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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶17. Amman is a high threat post. However, there were no security concerns for IRD staff during the quarter. Future Funding -------------- ¶18. RefCoord supports continued funding for IRD livelihoods programs. Visit AmmanQs Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman BEECROFT