Guinea

FY 2001 Program Description and Activity Data Sheets

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FY 2001 Program The natural resource management activities will continue to assist small landholders to conserve the natural resource base by investing in more profitable and less destructive agricultural and natural resource management practices. The approach is to build the capacity of local support organizations, transfer appropriate practices to farmers, and empower local populations to manage their resources. The desired end products are sustainable increases in farm production and productivity, along with improved, participatory management of forest and other natural resources. Since economic incentives are prerequisites for inducing behavioral changes in natural resource management, the USAID program will also provide assistance to enhance access to agricultural markets, stimulate non-agricultural enterprises, and help implement progressive resource-related policies at the local level. In FY 2000 and FY 2001 USAID will continue to expand its activities within Guinea's environmentally sensitive Fouta Djallon highlands, (the watershed for three principal rivers of West Africa) and the Forest region, including areas where environmental degradation has been accelerated by the influx of refugees. The family planning and maternal child health sexually transmitted infections and AIDS-prevention services activities will broaden access to and increase demand for health services, improve the quality of health care and strengthen the management and supervision of the decentralized primary health care system. The program will also build on its successes in the private sector to further increase use of family planning products and oral rehydration salts. The Mission is also supporting the government in other health initiatives: immunization, micronutrients, integrated management of childhood illnesses, and equity. USAID will continue to use monetized proceeds from P.L. 480 vegetable oil for investment in activities to promote nutrition and strengthen agricultural production. The education activities will continue to support multi-donor efforts to reform the primary education. The reform aims to improve quality and equity of primary schooling and increase local community participation. USAID assistance will continue to improve the Ministry of Pre-University Education's planning, management, and decision-making capabilities. In FY 2001, USAID assistance to improve instruction through in-service teacher training and provide low-cost teacher and student materials will have covered all six grades of the primary system. By FY 2001 there will also be improved opportunities for regional and gender equity by increasing local communities' capacity to directly support education and participate in decision-making. In the area of democracy and governance, USAID will expand support to reinforce the nascent civil society at the local and national levels through training, institutional development, creating synergies with natural resource management, health and education programs. In addition, USAID will support civic education, political party strengthening and targeted activities with national governance institutions such as the legislature to increase the responsiveness of national decision-making to citizens' interests. The democracy and governance program will enhance the enabling environment for improved democratic governance by strengthening political parties and supporting a national dialogue among constituencies to reduce potential sources of conflict and instability. [an error occurred while processing this directive] ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guinea TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Use of Sustainable Natural Resource Management Practices, 675-001 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $3,572,000 (DA) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $6,435,000 (DFA) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005 Summary: Guinean small landholders, who account for 96% of the rural population, have increasingly relied on extensive subsistence farming and environmentally inappropriate cropping patterns to satisfy their food needs. More marginal lands are being farmed, more fragile woodlands are converted to agriculture by slash-and-burn practices, and investment in the conservation of the natural resource base is very low. To help Guinea protect its fragile agro-ecological areas against accelerating environmental degradation, USAID initiated this activity in 1998, specifically to extend application of appropriate agricultural and natural resource management practices, increase income-generating opportunities for resource-poor rural households, and help Guinea conserve its natural resource base and biological diversity. This activity contributes to the Mission Performance Plan goal to encourage environmental stabilization in agro-ecologically fragile zones and in areas of refugee influx. Thousands of small landholders, agricultural traders and small and micro-entrepreneurs are direct beneficiaries of this activity. Strong emphasis is placed on women, especially the socially and economically disadvantaged, as they play a crucial role in natural resource management. From the regional perspective, residents of neighboring countries whose livelihoods depend on the water flows in the three important rivers -- the Niger, the Senegal, and the Gambia -- which originate in the Fouta Djallon Highlands in Guinea, can be considered secondary beneficiaries. The success of this activity in improving water levels and river flows in the countries down-stream will contribute to sustainable economic activities in agriculture, livestock and fisheries within the region. Key Results: The attainment of this objective will result in sustainable management of 100,000 hectares of tropical forests and 30,000 hectares of farm-land by: (1) improving the natural resource management capacity of community-based organizations; (2) increasing sustainable farm productivity; (3) developing income-generating non-farm small and microenterprises; and (4) establishing a policy environment which empowers local populations to manage their natural resources and promotes long-term investments in conserving the natural resource base. Full implementation of this activity is just getting underway. However, ongoing USAID community-based natural resource management, agricultural marketing, and microenterprise development projects have made steady progress in achieving results. Over 10,600 hectares of natural forest and community tree plantations have already been protected through adoption of sustainable management plans. In addition, over 2,300 farmers have applied sustainable agricultural production practices on at least 370 hectares of land in project activity zones. Performance and Prospects: Ongoing activities have laid a solid groundwork for the agreement in natural resource management that was signed with the GOG in June 1998. In FY 1999, USAID began implementation of a small natural resource management activity in the Forest Region of Guinea to address some of the environmental degradation exacerbated by the influx of refugees. In September 1999, USAID also launched a new six-year Expanded Natural Resource Management project that will build on the experience and lessons learned from previous USAID and other projects and become the centerpiece activity under this activity beginning in 2000. Since 1993, through the pilot Natural Resource Management (NRM) project (1992-1999), USAID has assisted the Republic of Guinea in improving the management of natural resources in three targeted watersheds of the Fouta Djallon Highlands. The Guinean Forest Service adopted a USAID model of joint community-government management of common natural resources, which will greatly extend the impacts of the NRM project beyond the three targeted watersheds. Another positive result is the transformation of the public forest agent's role from a repressive regulation-enforcer to a technical advisor. Improved natural resource management practices such as controlled burning have been widely adopted, cash crops have been introduced, and new village enterprises have brought additional income to villagers. Evidence that farmers are adopting productivity-enhancing practices is significant. Crop yields per hectare on farms applying improved practices increased from 28% to 138% over the local averages. Increases in productivity will not be sustained if producers cannot market their production at profitable prices. In 1999, USAID-assisted producers received at least $977,000 from the sale of their products, compared to $850,000 in 1998. Under USAID's Agricultural Marketing and Investment Project (AMIP, 1992-99), a Guinean NGO (FICA) has helped producers improve the marketing of their surplus farm production. FICA has effectively helped its members' marketing through the following efforts: (1) diffusing market information over the radio and via printed weekly bulletins; (2) promoting use of written contracts in marketing transactions; (3) assisting members in obtaining loans from PRIDE/Finance to pay for transportation of produce. Under the Guinea Rural Enterprise Development Project (1991-2002), a Guinean NGO/microfinance institution (PRIDE) has successfully established a national-level microcredit program, which stimulates the development of micro- and small enterprises. To date, PRIDE has made more than 73,000 microcredit loans and over 1,000 larger, medium-term loans totaling over $17 million, and currently has a cumulative "portfolio at risk" of less than four percent. Nearly 70% of loan recipients are women. In 1999, PRIDE also helped more than 4,000 micro- and small-scale entrepreneurs expand their activities. PRIDE's portfolio is expected to continue to grow and its financial performance to improve as it moves towards its goal of institutional self-reliance by December 2002. The new Expanded Natural Resource Management activity will extend technologies and participatory approaches developed under predecessor projects to new areas in the Fouta Djallon and Forest Regions beginning in FY 2000. Results, for the most part, are expected to reflect a continuation of positive trends of recent years until sufficient local capacity has been developed to accelerate adoption on a larger scale beginning in 2001. Possible Adjustments to Plans: Potential new activities include an agreement with the Peace Corps to support an environment initiative in Guinea and development proposals submitted by Africare and ADRA. Other Donor Programs: Natural resource management in Guinea is a multi-donor effort. The United Nations Development Program, France, Germany, Canada, the European Union, Italy, and the World Bank have supported activities in the ecologically fragile Fouta Djallon Highlands, as well as in other regions of Guinea. However, USAID NRM results are not dependent upon other donors' programs. The GOG has also contributed significantly to USAID and other donor activities. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements its ongoing activities through U.S. PVOs (Winrock, VITA, OICI), a U.S. cooperative firm (Land O'Lakes), Guinean non-governmental organizations, the Peace Corps, and the Guinean Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forests. Selected Performance Measures1:   Baseline   Actual (1998) Target (1999) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Area of sustainably managed forests in activity zones (cumulative, in Ha) 0 (1994) 10,148   10,350   10,266   49,000   51,000   Area of land under sustainable agricultural practices in activity zones (cumulative, in Ha) 0 (1993) 234   372   374   639   900   Number of NRM plans developed by communities and accepted according to selected criteria (cumulative) 0 (1992) 94   59   124   150   185   Number of non-agricultural production enterprises expanded in activity zones (annual) 0 (1992) 2,817   3,380   4,156   4,500   6,000   Number of land-use agreements signed between land-owners and land-users in activity zone (cumulative) 0 (1992) 59   75   106   115   150   1Since new activities will be implemented in newly targeted geographic areas in Guinea beginning in 2000, targets will be revised and refined during the coming year. U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guinea TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Use of Essential Family Planning/Maternal Child Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections/AIDS-Prevention Services and Practices, 675-002 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT:$2,800,000 (DA), $4,925,000 (CSD) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $4,595,000 (CSD), $3,640,000 (DFA) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005 Summary: With a total fertility rate of 6.6 and a population growth rate of 2.8%, Guinea's population of 6.8 million is rising quickly. Contributing to the desire for many children is a high infant mortality rate, 210/1000. Also high is the maternal mortality rate at 670/100,000. Based on the striking reality of these rates, the Mission, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, revised its original health activity which focused primarily on family planning (FP) to include maternal and child health (MCH) and sexually transmitted infections (STI), human immuno-deficiency virus and acquired immune disease (HIV/AIDS). The new health activity augments the utilization of FP/MCH and STI/AIDS-prevention services and products by increasing access, demand, and improving the quality of health-care services and products. In addition, the new health activity strives to build sustainable partnerships with government ministries, donors, and NGOs and local communities to ensure synergy and maximum impact of FP/MCH and STI/AIDS activities in Guinea. One of USAID's major contributions since 1992 is the increase in the low Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) for modern family planning methods from 1% to 4.2%. By increasing the number of health facilities integrated in FP services and products, this USAID activity has expanded access to such services to over two million people in remote and sparsely populated regions of the country. In addition, a nationwide network of commercial outlets for family planning and HIV/AIDS-prevention products has been established to increase access to the population. Likewise, USAID's activity has assured that quality FP/MCH and STI/AIDS services and products are provided through quality standards and through the strengthening of the health and management information system. Moreover, public knowledge of family planning and sexually transmitted illnesses and AIDS-prevention has also increased markedly due to USAID's information, education and communication strategies. USAID will use Child Survival and Disease funding to strengthen immunization services and increase immunization coverage, decrease child mortality and morbidity through micronutrient supplementation, improve maternal health services in the public sector, support the institution of an integrated case management protocol for sick children in the public health sector, improve the treatment of STI, and increase awareness of prevention options available to prevent HIV/AIDS. USAID will use population funds to provide quality family planning and related reproductive services through the integration of services in the public sector at health centers and through community-based activities, as well as through a private sector social marketing activity. All of the USAID Guinea health activities contribute directly to the Mission Performance Plan and Agency's overall health goal of stabilizing world population and protecting human health. This is achieved through increasing the use by women and men of voluntary practices that contribute to reduced fertility, increasing use of key maternal health and nutrition interventions, increasing use of key child health and nutrition activities, and increased use of improved, effective and sustainable responses to reduce HIV transmission. Key Results: The results achieved through this activity include: (1) an increase in the number of women 15-49 years of age using modern contraceptives from 1% in 1992 to 4.2% in 1999; (2) an increase in the percentage of integrated health centers from 0% in 1992 to 80% in 1999; (3) an increase of use of oral rehydration salts (ORS) from 24% in 1992 to 35% in 1999; (4) an increase in the percentage of women who know condoms can be used to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs from 7.6% in 1992 to 23.2% in 1999; and (5) in 1999, a 27% utilization rate of condoms by men with a non-regular sex partner (presently no baseline). Performance and Prospects: USAID has had significant impact in FP/MCH and STI/AIDS-prevention in Guinea during FY 1999, as documented in the 1999 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). For example, utilization of modern contraceptives (CPR) by women in the age group 15-49 quadrupled from 1% in 1992 to 4.2% in 1999. This is an important increase in the context of a strong pro-natal culture that exists in Guinea. In addition, the DHS demonstrated that CPR results are higher in the USAID zone of intervention compared to the remainder of the country covered by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Thus, a large percentage of the increase is attributed to USAID FP activities. Another area of success is the increase in the couple year protection (CYP) from 39,000 in 1998 to 70,045 in 1999. Two factors are responsible for this effort. First, there was a 58% increase in the number of new clients using FP public health services supported by USAID. Furthermore, an additional 2,000 nation-wide network of commercial outlets for FP-funded activities and HIV/AIDS-prevention products were established in the private sector. Based on these successes, the CYP targets of 88,173 for 2002 will need to be revised upward. With regard to modern contraceptives, knowledge increased from 28% in 1992 to 71% in 1999. This is an important achievement for USAID as it is the first step to increasing utilization of FP services and products. The use of ORS to treat diarrhea has risen in one of USAID's target areas from 11% to 32%, improving the health of children 0-5 years of age. This has been accomplished in the public sector by upgrading counseling skills of the health providers and by using religious leaders to spread the message on the treatment of diarrhea. Nationally, the use of ORS has risen from 24% to 34%. Knowledge of the use of condoms by women 15-49 years of age to prevent HIV/AIDS more than tripled from 7.6% 1992 to 23.2% in 1999. Both of these results are attributed to nationwide social marketing campaigns financed by the USAID. To improve the quality of FP/MCH and STI/AIDS-services in target regions, two specific results can be cited. The national Norms and Standards document for reproductive health (RH) was disseminated to all health centers in target areas. Service providers in public health centers throughout Guinea are using this document in their course of duty. In addition, a national training strategy for RH has been approved. This document contains training priorities and strategies in RH that will be used to build the capacity of service providers to make available quality RH service, as well as to strengthen the institutional capacity of the MOH training division. At the policy level, USAID's health activity has made tremendous strides in obtaining changes to governmental policies that impede access to services and products. As a result of dialogue with the MOH, two policy changes have been approved which will significantly increase access and use of family planning products and services through community-based agents, as well as increase access to ORS for the Guinean population. Possible Adjustments to Plans: Despite the tremendous progress made during FY 1999, the USAID health program is facing serious difficulties. As a result targets will be adjusted based on negotiations with partners. Other Donor Programs: Through government and donor coordination, a concerted attempt has been made to prevent duplication of efforts in order to guaranty the effective use of limited resources. This government--donor partnership has been crucial to establishing and sustaining the delivery of reproductive health services to Guineans. USAID and UNFPA are currently the two major donors supporting reproductive health in Guinea and conducting similar activities in their respective target regions. UNFPA's budget is approximately $7.7 million for 1997-2001. Since 1999, the World Bank is also supporting reproductive health activities throughout the entire country with an estimated budget of $44 million dollars for 10 years. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) provides assistance for the integration of immunization, nutrition and malaria-prevention activities into the national health system. The German Development Bank has co-financed social marketing activities with USAID at an estimated budget of $6.7 million from mid-1998 - 2002. A concrete example of donor coordination is the recently completed demographic health survey financed by USAID, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank. Other donors include the European Community, the African Development Bank, the Italian Cooperation and Japan. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Management Sciences for Health, Population Services International and its local affiliate, and Africare are the principal grantees for the implementation of the new family planning and health activity. Selected Performance Measures:   Baseline   Actual (1998) Target (1999) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Increased Couple Years Protection   38,909 (1997) 39,000   59,769   70,045   80,000   90,000   Increase in Integrated Health Facilities   0% (1992) 80%   85%   80%   93%   100%   Increased number of Children 12 - 23 months Receiving measles Vaccine by age 1 30.1% (1996)   N/A     40%     52.1%     60%     66%     Improved prenatal care 39.3% (1992) N/A   45%   59.2%   63%   66%   Increased use of condoms by males with non-regular Partners 27% (1999) ----   ----   27%   30%   33%   U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guinea TITLE AND NUMBER: Quality Primary Education Provided to a Larger Percentage of Guinean Children, with Emphasis on Girls and Rural Children, 675-OO3 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $5,005,000 (CSD) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $5,005,000 CSD STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002 Summary: Since 1990, USAID has been part of a multi-donor effort to assist the Government of Guinea (GOG) implement its primary education sector reform program. The first phase of the reform, from 1990 - 1995, focused on increasing primary school enrollment, which stood at 28% (Gross Enrollment Rate) in 1990. Initially, USAID and other donors' leverage increased the GOG budget share for primary education from 13% of the national budget in 1989 to 29% in 1999. The second phase of the GOG primary education reform program (1996 - 2000) focuses on improving the quality and equity of education, and increasing local community participation in school-level education management. USAID supports these goals as part of a multi-donor effort, through the Fundamental Quality and Equity Levels (FQEL) Activity. The purpose is to ensure that an increasing number of school-aged children receive, on a more equitable basis, a primary education, which adequately prepares them for a productive role in Guinean society. The direct beneficiaries of USAID assistance in the education sector are the approximately 1.3 million primary school-aged children in Guinea and 15,000 primary school teachers. Intermediate beneficiaries include individuals and entities at the Ministry of Pre-University Education (MEPU), parents and community associations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that support primary schooling. Key Results: With USAID assistance, the MEPU has developed a tracking and assessment system for a package of minimal necessary standards called the Fundamental Quality and Equity Levels which will be used as a basis for planning and assessing the primary education reform process. Radio-based in-service training programs have been launched for the country's 15,000 teachers. A package of pedagogical materials and innovations, including interactive radio programs, has been prepared for nation-wide implementation in FY2000. In the area of equity, a major forum has been held to develop a national strategy for encouraging girls' education. Performance and Prospects: USAID was the first donor in Guinea to emphasize the issue of equity in primary schooling. USAID helped the Ministry of Education's Equity Committee to carry out a highly successful social awareness campaign for the education of girls and rural children in the mid-1990's. The girls' primary school gross enrollment rates for grades 1 - 6 rose from 17% to 40% between 1990 and 1999. Overall, the success of USAID and other donors' contributions to the GOG's education reform effort is reflected in the increase in the primary school gross enrollment rate, which rose from 28% in 1990 to 53% in 1999. To improve classroom quality, USAID supports in-service teacher training and assists the National Pedagogical Institute to develop its capacity to produce low-cost teaching manuals and student materials. Eliminating biases and stereotyping in school materials and teaching methods is an important aspect of USAID's curriculum development effort. Guinea's teachers now benefit from an in-service radio-based training program, which focuses on general methodology as well as specific pedagogical innovations. First and second grade students will benefit from interactive radio programs three times per week beginning in FY 2000, and grades three through six are scheduled to receive them in 2001. After their second year of implementation (1999) under the FQEL activity, U.S. NGOs had reached Parent Teachers Associations in 203 communities in some of the poorest areas in Guinea, providing them with practical skills training to improve their capacity to support primary education in their local schools. USAID activities strengthen strategic planning capacity and the link between planning and budgeting. Personnel are trained to analyze policy options within a context of budgetary and human resource limits. Several U.S. and Guinean NGOs are taking the lead in building the capacity of local NGOs and parent associations to increase community support for primary schooling. These efforts are taking place in some of the poorest rural communities in Guinea, where equity and access to education are major problems. Special priority is given to changing attitudes toward girls' education. USAID's Girls' and Women's Education Activity works with the MEPU's Equity Committee and a National Working Group for Girls' Education to develop, plan, and manage activities that increase girls' and rural children's participation in education. Possible Adjustments to Plans: The two major activities in the education sector are projected to end in 2001, ahead of the 2002 end date. In order to achieve the objectives set out in the strategic plan, USAID conducted a limited sector assessment in FY 1999 as a first step in developing a 2001 - 2005 program. Follow-on activities will be included in a new agreement with the GOG that will be developed in mid-FY 2000. Indicator targets for FY 2000 and beyond have been adjusted to reflect the current shortage of teachers. As the GOG and donors make progress in addressing this issue, further target adjustments are likely. Other Donor Programs: The primary education reform program is one of the most successful examples of multi-donor cooperation. For the period 1996 - 2000, the World Bank education reform program will total approximately $53 million of which 80% is from the Bank, 16% from the MEPU, and 4% from communities. USAID has committed $20 million, and the French Cooperation is financing approximately $5 million in technical assistance and training. The World Bank finances school construction, school nutrition programs, pre-service teacher training, and school management micro-projects. The French Cooperation provides technical advice on monitoring and evaluation of program impact, personnel issues, and curriculum reform, particularly at the secondary level. Donors coordinate their activities through a series of joint reviews and informal round tables to collaborate on technical and policy issues. The GOG provides office space for technical advisors and pays the salaries of all Guinean participants in USAID's education activities as part of its contribution. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements activities through a contract with Education Development Center and subcontractors Research Triangle Institute and Creative Associates, and grants to US NGOs World Education and Save the Children, and the local NGO affiliate of Plan International, "Plan Guinea." Selected Performance Measures:   Baseline   Actual (1998) Target (1999) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Gross enrollment rate   28% (1990) 51%   56%   53.5%   55%   56%   Girls' gross enrollment rate   17% (1990) 37%   43%   40%   43%   44%   Rural gross enrollment rate   21% (1990) 34%   41%   36%   41%   43.3%   First grade admission rate   49% (1997) 40%   53%   51.3%   52%   53.3%   Girls' first grade admission rate   40% (1997) 34%   44%   43.8%   44%   45.5%   U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guinea TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved Local and National Governance through Active Citizen Participation, 675-004 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $2,262,000 (DA) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $3,000,000 (DFA) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY-1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005 Summary: The development challenge posed for the democracy and governance (D/G) activity is to empower citizens at the grass-roots to become accountable for actions governing their lives, at both the local and national levels. To meet this challenge, the D/G activity contributes to the Mission Performance Plan by seeking to improve local and national governance through active citizen participation in order to establish the foundations for political stability and sustainable development. In addition, the D/G strategy supports synergies for improved governance across all four activities. The direct beneficiaries of this activity are the local population, local government units, and central government technical services at the local level, charged with the responsibility of managing human and financial resources and improving democratic processes. Key Results: Civil society strengthening activities in the Guinea Maritime region build local citizen organizations' and governmental units' capacity to democratically manage their own organizations and to collaborate effectively with each other. More than 168 rural group enterprises and 11 local government units have received training. This has resulted in the generation of local financial resources, transparent management, and joint development projects between them. USAID provided $500,000 to the African Development Foundation, which resulted in their selection as a pilot implementor for the World Bank's village support project. Building on USAID activities in support of the presidential election (December 1998), 16,000 poll watchers were trained, and a civic education campaign reached 52% of the population. These activities combined with the creation of the High Commission for the Electoral Process, led to the most peaceful multi-party election in Guinean history. As a follow-up to the strengthening of political processes, a study tour for eight political party leaders was conducted to Morocco in September 1999. This led to a joint press conference and declaration, supporting democratic processes, open dialogue, the importance of opposition parties to the democratic process, and the decision to not boycott future electoral activities. Performance and Prospects: Given the positive initial steps Guinea has taken toward establishing a democratic society, the prospects for continued progress in this area are favorable. As a result of the D/G activities, significant progress has been made in the area of strengthening local governance and civil society. Many local government units now recover 100% of the local head tax, contract private businesses to manage weekly markets and other revenue-producing activities, and include citizens' participation in making decisions about important governance issues such as planning, budgeting, and infrastructure development. A planned expansion of the D/G activities into the forest region will contribute to the spread of democratic processes and good governance at the local level. In addition, work with other sector teams, including education and environment and their partners, has resulted in the incorporation of D/G approaches to working with local government as an essential part of achieving results. As a result of the successes of the Morocco study tour by five major political parties and the establishment of a political dialogue, USAID proposes expanding activities to strengthen political parties, and developing the inter-party dialogue and communication with the populations they represent. The proposed program will decrease ethnic and social tensions by increasing the inclusiveness and representation of a broader segment of the population, including women and minorities, in political parties. In FY 2000, USAID will continue to build on its positive experience in civil society strengthening as it prepares to expand its activities to the forest region. Possible Adjustments to Plans: Due to competing priorities USAID is considering a reduction in the scope and number of activities. Other Donor Programs: France provides most of its support to strengthening government structures, particularly at the central level, and through material support and short-term training. The European Union and Canada provide support to NGOs and civil society strengthening, in material resources and training programs. Germany provides support (conferences and training) to civic advocacy groups, state and independent media organizations, and to the National Assembly. The United Nations Development Program is working on a decentralization program with the GOG and hopes to get co-financing from other donors. A multi-donor funded activity led by the World Bank and supported by France, the African Development Foundation and IFAD has recently begun a $180 million Village Support Project. USAID/Guinea intends to collaborate as much as possible with this multi-donor effort as it expands into the Forest region. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The Cooperative League of the United States of America, the National Democratic Institute, and the African Development Foundation are currently implementing activities. As USAID expands its activities, additional contractors and grantees will be identified. Selected Performance Measures:   Baseline (1998) Actual (1999) Target (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Number of local and national civil society organizations (CSO) utilizing improved governance practices 0%     78%     60%     70%     80%     Communities with access to financial management information 0%   42%   40%   60%   80%   Percent of communities where participatory decision-making resulted in tangible implementation of decisions 0%   19%   10%   15%   40%   Number of development projects jointly designed by LGU and CSOs 0%   8%   5%   10%   50%   Degree to which targeted elections are planned and held with participation of major opposition parties (no baseline) 5/5   3/5   3/5   5/5   U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file)

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