USAID IGPA/TAKAMUL PROJECT – TASK ORDER 0005 ON ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION, TASK ONE: STAKEHOLDER MAPPING

The project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supports local and federal government institutions in responding to citizens' needs by promoting reform initiatives and empowering Iraqi change agents. The project's reform initiatives include improving service delivery functions, public financial management, and transparent and inclusive governance. The project has four components: enhancing the Government of Iraq's service delivery capacity, improving public financial management, strengthening monitoring and oversight of service delivery and public expenditure, and supporting Iraqi change agents. Task Order 5 (TO5) supports the review, amendment, and passage of an effective anti-domestic violence (ADV) law in the Iraqi Council of Representatives (COR). The task order focuses on selecting, engaging, and mapping key stakeholders and influencers to assess their influence and interest in the ADV legislation. The ADV team, led by Suaad al-Lami, the ADV Technical Director, conducted initial meetings with key stakeholders, including government officials, government institutions, political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and influential citizens. The team also held ongoing stakeholder meetings to update the stakeholder mapping document, which is an organic document updated monthly. The document is a culmination of research on key personnel and organizations from across the Iraqi spectrum. Stakeholders were identified based on their involvement with previous iterations of the ADV legislation, influence within the Government of Iraq, and current or anticipated involvement in the legislative process. The ADV team utilized available information about political affiliations and stances and previous engagement on the ADV legislation as criteria for categorizing stakeholders in terms of influence and interest. This enabled the team to determine which stakeholders can support or pose challenges to the project's efforts and guided the team's strategy development for engaging supportive stakeholders or potential challenges. The stakeholder mapping inventory is a critical tool for the ADV team, as it helps to identify key stakeholders and influencers who can support or challenge the project's efforts. The inventory is regularly updated to reflect changes in the political, social, and legislative environment in which the project operates. The ADV team's stakeholder mapping efforts have positioned the team to determine and derive lessons learned, which inform their approaches and assist in efforts to support the passage of an effective ADV law in Iraq. The ADV team's stakeholder mapping efforts have also led to the team becoming a key component in the International Gender Group on ADV issues. The team's coordination with other stakeholders and organizations has ensured that efforts are coordinated to the extent possible. The stakeholder mapping document is a sensitive document that contains information and opinions shared by stakeholders, and it is requested that care be given when distributing the report. The stakeholder mapping process has been an ongoing effort, with the ADV team holding regular meetings with stakeholders and updating the stakeholder mapping document as necessary. The team has utilized available information about political affiliations and stances and previous engagement on the ADV legislation to categorize stakeholders in terms of influence and interest. This has enabled the team to determine which stakeholders can support or pose challenges to the project's efforts and guided the team's strategy development for engaging supportive stakeholders or potential challenges.