Note: This document may not always reflect the actual appropriations determined by Congress. Final budget allocations for USAID's programs are not determined until after passage of an appropriations bill and preparation of the Operating Year Budget (OYB).
JAMAICA
The U.S. has a strong interest in the economic health and political well-being of Jamaica based on geographic proximity, Jamaica's regional leadership role in the Caribbean, the importance of its cooperation in interdiction of narcotics destined for the U.S., significant trade and investment relations, and ties through migration. Located 500 miles south of Miami and only 90 miles from Cuba, Jamaica is a longstanding multiparty democracy and a Caribbean regional leader on issues of importance to the U.S. The largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean, Jamaica historically has demonstrated commitment to maintaining a stable, democratic western hemisphere, being among the first countries to deploy troops to Grenada in 1981 and, more recently, to Haiti. Jamaica also has the potential to use its significant political influence among other Caribbean nations to persuade those countries to vote in international fora as a block in support of U.S. interests. The U.S. interest in promoting a solid Jamaican economy and society is also based on trade and investment and ties through migration. Nearly two-thirds of Jamaica's imports are from the U.S. By assisting Jamaica in its development and maintenance of a strong, stable Jamaican economy, the U.S. Government protects existing U.S. investments (valued at $5.6 billion) and markets in Jamaica and fosters opportunities for expanding the already strong Jamaican market for U.S. goods and services. With inadequate economic opportunities, 250,000 Jamaicans--about 10% of the population--took up U.S. permanent residence status over the 1990-1995 period. With more than one-third of Jamaica's population of 2.5 million living in poverty, sustainable, broad-based growth is critical to improving the standard of living of the poor to a level that can ensure long-term social and economic stability and economic growth for Jamaica.
FY 1998 Sustainable Development Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,100,000 The Development Challenge
In 1995, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) ended its formal 15-year structural adjustment arrangement with the IMF. Under Jamaica's structural adjustment program, the Government implemented macro-economic policy reforms that have strengthened Jamaica's market-oriented economy with emphasis on exports and investment. Tariff rates have been reduced, quantity restrictions eliminated, and price controls and food subsidies abandoned. These policy reforms, complemented by the liberalization of the foreign exchange regime and improved monetary and fiscal policies, assisted Jamaica toward further opening its market-driven economy, supported by democratic institutions. However, the significant progress made toward Jamaica's macroeconomic health is contrasted by deteriorating living conditions for the majority of Jamaicans. While economic growth has averaged one percent since 1991, it has been stagnant in per capita terms. Additionally, an increase in the numbers of poor people corresponds with one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. In view of these trends, Jamaica's challenge will be to ensure sustainable economic growth and participation by low-income groups in the growth process. That challenge is intensified by a continued trade imbalance, high interest rates, widespread crime and violence, and Jamaica's large external debt (totalling about $3.6 billion, including $670 million to the U.S.), the servicing for which consumes 52% of the GOJ's annual budget.Jamaica's leading source of foreign exchange is tourism, and most visitors are from the U.S. The second largest source is remittances from family overseas, but these flows are uncertain year-to-year. Other principal foreign exchange earners (bauxite, sugar, and bananas) have suffered from world market fluctuations. Jamaica's apparel exports have declined sharply as a result of productivity problems and a relocation of the industry to Mexico as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Although unemployment has fallen to about 15% from 25% in the early 1980s, most labor is absorbed by the informal sector where wages are extremely low and micro-businesses often fail. Jamaica's economic dependence on tourism, bauxite, and traditional agriculture has generated a wide range of negative impacts on the country's natural resource base, including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution, and dwindling marine resources which threaten the very existenceof these key sectors. The greatest social challenge is to provide opportunities for younger generations of Jamaicans, who are particularly affected by crime and violence, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and a decline in literacy and other basic education standards. Together these problems put youth at risk, and compromise the potential of tomorrow's workforce.
Jamaica's long-term development prospects are dependent on its ability to provide equitable growth, reduce poverty, earn foreign exchange through increased exports, conserve its natural resources and generate productive employment for a literate citizenry. With solid progress in macroeconomic reform, and the renewed priority placed by the government and donors on poverty alleviation and reduction, USAID/Jamaica foresees a need for a continued, traditional development assistance program until a number of remaining development challenges are met.
Other Donors
USAID and the donor community pledged over $100 million in FY 1995 for development activities in Jamaica. The United States is the largest bilateral donor. Other major donors include: the World Bank; Inter-American Development Bank; United Nations agencies; the European Union; Canada; Japan; the Netherlands; the United Kingdom; and Germany.FY 1998 Program
USAID/Jamaica's overall goal is to assist Jamaica to achieve broad-based, sustainable economic growth. The program strategy for FY1997 to FY2001 is to work with Jamaican partners to increase participation for economic growth; increase protection of key natural resources in environmentally and economically significant areas; and better equip young Jamaicans for the 21st Century. These strategic objectives emerged as a result of USAID/Jamaica's efforts to consolidate and concentrate its portfolio in areas where it could make a significant impact in coordination with other donors. USAID/Jamaica's program experience and technical capabilities are also important criteria for the selection of these priorities. In carrying out the program, USAID will concentrate on three approaches--the use of information technology as a major development tool, increased collaboration with partners including other donors, and community-based development solutions.The Mission's program is consistent with Agency goals and supports U.S. interests. Increased participation in Jamaica's economic growth process will provide viable alternative opportunities to U.S. emigration and drug trafficking to the nearby U.S. borders. Jamaica's economic growth will improve the purchasing power of a large number of Jamaican consumers in a country where demand for U.S. goods and services is already high. Implicit in improving Jamaica's environmental quality is the protection of the country's fragile land and our shared Caribbean Sea resources, as well as threatened endemic species which are important to maintaining global biodiversity. These benefits are shared by all who live in and visit Jamaica, including the Americans who make up the vast majority of Jamaica's visitors. Better preparing Jamaica's youth for the 21st century, through improved education and life skills, will help break the cycle of poverty and create a productive population. Overall, USAID Jamaica's program aims to help create a robust, balanced economy which, in turn, will garner Jamaica's support and leadership in fostering democracy in the region, alleviate migration, benefit the U.S. interest in curbing the drug trade in the region, protect existing U.S. investments in Jamaica and create a growing Jamaican market for U.S. products.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
Although Jamaica has made significant strides in liberalizing its economy, a large proportion of the population has not benefitted through new employment and increased incomes. To address this key challenge, USAID will focus its efforts to energize the economic growth process through increased opportunities for working-age members of the population living in poverty, including women as a special target group, and on raising overall productivity. These new employment opportunities andproductivity efforts will target the foreign exchange-earning export and service areas, including small business and microenterprises. To ensure growth in these private sector-led areas, USAID will continue to support activities that foster foreign and domestic investment. USAID will also support Jamaica's transition to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the use of information technology in the widest gamut of growth activities. USAID assistance under this strategic objective will focus on four targeted results--(1) increased economic opportunities for the poor; (2) improved human resource development and productivity; (3) increased growth of exports in priority agricultural and manufacturing sectors targeting small businesses; and (4) increased private domestic and foreign investment. Specific activities to achieve these results include providing financial services to microentrepreneurs, including rural Jamaicans who have not had access to formalized credit; supporting specific sectoral training aimed at improving total factor productivity; support for export expansion in industries where comparative advantages exist such as light industry, food processing, and information services; expansion of critical tourism infrastructure; selected technical interventions to remove impediments to NAFTA and FTAA harmonization; and support to the Ministry of Finance's Fiscal Policy Management Unit aimed at consolidating and strengthening the macroeconomic measures undertaken during the IMF structural adjustment program.In FY1998, USAID's priorities will be tourism growth through completion of the multi-donor funded North Coast highway; strengthening the Ministry of Finance's macroeconomic policy management unit; increasing small business exports; microenterprise growth in rural areas through the mobilization of domestic savings, and, improved access to credit; increased exports through productivity improvements, including absorption of new technology; and increased international investment through continued policy and regulatory reform.
Strategic Objective 1: Increased Participation for Economic Growth Agency Goal: Protecting the Environment
Jamaica's economic and social well being is inextricably linked to the state of its fragile natural resource base, particularly given the importance of tourism, agriculture and mining. The environment continues to be under severe attack as the Jamaica's population grows in coastal and urban areas. Economic activity is concentrated in these areas, resulting in deforestation and loss of natural systems and habitats. USAID/Jamaica's environmental strategic objective is targeted at conserving these natural resources upon which sustainable long-term development depends. To achieve this strategic objective, USAID assistance will focus on four targeted results -- (1) expanded areas of key natural resources under sustainable management; (2) increased financial resources for environmental management; (3) strengthened capacity of Jamaican organizations to sustainably manage natural resources; and (4) established environmental policies and regulations to conserve key natural resources.USAID assistance has already helped Jamaica make significant progress, including the establishment of two national parks (one for which a local community trust has just been delegated responsibility for sustainable management) and several protected areas, as well as the preparation of a plan for a protected areas system. Building on these and other successes, USAID's priorities in FY 1998 will include establishment of a parks and protected area service, a new national park, sustainability of the watershed agricultural soil conservation program, an environmental audit program for the tourism industry, and a community-based program aimed at activities and policies to improve coastal water quality in selected tourism destinations.
Strategic Objective 2: Increased Protection of Key Natural Resources in Environmentally and Economically Significant Areas Agency Goals: Encouraging Economic Growth and Stabilizing World Population and Protecting Human Health
USAID's third strategic objective is to provide young Jamaicans with the education and life skills they need to become productive participants in the next century. Extensive consultation with private and public sector representatives and review of current analyses indicate that unless critical challenges facing youth are addressed, especially socially and economically disadvantaged youth, Jamaica is unlikely to make a successful economic and social transition into the 21st Century. There are a number of problems facing young Jamaicans. One in three children under four lives below the poverty line. There is a 30 percent illiteracy rate for the 209,000 at-risk 10 - 18 year-olds who live on the fringe of society and a 50 percent literacy rate for children completing primary school. Of all births, 25% are to teenage girls, and 25% of all girls drop out of school due to pregnancy. USAID's strategy is to play a leadership role in restoring hope for a productive future for Jamaican youth through a comprehensive plan to reduce risks, and to provide opportunities through improved education standards and training for in-school and out-of-school boys and girls. This shift in strategy from a health and population emphasis to a sharper focus on education and human resource development is predicated on the assumption that many of the positive and significant gains made in the areas of family planning and health care reform will be sustained, and that the Mission can now target its resources towards remaining challenges that affect young people. The program will deliver cost effective packages of services to 80,000 at-risk out of school youths in the age cohort 10-14. These packages aim to promote self esteem and socialization, reduced teenage pregnancy and HIV/STDs, increase literacy, and to re-instate "drop outs" into schools. The project will also teach social and job skills of the target group on a sustainable basis so they may become more responsible and productive citizens. Funding is being provided through non-governmental organizations (NGOs), experienced in working with high risk adolescents, throughout Jamaica.In FY 1998 USAID's priorities will include improving literacy/numeracy levels among both primary school graduates and out-of-school youth; decreasing teenage pregnancy; and improving the social and job skills of Jamaican adolescents. Other USAID targets include a further overall decrease in the growth of HIV/AIDS transmission rates through increased condom use and reduction of risk factors, and decreased total fertility through increased use of longer term contraceptive methods.
Strategic Objective 3: Young Jamaicans Better-Equipped for the 21st Century
JAMAICA
FY 1998 PROGRAM SUMMARY
(000's)
USAID Mission Director: Carole Tyson
USAID Strategic Objectives
Encouraging Economic Growth Stabilizing Population Growth and Protecting Human Health Protecting the Environment Buidling Democracy Providing Humanitarian Assistance Total 1. Increased Participation for Economic Growth
Dev. Assistance
1,400
1,400
2. Increased Protection of Key Natural Resources in Environ-
mentally and Economic Sig. Areas
Dev. Assistance
3,350
3,350
3. Young Jamaicans Better-Equipped for the 21st Century Dev. Assistance
1.350
5,000
6,350
Total Dev. Assistance
2,750
5,000
3,350
11,100
A CTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: JAMAICA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased participation for economic growth, 532-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION & FUNDING SOURCE: FY1998 $1,400,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY1997
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY2001
Purpose: To increase opportunities for working-age members of the one-third of the population who live in poverty, including women as a special target group, and to raise the productivity of other underemployed Jamaicans.
Background: Jamaica's efforts to liberalize its economy and open its markets have laid the foundation for strong and vibrant growth. However, given Jamaica's heavy debt burden, coupled with its import dependency, special efforts to support foreign exchange earnings through an export and investment orientation will be required to complete the process. Broad participation of all segments of the society in a trade and investment led growth strategy can be facilitated by emphasizing employment creation. Despite positive policy reforms, the private sector response has been mixed. Continued high interest and tax rates and relatively high inflation (despite a gradual decline), excessive government regulation, and low worker productivity are still inhibiting business confidence and investment.
USAID Role & Achievements to Date: USAID support includes provision of technical assistance and training to the Jamaican public and private sectors, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to implement privatization, increase foreign exchange earnings, and assist microentrepreneurs and farmers. Divestment proceeds from privatization of Government of Jamaica (GOJ) public entities have totaled more than $370 million since 1986; foreign exchange earnings in priority areas has reached almost $510 million; 25,000 jobs have been created in assisted areas, over half of which are women; 11,000 small and microenterprises have received training and credit assistance; 46,000 farmers have received assistance in improved crop technology raising their production and incomes; and improved water supply, sewerage disposal and road construction have allowed expansion of the key tourism sector, protected the environment, and improved the quality of life for Jamaicans. USAID has enhanced employment opportunities for low-income households in both urban and rural areas through credit and institutional strengthening assistance to 18,000 small businesses and through technical and commodity assistance to over 10,0000 small farmers. In 1996, financial services to the poor, in the form of small savings and credit facilities, have been made available to 95,000 clients. Over 260 Jamaican exporters now have access to marketing information through the internet and the worldwide web as a result of USAID's Small Business Export Development initiatives. Reciprocally, the Jamaica Exporters' Association's home page gives worldwide access to information on the Jamaican market. Another important USAID contribution to creating an open economic environment has been the establishment of a self-financing preclearance program which has facilitated the export of 75,000 tons of agricultural exports bound for the U.S. market since 1992. Financial and management responsibility for the preclearance program, including costs for USDA inspectors, was assumed by the Jamaica Exporters' Association during FY1996.
Description: USAID activities will support increased economic opportunities for the poor; improved human resource development and productivity; increased growth of exports in priority agricultural and manufacturing sectors targeting small businesses; and increased private domestic and foreign investment. Specific activities to achieve these results include providing financial services to microentrepreneurs, including rural Jamaicans who have not had access to formalized credit; supporting specific sectoral training aimed at improving total factor productivity; support for export expansion in industries where comparative advantages exist such as light industry, food processing, and information services; the development of an innovative information technology activity to connectand tap the technical expertise of Jamaicans abroad and friends of Jamaica for the development needs of the country; expansion of critical tourism infrastructure; selected technical interventions to remove impediments to North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) harmonization; and support to the Ministry of Finance's Fiscal Policy Management Unit.
Host Country & Other Donors: USAID, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have complementary activities in support of the GOJ's privatization and customs reform programs. Also, donor coordination has been strong between the Government of the Netherlands, the European Union, the InterAmerican Development Bank, IMF, the German development agency (GTZ), the Canadian International Development Agency, and USAID in efforts to develop the microenterprise sector. USAID and the United Nations Development Program co-financed technical assistance for a new division in the Finance Ministry, the Fiscal Policy Management Unit (FPMU), which provides institutional strengthening to improve the analysis, formulation, implementation and monitoring of fiscal policy. Under the North Coast Development Projects, USAID/Jamaica and the Japanese Government are co-financing five major infrastructure sub-projects to increase investment in the tourism industry. Under this activity, host country budgetary and in-kind contribution has been over US$60 million to date.
Beneficiaries: Approximately one-third of the Jamaican population is at or below the poverty line. Strategic objective one targets underprivileged, low-income groups. Included are microenterprises, small farmers, and labor intensive industries employing a majority of women. Policy reform in areas such as privatization, customs and fiscal management also benefits a large portion of the working class population.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through project agreements with the Government of Jamaica's Ministry of Finance, cooperative agreements with NGOs including the Jamaica Exporters Association, and institutional contracts with U.S. firms including Clapp and Mayne, Louis Berger International, Coopers & Lybrand, Chemonics and Peat-Marwick.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline(year) Target (year)Foreign exchange earnings through exports 1,043 (1990) 2,222 (1998) (in $US million)
Employment in assisted areas 233,000 (1990) 338,000 (1998)
Privatized GOJ enterprises ($US million 6 (1990) 122 (1998) cumulative)
Assisted small & microenterprise firms 4,000 (1993) 5,500 (1998)
Improved North Coast roads (miles) 0(1996) 150 (1998)
Customs revenue ($US mil/year) 118 (1993) 192 (1998)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: JAMAICA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Protection of Key Natural Resources in Environmentally and Economically
Significant Areas, 532-S002
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION & FUNDING SOURCE: $3,350,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY1997 Estimated Completion Date: FY2001
Purpose: To improve management of economically and ecologically important natural resources, including coastal water ecosystems.
Background: This strategic objective directly supports the Agency's goal of protecting the environment. Home to the richest biodiversity in the Caribbean, Jamaica's large number (over 1,000) of endemic species makes it a high priority country with respect to the Agency's environmental sub-goal of protecting biodiversity. The Mission's environmental strategy identifies and prioritizes environmental issues that affect Jamaica's human health, economic development, monetary costs and biological systems. The most significant issues are watershed degradation (including deforestation); coastal zone degradation (including loss of reefs and destruction of wetlands); water pollution; and degradation of wildlife habitat. All issues have a direct bearing on conservation of biodiversity and on maintaining sufficient environmental quality to sustain continued development of tourism. The persistence of these issues is inextricably linked to institutional deficiencies. This strategic objective currently subsumes the Development of Environmental Management Organizations (DEMO) project, the Hillside Agriculture Project (HAP) and the Technical Support Services for Urban Shelter Project. The Mission is in the process of designing a new activity to improve Jamaica's coastal water quality.
USAID Role & Achievements to Date: USAID support under this strategic objective includes provision of technical assistance and training to the Government of Jamaica, (GOJ) local community groups, NGOs and farmer associations to ensure capable institutions and sustainable programs. As a result of USAID-financed activities to reduce erosion in watersheds, more than 18,000 farmers planted over 3,350,000 trees, and have pruned and grafted with improved fruit varieties over 12,100 acres of trees. Approximately 500 farmers have directly benefitted from integrated pest management and proper use of agro-chemicals. USAID has assisted the Government of Jamaica to establish its first two national parks and continues to provide support to ensure the development and sustainability of a national parks system. A national protected areas plan has been prepared which will provide the basis for public and private initiatives to delineate and manage 30 percent of the nation's land mass including resources of nationally significant economic and ecological value. Significant progress was made in FY 1996. To establish three additional national protected areas around three existing or potential tourism centers Jamaica's Natural Resources Conservation Authority granted delegation of authority to the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust for the sustainable management of the Montego Bay Marine Park, an important precedent for local oversight of national parks and protected areas. A USAID-financed policy paper that proposes the national protected area system has been approved by Parliament. When enacted, the policies embodied in this paper will have far-reaching impact on the planning, protection and management of the nation's natural resources and biodiversity. On-site sewage solutions to help the urban poor squatting in environmentally fragile areas have been developed and tested. Over 200 families in squatter communities in Montego Bay, now have access to environmentally appropriate on-site disposal facilities. USAID's community-based approach to solving environmental problems has been effective in Negril, Montego Bay and Black River.
Description: USAID supports improved management of environmentally threatened growth areas; increased conservation of natural habitats; and improved public/private capacity for sustainable resource use. The principal activities under strategic objective two focus on strengthening national andlocal levels of protection and enforcement of ecologically important areas; providing for the transfer of environmentally-sound cultivation practices to low-income farmers in important watersheds, addressing problems in coastal water quality in key tourism areas and extension of sound sewage and waste water treatment. Specific activities to be funded in FY 1998 include efforts to strengthen the management and implementation capacities of environmental NGOs, establishment of a private sector-led campaign to expand a national fund for protected areas creation and management, implementation of an environmental action program which support community-based activities targeted at improving coastal water quality in tourism-related areas, and a program to assist GOJ institutions, as well as community organizations, to address policy issues related to improving coastal water quality.
Host Country & Other Donors: As the lead environmental donor, USAID works and coordinates effectively with the European Union, Canada, the Inter-American Development Bank, (IDB) the World Bank, and other environmental donors. USAID is an active participant in the donor working group on the environment and the sub-group on watersheds. USAID has laid the groundwork for effective NGO community-based environmental work through support to key environmental NGOs and through its leadership role in the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.
Beneficiaries: During 1996, the Hillside Agriculture Project directly benefitted approximately 7,000 small farmers living in the critical watersheds of Jamaica's eight eastern parishes, through the planting and cultivation of tree crops. The Agricultural Export Services Project worked with small farms to promote environmentally friendly production practices and access markets for the high-value nontraditional export crops. These two efforts have benefitted approximately 28% of Jamaica's 180,000 small farms to pro. The Development of Environmental Management Organizations Project is designed to strengthen public, private, and NGO organizations engaged in managing key natural resources. Approximately 30% of Jamaica's land surface encompassing the most important biodiversity and economically-valuable resources will receive improved management by the establishment of protected areas throughout the island. All Jamaicans will benefit from this effort far into the future. Preservation of Jamaica's natural resources is especially important to the tourism industry (the country's largest employer) and its employees.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements environmental activities through for-profit U.S. including Louis Berger and RONCO, as well as such local agencies as the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, the National Water Commission, the Urban Development Corporation, local NGOs (such as the National Environmental Societies Trust and Jamaica Exporters Association) and community groups (Montego Bay Marine Park Trust, Negril Environmental Protection Trust and the Jack's Hall Community Association).
Major Results Indicators: Baseline (year) Target (year)Untreated waste-water from sewage system entering Montego Bay (g/day) 2 million (1992) 0 (1998)
Water quality in Montego Bay 15 million (1992) 1,000 (1998) (coliform count/100ml- Montego River sewage outlet)
New protected areas managed (acres/yr) 0 (1992) 138 (1998)
NGO- managed environmental activities 0 (1992) 15 (1998)
Key policy reforms enacted 0 (1993) 2 (1998)
National parks and protected habitats 0 (1990) 289,000 (1998) (acres protected)
Park costs covered from private sources (%) 0 (1990) 50 (1998)
National park visitors 25,000 (1993) 150,000 (1998)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: JAMAICA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Young Jamaicans Better Equipped for the 21st Century 532-S003
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $6,350,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To help Jamaica, through assistance in education and life skills training, to develop the human resources required to produce economic growth that will allow Jamaica to successfully participate in the global economy
Background: This strategic objective directly supports USAID's goals of achieving broad-based economic growth through basic education and stabilizing population growth. Jamaica has achieved major successes, including reducing the fertility rate from 6 live births per woman to 2.9 in the last 30 years. Its infant and child mortality rates are comparable with those of industrialized countries. A significant cadre of talented workers has been trained. Over the last several years, Jamaica has faced economic dislocations associated with structural adjustment and a transition from a centrally planned to a liberalized market economy. Jamaica's education and health systems must now respond to the need for a better educated young work force. Health and education financing from government and donor sources are rapidly diminishing and, with a substantial debt-servicing requirement, the government has been slow to respond and devise solutions. Critical challenges are posed by: (1) the emergence of a young, under-educated and untrained work force, at-risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unplanned pregnancy, violence and economic marginalization; and (2) the inability to sustain government-provided health and education services.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID has supported the sustained development of a national family planning system, which has increased the contraceptive prevalence to 62% and achieved reduced fertility through programs carried out by government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private entrepreneurs. USAID also has played a central role in AIDS and STD awareness programs, leading to a universal awareness in Jamaica of AIDS/HIV, and a slowing of the increase in the rate of transmission. USAID has supported health sector reform, which is leading to a decentralized health system and divestment of hospital support services. Collection of hospital fees has increased total revenues for hospital programs, thereby improving the quality and quantity of services that are provided, including for disadvantaged Jamaicans. Increased private sector involvement and financing in the health sector is likewise increasing total revenues available for health. New health insurance initiatives are expected to lead to a National Health Insurance Plan over the long term. In the education sector, USAID assistance has helped the Ministry of Education to increase its capacity to provide automated data collection for policy analysis. Under a USAID-funded school community outreach program, increased community support for schools has resulted in reduced school vandalism and has brought vocational and computer learning opportunities to schools. The revision of the primary school mathematics curriculum; training of primary school teachers in innovative ways to deliver instructions and assess student performance; and development of new teaching materials will bring significant improvements in the level of numeracy of primary school graduates by the year 2000. Given the dramatic decline in education standards in Jamaica since the 1970s and the priority placed, by the GOJ and the private sector, on improving those standards, USAID's current and future program places increasing emphasis on education.
Description:Of the total funding requested for this strategic objective, $xxxx is planned for education/training activities; $xxxxx is planned for population activities and the balance is planned for AIDS prevention activities. In FY1998, USAID will focus on activities that will improve basic education standards and provide adolescents with the life skills they need to become members of a productive workforce for the 21st century. Jamaica's disadvantaged youth will be assisted by a new programthat address the problems of teenage pregnancy, STDs, violence, school leaving, social and family dysfunction, and the lack of vocational preparation which are obstacles to the transition to a productive adulthood. Complementing this program, the Mission is currently preparing to develop an activity which will directly support improved literacy and numeracy for primary schools students, through curriculum development, donor collaboration, policy analysis and community-based approaches. USAID will continue efforts to ensure the sustainability of Jamaica's family planning program and related policy development. The sustainable control of STDs and HIV infection will be supported through assistance to a strengthened, decentralized national epidemiology unit which is responsible for the STD control program, disease surveillance system development and data analysis, behavioral change interventions, training of private providers, NGOs and advocacy groups and behavioral research. These activities are being extended from Kingston, their current base, into tourist areas where high-risk sexual behavior threatens to spread the disease rapidly.
Host Country and Other Donors: In FY1998, beneficiaries will include 11,000 young, marginalized and at-risk Jamaicans (10 to 14) who will be provided with packages of services that will give them the foundation for re-instatement school and improve their social and job skills, and 20 percent of Jamaica's illiterate primary school children for whom improved literacy and numeracy skills will be targeted by the Mission's basic education program. As a lead donor in family planning, STD/HIV/AIDs control and education, USAID works with the Government of Jamaica, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, United Nations Family Planning Association, United Nations Joint Program on AIDS, and bilateral donors to maintain coordination and complementary funding. Many NGOs are supported, directly or through contractors, to carry out USAID activities.
Beneficiaries: USAID-funded education programs reach at least 870 primary schools through community programs, representing 250,000 primary and secondary school students. In FY 1988, beneficiaries will also include 11,000 young, marginalized and at-risk Jamaicans (10 to 14 years old) and 20 percent of Jamaica's illiterate primary school children. At least 50,000 women and men are helped annually by the family planning and STD/HIV/AIDS control clinics.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements its activities through U.S. private firms including t0he Futures Group, Family Health International, Partners for International Education, the University Research Corporation, Academy for Educational Development, Harvard Institute for International Development and Development Associates Incorporated); government ministries (the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture and the National Family Planning Board); and local non-government organizations and community groups (the Women's Center, Private Sector Organization of Jamaica and Jamaica AIDS Support).
Major Results Indicators: Baseline (year) Target (year)Illiteracy among out-of-school youth 30% (1995) 15% (2000)
Pregnancy Rate for 10-18 age cohort 30% (1995) 15% (2000)
Contraceptive Prevalence 55% (1989) 66% (1998)
Condom use with regular partner 44.5% (1995) 50% (2001)
Condom use with non-regular partner 76% (1995) 80% (2001)
Condom access by high risk groups through 0 (1991) 5000 (1998) retail outlets (outlets)
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