Guyana

FY 2001 Program Description and Activity Data Sheets

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FY 2001 Program The elections of 2001 will be a defining moment for Guyana. If they are free, fair and transparent and if the results are accepted by the major political parties, it will signal a commitment to political stability and investment. If the results are disputed, as occurred in the aftermath of the 1997 elections, political instability will continue to drive away foreign investment and Guyana will remain one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere. USAID's democracy and governance program will be working closely to strengthen the Elections Commission to ensure that logistical arrangements and verification systems are in place for the elections, and that there is agreement among the major parties on these arrangements. USAID will also provide technical assistance to create and pilot an alternative dispute resolution model for Guyana to relieve the continuing case backlog in the court system. Two key Government-funded positions in the Supreme Court Registry will ensure that streamlined and computerized systems developed in FY 2001 will be implemented and monitored to create greater efficiency, effectiveness and public confidence in the court system. USAID's program will continue to strengthen civil society organizations addressing issues affecting women, youth, and indigenous peoples to increase membership, develop sound positions on issues of importance to their members, and effectively advocate those positions. Assistance to women's organizations in particular will help them play a greater role in decision--making and act as a force for positive cross party/cross race dialogue. Support to NGOs raising HIV/AIDS awareness will serve as a catalyst for addressing this growing problem. Under the Economic Growth Strategic Objective, USAID will continue providing technical assistance and training to private sector organizations to strengthen them individually, and more importantly, to enhance their ability to advocate for economic and social transformation and, more recently for political accommodation. In an election year, the role of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) will be critical, given its recent successes as a non-partisan mediator between the major political parties and between the Government and labor. Most potential investors, particularly foreign investors, may adopt a wait-and-see position until after the national election. However, during the period prior to the 2001 election, USAID will help position the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry, the Ministry of Finance and private sector organizations for a proactive strategy to attract investment. USAID will also assist the Government and the private sector in completing the investment strategy and promulgating an investment code, assessing and then addressing its WTO obligations, strengthening the Ministry of Trade and its investment arm, GO-INVEST, and the Tourism Association. USAID will work with fledgling private sector organizations to increase the range and quality of member services, access relevant business and trade information, develop new markets and implement sustainable business plans. [an error occurred while processing this directive] ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guyana TITLE AND NUMBER: Expanded Economic Opportunities For The Urban And Rural Poor,504-001 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $1,400,000 (DA) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $2,100,000 (DA) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2003 Summary: The purpose of this strategic objective is to continue to strengthen the business environment in order to bring about more equitable growth. The activities will benefit all Guyanese but the greatest proportional benefit will accrue to the most disadvantaged groups because of emphasis on equity. The SO recognizes that both the public and private sectors have critical roles to play if Guyana is to achieve economic growth with equity. The underlying premise is that a streamlined and transparent regulatory and policy environment coupled with a strengthened and more dynamic private sector, will lead to increased private investment, foreign and local, and greater economic opportunities for all Guyanese. Key Results: Four key intermediate results were agreed upon to achieve this objective: (1) increased capacity to implement economic policy for more equitable growth; (2) improved climate for private investment; (3) strengthened capacity of private sector to influence public policy; and (4) increased services available to support small and microenterprises. Performance and Prospects: A stakeholders' retreat with participation from government ministries, semi-autonomous government agencies, and representatives from the private sector, microenterprise, women's and indigenous organizations, initiated the active involvement of USAID's economic growth partners as they helped develop the first year work plan and performance monitoring plan. Since the implementation of the activities six months ago, four areas have demonstrated significant progress. First, through increased dialogue between the private and public sectors, working relationships have improved tremendously, resulting in the Government's acceptance of the private sector's need for an investment strategy and code, the highest priority in USAID's first year workplan. In the first step in strengthening private sector organizations, technical assistance to the Forest Products Association, Manufacturers Association, Tourism Association and four Chambers of Commerce resulted in the participatory development of the organizations' first long-term strategic plans. In-depth interviews with more than 120 Guyanese businessmen provided exceptional insights into the needs of members and potential association services. The coded results of these interviews will be shared with other donors working in private sector development. In order to increase knowledge and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of a liberalized trade environment, a publicly advertised WTO/FTAA seminar was organized. Instead of an anticipated 40 people, registration had to be closed at 140 participants. It was well covered by the media, raising the profile of trade issues and their implication for Guyana's future competitiveness. Continued technical assistance to the leading microlending institution, developed by USAID over the past several years, has expanded its credit services and increased its microenterprise loans from 2,500 in 1998 to 4,000 in 1999, with approximately 75% of loans made to low income women. USAID's strategic objective will continue to support both the private and public sectors to ensure that an acceptable investment code is promulgated within the next year. In addition, the expected strengthened institutional capacity of individual private sector organizations would allow them to become increasingly effective in advocating on important national issues. The merger of two investment promotion agencies, GO-INVEST and Guyana Export Promotion Council, based on recommendations made under USAID's recently completed Building Equity and Economic Participation (BEEP) project, should lead to improved assistance and services to prospective investors and exporters, and greater ability to attract foreign investment. The ongoing research on new markets and products to expand microenterprise opportunities, coupled with the identification and expansion of additional institutions providing services to microenterprises, should increase access to credit and other non-financial services, especially for those working with the indigenous population and women's groups. Possible Adjustments to Plans: None at this time. Other Donor Programs: The USAID program is implemented in coordination with the programs of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the IDB which provide the macro framework for economic and policy reform. Other key donors providing assistance in economic growth and reform include the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom. Their focus is moving to private sector workforce training and microenterprise development. USAID has served as a catalyst to encourage multi-donor coordination and support to strengthen the analytical capabilities of the Private Sector Commission, the umbrella association for private sector organizations. The Commission continues to play a critical role in the private sector/Government economic dialogue, and an increasingly important role as brokers in the political arena as well. However, the Commission needs analytical, organizational and financial depth in order to continue to play this critical role. The Government of Guyana's planned voluntary reduction of the civil service, supported by the World Bank and IMF, could result in over 2,000 persons becoming unemployed early in 2000 with a further 2000 person reduction later in the year. Because of the lack of detailed information available on this reduction, it is difficult to predict the extent of negative effects on poverty reduction or to work with other donors to formulate plans to help ameliorate these effects. In the long term the IDB will take the lead on civil service reform. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements its activities through Chemonics International Inc., in association with Management Systems International. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (2000) Target (2001) Target (2002) Growth in membership (number of firms) of private sector organizations 413 435 460 Percentage of WTO obligations met *     Steps taken toward implementation of an investment code Investment strategy in place Investment code finalized and passed Investment code disseminated and enforced Number of individuals receiving microcredit loans (actual) 4,000 4,300 4,500 * Baseline data being collected U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guyana TITLE AND NUMBER: More Responsive and Participatory Governance and Rule of Law, 504-002 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $1,800,000 (DA) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $2,400,000 (DA) STATUS: New* INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1999 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2003 Summary: Guyana's democratic institutions and processes are still nascent. Over the past five years, USAID has been helping to build Guyana's democratic foundation through the recently completed Guyana Justice Improvement Project, the Guyana Strengthening Democracy Project and the public-private sector participatory process that emerged in formulating the National Development Strategy. The results anticipated under USAID's new Democracy and Rule of Law Strategic Objective build upon this foundation. USAID and its democracy partners are recognized for their accomplishments in democracy building and opening up the "space" for introducing new ideas for resolving conflicts and implementing new democratic processes. USAID and its partners have excellent access to and working relationships with key public and private sector leaders. However, much remains to be accomplished. Each of the five results of the new strategy is directed to strengthening key institutions and processes that are required for a vibrant, responsive and participatory democracy. These include the judiciary, Parliament and the Parliamentary Counsel's office, the Elections Commission, local government and civil society organizations. Key Results: (a) Improved and more informed law-making and regulatory processes; (b) increased capacity to adjudicate cases in a timely manner; (c) sustained institutional capacity to conduct free and fair elections; (d) civil society influence on public policy; and (e) strengthened local governance. Performance and Prospects: After extensive negotiations with the Government of Guyana, a Limited Scope Grant Agreement for the new USAID Democracy and Rule of Law strategic objective was signed, followed by competitive procurement process which recently culminated in the award of a cooperative agreement to begin in February 2000. Since the new strategic objective builds upon the foundation of the previous one, in order to avoid a gap in critical democracy assistance, USAID/Guyana extended the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) Guyana Strengthening Democracy grant until the end of January 2000. NDI's activities in this period made a significant contribution in two SO areas in which USAID had already established expertise and key contacts: (1) Improved and More Informed Law-making Processes (Constitutional Reform); and (2) Civil Society Influences Public Policy (Women's Empowerment). Constitutional Reform: Protracted discussions between the People's Progressive Party (PPP), and the People's National Congress (PNC), the main opposition party, about the composition of the Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC), delayed the constitutional reform process. However, once the CRC was put in place, USAID played an extremely influential technical assistance role through the provision of constitutional experts, comparative constitutional materials and public information and outreach on constitutional issues. There was particular focus on the areas of electoral systems, fundamental rights, protection of women's rights, systems of government, political accommodation and nation building. Numerous recommendations made by the CRC reflect discussions held with these experts, and new ideas, such as the notion of a Constitutional court, were introduced and discussed. Assistance was also provided to CRC members representing civil society (50 percent of the members) in getting feedback from their constituency in order to formulate recommendations for the CRC's report. The CRC was able to come to consensus on some issues, reached majority votes on others and was divided on many of the contentious issues, including electoral reform. However, ideas coming from the constitutional experts particularly from the South African experience and models for protection of women's rights, were extremely influential, evidenced by the strong fundamental rights section of the CRC's report, which was approved by consensus. Wide exposure to best practices about constitutional reform began a continuing public education process. A constitutional resource collection was developed and distributed to libraries, town hall and other community gathering places throughout the country. Information from these collections has been used by the media in articles and editorials on various constitutional issues, raising the awareness of these issues among a much wider audience of Guyanese. Prospects are excellent for USAID and its NGO partners to make a significant contribution to Guyana's two most important democracy building activities, Constitutional Reform and preparation for the January 2001 national elections. USAID/Guyana's experience and assistance in democracy building over the past several years can ensure that the appropriate tools and expertise will be available to help Guyana move forward on these two major activities. While civil society organizations are still fragile, this year they played an increasingly proactive role in defusing politically charged situations. USAID will continue to support the substantive involvement of civil society in constitutional reform and the election process and is optimistic about their role as a positive force for political change. However, neither USAID nor other donors can provide the political will for parties to act in the best interests of Guyana, rather than in their party's self-interest. National Development Strategy:USAID and CIDA jointly funded the revitalization of the National Development Strategy (NDS) process. In a year-long exercise the original NDS draft was reviewed and revised with significant public sector and civil society participation. This effort provided an opportunity for a more visible leadership role for members of the opposition party as co-chairs and heads of technical subcommittees. Early indications from the opposition have been favorable and, if the recommendations are accepted, the NDS will serve as a long-term planning tool for Guyana's development. Fostering Women's Engagement in Public Policy: Guyanese women have demonstrated their willingness to work on issues across racial and party lines. In order to foster such collaborative efforts, USAID supported the creation of the Women's Millennium Caucus (WMC), spearheaded by members of the Guyanese delegation to the 1998 Vital Voices of the Americas Conference. The WMC is committed to breaking down the lines of division in Guyana and increasing women's political participation. The launch of the WMC provided an opportunity for a National Consultation, convening a wide range of women's organizations from across Guyana to develop an agenda for change. Follow-up media activities helped to carry this message to a much wider audience of Guyanese women. In addition, USAID sponsored ten Guyanese women to attend the Vital Voices of the Caribbean conference where they played a leadership role as a delegation in addressing issues of regional concern and in participating in the Beijing +5 planning process. Possible Adjustments to Plans: None at this time. Other Donor Programs: There is a strong commitment to donor cooperation and collaboration in Guyana, particularly among bilateral donors. USAID continues to be the only donor providing a broad-based program in democracy and the rule of law. Since political stability in Guyana is fundamental to the success of all development assistance efforts, donors have a keen interest in helping to promote such stability. Funding for the work of the Constitutional Reform Commission was an example of exceptional donor collaboration with participation from all the bilateral donors, the OAS and UNDP. USAID anticipates similar collaboration and support from donors for the 2001 elections. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: A cooperative agreement with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), working with IFES and the Carter Center, was signed to implement the new democracy and rule of law strategic objective. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (2000) Target (2001) Target (2002) Citizens provide input into the law making process X# X#   Strengthened management capacity of the courts Baseline index %   Free & fair 2001 election conducted by the Elections Commission Strategy formulated & action plan developed Free and fair election conducted   Increased organizational capacity of targeted NGOs Index & baseline developed % met   * In order to avoid a gap in activities during a time when critical democracy issues were being discussed, the NDI Guyana Strengthening Democracy grant was extended to implement a focused set of activities which advanced the activities in the new results framework. Fiscal Year 1999 funding includes: $400,000 for NDI Guyana Strengthening Democracy grant activities, $130,000 to complete the Guyana Justice Improvement Project law consolidation activity, and $956,377 for the new grant agreement signed with the Government of Guyana for the More Participatory and Responsive Democracy and Rule of Law strategic objective. U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: Guyana TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved HIV/AIDS Awareness, Knowledge And Applied Prevention Strategies, 504-003 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $200,000 (CSD) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $500,000 (CSD) STATUS: New INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2000 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004 Summary: UNAIDS estimates that Guyana now has the second highest HIV prevalence rates (between 3% and 5%) in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, next to Haiti. Although the Government of Guyana has developed an HIV/AIDS Program Strategic Plan, it has neither the funding nor the technical expertise to address the epidemic alone. Donor assistance to date has been limited. With the first free and fair elections in 1992, non-governmental organizations have only recently begun to emerge as advocates and service providers following many years of authoritarian rule and suppression of civil society. There is widespread ignorance about HIV/AIDS and many misleading myths circulating about its transmission and prevention. Clear, accurate information and education on HIV/AIDS prevention is the first step in raising awareness of the seriousness of the disease and the need to adopt prevention strategies. A core group of NGOs has taken up the challenge with virtually no donor support. They need technical assistance and training to enable them to realize their role as HIV/AIDS prevention educators and advocates. USAID's HIV/AIDS program has three components: (1) support for HIV/AIDS prevention information, education and communication; (2) institutional and technical strengthening of NGOs working on HIV/AIDS prevention; and (3) condom social marketing. At the initial stage prevention activities will target youth broadly, as well as other high-risk groups that may be contributing disproportionately to the growth of Guyana's epidemic. A core group of indigenous NGOs will work with community-based organizations, civil society and confessional associations, both in sensitizing them to the realities of the epidemic and involving them in HIV/AIDS prevention activities. USAID also plans to support the development of a condom social marketing program in the private sector to help meet the growing demand for condoms. Key Results: (1) Strengthened NGO capacity to deliver HIV/AIDS programs to targeted groups; (2) Increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS in targeted groups; (3) Increased use of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies in targeted groups. Performance and Prospects: Funding for this Special Objective has just been approved; therefore, activities have not begun. However, prospects for achieving results are good since the few NGOs active in HIV prevention are extremely committed and have been in the vanguard of addressing this crisis. With very limited funds and expertise, they have been working hard to raise Guyanese awareness of HIV/AIDS, particularly among youth. They recently staged a very successful HIV/AIDS march involving government officials, youth and civil society and have been working with the HIV/AIDS Secretariat to use the media to help promote prevention messages. With technical assistance and training, NGOs offer the best prospects for expanding outreach capacity, promoting interpersonal prevention messages and providing effective counseling to address this growing epidemic. Activities should begin in the second quarter of FY 2000. Possible Adjustments to Plans: None at this time. Other Donor Programs: Awareness of the serious nature of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is rising. However, concerted donor efforts have been slow in materializing. PAHO/WHO took the leading role in working with the Government and indigenous NGOs to develop the National AIDS Programme Strategic Plan which provides the framework for Government and donor assistance. The leading donors addressing HIV/AIDS in Guyana are PAHO/WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and UNAIDS. Last year an HIV/AIDS Theme Group was developed consisting of donors, representatives from the Ministry of Health, AIDS Secretariat, National AIDS Committee and NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues. To date, bilateral donors (the European Union, British and Canadians) have funded HIV/AIDS activities as part of their regional efforts but have no Guyana specific programs. Greater donor funding and involvement will be necessary to address and arrest the epidemic. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID will implement its HIV/AIDS activities through the Global Bureau's Cooperative Agreement with Family Health International (IMPACT project). Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (2000) Target (2001) Target (2002) HIV/AIDS technical capacity of targeted NGOs strengthened Index of indicators of technical capacity and weighted score     Knowledge of HIV prevention methods increased (survey) % of increase     Common local misconceptions about AIDS reduced (survey) % of decrease     * Indicators to be verified during design U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file)

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