USAID IGPA/TAKAMUL IRAQ GOVERNANCE & PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT (IGPA/TAKAMUL) FY20 QUARTER-2 REPORT JANUARY 1, 2020 – MARCH 31, 2020 Program Title Iraq Governance and Performance Accountability Project (IGPA/Takamul) Sponsoring USAID Office USAID Iraq Contract Number AID-267-H-17-00001 Contractor DAI Global LLC Date of publication April 30, 2020 Author IGPA/Takamul Project Team Cover Administrator Loa’ay Rasmi Hameed at the Health Directorate’s quarantine location in Anbar. This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS PROJECT SNAPSHOT 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 3 الموجز التنفيذي CHAPTER 1: PROJECT PROGRESS 4 OBJECTIVE 1: ENHANCE THE SERVICE DELIVERY CAPACITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ 4 RESULT 1.1 IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY OUTCOMES IN SECTORS WITH HIGH IMPACT/VISIBILITY 5 RESULT 1.2 STRENGTHEN THE STRATEGIC APPROACH AND CAPACITY OF THE FEDERAL LINE MINISTRIES AND PROVINCIAL DIRECTORATES TO BETTER ALIGN SERVICE DELIVERY OUTCOMES WITH THE PRIORITIES OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL POPULATIONS 23 RESULT 1.3 ENHANCE REGULATORY AND PROCEDURAL CERTAINTY TO ATTRACT PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT 27 SUCCESS STORY New bidding procedure speeds up development undertakings 28 SUCCESS STORY Citizen clamor turned dump pit into a playground in Najaf neighborhood 29 OBJECTIVE 2: IMPROVE PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 30 RESULT 2.1 STRENGTHEN CAPACITIES OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS DIRECTORATES AND SUPPORT THEIR CONVERSION INTO FULLY OPERATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OFFICES 32 RESULT 2.2 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEDERAL OVERSIGHT MECHANISMS SUCH AS FINANCIAL PROCEDURES OF PROVINCES’ FINANCES 37 RESULT 2.3 ENHANCE PROVINCIAL REVENUE GENERATION, COLLECTION, AND MANAGEMENT OUTSIDE OF THE OIL SECTOR 38 RESULT 2.4 ENHANCE BUDGET-CYCLE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXECUTION AGAINST DECENTRALIZED EXPENDITURE ASSIGNMENTS 43 OBJECTIVE 3: SERVICE DELIVERY AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT 48 RESULT 3.1 STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF SELECTED PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND OUTREACH MECHANISMS. 50 RESULT 3.2 ENHANCE PUBLIC CAPABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN PLANNING, MONITORING, AND EVALUATING PUBLIC SERVICES. 62 SUCCESS STORY Access to information gives voice to communities 69 SUCCESS STORY CSO: Iraq’s other frontliner in the fight against COVID-19 70 OBJECTIVE 4: SUPPORTING IRAQI CHANGE AGENTS 75 RESULT 4.1 ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF CHANGE AGENTS 75 RESULT 4.2 ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF WOMEN AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO REPRESENT THEIR NEEDS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES 77 TASK ORDER 1: ASSISTANCE TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND MINISTRY OF OIL 80 SUBTASK 1: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ’S MINISTRY OF FINANCE TO IMPLEMENT A COMMITMENT CONTROL SYSTEM AND TO DESIGN AND OPERATIONALIZE AN IMPROVED CASH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 80 SUBTASK 4: SUPPORT TO THE ECONOMIC REFORM UNIT 83 TASK ORDER 3: KRG INFORMATION SYSTEMS REFORMS 85 SUBTASK 1: IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION REFORM COORDINATOR 85 SUBTASK 2: KRG CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER ADVISORY SUPPORT 87 TASK ORDER 4: NINEWA INVESTMENT FACILITATION INITIATIVE 90 TASK ORDER 5: ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION 95 CHAPTER II: MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING 102 IGPA/TAKAMUL MEL SYSTEM 102 PROJECT LEARNING 102 CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED 102 AMELP INDICATORS CHANGE LOG 111 COMPLEXITY AWARE MONITORING 112 CONCURRENT SENTINEL INDICATORS 112 LONG-TERM SENTINEL INDICATORS 114 CHAPTER III: CONTEXT MONITORING THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GOVERNANCE IN IRAQ 120 POLITICAL CONTEXT AND GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES 120 IMPACTS ON IGPA/TAKAMUL PROGRAMMING 128 ANNEX 1: PROJECT SNAPSHOTS 131 ANNEX 2: MONITORING & EVALUATION DISAGGREGATED TRAINING DATA, EVALUATION FINDINGS, SURVEYS 136 ANNEX 3: QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION – FY20, Q2 143 ANNEX 4: OVERVIEW OF SUBCONTRACTORS 146 ANNEX 5: SUCCESS STORIES IN ARABIC 149 ANNEX 6: CONTRACT DELIVERABLES 154 ANNEX 7: QUARTERLY SUB-ACTIVITY REPORT 155 ANNEX 8: QUARTERLY MEDIA COVERAGE 163 ANNEX 9: TASK ORDER 3 SUBTASK 2 PROGRESS SHEETS 174 ACRONYMS 176 PROJECT SNAPSHOT USAID.GOV IGPA/TAKAMUL FY2020 QUARTER -2 REPORT | 1 USAID.GOV IGPA/TAKAMUL FY2020 QUARTER -2 REPORT | 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The reporting period represented the penultimate quarter of IGPA/Takamul’s third year. It was a period in which the project moved forward and made significant progress against indicators in its work plan, while at the same time adapting to the global pandemic which continues to grip the country, the region, and the world. Throughout all this was a backdrop of significant security and political challenges – most particularly the killing of Iranian General Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader al-Muhandis, and the subsequent spike in security incidents, in addition to the continuing failure of the Iraqi political class to agree on a replacement for outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. One of the hallmarks of the IGPA project has been its adaptive management approach, nimble enough to adapt to changing realities, to produce the support and outputs that the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi people require at this juncture. Despite the challenges during this period, IGPA/Takamul managed to achieve the required progress against indicators in the areas of service delivery, public financial management, oversight and accountability, and achieving sustainability through change agents. The details of those achievements are narrated in this report. At the same time, the Project creatively developed alternative approaches – virtual meetings and remote training – to maintain active engagement with key stakeholders. IGPA/Takamul’s Ninewa Investment Facilitation Initiative (NIFI) also adjusted its technical assistance delivery mechanism to minimize the impact of government-imposed curfews and restrictions on gatherings and movement between cities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of mid-March, IGPA/NIFI successfully started offering remote training and began engaging with its beneficiaries through this mode. The remote training-workshops, which will be conducted more frequently moving forward, use a more modular approach and with smaller participant groups; a modality that participants themselves concurred with. This reporting period witnessed the formal drawdown of Task Order 5 - Anti-Domestic Violence legislation. Although the law has not been passed within the TO5 period of performance, the achievements of this Task Order remain substantial. These achievements have significantly strengthened the legislation, consolidated and advanced the coordination efforts to pass the law, and prepared an extensive advocacy strategy with a diverse coalition. Furthermore, TO5 laid the groundwork for a stronger implementation phase by mapping out current domestic violence services and networks and completing a gap analysis and training for these anti-domestic violence service providers, empowering them to provide better services and preparing them for the eventual passage of the law. IGPA/Takamul-created informal structures within the local governments, such as the social accountability groups, technical working groups, Tawasul and Ta’awn, and the cadre of trained civil society organizations and volunteers proved their value and relevance as the global coronavirus pandemic hit Iraq. They have become the new frontline heroes protecting citizens from an invisible enemy. Their activities are documented in this report. USAID.GOV IGPA/TAKAMUL FY2020 QUARTER -2 REPORT | 1 The COVID-19 crisis also required the Project to begin work planning for Year 4 earlier than scheduled and to incorporate relevant activity streams that speak to the changed reality of Iraq. Two areas wherein the project will be expanding its support will be: 1) public financial management, in which a focused effort will be made to support effective reforms in light of the serious financial crisis precipitated by the dramatic and prolonged drop in global oil prices; and, 2) emergency and crisis management planning, in which the project will build on its current work to support the development of structures, processes, and capacities at the provincial level to manage crises in an integrated fashion. Crisis management planning will incorporate service delivery, public financial management, including civil society and private sectors approaches, to better coordinate those with the efforts of the central agencies in Baghdad and Erbil. IGPA/Takamul is proud to share its accomplishments during this extraordinary time replete with economic, political, and health challenges. USAID.GOV IGPA/TAKAMUL FY2020 QUARTER -2 REPORT | 2 الموجز التنفيذي تمثل فترة كتابة هذا التقرير الربع ما قبل اﻷخير من السنة الثالثة من عمر مشروع تكامل. وهي الفترة التي قطع فيها المشروع اشواطا متقدمة عن طريق تحقيق مؤشرات خطة العمل الخاصة به، والتكيف في ذات الفترة مع الوباء العالمي الذي يجتاح البﻻد والمنطقة والعالم اجمع. وقد شهدت هذه الفترة تصاعدا ملحوظا من حيث التحديات اﻷمنية والسياسية، اهمها فيما يتمثل بمقتل الجنرال اﻹيراني قاسم سليماني والقائد في الحشد الشعبي العراقي ابو مهدي المهندس، وسلسلة الحوادث اﻷمنية الﻻحقة لذلك باﻹضافة الى الفشل المستمر للطبقة السياسية العراقية في اختيار بديل لرئيس الوزراء المستقيل عادل عبد المهدي. ولعل أهم ما تميز به عمل مشروع تكامل في هذه الفترة هو مقارباته اﻻدارية المتسمة بالتكيف والقابلية العالية على التعامل مع الوقائع المتغيرة لغرض