An aerial view of a city with several large, tan buildings.

Strengthening Government in Iraq’s Provinces .

Democracy and Governance | Local Governance and Decentralization | Legislative Strengthening
Middle East and North Africa

Iraq Governance Strengthening Project (GSP)

Project Dates: September 2011 - September 2017
Provincial governments in Iraq must further develop their skills, resources, and processes so that they can deliver municipal services to their citizens and meet community needs.

In 2008, the Iraqi parliament passed Law 21, giving certain governance responsibilities and powers to the 18 provincial governments around the country. Although the law intended for provincial councils to govern the communities they serve, this has not translated into action. USAID’s Governance Strengthening Project (GSP), also called “Taqadum” (Arabic for “moving forward”), built the capacity of these subnational government units to better respond to the needs of their constituencies. The project supported provincial governments to plan, deliver, and monitor municipal services and also linked provincial governments to the communities they serve and to central governments that provide critical resources and regulatory guidance.

 

112

Service Delivery Improvement Plans developed in 12 provinces

15

targeted provinces engaged through GSP/Taqadum activities

176

citizen-centered service procedures mapped for provincial governments

Project Goals


  • Improve, at an institutional level, the policies and practices that provincial and local governments use to deliver services and carry out their responsibilities
  • Decentralize and streamline how provincial governments respond to community needs, particularly related to water, sewage, trash, primary education, and health care
  • Work with provincial and elected local officials to make their actions more transparent and accountable
  • Encourage citizens to participate more in local decision-making
  • Use embedded teams in provinces to mentor and coach governmental counterparts