UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001587

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL IZ JO
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATING ICMC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
FOR VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN

REF: EXUM/POLASCHIK E-MAIL 1/21/03


1. AS REQUESTED REF, REGIONAL REFCOORD AND REF ASSISTANT
MONITORED PRM-FUNDED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE
IRAQIS IN JORDAN ADMINISTERED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC
MIGRATION COMMISSION (ICMC) ON FEBRUARY 19 AND 24. REPORT
IS KEYED TO QUESTIONS PROVIDED REF.


A. ON FEBRUARY 19, REFCOORD AND REF ASSISTANT MET WITH
ICMC/JORDAN COUNTRY DIRECTOR CLIVE CAVANAGH FOR AN OVERVIEW
OF THE PROJECT AND TOUR OF THE ASSISTANCE CENTER. ICMC STAFF
INCLUDE PROJECT OFFICER RAMA ISAAQ, SIX CASEWORKERS AND A
SECRETARY. ON FEBRUARY 24, REFCOORD ASSISTANT ACCOMPANIED

SIPDIS
TWO ICMC CASEWORKERS DURING THEIR HOME VISITS TO FIVE
BENEFICIARY AND PROSPECTIVE BENEFICIARY FAMILIES IN AMMAN.


B. ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME REQUIRED TO
START-UP PROGRAMMING IN JORDAN DELAYED THE PROJECT BY FOUR
MONTHS (SEE PARA D FOR MORE DETAILS), ICMC NOW SEEMS TO BE
DOING A SOLID JOB OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO VULNERABLE IRAQIS
IN JORDAN. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ICMC HAS IDENTIFIED CAPABLE
STAFF AND APPROPRIATE OUTREACH METHODS TO REACH A VULNERABLE
POPULATION LIVING IN A QUASI-LEGAL OR ILLEGAL STATUS ON THE
FRINGES OF JORDANIAN SOCIETY. IN FOUR WEEKS OF ACTUAL
PROGRAMMING (JAN 6-FEB 3, 2003), ICMC HAS REVIEWED 254
CASES, ACCEPTING 87 EXTREMELY VULNERABLE CASES AND REJECTING
ANOTHER 87 CASES. 80 CASES STILL ARE PENDING.


C. THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE PROJECT WERE SPENT
IDENTIFYING AND TRAINING STAFF AND PHYSICALLY SETTING UP THE
PROJECT, INCLUDING IDENTIFYING AND EQUIPPING OFFICE SPACE.
ICMC CASEWORKERS ACCEPT MEDICAL REFERRALS FROM UNHCR AND
ALSO ACCEPT WALK-INS. GIVEN POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES IN
JORDAN CONCERNING THIS MOSTLY ILLEGAL IRAQI POPULATION, ICMC
HAS MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO THE IRAQI
COMMUNITY DISCREETLY, SENDING CASEWORKERS OUT TO THE
COMMUNITY TO SPREAD WORD OF THE PROJECT THROUGH INFORMAL
NETWORKS. ONCE PROSPECTIVE BENEFICIARIES CONTACT ICMC,
CASEWORKERS USE INTERVIEWS, ASSESSMENT FORMS AND HOME VISITS
TO POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES TO DETERMINE THEIR ELIGIBILITY
FOR ASSISTANCE. ACCORDING TO THE PROJECT PROPOSAL, ICMC
PLANS TO PROVIDE HEALTH ASSISTANCE TO 2,500- 3,000
VULNERABLE IRAQIS AND EDUCATION TO 600 VULNERABLE IRAQI

CHILDREN DURING THE 12-MONTH PROJECT, MEANING A MONTHLY
AVERAGE OF 250 PATIENTS AND 50 CHILDREN. ICMC'S RELATIVELY
SLOW START (254 CASES REVIEWED IN THE FIRST MONTH OF
OPERATIONS) LIKELY IS DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTING WORD
OUT WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE OFFICIAL MEDIA; WE ANTICIPATE THAT
THE PROJECT CASELOAD WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS WOULD OF
THE PROJECT SPREADS.


D. ICMC DID NOT BEGIN THE PROJECT UNTIL NOVEMBER 5, AS IT
SPENT THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE GRANT IDENTIFYING AND
HIRING A QUALIFIED COUNTRY DIRECTOR. THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR
THEN SPENT THE NEXT TWO MONTHS OF THE PROJECT ACQUIRING
OFFICE SPACE AND RECRUITING AND TRAINING SEVEN STAFF
MEMBERS. BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME REQUIRED
TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMMING IN JORDAN, ICMC DID NOT BEGIN
PROVIDING SERVICES TO VULNERABLE IRAQIS UNTIL JANUARY 6, A
FULL FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE START OF THE GRANT. JORDANIAN
SENSITIVITIES CONCERNING THE MOSTLY ILLEGAL IRAQI POPULATION
IN JORDAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ICMC TO CONDUCT OUTREACH
THROUGH MEDIA AND OTHER OFFICIAL MEANS. MOREOVER, THE
POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH ANY STRUCTURE OR
ORGANIZATION AMONG THE IRAQI COMMUNITY MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE
FOR ICMC TO ESTABLISH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE PROJECT
AS OUTLINED IN THE PROPOSAL. ICMC COMPENSATED FOR THESE
DIFFICULTIES BY FOCUSING ITS EFFORTS ON GETTING WORD OUT
DIRECTLY TO THE IRAQI COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS SOCIAL WORKERS.
ICMC HAS ALSO DONE A GOOD JOB OF REACHING INTO ALL ETHNIC
AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, SOMETHING OTHER FAITH-BASED
RELIEF PROGRAMS IN JORDAN HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
AS REPORTED BY ICMC, ITS CLIENTELE IS 67.54 PERCENT MUSLIM
(MOSTLY SHI'A), 28.94 PERCENT CHRISTIAN AND 3.50 PERCENT
SABI'A.


E. THE ICMC STAFF SEEMS TO BE FULLY AND GAINFULLY EMPLOYED.
THE SIX CASEWORKERS CONSTITUTE THE CORE OF THE PROGRAM AND
APPEAR TO DIVIDE THEIR TIME EQUALLY BETWEEN THE OFFICE AND
THE FIELD. DURING REFCOORD'S FEBRUARY 19 VISIT, FOR
EXAMPLE, THREE CASEWORKERS WERE MEETING NEW APPLICANTS IN
THE OFFICE WHILE THE OTHER THREE WERE CONDUCTING HOME VISITS
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROJECT'S PLANNED SCHEDULE. ON
FEBRUARY 24, REFCOORD ASSISTANT ACCOMPANIED TWO CASEWORKERS
ON THEIR HOME VISITS TO FIVE BENEFICIARY FAMILIES. THE
CASEWORKERS WORK IN PAIRS, WHICH ALWAYS ARE COMPRISED OF A
MALE AND A FEMALE TO RESPOND TO CULTURAL SENSITIVITIES. THE
CASEWORKERS SHOWED UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONSIVENESS TO THEIR
CLIENTS AND SEEMED TO BE TRUSTED BY THE BENEFICIARIES -- AN
IMPORTANT QUALITY WHEN DEALING WITH A MOSTLY ILLEGAL AND
VERY FEARFUL COMMUNITY. ICMC MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES INCLUDE
A DAILY PLANNING MEETING. THE ICMC DIRECTOR ALSO CONDUCTS
WEEKLY SOCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE STAFF TO COUNTERACT THE
TENSION AND DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH WORKING WITH SUCH A
VULNERABLE COMMUNITY.

F. THE ICMC OFFICE IS SPACIOUS AND WELL-EQUIPPED.
EQUIPMENT APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER AND USED ON A
REGULAR BASIS. ALL EQUIPMENT FOR THE PROJECT, EXCEPT THE
COUNTRY DIRECTOR'S LAPTOP COMPUTER, WAS PURCHASED WITH USG
FUNDS AND A LIST OF EQUIPMENT INVENTORY WAS RECEIVED. AN
APPROPRIATE INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM IS IN PLACE.


G. N/A


H. FROM OUR OBSERVATIONS OF THE IRAQI COMMUNITY (REFCOORD
ASSISTANT'S VISIT WITH ICMC CASEWORKERS TO BE REPORTED
SEPTEL), ELEMENTS OF THIS GROUP ARE INDEED EXTREMELY
VULNERABLE. HOWEVER, PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO A GROUP
WITHOUT REFUGEE STATUS DURING A TIME OF EXTREME POLITICAL
SENSITIVITY HAS PROVEN TO BE A VERY DELICATE UNDERTAKING
HERE IN JORDAN. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ICMC INTENDS TO SEEK
FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THIS PROJECT AND RECOMMEND
THAT ANY FUNDING DECISIONS BE POSTPONED UNTIL THE OVERALL
REGIONAL SITUATION IS MORE CLEAR.

GNEHM