USAID IRAQ ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM PROJECT MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT, DECEMBER 2014

The center, designed to provide streamlined and automated service delivery, is the first of its kind in Iraq and sets a precedent for the One-Stop Shop model in the country. The facility was attended by senior officials, including the Kurdistan Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the Governor of Dohuk, and representatives of USAID-Tarabot. The One-Stop Shop Service Center is designed to provide citizens with improved access to and oversight over social services, including automated and citizen-oriented processes for registering for benefits, updating information, receiving payments, and obtaining other services. The center is expected to serve between 150 and 300 families per day. The design of the center reflects the principles of linear business flow, customer comfort, and easy access for physically disabled persons. Tarabot, in collaboration with government partners, developed a professional and scalable architectural design for the One-Stop-Shop service center. The design includes tailored two and three-dimensional architectural designs for various ministries, including the Ministries of Municipalities and Public Works, Oil, Migration and Displaced, Labor and Social Affairs, and Justice. The center's efficient and modern design is intended to promote public accountability and citizen satisfaction. The Social Safety Net (SSN) system, which provides improved access to and oversight over social services, was also launched in the Kurdistan Region in conjunction with the opening of the One-Stop Shop Service Center. The system is now operational in the region and is designed to provide automated and citizen-oriented processes for citizens to register for benefits, update their information, receive payments, or obtain other services. In addition to the opening of the One-Stop Shop Service Center, Tarabot continued to provide assistance to a range of Government of Iraq (GoI) partners in the application of internationally recognized procurement processes in December 2014. This included hands-on training and workshops for GoI officials, with a focus on broadening the precedent set by GoI partners piloting modern procurement techniques learned from Tarabot. Capacity building assistance is also underway for the Ministry of Planning (MoP), including direct training and the inclusion of MoP procurement officers as trainers and advisors in workshops and technical assistance provided to other GoI entities. The enthusiasm with which the Ministry of Planning has taken up its role as the oversight body for procurement in Iraq is palpable and an encouraging sign for long-term sustainability. The USAID-Tarabot project engaged in a variety of activities during December, including 53 events, representing 5 workshops and 48 technical meetings. This brings the total to 114 events implemented since the beginning of the extension. A total of 70 government officials were trained, representing 41 males and 29 females, with 40 of these events held with 14 ministries and 11 events supported by 6 governorates.