Country Strategy

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USAID/Iraq Strategic Direction: 2010-2012

July 2009

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) strategy for 2010-2012 will contribute directly to the U.S. Government (USG) goal of A Sovereign, Stable, and Self-Reliant Iraq. USAID programs directly support the USG objectives for Iraq: (a) Just, Representative, and Accountable Governance; (b) Integrated into the Global Economy; and (c) Contributing to Regional Peace and Security.

Just, Representative and Accountable Governance:
  • Democratic Governance
    • Strengthen the capacity of representative institutions such as the National Parliament and Provincial governments.
    • Strengthen election administration and political parties.
    • Improve citizens’ access to justice.
    • Community Action Program
  • National Capacity Development
    • Strengthen governing and public management capacity of key national ministries and executive offices.
    • Build capacity of key ministries and other institutions to formulate and implement policies and plans that are critical to success in key sectors that USAID is supporting through other programs.
Integrated into the Global Economy:
  • Private Sector Development
    • Create jobs by diversifying the private sector through business services and financing mechanisms.
    • Improve the enabling environment for private-sector expansion through policy, legal, and regulatory reform.
  • Integrated Agricultural Development
    • Modernize agriculture policy to support a market-based agriculture sector.
    • Improve the competitiveness of agriculture value chains.
    • Build Iraqi institutional capacity to conduct research and technology in support of agriculture sector productivity and competitiveness.
Contributing to Regional Peace and Security:
  • Reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons and Returnees
    • Continued relief assistance.
    • Rehabilitation, including rebuilding small-scale physical infrastructure and the return of services for communities that will receive returnees.
    • Community-level initiatives targeted at selected communities coping with resettlements and returnees, as well as other vulnerable populations such as widows and households headed by women.
  • Support the strengthening and reform of a moderate, non-sectarian education system so that it serves as a source of basic skills critical for employment and democratic participation, rather than promoting sectarian extremism
    • Support a robust National Education Strategy process.
    • Develop Iraq’s education leadership and institutions.
    • Build capacity of educators.
    • Strengthen the ability of the government to provide basic healthcare services so that destabilizing entities do not fill gaps and thus gain legitimacy in the eyes of the population.
    • Provide technical support for improved healthcare service delivery.
    • Provide technical support to develop Iraq’s healthcare human resources.
    • Build capacity in health information systems.
    • Provide technical support in improving access to medicine and technology.
    • Build capacity in health financing.