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FY 1997 Development Fund for Africa: $14,892,350
FY 1997 P.L. 480 Title II: $1,024,000
Introduction.
Although rich in mineral resources and agricultural products, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in West Africa and ranked last in the 1994 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report. Despite this poverty, in the last eight years Guinea has made significant strides to establish a constitutional democracy, liberalize its economy, and maintain a respectable annual growth rate of 4.1%. The U.S. interest in supporting Guinea's economic and political development is based on the country's role as a useful and stabilizing force in the region. In addition to supplying troops for U.S.-supported peacekeeping efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone, Guinea accommodates a large population of refugees from these countries. Guinea also provides new investment opportunities in agriculture, mining, and telecommunications for U.S. investors attracted by the success of its ongoing reforms.
T he Development Challenge.
Guinea's human resources base and domestic economy are still recovering from twenty-eight years of authoritarian rule. During this era, civil society and the private sector were stifled, while transport, power, and communication systems deteriorated. The once-prosperous agricultural sector was devastated, while the education system produced poorly trained teachers, technicians and civil servants who could neither manage the economy nor the government. High infant mortality rates, low life-expectancy rates and one of the lowest per-capita income levels in the world reflect the legacy of that authoritarian regime.
However, these indicators mask the impressive progress made since 1984 when this regime was replaced by a new government that decided to undertake a program of dramatic political and economic reforms. The new Government of Guinea (GOG) negotiated an economic structural adjustment program with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund which led to the liberalization of the economy, restrained public sector spending, controlled inflation, and stabilized the exchange rate. Primary school enrollment increased significantly from 27.5% in 1991 to 43% in 1995, while girls' enrollment rose from 17% to 28% during this period. Rural primary school enrollment increased by 7.8% in 1995 alone. In the health sector, a national population policy was adopted that supports reducing the rate of annual population growth and facilitates the provision of family planning services in over half of the country's public health centers.
Guinea's first presidential elections, held in 1993, were well-organized but significantly flawed according to international observers. As a result, USAID placed Guinea on the "watch list" of countries that are making insufficient progress toward democratization. Legislative elections held in June, 1995 were considered peaceful and organized by a USAID-sponsored assessment team, but not completely satisfactory. Nevertheless, 37 of 114 seats were won and incumbered by opposition members. The strong role played by Guinea's multi-party legislature in the national budget review, the lively and critical independent print media, and the resilience of Guinea's democratic legislative and judicial institutions following the military mutiny of February, 1996 all indicate that Guinea is making substantial progress toward democratization.
This progress shows that Guinea has the potential to become both an economic and political success, although effective government institutions and public confidence in them will take a long time to rebuild. The country is richly endowed with agricultural and energy resources and has a high concentration of mineral wealth. As a result of government-implemented economic reforms and USAID activities, the agriculture sector has grown in recent years, creating higher rural incomes that in turnare boosting overall economic activity, particularly trade. The value of rural entrepreneurs' assets increased 240% in areas affected by these activities between 1994 and 1995, while the volume of goods transported between major markets increased from 4.5 metric tons to 33.6 during this period.
However, without an improved human resource base and reduced dependence on mining sector revenues, economic growth and democratization in Guinea cannot be sustained. USAID has therefore focused its resources on Guinea's education and agriculture sectors, while supporting a program to reduce population growth and enhance the health of Guinean citizens. Taking into account both the low development base Guineans are starting from and the current positive trend toward economic growth and democratization, it is estimated that USAID assistance will be required for another fifteen to twenty years to ensure sustainability. Guinea is now well positioned to become a strong development partner, and with continued assistance, can achieve its development goals.
Other Donors.
In 1994, Guinea's largest bilateral donor was France, followed by the United States, which provides approximately 26% of all bilateral assistance. Japan, Ukraine, and Germany also are major donors. Multilateral donors include the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund.
FY 1997 Program.
USAID will assist the GOG to improve the economic and social well-being of all Guineans by enhancing Guinea's human resource base while promoting economic growth in the non-mining sector. Supporting education and human resources development will not only allow Guinean citizens to contribute to economic growth, but also will enhance their ability to participate fully in the transition to democracy. Enhancing family planning services and introducing a maternal and child health program will reduce pressure on the country's resources and slow the rate of environmental degradation. Overall, continued development assistance to Guinea will help ensure that the GOG continues on the path to democratization and liberalization of the economy. The current program also provides an increased level of direct support to U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) working towards the development of civil society, improved governance capacity, and a market-based economy.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
Guinea's traditional reliance on its mineral exports has undermined sustainable, broad-based economic growth due to an unpredictable world market and the limited number of Guineans who benefit from mining activities. Because an estimated 80% of Guineans are engaged in agricultural production, the country's potential for developing a comparative advantage in this sector is high. By reducing barriers to agricultural production and marketing, and thereby increasing rural incomes, USAID supported efforts can benefit the greatest number of Guineans while fueling growth nationwide.
By constructing rural access roads, USAID has succeeded in reducing high transportation and marketing costs in rural areas. As a direct result of this activity, 746 kilometers of rural roads have been completed, and the cost of transporting agricultural goods on these roads has decreased 34%. Time travel between markets has decreased by 86%, and the value of produce in markets served by these roads has increased 39%. In addition, more than 10,500 loans of $266 on average have been made to rural entrepreneurs. Sixty-eight percent of loan recipients are women, and the overall repayment rate is an impressive 100%. These achievements have led directly to a greater flow of goods and services in affected regions. However, transport, cold storage and packing costs remain prohibitively high, while limited credit options for large-scale enterprises continue to constrain growth in this sector. Interest rate policy reform and improvements in financial services are therefore still needed, as well as better rules for the establishment of private businesses that will lower the cost of agriculture-related services.
To overcome these obstacles, in 1994 USAID supported the establishment of a farmers' association called the Agricultural Marketing Foundation that has since engaged the GOG in a dialogue on export and other agriculture-related policies. Members are provided valuable information on pricing strategies and marketing. A loan guarantee fund, which became operational in 1995, is simultaneously addressing the need for greater access to credit. With ongoing support, these two institutions will continue to successfully promote export contracts and help modernize agricultural production and marketing techniques, which will lead to increased trade, investment, and productivity in this sector.
Guinea's highly illiterate human resource base is another major constraint to economic growth and development. A 71% illiterate population means poor management in the public and private sectors, limited ability to take advantage of agricultural export opportunities, reduced capacity to understand and use family health services, and slower adoption of democratic principles. USAID's emphasis on increased primary school enrollment and female education is anticipated to strongly affect growth in agricultural productivity and microenterprise development, especially in view of the significant role women play in these areas. Expanded family education also will contribute directly to lowered fertility rates and improved health status.
Remarkable progress made in the education sector since 1990 reflects both the GOG's commitment to education reform and the success of a collaborative donor effort. USAID has provided both budgetary and technical assistance to the Ministry of Pre-University Education, resulting in a reallocation of GOG resources that has doubled the budget for primary education, improved staff planning and management, and led to the redeployment of over 1,800 teachers to the primary school level. Primary school enrollment has increased by approximately 173,000 new students, with increases exceeding 60% in the number of girls and rural children starting first grade. With an estimated 4% average annual increase in the gross enrollment rate, some 155,000 new students will be enrolled in FY 1996. However, delays in the transfer of funds from the central budget to the ministerial level, a lack of adequate internal controls, high repeater and drop-out rates, and cultural biases against girls' education remain obstacles. Future funds, therefore, will be used to continue the policy and management reforms already undertaken by the GOG, to sustain growing enrollment and graduation rates, and to assist the GOG in developing a standardized achievement testing system so that results such as literacy rates associated with improving the quality of education can be measured.
Agency Goal: Stabilizing World Population Growth and Protecting Human Health
Guinea's population growth rate of 2.8% annually constrains progress toward economic development and democratization by increasing pressure on already scarce resources. To reduce fertility and prevent the spread of disease, USAID assistance supports the distribution of family planning commodities through public and private sector facilities, and promotes awareness of family planning options and HIV/AIDS through mass media information campaigns. USAID also supported the GOG's adoption of a national population policy advocating smaller family size in 1992, and a program of working with religious leaders to address resistance to messages on family planning and disease prevention. As a result of these efforts, the message "Abstinence, Fidelity, Prudence" was developed and prominent religious leaders now actively support family planning and disease prevention in Guinea. 30% of the population has gained access to family planning services. This is expected to increase usage levels and condom sales have more than quadrupled during the last four years, including a 70% increase in the last year alone.
However, reproductive behavior changes slowly and depends on the continued availability of health services. Therefore FY 1997 funds will be used to continue existing activities ad well as to design acomprehensive program for improving mothers' and children's health. This program will be integrated into existing health-care systems, thereby increasing Guinea's low rate of child survival. Over the long term, this will ensure the sustainability of USAID-supported activities in this sector.
Agency Goal: Protecting the Environment
USAID works with rural populations in watersheds in the fragile north-eastern Fouta Djallon Highlands, the source of headwaters for four major rivers in West Africa. The program is improving the management of natural resources to prevent the negative effects of environmental degradation such as soil erosion and the depletion of water resources. These activities have already resulted in the improvement of local wells that make potable water available throughout the year, thereby reducing the spread of disease and enabling women to devote more time to farming activities rather than fetching water. These activities also improve the quality and quantity of water supplies in the neighboring countries bordering the four rivers. This is a multi-donor effort in which USAID focusses on three of the twelve watersheds
Agency Goal: Building Democracy
USAID's experience worldwide is that the transition from a statist to a democratic society hinges on the role of advocacy groups that can champion democratic principles and influence institutional behavior. Solid economic growth requires the decentralization of decision-making processes to include citizens at the local level. Activities in this area will therefore focus on increasing the participation of all Guinean citizens in the nascent democratization process and helping to develop an environment of good governance.
Both Guinea's high illiteracy rate and legacy of authoritarian rule pose obstacles to the development of a democratic society. USAID therefore plans to strengthen the capacity of local-level citizens' organizations to articulate and represent their members' interests through training in basic literacy and management skills, as well as democratic principles. After completing a 1995 study to assess the capacity of existing governance structures and the current level of democratization in Guinea, USAID plans to support training and workshops that encourage participation in political life and decision-making processes in FY 1997. Through these interventions, the USAID program will promote greater citizen participation in the political process and increased accountability.
Agency Goal: Providing Humanitarian Assistance
Food security in Guinea is impaired by low income levels, poor market access, poor nutritional practices and population pressures. USAID therefore is using P.L. 480 Title II resources to monetize wheat and vegetable oil for investment in a program to promote food security. Specifically, the program aims to improve maternal health, child nutrition, food production, and utilization and consumption practices through community education and training. These activities will be implemented by two U.S. PVOs, Africare and Opportunities Industrialization Centers International.
|
Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth |
Stabilizing Population Growth and Protecting Human Health |
Protecting the Environment |
Building |
Providing Humanitarian Assistance |
TOTALS |
|
|
USAID Strategic Objectives |
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1. Growth in Agricultural Markets - Dev. Fund for Africa - P.L. 480 Title II |
2,622,966 |
|
57,179 |
|
1,024,000 |
2,680,145 |
|
2. Increased Ability of Families to Determine Household Size - Dev. Fund for Africa |
|
6,278,641 |
|
|
|
6,278,641 |
|
3. Increased Enrollment in Primary School, with an Emphasis on Rural and Female Participation - Dev. Fund for Africa |
4,343,384 |
|
|
|
|
4,343,384 |
|
4. Fostering Civil Society Development and Good Governance - Dev. Fund for Africa |
1,590,180 |
1,590,180 |
||||
|
Totals - Dev. Fund for Africa - P.L. 480 Title II |
6,966,350 |
6,278,641 |
57,179
|
1,590,180 |
1,024,000 |
14,892,350 1,024,000 |
USAID Mission Director: John Flynn
PROGRAM: GUINEA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Growth in Agricultural Markets, 675-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $2,680,145 DFA
$1,024,000 P.L. 480 Title II
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1999
Purpose: To increase growth and efficiency in agricultural markets by improving the current policy and regulatory environment, developing effective financial and investment services, promoting product marketing, and transferring sustainable production technologies to farmers.
Background: Agricultural development offers the best opportunity to reduce the Government of Guinea's (GOG) dependence on revenues from the mining sector. The agriculture sector accounts for 24% of Guinea's gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 80% of the labor force. While agricultural output in Guinea compares favorably with that of other sub-Saharan African countries, public expenditures for agriculture have not generated the expected increases in value-added activities and overall productivity.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID supports growth in agricultural markets through four main activities: constructing rural roads to open isolated productive areas to local and regional markets, lending to rural microenterprises, promoting sustainable agricultural production through support for improved soil and water management techniques, and enhancing the capacity of the GOG to promote and facilitate private sector participation in agricultural marketing and production.
As a result of these activities, more than 760 kilometers of rural roads have been built to date. Transportation costs and transport time have been decreased by over 35%, and more goods are available at lower costs. 10,500 microenterprise loans have been made, two-thirds of which are owned and operated by women. To date the repayment rate on loans is 100%. The value of beneficiaries' assets has doubled. Their consumption and buying power have increased, and they are generating employment for thousands of employees. Simultaneously, the USAID-supported Agricultural Marketing and Investment Foundation is promoting agribusiness development through market analysis and business services. In order to promote lending to larger agribusinesses, USAID also is supporting the Agricultural Marketing Loan Guarantee Fund by providing training and insuring 37.5% of the value of loans made to members of the Marketing Foundation as an incentive for lending by commercial banks.
USAID activities also enhance soil fertility, check erosion, support reforestation, and help producers in isolated areas to find markets for their goods. Partially as a result of these efforts, onion production in areas targeted by the activity increased by 1300% in 1995. Honey production and marketing increased by 800%, and similar results are expected for potato production.
Finally, USAID supports enhanced agricultural sector management through improved planning, monitoring and evaluation of policy impact, increased government accountability, and transparency of the decision-making process. Under these activities, the Ministry of Agriculture's financial and management systems continue to improve, while Guinea's Central Bank has developed a framework for supervising, monitoring, and regulating private financial institutions to increase the amount of credit available to medium and large-sized rural businesses.
Description: USAID supports activities designed to reduce excessive transportation costs in moving agricultural produce to markets, to improve access to credit, to transfer sustainable production technologies to farmers in one of the most ecologically fragile areas in Guinea, and to foster an improved policy and regulatory environment. USAID is also using P.L. 480 Title II resources tomonetize wheat and vegetable oil for investment in programs to promote food security
USAID works with the Ministry of Agriculture and small and medium-sized construction firms to rehabilitate secondary roads in 13 areas throughout the country. These roads will open agricultural areas affecting approximately 279,000 farm families. In addition to lowering transportation costs, this activity contributes to sustainable agricultural production by improving market access to rural producers. Funding for management and entrepreneurial training and lending in rural areas is channelled through a U.S. private voluntary organization (PVO), which collaborates with a local nongovernmental organization (NGO). Through USAID-funded training and technical assistance, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank's management, planning and policy reform practices have become more supportive of agricultural production and trade. USAID support also is provided for the implementation of land code legislation, which is essential for ensuring ownership of cultivated land, concomitant investments in sustainable production technology, and the emergence of land markets.
Host Country and Other Donors: The World Bank finances agricultural marketing and export promotion. The World Bank, European Union, and French support rural infrastructure programs, including road construction. Natural resources management is also a multi-donor effort. The United Nations Development Programme, the U.N. Environment Program, the World Bank, France, Germany and Holland support activities in nine of the twelve ecologically fragile watershed areas targeted by the GOG for promoting conservation and sustainable agriculture.
USAID works in the remaining three watershed areas. The GOG contributes significantly to this activity in the form of counterpart funds generated from a recently completed USAID P.L. 480 Title III Program ($15 million) and through in-kind contributions, including personnel, salaries, and tax exonerations for equipment and supplies.
Beneficiaries: Studies show that when women prosper, children benefit. Approximately 5,000 women and their children have prospered as a result of the small enterprise lending program. Similarly, the opening of previously isolated areas has benefited more than 1,000,000 agricultural producers (the majority of whom are women) by allowing them to increase marketing activities while providing greater access to services such as health, education, and tools and other agricultural inputs.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements these activities through three U.S. for-profit firms, the Development Assistance Corporation, Sheladea, and Chemonics, International; U.S. private voluntary organizations: Volunteers International in Technical Assistance, Africare and Opportunities Industrialization Centers International; and the GOG's Ministry of Agriculture.
Major Results Indicators
Baseline Target
Decrease in travel time (%)
on rehabilitated rural roads 14% (1995) 48% (1998)
Agriculture exports of coffee 11,200 mt (1990) 28,000 mt (1997)
Agriculture imports of fertilizer 3,425 mt (1988) 9,100 mt (1997)
Agricultural Marketing Foundation
Membership (members) 520 (1995) 800 (1997)
Female members (%) 10 20
Exports per AMF member 0.25 mt (1994) 1.70 mt (1997)
Packaging imports per AMF member 5 ea. (1994) 85 ea. (1997)
Number of microenterprise loans 1,375 (1992) 15,355 (1998)
Value of loans (000 Guinea Francs) 206,800 (1992) 3,115.8 (1998)
Female members (%) 61% (1992) 68% (1998)
Program: GUINEA
Title and Number: Increased Ability of Families to Determine Family Size, 675-S002
Status: Continuing
Proposed Obligation and Funding Source: FY 1997: $6,278,641 DFA
Initial Obligation: FY 1995; Estimated Completion Date: FY 2001
Purpose: To increase the quality and use of family planning and disease-prevention products and services.
Background: Infant, child, and maternal mortality rates in Guinea are among the highest in the world. Even so, the population is rising rapidly with a fertility rate of 6.0 children per woman. Although the rate of HIV infection for the population as a whole remains relatively low at roughly 1%, the proportion of women infected has increased by 39% over the past eight years. The country's recent economic liberalization and nascent health-care system are based on the Government of Guinea's (GOG) desire to improve efficiency and service-provision in the public sector. However, the GOG's financial and management resources are inadequate to address basic health needs and to make family planning services available to the population.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: As a result of USAID support for reducing population growth, the GOG has adopted a national population policy and developed a family code that promotes reduced fertility. USAID support for contraceptive marketing activities has led to a significant increase in the national acceptance and use of family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention methods. Family planning services have been installed in two-thirds of the USAID-supported national health-care centers and hospitals, providing over 30,000 couples with access to modern contraceptives. A nationwide network of commercial outlets for family planning and AIDS prevention products also has been established, which increased condom sales by 70% in the last year alone. As a result of these efforts, eight million retail condom sales were made through the private sector during the past four years, and during the first three quarters of 1995, two million condoms were sold. Nationwide, the contraceptive prevalence rate has increased 3.3% since 1992.
Description: USAID's health activities in Guinea focus on three areas: Improving the policy and legal climate for family planning; integrating family planning services into the national primary health care system; and establishing a social marketing system to provide contraceptive products and services through the private sector. These activities are implemented through a U.S. non-governmental organization that works with local NGOs to conduct policy workshops, AIDS awareness and condom-marketing activities. Modern contraceptive services are also provided to couples through USAID-supported health-care facilities.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are the two major donors supporting family planning in Guinea. UNFPA focuses on integrating family planning services into public health clinics in two regions of the country where USAID is not working. The United Nations Childrens' Fund is the principal provider of assistance for integrating family planning services into the primary health-care system nationwide. The World Bank is providing credit to the GOG for the construction of health facilities in two other regions of the country. The German development bank has approached USAID on possible co-financing of social marketing activities.
Beneficiaries: Women and adolescents of child-bearing age and sexually active adults are the primary beneficiaries of USAID assistance. Over two million sexually active Guineans now have access to USAID-supported health centers in the most remote regions of the country, and over 100,000 packages of year-long protection have been supplied to Guinean couples due to the success of this activity. Children under five years of age are indirect beneficiaries of child spacing activities, which increases their chances of having healthy young lives.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements its activities under this strategic objective through Population Services International, a U.S. private voluntary organization.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Increase in Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (%) 2 (1992) 5 (2001)
Family planning services integrated in health centers
(number of health centers) 0 (1995) 120 (2001)
Condoms sold in public sector (millions) 0 (1992) 15 (2001)
PROGRAM: Guinea
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Enrollment in Primary School with a Particular Emphasis on Rural and Female Participation, 675- S003
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $4,343,384 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To increase enrollment and the quality of education in primary school, particularly for rural and female children, by developing the administrative and financial management capacity of the Ministry of Pre-University Education (MEPU), increasing community participation in education financing and decision-making processes, and training teachers.
Background: An insufficiently trained human resource base is one of the key constraints to broad-based economic growth and sustainable development in Guinea. Constraints to equitable and accessible education in Guinea include delays in the transfer of funds from the national treasury to MEPU, high repeater and drop-out rates, and cultural biases against girls' education. The government's need to reduce budgetary expenditures also can limit needed education spending, for example, on the expansion of primary education facilities.
USAID therefore is assisting the Government of Guinea (GOG) to implement its education sector reform program (ESRP) by providing budgetary incentives and technical assistance for MEPU to more efficiently manage its financial and human resources for primary education. The second phase of this project will focus on increasing local community participation in education policy planning and financing as well.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: As a result of USAID's support for this multi-donor effort, the gross enrollment rate for primary school children rose from 28% in 1990 to 43% in 1995, while first grade enrollments increased 35% over the same period. The GOG's allocation for its education sector budget rose from 13% of the national budget in 1989 to over 26% in 1995, while primary education's share of this budget rose by 2% over the same period. Girls' enrollment rates rose from 17% to 28% and rural childrens' rates rose from 20% to 34% between 1990 and 1995.
Description: The education sector reform program helps leverage a greater share of GOG expenditure for primary education and provides critical training in administration, finance, curriculum development and teaching. The Mission will continue to provide education policy assistance to the Ministry while training teachers, delivering educational materials to primary school students and instructors, and working with communities and NGOs to ensure better school management and education financing at the local level. These combined activities will ensure increased enrollment rates, improved quality of teaching and therefore learning, fewer school drop-outs and ultimately a more literate work force.
Host Country and Other Donors: The World Bank is providing $40 million during the next five years for education sector reforms. USAID has committed $20 million, and the French organization French Cooperation is financing approximately $5 million in education assistance over this period. The World Bank finances school construction, school nutrition programs, and school management micro-projects. The French organization 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 periodic meetings 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.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of USAID assistance in the education sector are the approximately 1.1 million primary school-aged children in Guinea and 11,600 primary school teachers.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through the Education Development Center/LearnTech and local NGOs.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Gross Enrollment Rate 28% (1990) 47% (1997)
Girls' Enrollment Rate 17% (1990) 34% (1997)
Rural Enrollment Rate 21% (1990) 39% (1997)
First grade enrollment 34% (1990) 55% (1997)
Girls' share of first grade enrollment 34% (1990) 41% (1997)
Education share of GOG budget 13% (1989) 25% (1997)
Primary education share of
education budget 34% (1989) 40% (1997)
PROGRAM: GUINEA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Strengthening Civil Society Capacity, 675-SP01
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $1,590,180 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2000
Purpose: To strengthen the capacity of Guinean citizens to participate more fully and equitably in Guinea's social, economic and political life.
Background: The critical transition to multi-party democracy and a liberal economy that Guinea began in 1984 continues today. This process is made difficult by the legacy of 26 years of authoritarian rule. During this time, civil society and democratic institutions were repressed, private sector activities and initiatives all but destroyed, the development of autonomous voluntary organizations stifled, and human rights repressed. Democratization under the government that succeeded this regime has permitted the development of an active, but still vulnerable, independent press, the emergence of human rights organizations, and the creation of political parties, a national electoral commission, and detailed procedures for conducting national and local elections. The transition from a statist to a democratic society also has given private firms, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), rural development associations, and women's groups much freedom to organize and manage their own affairs.
USAID Role and Achievement to Date: The first phase of a democracy and governance (D/G) assessment to provide essential information on Guinean governance structures and political institutions was completed in 1995. Through a U.S. organization, Associates in Rural Development, USAID financed,an in-depth study of local community organizations in the North-central (Haut) Region of Guinea. This study will provide the information necessary to effectively develop and implement a long-term institutional capacity-building effort for local-level organizations. The activity will be implemented in cooperation with a U.S. PVO, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), which currently works with local-level organizations in the Coastal (Maritime) Region training members in how to organize and mange their organizations in a democratic manner.
Description: USAID plans to implement this special objective in the Coastal (Maritime) Region of Guinea where there is a high concentration of local associations as well as other USAID activities that will benefit from the training and other components of this project. Training and workshops are also being considered for the north-central region where the study was undertaken. These interventions will strengthen the capacity of local-level organizations and associations to articulate, advocate, and represent their community interests and to influence the Government of Guinea's (GOG) plans and policies.
Women will be one of the groups targeted by this project. To help strengthen the crucial role women play in Guinea's economic and social life, training in financial management, democratic principles, decentralized decision-making, and good governance practices will be an important goal of this special objective.
Host Country and Other Donors: While USAID does not work directly with the central government , it has supported the GOG's decentralization policies through training activities. USAID also collaborates with other donors working to strengthen NGOs and various grassroots organizations in other regions of Guinea. Other donors working in NGO development are the European Union, Canada, Germany, and the World Bank, which focuses on governance issues.
Beneficiaries: The project's beneficiaries include all members of local organizations associated with the project plus the communities and clients they serve in the Maritime region of Guinea.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) and other contractors yet to be determined.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Grassroots level groups organized 0 (1996) 200 (2000)
along democratic lines
Literate members involved in 0 (1996) 3,400 (2000)
local/government issues
Number of people trained in mobilization 0 (1996) 4,250 (2000)
of local resources, accountability and
basic organizational management