Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN1771
2004-08-09 12:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
MCA BI-WEEKLY REPORT -- AUGUST 9, 2004
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001771
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/PGI, DRL, EB
DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID AND MCC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID AM
SUBJECT: MCA BI-WEEKLY REPORT -- AUGUST 9, 2004
REF: YEREVAN 1641
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001771
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/PGI, DRL, EB
DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID AND MCC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID AM
SUBJECT: MCA BI-WEEKLY REPORT -- AUGUST 9, 2004
REF: YEREVAN 1641
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
2. (SBU) Various ministries, state agencies, NGOs,
educational institutions, and individuals submitted a number
of new MCA proposals as a result of the consultative process
initiated by the Government of Armenia (GOAM) in June. The
GOAM's MCA Board of Trustees (the Board) met July 19 and
tasked GOAM ministries to discuss those MCA proposals
related to their respective sectors and present a consensus-
based unified proposal to the Ministry of Finance and
Economy (MFE) by August 20, 2004. MFE is charged to then
summarize the proposals and present them to the MCA Board of
Trustees no later than September 20, 2004. The MFE plans to
hold additional discussions with the authors of various
proposals. The GOAM anticipates that the final proposal to
the MCC will be in one or both of the following areas:
investments in human capital (education, health and social
sectors); and/or rural infrastructure (roads, irrigation,
dam construction, etc.). Post obtained this information
from GOAM MCA publications on its MCA website, and from
remarks by MFE staff at a regular donor coordination
meeting. End Summary.
--------------
USAID CHAIRS DONOR MEETING ON MCA
--------------
3. (SBU) In response to high interest among the donor
community on the government-initiated consultative process,
USAID chaired a meeting on MCA in the framework of Yerevan's
monthly donor-chaired coordination meetings. We invited
representatives from the MFE, including Armen Hayrapetyan,
Head of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Coordination
and Monitoring Department, and Hovhannes Azizyan, PRSP
Secretary, to make a presentation and take questions. The
SIPDIS
GOAM representatives stressed the Government's desire to
link the MCA proposal to the PRSP, Armenia's approved
strategy for poverty reduction and economic growth. (Note:
The PRSP is a comprehensive document developed in broad
consultations with the public and reflects GOAM priorities
in different sectors. End Note.) This presentation
generated a debate on preferable mechanisms for public
participation and the GOAM's ability to assemble the first
draft program given the already wide differences in the
scope and scale of proposals. The necessity of broadening
the public relations campaign and media coverage was also
discussed.
--------------
REGIONAL MEETINGS CONTINUE
--------------
4. (SBU) The PRSP Secretariat continues to hold MCA
consultative meetings in regions throughout Armenia.
Compared to the MCA meetings organized by Marz (regional)
administrations, the Secretariat's meetings are conducted in
an informal environment to stimulate discussion and
encourage feedback from the public. Public response has
been mixed: some have complained that the GOAM has a
predetermined agenda limited to identifying alternative
sectors for proposals, while others have expressed an
interest in seeing a more detailed GOAM plan with sectoral
analyses and a well-developed rationale for choices.
5. (SBU) MFE officials spoke about plans for August, which
included meetings with five key NGO groups to further
stimulate public involvement. Since public understanding of
the MCA will take time, the GOAM anticipates that the peak
for proposal submissions will occur in August-September,
possibly overloading the MFE's review and selection process.
--------------
MEDIA INTEREST REMAINS LOW
--------------
6. (SBU) Despite the GOAM's expectations, media coverage of
the MCA process remains relatively low. (Note: Daily
newspapers are currently on vacation. End Note.)
Information about the MCA appears on public television and
in some newspapers but media coverage is not widespread.
The MOFE relies heavily on its website
(http://www.mfe.am/mfearweb/MCA/MCA.htm) as outreach. The
website (Armenian version) includes up-to-date information
about MCA-related meetings and discussions, the status of
proposals, and contact information. The English-language
website (http://www.mfe.am/mfeengweb/MCA/MCA.htm) is still
relatively basic, but the MFE has promised it will soon fill
it with translation of items on the more complete Armenian-
language website.
GODFREY
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/PGI, DRL, EB
DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID AND MCC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID AM
SUBJECT: MCA BI-WEEKLY REPORT -- AUGUST 9, 2004
REF: YEREVAN 1641
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
2. (SBU) Various ministries, state agencies, NGOs,
educational institutions, and individuals submitted a number
of new MCA proposals as a result of the consultative process
initiated by the Government of Armenia (GOAM) in June. The
GOAM's MCA Board of Trustees (the Board) met July 19 and
tasked GOAM ministries to discuss those MCA proposals
related to their respective sectors and present a consensus-
based unified proposal to the Ministry of Finance and
Economy (MFE) by August 20, 2004. MFE is charged to then
summarize the proposals and present them to the MCA Board of
Trustees no later than September 20, 2004. The MFE plans to
hold additional discussions with the authors of various
proposals. The GOAM anticipates that the final proposal to
the MCC will be in one or both of the following areas:
investments in human capital (education, health and social
sectors); and/or rural infrastructure (roads, irrigation,
dam construction, etc.). Post obtained this information
from GOAM MCA publications on its MCA website, and from
remarks by MFE staff at a regular donor coordination
meeting. End Summary.
--------------
USAID CHAIRS DONOR MEETING ON MCA
--------------
3. (SBU) In response to high interest among the donor
community on the government-initiated consultative process,
USAID chaired a meeting on MCA in the framework of Yerevan's
monthly donor-chaired coordination meetings. We invited
representatives from the MFE, including Armen Hayrapetyan,
Head of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Coordination
and Monitoring Department, and Hovhannes Azizyan, PRSP
Secretary, to make a presentation and take questions. The
SIPDIS
GOAM representatives stressed the Government's desire to
link the MCA proposal to the PRSP, Armenia's approved
strategy for poverty reduction and economic growth. (Note:
The PRSP is a comprehensive document developed in broad
consultations with the public and reflects GOAM priorities
in different sectors. End Note.) This presentation
generated a debate on preferable mechanisms for public
participation and the GOAM's ability to assemble the first
draft program given the already wide differences in the
scope and scale of proposals. The necessity of broadening
the public relations campaign and media coverage was also
discussed.
--------------
REGIONAL MEETINGS CONTINUE
--------------
4. (SBU) The PRSP Secretariat continues to hold MCA
consultative meetings in regions throughout Armenia.
Compared to the MCA meetings organized by Marz (regional)
administrations, the Secretariat's meetings are conducted in
an informal environment to stimulate discussion and
encourage feedback from the public. Public response has
been mixed: some have complained that the GOAM has a
predetermined agenda limited to identifying alternative
sectors for proposals, while others have expressed an
interest in seeing a more detailed GOAM plan with sectoral
analyses and a well-developed rationale for choices.
5. (SBU) MFE officials spoke about plans for August, which
included meetings with five key NGO groups to further
stimulate public involvement. Since public understanding of
the MCA will take time, the GOAM anticipates that the peak
for proposal submissions will occur in August-September,
possibly overloading the MFE's review and selection process.
--------------
MEDIA INTEREST REMAINS LOW
--------------
6. (SBU) Despite the GOAM's expectations, media coverage of
the MCA process remains relatively low. (Note: Daily
newspapers are currently on vacation. End Note.)
Information about the MCA appears on public television and
in some newspapers but media coverage is not widespread.
The MOFE relies heavily on its website
(http://www.mfe.am/mfearweb/MCA/MCA.htm) as outreach. The
website (Armenian version) includes up-to-date information
about MCA-related meetings and discussions, the status of
proposals, and contact information. The English-language
website (http://www.mfe.am/mfeengweb/MCA/MCA.htm) is still
relatively basic, but the MFE has promised it will soon fill
it with translation of items on the more complete Armenian-
language website.
GODFREY