USAID LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT IN

Quarterly Performance Report October-December, 2014

January 31, 2015 This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of the Local Governance Project and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government 1

USAID LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT IN TAJIKISTAN

Quarterly Performance Report October-December, 2014

Prepared for: USAID/Tajikistan, Office of Democracy & Governance Prepared by:

Contract No. AID-176-C-12-00002-00

January 31, 2015 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.

Table of Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms ...... i Executive Summary ...... 1 Component 1: Policy ...... 1 Component 2: Practice ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Component 3: Participation ...... 2 Project Overview ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Annex 1: Progress by Performance Indicators ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Result 1: Strengthening the Enabling Environment to Support Sub-National Governance ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Result 2: Sub-National government entities are more effective in meeting citizen’s needs ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Result 3: Increased participation of constituents in sub-national government decision- making and service provision ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Annex 2: National level and Jamoat Officials Trained in Year 2 ...... 3 Annex 3: Performance Indicator Tracking Table ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Aga Khan Foundation AKF Capacity Improvement Plan CIP Central Asian Republics CAR Chief of Party CoP Civil Servant Department CSD Civil Servants Training Center CSTC Civil Servants Training Institute CSTI Community-based Organizations CBOs District Republic of Subordinated DRS Donors Coordination Council DCC Financial Advisory Services FAS Geographic Information System GIS Gorno Badakhshon Autonomous Oblast GBAO Government of the Republic of Tajikistan GoRT Inter-ministerial Working Group IMWG Local Development Initiative LDI Mahalla Committees MCs Management Systems International MSI Ministry of Finance MoF Ministry of Foreign Affairs MFA Mountain Societies Development Program MSDSP Public Finance Management PFM Regional Development and Cooperation Strategy RDCS Small Infrastructure Projects SIPs State Service Department SSD United Nations Development Programme UNDP United States Agency of International Development USAID USAID Central Asian Republics Local Governance Project in Tajikistan LGP Village Development Plans VDPs

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Executive Summary The third implementation year of the Local Governance Project (LGP) began on October 1, 2014. This document summarizes its performance of activities outlined in its USAID-approved, Third Year Annual Implementation Plan. As in all of LGP’s reports, each of the project’s three Expected Results is rendered as one of three components: Policy, Practice, Participation. A brief summary of the accomplishments of each component is given in the sections below:

Component 1: Policy The policy component of the Local Governance Project attempts to improve the enabling environment for sub-national governance. Under this component, the project works to remove legal and policy barriers to the implementation of the 2009 Law on Self Government by Towns and Townships. The policy component consists of activities in support of a budget pilot and activities intended to improve the enabling environment for decentralized local governance. Regarding the budget experiment, in December LGP witnessed all 4 of the jamoats participating in its pilot have their 2015 budgets approved. On December 15, the People’s Majlis of Yavan District approved the budget for Jamoat Yavan with the councils of B. Gafurov District approving the budget for Jamoat Gafurov, and the budgets of Jamoat Ismail Karimov and GBAO being approved by their district councils shortly thereafter. In each instance, the amount allocated to jamoats who had completed a rigorous budgeting process exceeded the allocation made to the surrounding jamoats who had not prepared a budget. In addition, during the month of December, former Home Office Manager and short term technical advisor Eric Uggen visited Tajikistan to define the contents of a budget execution manual for use by jamoats participating in the project’s experiment with fiscal decentralization. Regarding the broader legal environment for local governance, in October, the Anti-Monopoly Committee of the Republic of Tajikistan formally approved a water user’s fee proposed by Galchagi village, Jamoat Chorsu, Vahdat District. The village was the recipient of LGP’s first small infrastructure drinking water project, opened by U.S. Ambassador Susan Elliot on September 25, 2014. The fee was approved in accordance with the Procedure for Holding Public Hearings on Draft Tariffs for Commodities (Labor, and Services) of Natural Monopoly Entities. That procedure itself was drafted with assistance of LGP during its previous implementation year, adopted by the Anti-Monopoly Committee in November 2013 and recorded by the Ministry of Justice in April 2014. It represents a change in the enabling environment for local governance and affects all 427 jamoats in the country, not just those in LGP’s service area. Component 2: Practice Its emphasis on policy reform and budgets notwithstanding, LGP was designed to be practical. The policy changes it is pursuing are intended to increase both the authority and capacity of jamoats to perform the role envisioned for them in the 2009 law.

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The activities under its Practice Component therefore aim at increasing the capacity of local governments to improve the quality of their citizens’ lives. In December, LGP led a Study Tour to Astana, Kazakhstan. Organized the week of December 8-11, 2014, the tour exposed Tajik officials to how the Kazakh government had made most of its services accessible with just a few clicks of a mouse. Via a personal computer or a smart phone or through any one of a number of ‘single window’ service centers around the country, those services include: 1) general information, 2) real property, 3) social status (pensions, etc.), 4) marriage, births & deaths registry, 5) drivers’ licenses, and 6) services for legal entities. Co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, the trip typified donor coordination, and it exposed persons in the Tajik government new to LGP as well as ideas that are new to Tajikistan. The trip showed all participants what was possible for Tajikistan as it implements its own strategy for the computerization of citizen services. Of more immediate benefit to the 20 jamoats in the LGP service area, in the first quarter of its third implementation year, the project enhanced the capacity of jamoats to deliver basic services, with both small purchases of ‘hardware’ and the ‘software’ of coaching. Both are required of its Service Delivery Improvement Program (SDIP). On the ‘hardware’ side, in October LGP’s Grant Manager and Water Engineer completed their tour of the GBAO and their technical and environmental assessments of short-listed projects there. The environmental report for a water system in Khojaabdolon was pre-approved by the USAID Environmental Officer in Almaty, and a new sub-contract for a water infrastructure project in Soviet town, Temurmalik district was awarded. On the ‘software’ side, LGP’s Grants Manager, Water Policy Specialist and Legal Specialist developed a description and flow chart of the 12 steps a recipient jamoat has to follow once a water project has been awarded. The highlight of the Practice component in the first quarter, however, was undoubtedly the dedication of LGP’s second water infrastructure project. On November 25, 2014 the well, located in Shohon village of Jamoat Somoni, district, was dedicated by the district chairman and USAID Tajikistan’s new Team Leader for Democracy, Governance, Health & Education, Will Trigg.

Component 3: Participation For its third Component, LGP strives to increase citizen participation in local decision making and service provision. Its efforts are directed at enhancing the contact between both the government and the governed by working with both sides to ensure opportunities for citizens to be informed and engaged in decisions that affect their community. During its third implementation year, LGP is working with both formal and informal representatives of civil society. As much of LGP’s service area consists of rural jamoats, the most effective (and sometimes only) community based organizations on the territory of the jamoat are the Mahalla Committees that exist in each village. These Mahalla Committees were just informal groups of concerned citizens when LGP began, but over the first two years of its implementation, the project has registered 155 across the 20 jamoats where it is working, and it has assisted many of them to gain in stature within their

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communities. By turning these once informal neighborhood councils into formally organized and publically recognized civil society organizations, LGP has successfully increased the formal participation of citizens in their governance. As proof of the growing recognition of Mahalla Committees, many of them are taking an active part in their respective communities’ development. Besides their other activities, most of the committees are involved in water supply projects activities supported by different development partners and organizations, including the Japanese, Swiss, Canadians and Germans. For example, the Mahalla Committees of Shivrozh, Pitob, Manem and Zevardasht of Shugnan District are involved in Water Supply Project supported by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the committees in Boghev and Sokhcharv have already finished their projects with support of the same donor. The Mahalla Committees of Khoja Murod, Navobod, Sari Qosh and Darband of Nurobod District are supported by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). There has been established Water User Association in the targeted Jamoats with support of World Bank and other partners. The MCs have been involved in the process and its water users’ association is managing irrigation water. Another irrigation system has been constructed in K.Hoji of Ghonchi District through the support of the German international development agency, GIZ/GREAT. In addition, the Mahalla Committees in jamoat Gafurov (the site of the month’s internal study tour described under the Practice component section of this report) are now cooperating with the Dehqon Farms and Sughd Agro-service in assisting farmers within the territory of the jamoat in getting access to extension services. The Mahalla Committees have also recently begun cooperating with a Helvetas (Swiss NGO) supported project to increase access of residents to legal services (regarding human and women’s rights, etc.)

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Project Overview The purpose of LGP is to enhance USAID’s assistance to the GoRT in its implementation of the 2009 Law on Local Self-Governance in a Town and Townships. At the sub-national level, the project seeks to improve the capacity of local governments to deliver communal services to citizens, particularly clean drinking water. Other project objectives include strengthening citizen’s participation in local government decision-making and public-private partnerships for service delivery. Overall, the project will foster stability, democratic practices and economic development by increasing the capacity and accountability of Tajikistan’s sub-national government. The following results were identified as key to successful implementation of the project:

Result 1: Strengthened legal enabling environment to support sub-national governance Component 1.1: Improve national-level policy and legal environment Component 1.2: Enhance capacity of national-level institutions and officials

Result 2: Sub-national government entities are more effective in meeting citizens’ needs Component 2.1: Strengthen the capacity of sub-national government officials Component 2.2: Capacity to budget, procure and manage communal services Component 2.3: Increase access to sustainable, safe drinking water

Result 3: Increased participation of constituents in sub-national government decision- making and service provision Component 3.1: Increase participatory decision-making Component 3.2: Strengthen the capacity of CBOs and private enterprises

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Progress by Performance Indicators

Result Two: Sub-National government entities are more effective in meeting citizen’s needs IR 2.1: Strengthen the capacity of sub-national government officials to govern more effectively Indicator 4: Number of individuals who receive USG-assisted training, including management skills and fiscal management, to strengthen local government and/or Decentralization, disaggregated by gender. [STANDARD 2.2.3-1] The Target (100) for the indicator was achieved during Year 1 period. Actual cumulative (Year 1 and 2) # 483 participants (110 female). LGP team will conduct trainings as required and report the numbers by fact. Q1 of Year 3 – 51 (34 male\17 female) This indicator measures number of national and sub-national employees who receive USD assisted training. This is a quarterly indicator. In Y3 the team expects to develop computer based training for jamoats officials and organize two study tours for national and local level officials on e-governance and water supply policy issues. During Q1 LGP organized a Study tour in collaboration with UNDP on e-governance to Astana, Kazakhstan for 10 male participants, representatives of the Center for Information and Communication Technologies within the Executive Office of the President of Tajikistan, ministries of Finance, Justice, and Economic Development, along with the State Committees on Tax and State Property, Agency for Public Service and the Institute for Public Administration. LGP IT Specialist conducted Introductory Excel training for accountants and secretaries of jamoat dehot Suchon\GBAO, jamoat shahrak , jamoat K.Ismoilov\Vakhdat, jamoat B. and jamoat Ghoziyon of B. Ghafurov district. In total 10 participants (4m\6f) were covered by the training. MSDSP partners conducted Project Designing Training and Training on Modules of Effective Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System for mahala committees, including 31(20male\11female) jamoat representatives. (Annex 1).

IR 2.2: Improve institutional capacity at the sub-national level to budget, procure & manage communal services

Indicator 10: # of local projects co-funded by local budgets Target 3 - Actual 2

LGP team implemented water supply rehabilitation projects in jamoat shahrak Sovet of Temurmalik district and jamoat dehot Ghoziyon of B. Ghafurov district. In both projects local governments provided their contribution by installing pump units at the facilities and repairing water intake buildings.

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IR 2.3: Increased access to sustainable, safe drinking water at the sub-national level

Indicator 14: Number of people in target areas gaining access to improved drinking water as a result of USG assistance, Disaggregated by gender and location. [STANDARD 3.1.8.1-2) Target 10,000 – Actual Q1 of Year 3 - 15 667 beneficiaries (7 736 female) Total – 16 946 beneficiaries (with1 279 beneficiaries of Year 2).

1. Provision of regular access to drinking water for residents of Sovet town of Temurmalik district via rehabilitation of water supply system - Total 10 396 beneficiaries (including 5 220 female). 2. Rehabilitation of water supply system in Dehai Bolo, Chorsu 1 and Chorsu 2 villages of Ghoziyon Jamoat, B. Ghafurov district - 5 271beneficiaries ( including 2 516 female)

Result 3: Increased participation of constituents in sub-national government decision-making and service provision

R 3.1: Increase participatory decision-making between sub-national governments and citizens

Indicator 17: Number of local mechanisms supported with USG assistance for citizens to engage their subnational Government, disaggregated by location. [STANDARD 2.2.3-3] Target 6 – Actual Year 3 - 3 (Year 2 - 3)

1. Leaflets (with information on water supply project, tariff, contact information of a person responsible for fee collection for water supply service) were developed and distributed among citizens of Ghalchagi village of Chorsu jamoat\Vakhdat, Shohon village of I. Somoni\Ghonchi and Ghoziyon jamoat of B. Ghafurov district 2. Information boards delivered to jamoat dehot Ghoziyon of B. Ghafurov district; jamoat shahrak Ghonchi and jamoat dehot K. Ismoilov 3. The information boards also have complaint\enquires boxes

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Annex 1: National level and Jamoat Officials Trained in Year 3 Quarter 1 (October –December 2014) # Title Date Location Total Male Female participants Component 1 - Policy 1. Study Tour on e- December Astana, Kazakhstan 10 10 governance 8-11 Subtotal Component 1 10 Component 2 – Practice 2. Introductory Excel October jamoat dehot 10 4 6 training for 2014 Suchon\GBAO; accountants and jamoat shahrak secretaries of LGP Yovon; jamoat jamoats K.Ismoilov; jamoat B. Ghafurov; jamoat Ghoziyon Subtotal Component 2 10 Component 3 - Participation 3. Project Design Training November MCs of Shughnan 22 21 1 19-20 District (Shirinjonov and Suchon Jamoats) # of jamoat 1 1 employees from total # 4. Project Design Training November MCs of MCs of 28 26 2 21-22 Roshtkala District (Tusyon and Roshatkala Jamoats) # of jamoat 2 1 1 employees 5. Training on the December Ghoziyon Jamoat, 15 11 4 Modules of “Effective 13-14 Ghafurov district Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System” # of jamoat 6 4 2 employees

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6. Training on the December Dukoni Jamoat, 46 35 11 Modules of “Effective 16-17 & Chorgul Jamoat, Management, Use and Yovon Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System”

# of jamoat 11 5 6 employees 7. Training on the December Tusiyon Jamoat 16 15 1 Modules of “Effective 17-18 (Roshtkala) Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System” # of jamoat 1 1 employees 8. Training on the December Puli Sangin Jamoat 22 13 8 Modules of “Effective 18-19 (Norak) Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System” # of jamoat 4 2 2 employees 9. Training on the December Shirinjonov Jamoat, 12 10 2 Modules of “Effective 19-20 Shughnon. Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System” # of jamoat 3 3 employees 10. Training on the December Shahrak Sovet, 24 22 2 Modules of “Effective 22-23 Temurmalik District Management, Use and Sustainability of Drinking Water Supply System” # of jamoat 3 3 employees Subtotal Component 3 185 154 31 # of jamoat 31 20 11

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employees Total trained in Q1 # of national officials 10 10m # of jamoat employees 41 24m 17f # of MC representatives\independent deputies 154 134m 20f

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Annex 5: Performance Indicator Tracking Table

Performance Indicator Tracking Table (PITT) Baseline FY13 + FY14 FY15 Indicator Date Actual Target rational Actual Target rational Target Actual Target 1. Standard Indicator 2013 0 1. Anti-monopoly 2 2 MoF’s Instruction on pilot 3 (2.2.3-2): Number of Service of the implementation of jamoat model regulations or laws Government of the budget enabling local self- Republic of governance enacted Tajikistan approved (and/or amended) with procedures for USG assistance. holding public hearings on tariffs. 2. IMWG developed and submitted to the GoRT draft Order on pilot implementation of jamoat model budget 2. Percentage increase of 2013 0 0 0 The team will measure the 0 0 national budget placed percentage increase in the district budget comparing it with the Under control of sub- previous year national government entities 3. Number of jamoats 2013 0 0 0 Four jamoats are participating in 4 0 with defined budget the pilot from Year 2. process.

4. Number of individuals 2013 0 In Year 1 LGP 100 483 In Year 3 LGP team will conduct By fact Q1-51 (17f) who receive USG- trained a total of 109 trainings as required and report assisted (17 female) the numbers by fact. In Q1 - 10 participants training, including national level male officials management skills and In Year 2 LGP participated on e-governance study tour in Astana, KZ

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fiscal trained a total of 374 (273 male & 92 management, to female jamoat, and 8 strengthen local male & 1 female government and/or national level Decentralization, officials) disaggregated by gender. [STANDARD 2.2.3-1] 5. Number of national- 2013 0 0 The team will evaluate the skills 5 0 level government of the IMWG and other who will officials participate in the exposure visit and local level study tour for the applying new skills Ministry experts. from trainings organized with USG Assistance, disaggregated by gender. 6. Number of jamoat 0 Six of LGP partner 20 42 60 officials applying new jamoats allocated plus skills from trainings funds for communal 15 organized with USGA services in their expenditure budget proposals after Budget formation training. Four jamoats developed their budgets for pilot implementation of jamoat model budget.

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7. Standard Indicator In Year 2 LGP team 5 8 15 (2.2.3-5): worked with all 20 Number of sub- jamoats in a national entities varying degree, but receiving USG more actively with 8 assistance to improve jamoats (Ghafurov; their performance Ghoziyon, I. Somoni, Sovet, Yovon, K. Ismoilov, Chorsu, Suchon) 8. # of training modules 0 0 The team develops materials for 1 0 supported with USG computer based training for Assistance that are jamoats to be transfered of the institutionalized within computer based training for the GoT jamoat employees to the Public Administration Institute for further use in training of senior jamoat officials 9. # of learning network 0 0 1 0 events held

10 # of local projects co- In Year 2, due to 3 0 LGP team implemented water 3 2 funded by local lack of local funds on supply rehabilitation projects in budgets district levels and jamoat shahrak Sovet of absence of funds on Temurmalik district and jamoat jamoats levels, no dehot Ghoziyon of B. Ghafurov local budget funds district. In both projects local were used for governments provided their implementation of contribution by installing pump two water supply units and repairing water intake projects - in buildings. Ghalchagi village of Chorsu jamoat\Vakhdat district and Shohon village of jamoat I. Somoni\Ghonchi district. However the jamoats and mahala committees provided

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their input by machinery for digging trenches, fuel, and improvement of the water intakes territory. 11 # of new communal 0 Sectors established 3 2 6 service entities, public at MC of Ghalchagi and private, operating village\Chorsu with a sustainability jamoat \Vakhdat plan within target district and Shohon jamoats village\I.Somoni jamoat\Ghonchi district 12 Percentage increase in 0 0 The team will measure the 20% local revenue percentage increase of revenue collection (own source) collection in the four pilot jamoats in target jamoats, disaggregated by location 13 Percentage of local To be collected by USAID 0 population in target jamoats satisfied with the quality of government- provided Services in their jamoat, disaggregated by location.

14 Number of people in 5,000 1,279 10000 Q1 -15 667 1. Shohon village, 1. Sovet\Temurmalik - Total target areas gaining beneficiaries I.Somoni jamoat, 10 396 beneficiaries access to (7736female) Ghonchi district - (including 5 220 female). improved drinking 530 residents 2. Ghoziyon\B.Ghafurov - water as a result of (including 304 5 271beneficiaries USG assistance, female) plus 396 (including 2 516 female) Disaggregated by schoolchildren, gender and location.

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[STANDARD Total 926 3.1.8.1-2 beneficiaries. 2. Ghalchagi village of Chorsu jamoat, Vakhdat district -353 beneficiaries ( including 168 female)

15 # of jamoats with new 6 Six of the target 4 2 finance models jamoats have developed to support existing financial sustainable water models service and Sectors at MC in maintenance delivery Chorsu jamoat and I.Somoni jamoat 16 % increase in fees 0 To be disaggregated 15% 56% 35% collected for drinking by location. water within sub- 56% increase in fees national entities collected by Water Supply Enterprise of Temurmalik district 17 Number of local 0 To be disaggregated 5 3 Year 3 - Information stands, 6 3 mechanisms by location. complaint boxes, leaflets, supported with USG Year 2- 1) 155 MC Participatory Strategic Planning assistance for citizens established in 20 and the Local Government to engage their LGP jamoats, 2) MC Performance Index. subnational meetings,3) town Government, hall meetings and disaggregated by meeting with location. [STANDARD citizens. Over 30 2.2.3-3] events conducted

18 Percentage increase of 0 Town Hall meetings 20% 17,2% 40% local citizens attending are understood to scheduled town-hall include those held to meetings in target create Village

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jamoat Development Plans, Communities, Jamoat disaggregated by Development Plan, location infrastructure projects and hearings (including budget hearings), etc. 19 %of local citizens in 0 0 0 To be collected by USAID 0 target communities

believing their jamoat deputies represent their interest 20 Number of new public- 0 0 0 The team will include 5 0 private partnerships in partnerships for water service target delivery with State Communal jamoats, Enterprises, Mahalla Committees disaggregated by as well as other NGOs/CSOs and location, organizational private entities in its definition of Status and sector. ‘public-private.’

21 Percentage of citizens To be collected by Evaluation 0 in target jamoats Contractor satisfied with services provided through public private Partnerships versus non-public-private partnerships, disaggregated by location and gender. 22 Standard Indicator: Level of training 61% 0 61% Female training value to participants to to participant level of per Deloitte’s 80% 80% satisfaction Training Application and Value Matrix (TAVM survey, typically undertaken 6 months after

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course delivery

23 Standard Indicator: Following ADS 200 Series, we will incorporate gender considerations into all of our Equitable participation indicators of

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