Iraqi Parliament Poised to Coordinate Donor Initiatives
USAID is working with the Council of Representatives to better manage and harmonize donor assistance programs. 
Chairman Al-Azawi (on the left) asked attendees to continue working together toward the shared goal of strengthening the capacity of the Iraqi Parliament.
International donors discuss coordination with the COR leadership
|  | |
Since its inception, the Iraqi parliament has been eagerly assisted by numerous international donors, but an imperfect understanding about donor programs has so far only resulted in ad hoc initiatives. Under its Legislative Strengthening Program (LSP), USAID is supporting the Council of Representatives (COR) to better manage donor coordination. A very visible first step was a meeting of donor representatives organized on February 12, 2009, by the Members Affairs and Parliamentary Development Committee (MAPDC). The committee, which is responsible for issues related to Members of Parliament, its development, and benefits, also plays a lead role in coordinating the activities of donors.
At the recent meeting, MAPDC Committee Chairman Mr. Hussam Al-Azawi expressed the gratitude of the COR to donors for their support. "I am delighted to hold such an historic meeting to exchange ideas and information with new friends, with whom we share the goal of supporting and enhancing the legislative institutions of Iraq." Donors were then invited to exchange information about their activities in support of the parliament.
Behind the scenes, MAPDC and LSP staff have launched a joint effort to collect and consolidate information about all donor assistance programs in the COR, and to build and maintain a current database of this information. Mr. Hussam followed up the donor meeting by requesting donors to submit the information needed to populate the database. A printed summary of donor programs will be prepared periodically and distributed within the COR so that the staff and members of parliament have a clear picture. Equally important, the summary will help donors to better design and implement their initiatives. This will gain increasing importance later in 2009 as the MAPDC prepares a mid-term development strategy for the COR.
As Mr. Hussam explained at the coordination meeting, the COR will work actively with donors to determine the most productive roles, to minimize duplication, and gain the benefits of better coordination and collaboration.
View print-friendly version of this success story (PDF, 148kb)
Back to Top ^
|
