business, obtain construction permits, and facilitate trade with regional neighbors and the world. These recommendations will help significantly improve the Iraqi private sector, and Iraq’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report, which will assist efforts to expand investment in the economy.SOURCE
USAID
Since 2003, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a major contributor to the U.S. Government's (USG) reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Collaborating with other USG agencies, USAID works closely with the Government of Iraq, provincial and local governments, international institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank, and a network of partners including non-governmental organizations, local community groups, and Iraqi citizens.
U. S. assistance to Iraq has changed substantially over the past years and will evolve in the years to come. From 2003 to 2006 USAID focused on restoring essential services such as health, education, water and electricity, improving economic opportunities, building the foundation of democracy and governance, and managing conflict.
In 2007, the focus moved to strengthening the effectiveness of government and civil society, expanding private sector opportunities, supporting focused stabilization activities, and providing humanitarian assistance and support for internally displaced persons. These types of activities continued until 2009 when USG assistance began shifting from reconstruction to building Iraq's capacity to reconstruct and govern itself effectively.
Our efforts moving forward will assist Iraq's building and sustaining a healthy economy, providing essential human services for Iraqis, and achieving full utilization of its natural resources. USAID supports the objectives of the Strategic Framework Agreement with the Government of Iraq. http://iraq.usaid.gov/
U.S. Embassy and the Office of the Prime Minister sign a cooperation agreement for administrative reform in the country
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 18:01
Signed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad today by the U.S. Agency for International Development [USAID] Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Prime Minister outlines support for U.S. efforts to alleviate the Iraqi administrative obstacles in the Iraqi private sector and in line with the strategic framework agreement.
A statement from the U.S. embassy in Iraq, the Agency has received all of Iraq [where] a copy of it today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding Director United States Agency for International Development in Iraq Alex decay, and the Director of the Office of the Prime Minister Hamid Ahmed. "
"The signing of the MOU allows the agency to begin officially participating in the project management and administrative reform in Iraq [insistence] who will review and remove unnecessary procedures that hinder business and private investment."
And Asharalbaan that "he will be working groups in the project the problem of Iraqi government officials and representatives from the private sector to issue recommendations to simplify the procedures for opening new projects and to obtain building permits and to facilitate trade with neighboring countries and the world, and will help these recommendations on the introduction of a significant improvement on the Iraqi private sector in the classification Country in the World Bank report on the establishment of projects, which will support efforts to expand the scope of investment in the economic sector in Iraq. "
And the "implementation of these reforms will send a clear message to international business that Iraq is laying the foundations of a new economic at a fast pace."
The project [insistence] one of the group of projects supported by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as part of the strategic framework agreement to support the Iraqi government's efforts towards improving the private sector.
SOURCE
Thanks Don LJ's Next Step Team
(as discussed on last nights conference call)
Capacity Building Programs – USAID/IRAQ
USAID-Tarabot Administrative Reform ProjectSource
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