USAID/OTI West Bank and Gaza Field Report
September 2005
Program Description
USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) program in the West Bank and Gaza, commenced in June 2005, is designed to respond quickly and flexibly to Palestinian priorities. The aim of the program is to promote good governance and youth empowerment.
OTI’s objectives are to:
- Increase the ability of Palestinian national and local government to respond to citizen priorities.
- Increase the participation of youths in social, political and economic life.
OTI will provide in-kind grants to local Palestinian entities that:
- Support positive interaction and coordination among local government institutions, the central Palestinian Authority, local communities, and civil society organizations.
- Promote participatory decision-making at the community level.
- Engage Palestinian youths in activities that are constructive and improve their quality of life.
- Facilitate the flow of accurate information from multiple viewpoints.
Working with nongovernmental organizations, informal community groups, media entities, and national and local government officials whenever possible, OTI identifies and supports critical initiatives that move the region along the continuum from conflict to peace. ARD Inc. implements the $10 million small-grants program and manages OTI offices in Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Gaza City, and Jerusalem.
The OTI initiative will complement USAID’s longer-term development objectives, with a special emphasis on work with youths and local government. The small-grants program will be closely coordinated with the Palestinian Authority. Small grants will range from $10,000 to $100,000 and will address the priority needs identified by local communities. To the end of September 2005, OTI has cleared 22 grants for a total of $1,264,550.
Country Situation
Gaza disengagement completed – On Sept. 12, all Israeli soldiers evacuated the Gaza Strip. After the uncertainty and tension of the months-long disengagement process, there was initial euphoria as residents experienced freedom of movement between different areas and were permitted to access parts of the beachfront previously reserved for Israeli settlers. The largely uncontrolled border with Egypt was the site of considerable chaos as residents crossed freely between Gaza and Egypt with goods, including contraband. This mayhem, extensive looting, public displays of arms, and numerous impromptu rallies were cited as evidence of the Palestinian Authority’s failure to control the situation. The instability and tension in the post-evacuation period have dampened the initial enthusiasm and resulted in a call for a no-confidence vote in the leadership.
Deteriorating security situation – An explosion at a Hamas rally in the Jabalaya refugee camp in Gaza on Sept. 23 triggered a chain of violence and disputed claims of responsibility that threatened the current cease-fire agreement. In retaliation for Palestinian militants’ mortar and rocket attacks, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched missile strikes, and, for the first time since the 1967 war, fired large-artillery rounds. Over a four-day period in the West Bank, the IDF arrested more than 300 suspected militants and closed the offices of organizations suspected of supporting Hamas. As a direct result of the escalating violence, a total closure of the checkpoints and crossings was announced on Sept. 25, prohibiting all travel to and from the West Bank and Gaza.
Council elections – On Sept. 29, the third round of municipal council elections was held, with more than 79 percent voter turnout. Both Fatah and Hamas claimed victory in the third round. Fatah candidates won 61 councils out of 104, while the pro-Hamas candidates won 28, and independents and other factions won 15 councils. While Fatah won the majority of councils, the results reflected a strong Hamas showing, and Hamas will have members on many of the councils won by Fatah. Hamas chose not to participate in roughly 50 of the municipal council elections, but in head-to-head competition with Fatah, Hamas scored more than 50 percent of the seats. Aside from minor, insignificant technical issues, the elections were held without incident or interference.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
In September, staff continued to focus on start up issues that included OTI integration into the USAID West Bank and Gaza Mission, reviews of staffing patterns, and intensive internal discussions on systems and structures. Project staff concentrated on new grant development and submitted more than 15 grant ideas for review, while continuing implementation of earlier cleared grants.
OTI cleared five grants in September totaling just over $132,000. Three of these grants were designed to respond to priorities in Gaza following disengagement and resonated with the USAID Mission’s emerging emphasis on highly visible assistance to Gaza. The Gaza grants correlate to citizen-identified priorities, including the creation of jobs in the Erez industrial estate and the reduction in the public display of arms. A Gaza anti-gun campaign was designed as a pilot project. If the public-awareness campaign proves successful, several other municipalities in Gaza and the West Bank have expressed interest in the activity.
The remaining two grants focused on targeted communities in the West Bank, namely Nablus and Jenin. The Nablus grant funds a collaborative effort between the municipality and Annajah University to create maps, number residents’ houses and mark the city streets. The maps, newly erected street signs and house numbers will facilitate the delivery of essential pubic services and drastically reduce response time in emergency situations.
During the reporting period, there was significant progress in the creation of two press centers for the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and Gaza, as well as a mobile press unit. A technical adviser for the media arrived in-country and provided daily oversight for the receipt and inventory of the equipment, as well as for the renovation of the space designated as the future press center at the Palestinian Authority offices in Ramallah.
B. Grants Activity Summary
| Youth Engagement |
1 |
$45,647 |
5 |
$ 133,887 |
| Community Impact Activities |
4 |
$86,448 |
10 |
$203,762 |
| Media |
0 |
$0 |
7 |
$926,901 |
| Total |
5 |
$132,095 |
22 |
$1,264,550 |
C. Indicators of Success
Joining a Mission with an extensive existing portfolio creates challenges and opportunities for an OTI program. While the USAID Mission has recently approved a new strategy, there are several opportunities for collaboration as the Mission transitions and planned procurements are completed. OTI is well-positioned to respond to critical needs that will continue to emerge over the next several months in preparation for the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January 2006. OTI responded to a specific request from the Ministry of Social Affairs to assist with the refurbishment of a shelter for abused adolescent girls and young women at risk in Jenin. While the shelter is a ministerial rather than broad community priority, it created an opportunity to highlight the ministry’s collaboration with USAID and the international community. The Ministry of Social Affairs is a critical ministry, faced with tremendous challenges to deliver public services. This grant successfully supported the emerging partnership between USAID and this crucial ministry.
D. Program Appraisal
Program start-up continued in September. The OTI team welcomed the permanent country representative to Tel Aviv and announced the November arrival of the deputy country representative in Jerusalem. With the assistance of two technical advisers, grant development and implementation systems have been tested and refined during the reporting period. The current systems are reflective of the program demands placed on field staff as part of implementing-partner ARD’s close-out of the Rafeed program. After the Rafeed close-out in February 2006, the systems will be refined again and a new staffing structure will be implemented.
OTI received a $4 million allocation of funds from USAID’s Asia and Near East Bureau during September and obligated the funding into the ARD contract. The supplemental funds are designated to support small-scale infrastructure, municipality strengthening, political stability and media activities in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in January 2006.
Security incidents during the reporting period resulted in a total closure of the West Bank and Gaza. All travel permits were canceled, prohibiting even national staff from travel to and from the territories. The OTI visioning and strategy workshop was canceled as a result of the Israeli-imposed travel restrictions. Access to the Palestinian Territories by the U.S. Government and for staff hired by implementing-partner ARD is governed by U.S. Embassy security guidelines that prohibit travel to Gaza and severely limit access to the West Bank. Inaccessibility will continue to challenge grant development and the oversight of this program.
Next Steps/Immediate Priorities
In October, OTI/West Bank and Gaza will:
- Support the implementation of USAID’s Action Plan for the West Bank and Gaza, an immediate, short-term strategy developed in the wake of disengagement.
- Continue to focus on new grant development, with particular attention to citizen priorities, including non-violence, traditional celebrations surrounding religious holidays, and creation of immediate economic opportunities.
- Closely oversee the implementation of the three Palestinian Authority strategic communications grants.
- Further engage implementing-partner staff on needed systems and processes related to grant development and implementation.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Justin Sherman, Asia and Near East Team Leader, e-mail: jsherman@usaid.gov
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