World Food Programme IraqPRRO 200035

Cash for Work Programme

Progress Report

Reporting Period:From: 24 September, 2013 To : 28 November, 2013

Name of Cooperating Partner: Qandil, Swedish Humanitarian and Development Org.

Project Location: Baghdad (Mahmudiyah District)

Report prepared by: Alaq Nabeel, Program Officer

Report approved by: Muayad Hadi, Baghdad Field Coordinator

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Highlights

After accomplishing two phases of Cash For Work (CFW) programme successfully in Baghdad and other governorates in which the project has met the sought for objectives , Qandil has launched the third phase of the project for the year 2013 extracting lessons learnt from previous phases which were taken into consideration that the project was initiated, designed, and implemented with the goal of improving the living conditions of the target by providing unemployed labor forces with temporary job opportunities for 40 days period, providing workers with income so they can meet their essential needs, and achieve some work which is beneficial to the community and the local economy as well.

The project has been planned to be implemented in Al Mahmudiyah, particularly Al Rasheed district which is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad located in southern Baghdad and it is mostly an agricultural area with a high incidence of irrigation canals that supply plants with water. As a result of neglect many plants has grown in these canals impeded the water passage and flow, these plants like (Ceratophyllum) could only be removed by hands, the district is also characterized by the high percentage of vulnerable, IDP, and returnee families, in addition to the high unemployment rates, which is often identified as key driver of conflict. Youth unemployment in particular is seen as a direct motive for all conflict actions, it’s therefore understandable to see why employment generation is commonly viewed as a key factor for stability. For the reasons mentioned above Qandil in collaboration with WFP was keen to create opportunities for the poor and vulnerable to earn an income and to meet their basic and urgent needs, while rehabilitating basic services in the community. One of Qandil basic priorities for this project was ensuring a proper communication with the communities from the beginning of the programme by clarifying that it is a short-term project with defined objectives implemented by liaising closely with local actors (government as well as NGOs, etc.) in order to gain a more accurate picture of the project.

Utilizing the same mechanisms, CFW program has been commenced and preceded by assessment stage, and selection of beneficiaries, locations, and activities which were done in coordination with WFP and the Local authorities. The preparation activities have been started with the beginning of June when many joint coordination meetings were conducted attended by Qandil staff along with representatives from WFP, and local authorities including Ministry of Water Recourses, Directorate of Irrigation and Drainage, Al Rasheed District Council, in addition to Mukhtars and tribal leaders of Al Rasheed district. These meetings aimed at outlining the CFW fundamentals in terms of payment modalities and beneficiaries’ selection method, and discuss the activities to be implemented in the targeted areas.

The beneficiary selection process was carried out by Beneficiaries’ Selection Committees which put in consideration the WFP criteria. During the assessment stage, Qandil has concentrated on the significance of CDG (Community Development Groups) in addition to women participation and their selection whether from Local Authorities or the host community. It is worth mentioning as well that during this phase, Smart Cards modality was

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used (particularly in Baghdad) for workers’ payments depending on the daily attendance sheets which were tracking the workers daily presence at the site to determine the wage entitlement each worker should receive.

Activities

During mid July, the laborers registration started to participate in CFW activities, and those who fall under the WFP standards have been selected to reach (1,100) beneficiaries in two villages; Sakhrajiyah, and Siyafiya within Al Rasheed district. After persevering efforts to gain the official approvals and allowance to start the CFW activities in the targeted locations, Qandil in collaboration with WFP respective staff has eventually obtained the approvals from the Ministry of Water Recourses on 18 September, 2013. Right after the approvals issuance, the preparations were proceeded to get started with the activities, as many coordination meetings were conducted along with the local councils in order to highlight the basics of the project and identify the LA role. The beneficiaries’ database has also been taken in cooperation with LAs and WFP and was regularly updated with all detailed information about each beneficiary based on applications developed by WFP yet modified and filled by Qandil.

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The CFW preparation meetings

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Registration process for men and women

Irrigation canals before CFW interventions

The working groups where distributed according to the targeted irrigation canals as (11) projects of cleaning irrigation canals were implemented in the mentioned areas (5 in Sakhrajiyah and 6 in Siyafiya). The working groups were distributed into (22) groups, each of which consist of (50) laborers (49 workers headed by one supervisor) all are directly overseen and monitored by Qandil Monitors who are basically (5) and responsible for following up all about field activities and maintaining the attendance sheets on daily basis and other logistic matters. These groups were intended to work on cleaning the irrigation canals for (40) days in total, and receive (10) USD per day, while the supervisors are entitled to (13) USD. The beneficiaries were selected considering that the majorities are displaced, as 70% of them are IDPs, while the rest are vulnerable families.

On 24 September, 2013 NFI equipments were distributed to the laborers, and immediately the cleaning activities have actually started, the distributed items included (labor gloves, metal rakes, wooden brooms, water buckets, wheel barrows, plastic shoes, metal sickles, shovels, straw hats, paper muzzles, first aid Kits, water pots, and ice bars, etc). The work starts at 6:00 am and ends at 12:00 pm 5 days a week.

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Throughout the project implementation, Qandil field teams has regularly trained the working groups on fulfilling their tasks as best as possible in addition to instructing them on how to use the distributed items properly, briefed them about safety precautions and supplied them with the required equipments to avoid exposing themselves to any possible risk, and ensure the work quality, they were also briefed about ethical principles. Multiple site visits were paid by US Embassy representatives in Iraq to the targeted sites in order to oversee the work mechanism and progress; moreover, representatives of WFP were visiting the sites regularly accompanying Qandil staff of program officers and monitors to facilitate the project implementation and monitor the work progress.

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Supplied equipments

Cleaning the irrigation canals in Al Rasheed sidtrict

Distribution of working groups and projects for each location:

# Project Title Name of communities

Number of Participants

Workers Supervisors Total Females IDPs Female IDPs

Project (1)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TH00) Al-Rasheed / Sakhrija 196 4 40 100 20

Project (2)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TH03) Al-Rasheed / Sakhrija 49 1 5 20 3

Project (3)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TH05) Al-Rasheed / Sakhrija 98 2 10 30 5

Project (4)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TH07) Al-Rasheed / Sakhrija 49 1 5 0 0

Project (5)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TH0502) Al-Rasheed / Sakhrija 98 2 15 20 5

Project (6)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 196 4 30 80 10

Project (7)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00/BC1) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 98 2 15 23 6

Project (8)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00/DC1) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 49 1 8 15 3

Project (9)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00/DC2) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 98 2 20 22 12

Project (10)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00/DC8) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 49 1 10 18 3

Project (11)

Rehabilitation of the Irrigation Canals (TY00/DC10) Al-Rasheed / Sayafiya 98 2 10 35 5

Sub Total 1078 22 168 363 72

Total Number of participants 1100

Community Development Groups

It was indispensable to form community-based groups ‘Community Development Groups (CDGs)’ for the CFW projects, who consist of local leaders and community members who are mainly; IDPs and Returnees. CDGs were formed in each of the targeted areas and for each project in order to enhance the skills, abilities, and commitment of community members and they helped in accomplishing a large proportion of the work and contributed to social cohesion in a positive and sustainable manner through collaboration, communication and cooperation. Despite the limited presence of women in such activities, women have also participated but couldn’t occupy leadership roles due to community traditions and conventions, in short 11 females have participated in CDGs, inasmuch as 1 women in each development group which consist of 3 members with the percentage of 25%.

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Progress and current status of activities

In order to assess the effectiveness of the project in achieving the stated required objectives and to examine the extent to which the projects' inputs have been converted into outputs and results, in addition to extracting lessons learnt which can be taken into consideration in design of future similar projects, we must have a clear view on the resulted achievements and impact of the project. The project interventions will make an effective contribution to achieve project goals and objectives by offering greater potential for increasing people’s access to essential living items and protecting livelihoods in immediate term and it’s appeared to have a very positive impact on direct beneficiaries and community members through enhancing the personnel skills of workers.

With respect to the achieved work on ground, it reaches to 80% of planned (counting the actual working days and allocated wages accordingly). The targets haven’t fully achieved due to many work suspension factors including the security situation, and weather factor, as well as the many religious ceremonies which prohibited the laborers from attendance assiduously.

The file below illustrates the actual project timeline:

Payment Modality

According the agreement with the WFP and in cooperation with the International Smart Card (Qi), Smart Cards method have been adopted in order to deliver immediate cash assistance to CFW laborers in Baghdad. This new, exemplary method could make the CFW programme extremely successful, safe and transparent. Each beneficiary got a smart card, thus the total number of issued cards are 1100, knowing that the smart card staff are distributed on two stations, with a rate of issuing 60-70 card per day. Supervisors are entitled to receive 13.00 $ per day, while workers are paid 10.00$ per day. The smart cards will still in the beneficiaries possession even after the completion of the project. Nevertheless, 700 cards have been issues so far, while the rest are still in progress and more likely to be accomplished within the upcoming couple of days. It’s also worth mentioning that Qandil has provided the Smart Card staff with an office to facilitate their work, the office is in the Directorate of Irrigation and Drainage projects. In order to help beneficiaries get their smart cards, and as already agreed, Qandil has provided each beneficiary with an identification “Beneficiary Card” contains their names, type of project, and number of household members. Etc.

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Sample of Beneficiary Cards

The International Smart Card staff working on issuing the cards to the beneficiaries

Success Story

Bahar Muhammed is one of the inspiring cases Qandil team has met in Al Rasheed district, he is 70 years old, supporting a family of four daughters and a wife. Bahar or Abu Hanna (as he’s commonly known), doesn’t have any steady source of income like a pension, and no one of his family has the ability to assist him, he used to look for random works just to help him get his daily bread. During the beneficiaries’ selection stage, the selection committee was wandering the area and interviewing the participants, while he volunteered and was very excited to get such opportunity. We’ve nominated him due to his good physical ability and dire need for work. Bahar has worked with the groups, and was keen to get to be present at

the site every day with a great enthusiasm. The project has already completed, Bahar has done his tasks, and finally got his smart card from the company through which he will get his payment. Bahar has expressed his joy and gratitude to work for the CAW programme and wished that such interventions continue for

longer terms and include more areas and communities.

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Constraints and actual or proposed solutions:

There were numerous difficulties and challenges came across the program execution, but they all were managed with ample awareness of the challenges and planning for solutions on time, that now we have the full capacity to cope and reverse the difficulties into advantages and the biggest challenge is to tackle such obstacles with determination...

The project was supposed to begin earlier than it has actually, but the implementation was delayed due to the elections of local Government Council which caused deterioration in the security situation and led to imposing curfew by the LA, in another hand recruiting the CFW staff has also affected the project timeline somehow.

In order to fulfill the targeted objectives Qandil is committed to make every effort to accomplish the intended work despite any binding constrains might be faced. The challenges faced during the reported period could generally be summarized in the security, weather, and large number of holidays, religious anniversaries.

As for the security situation, the overall conditions in Baghdad got gradually worsened. The rates of security violation were increased, many explosions, assassinations, and civilian targeting has occurred, which affected the project progress through street blocks, long lines of cars next to each check point, and the traffic jams everywhere in Baghdad which is in its turn affected Qandil visibility in a certain way. The district was exposed to the terror groups who hindered the project activities, and threatened the inhabitants, especially in Siyafiya where 5 individuals were killed which brought fear into the area and affected the laborers attendance somehow, in addition to the presence of security forces that restricted the movement of workers and staff, and break up any gatherings in the area.

The other challenge that faced the project was the climate variability, as during November, Baghdad witnessed heavy rainfalls which flooded most of Baghdad areas. This rain storm crippled Baghdad’s activities especially in certain regions as the inhabitants of many quarters were forced to remain at home when the rain surprised them and hindered their ability to commute.

The religious ceremonies (Ashura) also affected the work progress and most of the workers skipped the work days to attend these ceremonies for more than three days.

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