Addressing the concerns of all citizens is a high priority of the Government of Iraq and is crucial for promoting long-term stability and prosperity for all Iraqis.

Project Snapshot

• Implementing Partner: DAI Global LLC
• Project Duration: 2017-2023
• Locations: All regions and provinces of Iraq with a special focus on Anbar, Basrah, Babil, Erbil, and Ninewa
• Budget: $123.7 million
• Contact: Vladan Raznatovic, vraznatovic@usaid.gov

Context

Iraq is facing a crisis of confidence in the wake of the devastating occupation of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  With an enfeebled economy and sociopolitical unrest that has only been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Iraq (GOI) is struggling to maintain trust in the eyes of citizens frustrated by the government’s inability to effectively deliver services and the lack of accountability in existing governance structures. Addressing the concerns of its citizens and implementing necessary democratic and economic reforms is a high priority of the GOI and a crucial component of long-term stability and prosperity for all Iraqis.

USAID Response

USAID’s Iraq Governance Performance and Accountability (IGPA, known as “Takamul” or “integration” in Arabic) project supports the Government of Iraq’s efforts to strengthen public financial management and tangibly improve the delivery of essential services through locally-led reform initiatives. IGPA seeks to establish a collaborative process between the central and provincial governments and integrate civil society actors into this process to ensure greater accountability, transparency, and citizen buy-in by providing support in four key areas.

Service Delivery

Working together with government and civil society, IGPA/Takamul helps to improve service delivery in provinces by providing technical assistance and supporting the implementation of laws to decentralize decision-making. Priority service sectors include water supply, solid waste management, and electricity (in the KRG), all of which align with GOI priorities.

Economic Reform and Public Financial Management

IGPA/Takamul builds on efforts made by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to help the GOI meet the necessary requirements to access international financing and improve public financial management, local revenue generation, the business enabling environment, and economic development.

Monitoring and Oversight

IGPA/Takamul works with the GOI and civil society to develop accountability mechanisms to help the government respond to citizens’ needs and measure their effectiveness. The project provides technical support in areas such as: public administration, outreach and awareness activities, inclusive budget planning, and service delivery.

Support to Emerging Leaders

Finally, IGPA/Takamul identifies emerging political leaders and provides them with high-impact technical assistance to improve governance amidst a shifting political landscape. IGPA/Takamul offers training in public financial management and elections, such as monitoring and registering internally-displaced persons.

Achievements to Date

• Doing business during COVID-19: Despite lockdowns and disruptions, IGPA/Takamul surpassed its target of the number of enterprises accessing financing through the project by rapidly deploying a remote training program to avoid any disruption in service delivery. 
• Economic inclusivity: 30 of the 35 businesses being supported with financial facilitation by the project are SMEs run by religious and ethnic minority groups; business development services were extended to 95 women-owned businesses and to 92 minority-owned businesses.
• Improvements in service delivery: IGPA/Takamul supported the GOI to develop bidding documents for over 400 capital investment projects worth $2.39 billion.  IGPA has also helped streamline nearly 100 service delivery processes. The project also implemented water sector assistance packages to Baghdad, Babil, Basrah, Ninewa, Erbil, and Sulaimaniya provinces, improving water supply to 6.8 million Iraqi citizens. Lastly, IGPA/Takamul identified and supported strategies to reduce unsubscribed users in the electricity sector, including the use of smart meters, resulting in 370,607 household installations.
• Generating local revenues: USAID assisted Wasit and Babil, the first two Iraqi provinces authorized by MOF to open a local revenue bank account and generate and manage its own revenues. These bank accounts are also used as a depository for a donor grants fund for capital projects.
• Increasing participation of civil society in local governance and accountability: USAID supported the participation of marginalized and minority groups in resource planning, joint campaigns with local governments to improve services involving over 259 civil society groups and activists. A total of 301 communications and outreach activities of IGPA-organized Technical Working Groups in seven provinces reached over 7 million Iraqis while resolving about 8,000 citizen complaints.
• Increasing government effectiveness: IGPA/Takamul’s support to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s reforms through employee biometric registration initially eliminated over 50,000 ghost employees and an additional 16,000 cases of illegal salaries, resulting in an estimated savings of over $37 million per month in civil service payroll costs.