Success Story: Tatweer Scholarship Program for Studies in Public Management
Scholarship program seeks to bolster civil service corps and public administration
March, 2007
 Recipients of the first round of the USAID-sponsored Tatweer Scholarship in Public Administration along with representatives from USAID and Tatweer |
To help strengthen Iraq's civil service corps, Tatweer, the USAID-funded program for national capacity development, will award up to 75 scholarships for Masters or certificate-level studies in public management. Announced in November 2006, the Tatweer scholarship program awarded six scholarships in its first round, securing placements for scholarship recipients at American University in Cairo's School of Business. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition, housing and a cost-of-living stipend. In return, they must agree to complete four years of service in the Iraqi government through placement services by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation.
The application process allows 10 key ministries to nominate up to 15 candidates each. Iraqis from the private sector and beyond are also eligible and encouraged to apply. Following the application period, candidates are subject to a rigorous selection process that includes personal one-on-one interviews as well as interviews with bi-national technical and selection committees, each comprised of four Iraqis and four Americans.
To ensure a diverse pool of candidates representing Iraq's geographic and ethnic mosaic, the Tatweer team is reaching out to Iraqis nationwide through the ministries, provincial reconstruction teams, and the Prime Minister's Office and Council of Ministers. Radio, television and print advertising have also been used to promote the scholarship program.
New with the second round, which began in early February 2007 and is expected to conclude by the end of March, scholarship recipients will have more choice about where to study. In addition to the American University in Cairo, scholarship winners can now choose from other universities within the region or in the United States. Tatweer is also working to identify regional institutions that offer Arabic language programs in Public Management to ensure that qualified candidates who lack English language skills can also take advantage of an invaluable opportunity to enhance their skills and contribute to the devel-opment of Iraq.
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