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Jordan
FY 2001 Program Description and Activity Data Sheets
>> Regional Overview >> Jordan Overview
FY 2001 Program
USAID programming will continue to pursue both the Department of State Mission Performance Plan (MPP) and USAID agency-level goals. The water strategic objective directly addresses global environmental issues as well as economic growth constraints. Similarly, the reproductive and primary health initiative is aligned directly with the Agency goal of promoting sustainable population growth rates. Finally, USAID's economic opportunity strategic objective strengthens market forces, expands access to financial services for the poor and works to achieve broad-based economic growth.
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Jordan
TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved Water Resources Management, 278-002
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND FUNDNG SOURCE: $83,000,000 ESF
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $60,000,000 ESF
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004Summary: USAID's Improved Water Resources Management Strategic Objective supports U.S. foreign policy objectives focused on reducing global environmental degradation and promoting economic prosperity. Because water scarcity has been a key issue in the Middle East peace process, improving Jordan's ability to manage its limited water resources helps support regional stability. USAID's water sector programs aim at strengthening key public sector water institutions, increasing water use efficiency and improving the quality of treated wastewater for use in agriculture and industry, thereby increasing the quantity of freshwater available for human consumption.
All Jordanians benefit from improvements in the water sector. Emergency and subsequent medium-term improvements to the Zai water treatment plant continue to benefit approximately 600,000 residents of Amman. An estimated 40,000 residents and tourists will directly benefit from the new wastewater treatment facilities now under construction at Wadi Mousa near Petra. This will also help protect Jordan's premier tourist attraction. New and expanded wastewater treatment facilities in the north Jordan Valley and Aqaba will benefit about 70,000 and 120,000 residents, respectively.
Key Results: USAID supports activities designed to achieve the following results: 1) stronger public sector institutions with the capacity to better manage the country's water resources and finance needed capital investment in the sector in place; 2) water use efficiency increased, in part by reducing wastage caused by leaks, contamination, ineffective management and inefficient irrigation practices; and 3) quality of treated wastewater improved, allowing greater reuse in agriculture and industry.
Performance and Prospects: Through 1998, strengthening water institutions focused on improving data collection and analysis, installing new information management systems for the Ministry of Water & Irrigation (MWI), the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) and developing key water policies. During 1999, USAID initiated a new water policy implementation program focused on reducing groundwater depletion and optimizing the reuse of treated wastewater. USAID also launched a new program to encourage private sector participation in the water sector and an activity to strengthen the government's capacity to develop, contract and manage major infrastructure projects. With USAID assistance, the MWI is planning a major BOT wastewater project and a private sector management contract for the Wadi Mousa water and wastewater facility now under construction.
In the agriculture sector, USAID is providing a variety of technical assistance focused on increasing irrigation tariffs and increasing cost recovery for JVA. In coordination with other donors, USAID is also engaged in policy dialogue with the GOJ on the need for significant structural reforms in the irrigated agriculture sector,
Improving the use of existing water supplies will help stretch scarce water resources further. This includes reducing losses due to physical leaks, contamination and poor irrigation practices. In response to a drinking water crisis in 1998, USAID provided emergency assistance to help bring the Zai Water Treatment Plant serving 40% of Amman's population back into operation after it had been temporarily shut down because of an instance of contamination. USAID subsequently funded additional improvements that enabled the plant to effectively treat the raw water and operate at full capacity throughout the summer of 1999, a period of severe drought. USAID is also financing the upgrading of the environmental health laboratory of the Ministry of Health, including the purchase of analytical equipment and staff training. In addition, USAID is funding a portion of a multi-donor program to rehabilitate and restructure the entire water network of Amman and rehabilitating ten contaminated springs and wells throughout the country. Other USAID activity includes support for a pilot program to enable irrigation extension agents to work directly with farmers in the Jordan Valley to reduce irrigation water use and increase yields. Early results of the program are promising. Finally, a new water education and media program carried out by a U.S. NGO in partnership with Jordanian NGOs will be initiated in early 2000.
Improving the quality of wastewater is another USAID priority. Four major projects are currently in the design or construction phase. Construction of a new wastewater treatment plant near Petra is now about two-thirds complete. Once in operation, the plant will provide modern wastewater facilities for four communities and help to reduce environmental degradation around the Petra National Park, a World Heritage Site. Design is underway for wastewater conveyance and treatment facilities in the north Jordan Valley and for the expansion of the wastewater facility in Aqaba. Construction at both sites is expected to commence in early 2001. These two projects will help Jordan meet is commitments under the 1994 Peace Treaty with Israel to reduce pollution in the Jordan River and the Gulf of Aqaba. USAID is also planning to support the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant to replace the current plant at As-Samra, which is greatly overloaded. This project is being designed as a BOT with a significant grant component from USAID. When complete in 2004, the plant will serve over 2 million residents of Greater Amman and Zarka.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: No major adjustments are planned at this time; however, USAID anticipates providing additional emergency assistance such as funding for critical water supply projects to deal with the ongoing drought.
Other Donor Programs: Water sector investments in Jordan are shaped in large part by a $5 billion, 14-year GOJ plan that covers all aspects of the Kingdom's water supply and wastewater treatment facilities and services. Donor coordination is excellent, with the World Bank ($55 million), Japan ($10 million), Germany ($1.8 million), and Canada ($5 million) all providing substantial resources for these initiatives in 1999. Both Japan and Germany support construction of new conveyance and treatment systems bringing "peace water" from the Jordan Valley to Amman. This work complements USAID's upgrades at the Zai Water Treatment Plant. Similarly, both Germany and France are funding a new water supply system at Wadi Mousa, while USAID finances the construction of a new wastewater collection and treatment system.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Major U.S. contractors include Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc., Morganti Group, Hazen and Sawyer, Metcalf & Eddy and Montgomery Watson for engineering and construction work. Abt & Associates, Associates in Rural Development, Development Alternatives, Inc. and Chemonics, Inc. are providing technical assistance on privatization, policy implementation, cost recovery and tariff restructuring and host country contracting, respectively. Major Jordanian counterparts include the MWI, WAJ and JVA.
Selected Performance Measures: Baseline
(1997)Actual
(1998)Actual
(1999)Target
(2000)Target
(2001)Increased volume of fresh water available (million cubic meters/yr.) 0 0 45mcm 13.95mcm 2.2mcm Volume of wastewater treatment capacity (million cubic meters/yr.) 0 0 0 1.24mcm 1.24mcm Increased private participation in water sector (number of contracts) 0 0 0 1 1 U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Jordan
TITLE and NUMBER: Improved Access to and Quality of Reproductive and Primary Health Care, 278-003
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND FUNDNG SOURCE: $20,000,000 ESF
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $15,000,000 ESF
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004Summary: USAID's Improved Access to and Quality of Reproductive and Primary Health Care Strategic Objective supports U.S. foreign policy concerns affecting global issues such as world population growth and maternal and child health. Jordan's 2.6% annual rate of natural increase is among the highest in the world. Given the pressures that rapid population growth places on a resource-scarce country, USAID's health sector strategy also supports U.S. economic and environmental foreign policy objectives. The strategy is designed to improve maternal and child health by ensuring the availability of quality reproductive and maternal health care services and promoting rationalized health care financing. Jordanian women between the ages of 15 and 49 will benefit from USAID's initiatives. Moreover, children will also benefit from the substantial maternal health improvements that birth spacing and an improved primary health care system can provide.
Key Results: USAID supports activities designed to achieve the following key results: (1) knowledge of contraceptives improved; (2) availability of reproductive and primary health care (RH/PHC) services increased; (3) private sector family planning services expanded; and (4) health financing systems rationalized and improved.
Performance and Prospects: Performance thus far exceeds USAID targets for improved quality and increased availability of reproductive health services and products. USAID continues to be the major donor for family planning (FP) services, supplies and information, and training for physicians, nurses, midwives and pharmacists. Those interventions have contributed to the progressively increasing contraceptive prevalence rate from 27% in 1990 to 39.8% in 1999, thus exceeding this year's target of 39.2%. USAID-funded programs have also contributed to a decline in the total fertility rate from 5.6 children per woman in 1990 to 3.8 children per woman in 1999.
The Government of Jordan significantly strengthened support for population policy by agreeing to use USAID local currency to help fund the National Population Commission (NPC) for the next six years. The national population strategy, approved in 1996, was revised this year to include more emphasis on the implementation of family planning programs. A USAID financed media campaign and increased support for counseling in family planning services contributed to the fourfold increase since 1995 in the number of family planning clients receiving services at the various postpartum centers.
During the last year, USAID supported a new initiative to promote male participation in, and support for, family planning. The program appears to have had impact as suggested by a recent survey that indicated that the percentage of men who support family planning increased from 74% to 84%. The percentage of men who want more children also decreased. For the first time since 1995, religious leaders expressed interest in improving their knowledge of family planning and gender issues. Policy presentations on the implications of rapid population growth on Jordan's social and economic development have been presented to parliamentarians, religious leaders, and other decision makers.
Almost all births in Jordan occur in hospitals. The 14 functioning USAID funded Comprehensive Post Partum (CPP) centers, located in the largest public hospitals, attracted 65% of the women who had delivered in those hospitals to come back for postpartum and family planning services. This represents a tenfold increase over the 1995 level and exceeds the target by 5%. Seven more centers will begin providing CPP services in early 2000. Lessons learned from this activity are being integrated into the new USAID Primary Health Care Initiative (PHCI). Over the next five years, PHCI will expand the availability and improve the quality of reproductive health services at more than 300 primary health care centers across Jordan. PHCI will also help ensure that the substantial progress achieved in reproductive health is not eroded as a result of management inefficiencies or resource inequalities. An effective contraceptive distribution system, essential for the success of family planning services, has been institutionalized to provide contraceptives to all public and NGO service centers.
Rationalizing Jordan's health care financing system is an important area of USAID involvement. Rapid population growth, due to the increase in the number of women entering their peak childbearing years despite declining fertility rates, places enormous pressure on the health care system, especially in the area of reproductive and primary health care. In FY 2000 and FY 2001, USAID is assisting the MOH in the development of an epidemiological surveillance system. This system should enable the GOJ to plan and budget resources for the most prevalent health conditions; introduce a national health accounts system; increase private-sector participation in health care service delivery; review national accreditation and licensing rules for health care providers; strengthen the ability of MOH to lead health-related policy dialogue and better manage its implementation; and to evaluate health insurance schemes in developing financing options and payment mechanisms.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: Although the policy environment for family planning is positive, USAID plans to further expand policy dialogue efforts, assisted in part by a forthcoming study on barriers to family planning. Recommendations provided in the study should help further shape program activities and overcome identified constraints. Additional assistance is planned for the private sector that currently provides over 60% of the family planning services available in Jordan.
Other Donor Programs: USAID, along with the World Bank, remains the largest donor in the population and family planning sector. USAID programs are closely coordinated with those of other donors working in the population field, especially the World Bank, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) ($4.5 million over five years) and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The MOH provides necessary personnel and facilities for all program activities. In 1998, the MOH contributed approximately $300,000 in commodities for hospitals where USAID-funded CPP Centers are co-located. Additionally, Jordan Television, in cooperation with the MOH, provided $225,000 in free, prime-time advertising for USAID-funded family planning infomercials.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Current contractors and grantees include Johns Hopkins University, U.S. Bureau of Census, Abt Associates, Harvard University, Pathfinder, Futures Group, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, John Snow, the Academy for Educational Development and the Centers for Disease Control. Major host country partners include the MOH, Jordan University Hospital, Royal Medical Services, Department of Statistics and NGOs.
Selected Performance Measures: Baseline
(1990)Actual
(1998)Actual
(1999)Target
(2000)Target
(2001)Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate 27 38.7 39.8 40.8 41.8 % of women delivering in hospitals with CPP centers who return for postpartum/FP services1 6 56 65 60 % of increased revenue generation in Jordan Association for FP clinics1 0 62 89.7 80
1Monitoring of this result ends in FY2000, thus no target is included for FY2001.U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Jordan
TITLE and NUMBER: Increased Economic Opportunities for Jordanians, 278-005
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND FUNDNG SOURCE: $96,500,000 ESF
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $75,000,000 ESF
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004Summary: USAID's Increased Economic Opportunities Strategic Objective directly supports U.S. foreign policy interests by promoting open markets and broad-based economic growth. It also indirectly promotes regional stability and economically strengthens a key U.S. ally whose economy has been adversely affected by regional events and the closure of traditional markets. The USAID Economic Opportunities strategy is designed to promote trade and investment, support the small and micro-enterprise sector and advance Jordan's market-based economic restructuring program.
Key Results: USAID activities in the economic opportunity area are designed to achieve the following results: (1) access to business services increased; (2) more effective policy reform measures identified and implemented; and (3) environment for sustained policy reform improved through a $50 million per year economic policy-based, balance of payments cash transfer program. These three results address Jordan's economic growth challenges, reinforce a market-based foundation for sustainable economic growth, and support micro, small and medium businesses, the heart of Jordan's economy.
Performance and Prospects: During the last year, Jordan effected a series of wide-ranging measures designed to open markets, overcome structural economic obstacles and integrate the country more closely with the wider global economy. USAID's economic opportunities program was well-positioned to take advantage of King Abdullah's energetic leadership in building a world-class economic and business environment, and promoting private sector trade and investment.
Over the past year, USAID expanded the impact and reach of its business services activities. Microfinance services now reach an estimated 11,000 active borrowers, representing an 83% increase from 1998. Repayment rates are also impressive, with 98% of all microfinance loans repaid. To support further growth, USAID established a formal microfinance training and professional certification program at the Jordan Institute of Banking Studies. Assistance to improve marketing, quality standards and management of small- and medium-sized companies was provided to 50 firms during the first full year of operation of the USAID-funded Jordan U.S. Business Partnership (JUSBP). JUSBP also worked with USAID's Access to Microfinance and Implementation of Policy Reform Program (AMIR) to develop a comprehensive strategy to develop Jordan's software and information technology services industry. With 43% of Jordan's population under the age of 15, USAID's launch of a new school-based youth business skills initiative (INJAZ - "achievement" in Arabic), modeled after the U.S. Junior Achievement Program. INJAZ represents a timely initiative aimed at enhancing youth skills in a private sector economy.
Under the policy implementation component, USAID provided extensive technical assistance and training in support of the Government of Jordan's (GOJ) economic reform program aimed at increasing private sector growth. New World Trade Organization (WTO)-consistent copyright, trademark and patent laws were drafted and enacted with USAID assistance, bringing Jordan to the brink of accession to the WTO. Financial markets development received increased USAID emphasis during 1999, with the initiation of a new capital markets activity. Key objectives include the automation of securities clearing and settlement, as well as the certification and training of brokers. A government debt securities market initiative was also started at the Ministry of Finance, with technical assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The USAID-funded World Bank technical assistance fund provided high-quality advisory services in support of several major privatization transactions. It also contributed toward development of a modern insurance industry and improved accounting and audit standards. Through the AMIR Program's business associations' activity, USAID helped launch the first private sector-driven, national-level economic strategy initiative, "Jordan Vision 2020." This, in turn, became the catalyst for an innovative pubic-private sector partnership focused on key reforms that need to be undertaken to ensure Jordan's competitiveness in a global economy.
USAID's policy-based, balance of payments program for 1999 increased from a planned level of $50 million to $100 million, as a result of Wye Supplemental funding. As in previous years, disbursement was conditioned on economic reforms related to trade and investment, financial and legal reforms, and privatization. As a result, the GOJ initiated a comprehensive legal and regulatory reform agenda that enabled it to qualify for WTO accession. Also, the GOJ accelerated privatization of the Jordan Telecom Company and Royal Jordanian Airlines. Cash transfer-associated local currency was used to help support USAID and GOJ development priorities.
Possible Adjustment to Plans: Prospects are good for significant USAID economic opportunity program-related results during 2000. USAID business services activities for microfinance and small/medium enterprise development is on track to meet or exceed targets, providing tangible grassroots benefits. With the Wye Supplemental funding for FY 2000, USAID plans to start a major assistance activity in the economically depressed southern Jordan region of Aqaba. Current plans are to develop a modern industrial estate as a means of mobilizing private sector investment in labor-intensive, light manufacturing. With respect to economic policy reform and implementation, a number of important milestones are expected in 2000, including the enactment of 13 additional WTO-related laws, further progress in the privatization of Royal Jordanian Airlines and the revitalization of the Investment Promotion Corporation. A broadening activity in other areas related to economic opportunities is also possible, including such areas as income generation within eco-tourism and commercially-related judicial reform.
Other Donor Programs: USAID was by far the largest grant donor in the economic growth area in 1999. The World Bank also provided soft loans ($100 million) to support the GOJ's economic reform program. Germany provided support for the National Information System project ($1.5 million). Japan provided grant funding ($25 million) to support economic growth in Jordan. The European Union, United Nations, European Investment Bank, and Canada provided grants to support various economic development activities. USAID has excellent donor coordination with all bilateral and multilateral donors in Jordan. USAID works particularly closely with the World Bank in economic policy reform implementation, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the microfinance sector and the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS) in promoting foreign direct investment promotion.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Primary contractors and grantees include Chemonics, Save the Children, Cooperative Housing Foundation, International Executive Service Corps, UNDP, the World Bank and Peace Corps. USAID's primary GOJ counterpart is the Ministry of Planning. USAID also works closely with the Ministries of Industry and Trade and Finance, the Central Bank, the Customs Department, the Executive Privatization Unit, The Jordan Securities Commission and the Investment Promotion Corporation. In addition, local business associations and private-sector firms benefit from USAID assistance in the economic opportunity area.
Foreign direct and domestic investments facilitated by Investment Promotion Corporation incentives (millions of US$)
Selected Performance Measures: Baseline
(1996)Actual
(1998)Actual
(1999)Target
(2000)Target
(2001)Increase in number of companies registered 0 4.8% NA 2.5% 3.0% Number of Micro and small-entrepreneurs using commercial bank4 4,320 6,311 11,000 12,400 15,000 Repeat microfinance borrowers (as a % of total borrowers) 19% 24% NA 31% 35% Jordan accedes to the World Trade Organization N/A Accession U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel)
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Last Updated on: November 17, 2000 |
