GOVERNANCE STRENGTHENING PROJECT (GSP/TAQADUM) Final Report DECEMBER, 2017 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc. GOVERNANCE STRENGTHENING PROJECT (GSP/TAQADUM) Final Report USAID Contract No. AID-267-C-11-00006 The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. II Contents CONTENTS CONTENTS ........................................................ III FOREWARD .........................................................1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................5 GSP/TAQADUM MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS/ DELIVERABLES ..........17 TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS .....................................29 LESSONS LEARNED. 63 LEGACY ............................................................73 CONCLUSION .....................................................93 LEFT: Yet another direct result of GSP/Taqadum’s Service Delivery Improvement Plan (SDIP) work in the provinces, workers complete repairs to school desks. © CHEMONICS INSIDE FRONT COVER: Yet another direct result of GSP/Taqadum’s Service Delivery Improvement Plan (SDIP)support work in the provinces, workers complete renovations at a school. © CHEMONICS Contents III GSP/TAQADUM GSP/TAQADUM Chief of Party Cameron Berkuti USAID/Iraq, Governance Strengthening Project GSP/Taqadum (“moving forward” in Arabic) New Year’s Eve Message to Staff, 2016-2017. IV FOREWARD FOREWARD After six years of implemen- efforts have and will continue tation, the USAID/Iraq GSP/ to make government entities Taqadum project leaves a respect the people’s wishes and legacy for the Iraqi people for desires for services and at the generations to come of bring- same time continue to pave the ing the government closer to way to ensuring transparent and the people. By continu¬ing to accountable governance. create hope for many desper- ate young people in this country As we are seeing, who do not see a viable future, decentraliza¬tion is happening the project built people’s trust in Iraq and, against all the odds, in their democrat¬ic system and is beginning to remedy the elected officials. The decentral- ills of corrup¬tion, economic ization system we are working instability, and inadequate, on with our Iraqi partners and hard-to-access, and in some local and federal governments cases, absolute, lack of much- is built on a sound and practical needed, life-stabilizing services. foundation, despite the enor- The GSP/Taqadum project staff mous political, secu¬rity, and can take pride in being respon- economic challenges. This de- sible for contributing to build- centralization project may end, ing a foun¬dation and moving but the legacy of empowering forward a paradigm shift that is people to make decisions, build opening a previously closed and their communi¬ties, and im- seemingly impenetrable system. prove services will have an un- Provinces are beginning to com- ending and sustain¬able effect. pete with each other to provide The project team’s dedicated, better services, as they sharpen loyal, committed, and tireless their focus on economic and FOREWARD 1 In cooperation with GSP/Taqadum, members of Ninawa’s Field Technical Team (FTT) develop an after-liberation checklist, and identify needs and immediate response actions. 2 FOREWARD private sector development and and management between the create new jobs. More impor- provincial Financial and Admin- tantly, the provinces and of- istrative Affairs Directorates ficials within them are beginning (AFADs) and the Ministry of to commu¬nicate with each Finance; opening operational other; sharing and comparing and investment accounts in the ideas, tools, and solutions; and Financial and Administrative Af- discussing what works and what fairs Directorates; and trans- doesn’t. Their goal is to move ferring ministerial directorates the country for¬ward in the budgets to provincial budgets. best way possible. AFADs will now receive and redistribute grants, allocated by The biggest achievements this the Ministry of Finance and ap- year have been the break- proved by concerned ministries, through workshop on Octo- to self-financed departments. ber 28-29 with the Ministry of For GSP/Taqadum, this was a Finance, which included several monumental final step in the provincial governments and project’s efforts to make decen- high-level officials including tralization sustainable. the deputy minister of finance, Council of Representatives I also know in my heart of Financial Committee members, hearts that through the team’s the prime minister’s economic efforts — working 24/7, day advisor, and the chair for the and night with the “So What” High Commission for Coordina- motto in mind and heart — the tion among Provinces Secre- legacy of GSP/Taqadum is guar- tariat. Participants agreed on anteed to be unforgettable. the organizational structure FOREWARD 3 GSP/TAQADUM Baghdad Provincial Council Chairman Riyadh al-Adhadh 4 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION In September 2011, the United rebuild their homeland. Togeth- States Agency for Interna- er, these elements laid a solid tional Development (USAID) foundation for administrative launched Governance Strength- decentralization, which by the “The transfer of ening Project GSP/Taqadum. end of the project, was wel- authorities depends Designed to strengthen the comed and accepted by most capacity of local governments federal and local government on two principles: to respond to citizen service entities, including Prime Minister one is democracy, needs by bolstering relationships Haider Al-Abadi and other high- and accountability between level notables. the fact that the local provincial councils (PCs) and council is elected. The their constituents, GSP/Taqadum Originally slated as a 33-month had a remarkable six-year run. project (September 2011 – June second is transparency, Unusual for USAID-funded proj- 2014), GSP/Taqadum worked which is represented ects, this longevity is attributed with the 16 provinces of Anbar, to the project’s high level of and Babil, Baghdad, Basrah, Dhi Qar, by smoothing the numerous successes, as well as Diwaniyah, Diyala, Erbil, Karbala, procedures to deliver the commitment, dedication, Kirkuk, Maysan, Muthanna, and stamina of its staff — 99 Najaf, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, and the best services to percent of who were Iraqi and Wasit, and three of the seven citizens.” lived in all of Iraq’s provinces. citizen-centered service minis- An Iraqi-born Chief of Party tries slated for decentralization: BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL and Deputy Chief of Party were Education, Health, and Munici- COUNCIL CHAIRMAN RIYADH AL-ADHADH among the project’s five expatri- palities and Public Works (which ates. Both had immigrated to was later merged with the the United States and Canada, Ministry of Construction and respectively, in their youth, only Housing to become the Minis- to return in 2003 to repair and try of Construction, Housing, INTRODUCTION 5 GSP/TAQADUM and Public Municipalities). Early The first extension (May 2014 successes and the Iraqi govern- - April 2015) saw GSP/Taqa- ment’s decentralization mandate dum shift its objective — to for a devolution of authorities the point of becoming a new from the country’s central minis- project — to focus on admin- tries to provincial governments istrative decentralization of the by August 2015 set in motion same three of the seven minis- the first of the project’s three tries (mentioned above) slated extensions, as well as a com- for decentralization: the minis- plete shift in focus. tries of Education, Health, and Municipalities and Public Works, [Note: This report represents the but only five (initially) tar- period from July 2014 through geted provinces: Babil, Baghdad, the project’s September 2017 Diwaniyah, Najaf, and Wasit. end date. The original 33-month This work involved identifying, period (September 2011 – June analyzing, and finally transferring 2014) and its final achievements these three ministries relevant can be found in a separate final authorities to these five provinc- report dated July 2014, Deliver- es, while adhering to the proj- able No. XX.] ect’s ultimate goal of providing better services to Iraq’s citizens. 6 INTRODUCTION MAP 1. GSP/TAQADUM’S INTERVENTION INTRODUCTION 7 With this new mandate to sup- Ministry of Planning, the Prime port Iraq’s scheduled August Minister’s Office, High Commis- 2015 devolution of powers from sion for Coordination between federal ministries to provincial Provinces (HCCP), Council of governments, provinces were Representatives (COR), and primed to accept the authority related entities. and embrace the responsibility of improving public services for Although the Ministry of Finance citizens. GSP/Taqadum man- (MOF) was among the eight agement and leading technical ministries designated in Law 21 team members moved early on to be decentralized, considered to prepare themselves for the a hard nut to crack it was not task ahead and identified staff included at first in the project’s resources and adjusted their Year 6 extension. However, departmental plans as needed. due to Iraq’s financial challenges In late October 2014, two ad- and based on a request by the ditional provinces — Diyala and Iraqi government, GSP/Taqa- Kirkuk were added to GSP/Taqa- dum eventually worked with dum’s work plan, bringing the the MOF developing financial number of targeted provinces systems and processes at the to seven.