Weekly Progress Report Aug 5-9, 2012

The project focuses on the agricultural, aquaculture, and tourism sectors, with a goal of increasing the export of Palestinian products and services. In the agricultural sector, the COMPETE Project has supported the Al Salam Factory in Hebron, which specializes in deep-frozen products. The factory has been a beneficiary of the contract growing scheme initiated by COMPETE, which delivers technology, best growing practices, market information, and price control to local farmers. The project has also supported the expansion of the factory's facilities and acquisition of ISO 22000 certification, enhancing its endeavors to enter new international markets. The aquaculture sector has also seen significant progress, with COMPETE visiting Al Sabi Nursery in Qalqilya to explore the use of aquaponic systems as a viable means of irrigation. The nursery has been using this system to irrigate young seedlings, producing 20 square meters of enriched water daily. COMPETE is considering support to expand the nursery's production and reduce costs. In the tourism sector, the COMPETE Project has been working to improve the quality and standards of hotels in the West Bank. The project has drafted Assessor Competence and Capability Profiles to support the implementation of a hotel classification system. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has agreed to collaborate with the project and has expressed interest in implementing the system as a priority. The project has also been working on site renovation and rehabilitation, visiting Taybeh, Hisham's Palace, and Bethany to identify interventions and formulate the scope of work for short-term and medium-term interventions. The Taskforce has conducted an in-depth assessment of the sites, prioritizing short-term and medium-term "wish list" interventions in cooperation with stakeholders. In addition, the project has been working on the Hospitality School Activity, conducting a gap analysis and finalizing decisions on certification of training modules, trainers, and the 2-year program. Training modules are being finalized for the Hospitality workforce, targeting management, supervisors, and line employees. The COMPETE Project has made significant progress in its first week, with several intermediate results contributing to the project's overall goals. These results include linking local value chains to international value chains, increasing the number of Palestinian products and services meeting international standards or specifications, and increasing the demand for skilled workforce categories. The project's forecast for the next week includes visits to Al Salam factory, Nablus Laboratory, and CIBER Fresh Herbs & Dates Industry, as well as a conference on waste water reuse and environment impact in the Jordan Valley.