International Relief and Development Monitoring

UNCLAS AMMAN 000358

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/ANE, GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF EAID UNHCR IZ JO
SUBJECT: International Relief and Development Monitoring
and Evaluation Q COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SPRMCO08CA156


1. Summary: The following is the first quarter monitoring
and evaluation assessment of cooperative agreement
SPRMCO08CA156 for USD 1,899,817 million awarded to
International Relief and Development (IRD) in Jordan to
support its program for livelihoods training for Iraqi
refugees. RefCoord and Program Assistant met with Nick
Stevens, IRD Country Director; Shamil Kalyayev, program
manager for Community Based Support Program for Iraqi
refugees in Jordan, and Uma Kandalayeva, program manager for
Strategic Health Support Program for Iraqis in Jordan. IRD
fulfilled the requirements of the agreement and made
adequate progress on all targets. Livelihoods' training was
effective, but Iraqis did not have access to the legal job
market in Jordan. End Summary.

Overview
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2. In the first quarter, the late arrival of funding and
consequent delay in paying partners slowed the start of IRD
programming. The initial figures in IRD's first quarter
report are only a measure of operations for December 2008.
The pace of programming should pick up in the coming months.
IRD worked with local community centers to teach Iraqis
marketable skills using job-market information gathered by
IRD in Iraq. IRD-Jordan designed a program that makes
extensive use of paid Iraqi volunteers, while respecting the
host-country limitations on employment for Iraqis. IRD
took measures to ensure that the beneficiaries of this
program were Iraqis.


3. IRD has extensive reach into the Iraqi community. Using
volunteers, IRD visited Iraqi families to determine their
economic conditions and needs. In the course of this
informal study, IRD found that the numbers of Iraqis in
Irbid and East Amman appeared to be lower than had been the
case in 2007-2008. Country Director Nick Stevens said he
thought some Iraqis left Jordan for resettlement, while
others left for Syria or Lebanon. Stevens admitted that the
population was difficult to track. However, IRD was
confident that there were fewer vulnerable Iraqis in Jordan
in December 2008 than there had been in the same month in

2007.


4. Objective a. Enroll Iraqi men in vocational training.
Results: IRD and partners enrolled the first group of
Iraqi men in vocational training classes. Two options for
training were available: nine months, and three months.
Most participants opted for a three-month training course,
indicated that they were eager to seek job opportunities
after training. IRD made sufficient progress on this
objective and will probably meet target numbers.


5. Objective b. Enroll Iraqi women in home production
training. Results: IRD made progress toward its targets
this quarter. Training course began late due to funding and
administrative reasons. IRD expects to meet the objective
target. Training materials were well prepared and training
records were well maintained.


6. Objective c. Conduct food marketing training. This
objective addressed the same beneficiaries as objective b.
The marketing training was part of a program to provide
self-employment for Iraqi women in the food sector. The
women were trained in marketing techniques for the foods
produced under objective b. The project was still in the
early stages, and it was not possible to measure the success
of the training.


7. Objective d: Establish catering market networks. This
objective addressed the same beneficiaries as objectives b
and c. Results: This portion of the project will begin
after the completion of training in marketing and food
production. IRD expects there to be a lag between the time
catering operations open and the first catering income.
Effective monitoring will be possible in the third quarter
of the project.


8. Objective e: Enroll Iraqi children in 15 partner
community-based organization day care centers. Results:
IRD found that the number of families demanding day care
services was lower than anticipated in the agreement. Using
IRD trained volunteers, IRD visited Iraqi families in Amman
and suburbs to "recruit" children for the daycare centers.
After significant outreach efforts, IRD registered 80 Iraqi
children in daycare centers in the Amman suburb of Zarqa.


9. Objective f: Train 100 Iraqi mothers in daycare
techniques for employment in daycare centers identified in
Objective e. Results: IRD trained 15 mothers and employed

them in the Zarqa daycare center. Training records were
available. The trained daycare workers were employed in
December 2008. Evaluation of the effectiveness of training
will be possible in the second quarter of the program.


10. Objective g: Conduct better parenting training with
family kits. Results: This objective addressed the same
beneficiaries as objective f. IRD trained 15 Iraqi mothers
in basic child rearing strategies. These mothers were
employed in Zarqa as daycare center workers under objective
f. IRD views the parenting training as a capacity building
measure for the individual families involved as well as a
marketable skill for women involved in commercial child
care.

Core Questions
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11. PRM Goals: IRD's livelihoods program built the capacity
of Iraqis at all levels of the socio-economic scale. The
training potentially teaches Iraqis skills that would be
useful upon their return to Iraq. IRD works in Iraq and had
good information on the skills needed in the IraqQs
developing economy. Skills training helped Iraqis retain
dignity and identity within their communities, contributing
to their psychosocial well-being. Training Iraqi women in
commercial marketing as well as parenting strengthened the
position of women in the Iraqi community.


12. Complementarity: IRD collaborates with UNHCR, UNICEF
and implementing partners. In regular health and
psychosocial coordination meetings IRD exchanged information
with NGOs active in the health and psychosocial fields. IRD
worked as an active partner to local NGOs and the Jordanian
Ministry of Health to ensure that IRD curriculum complies
with national standards.


13. Program objectives: IRD education objectives appeared
to be appropriate to the needs of the beneficiaries.
Initial interest in training was high among Iraqis.
Technical training objectives were complicated by GOJ
policies which do not give Iraqis access to the legal job
market.


14. Operational efficiency, management, and communication:
IRD records were well maintained and its staff clearly
knowledgeable and motivated. IRD was in frequent contact
with RefCoord and with PRM. The information IRD collected
helped inform PRM decisions on other programs in Jordan.

Control and Monitoring
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15. IRD office in Amman monitored the operations of its
staff and partners. At the time of the evaluation, high-
cost equipment, drugs, and medical supplies were properly
controlled. IRD staff was familiar with PRM reporting
requirements and kept data on refugee movements, and needs.
IRD gave UNHCR feedback on operations through weekly
coordination meetings.


16. IRD Amman communicated regularly with PRM office in
Amman. The program office was responsive and provides
regular updates.

Security and Protection
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17. Amman is a high threat post. However, there were no
security concerns for IRD staff during the quarter.

Future Funding
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18. RefCoord supports continued funding for IRD livelihoods
programs.

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