South and Central Asia
CENTRAL ASIA
Evaluation of USAID Enterprise Development Program
The purpose of the evaluation was to advise the Mission on what approaches would be most effective in promoting the growth of small and medium enterprises, and to assess program performance against USAID’s goal of expanding opportunities for the citizens of Central Asian nations to improve their governance and livelihoods as stated in the Office of Enterprise and Finance’s Strategic Objective (SO) 1.3“Improved Environment of Small/Medium Enterprises.”
The evaluation assessed activities and technical assistance delivered through twelve Enterprise Development Centers – 5 in Kazakhstan, 2 in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, 1 in Turkmenistan – to enhance SME productivity and the competitiveness of local companies to compete in regional and international markets.
CENTRAL ASIA
USAID Industrial and Municipal Water Pricing Program in Four Central Asian Republics
Workshops were held in Almaty and Qyzlorda, Kazakhstan, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Tashkent, Bukara, KarakalpakstanSamarquand, Uzbekistan, and in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan for ministry staff and the management and operators of municipal water utilities (Vodocanals). Seminars focused onnational drinking water standards and the evaluation of national, regional and local water distribution systems; water pricing laws and mechanisms for municipal, industrial, agriculture/ irrigation usage; demonstrations of CAD systems; and, discussions of case studies pertaining to regional water use allocations and water use compacts.
CENTRAL ASIA
USAID Participatory Training Project Evaluation
Evaluateda 10-year USAID Participatory Training Program implemented in the five countries of Central Asia. The valuation includedinterviews/briefings in each country pertaining to the logistics and administrative aspects of the training activities that supplemented and contributed to USAID strategic objectives throughout the region.
CENTRAL ASIA
Trans-Boundary Water Allocation Conflicts – Multilateral Agreements and Water Use Compacts
Mediations and alternative dispute resolution sessions were provided to facilitate trans-boundary water allocation conflicts pertaining to head-water hydropower utilization in Kirgizstan and end-user irrigation utilization of water resources in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turmenistan – from the Ama Darya and Syr Darya Rivers that flow from Kyrgyzstan to the Aral Sea.
Prime ministers from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were party to a series of multilateral agreements and water use compacts.
CENTRAL ASIA
U.S.-Based Study Tour of the Colorado River Basin
A U.S. based study tour of Western States was designed for Central Asian participants from the five Central Asian Republics. Study tour implementation focused on trans-boundary environmental conflict resolution international, regional, national and local water resource allocation agreements pertaining to the Colorado River Basin.
KAZAKHSTAN and KYRGYZSTAN
USIA Local Government and Public Administration Infrastructures for the Tengiz Oil Fields Region
USIA Water & Natural Resources Management Program
In-Country Training Programs & U.S.-Based Study Tour
Training programs to develop local government and public administration infrastructures for the Tengiz Oil Fields Region of Western Kazakhstan. Participants included representatives from the Government of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Ecology/Natural Resources, Ministry of Energy/Fuel Resources, Ministry of Geology, Ministry of Industry, National Oil Company, State Committee on Economics and the Atyrau Oblast Administration.
Workshopswere conducted at Lake IssykKul, Kyrgyzstan and in Almaty and Qyzlorda Kazakhstan to provide training in water management, international environmental law, environmental impact assessment and trans-boundary environmental conflict resolution.
Designed and implemented a U.S.-based study tour “Building Government and Public Administration Capacities for Water and Natural Resources Management: Local, Regional and National Perspectives” for the participants of training programs held in both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The US-based study tour was sponsored by:The United States Information Agency (USIA) and theGovernment of Kazakhstan (Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources,
Ministry of Energy and Fuel Resources, Ministry of Geology, Ministry of Industry); TheNational Oil Company
of Kazakhstan and the Atyrau Oblast Administration.
The in-country training programs and the U.S.-based study tour were showcased at a USAID/World Bank Conference of Water Systems in Central Asia, held in Almaty.
KAZAKHASTAN and KYRGYZSTAN
Evaluation of USAID’s Fiscal Reform Programs
Information was provided for consideration by USAID pertaining to the state of fiscal reform, the impact of USAID assistance, lessons learned, and recommendations to achieve greater program impact on tax policy, tax administration, budget reforms, fiscal analysis and intergovernmental fiscal reform – in both countries.
Key fiscal areas were evaluated: tax policy/administration reform, fiscal analysis and revenue estimation in the Government and Parliament, and budget development and reform at the republic and sub-national levels.
The project provided training for representatives of executive agencies and members and staff of the parliament in economics, budgeting, taxation and tax administration so as to significantly enhance the ability of the executive agencies to develop and consider fiscal alternatives, for the parliament to analyze and respond to these recommendations, and for the nations to move toward a more advanced systems of revenue collection.
NEPAL
USAID Projects in Environment & Agriculture Sectors
USAID Evaluation in Nepal of Strategic Objective No. 1: “Increased Sustainable Production and Sales of Forest and High-Value Agricultural Products.” Reviewed and reformulatedthe USAID assistance strategy for Nepal. Prepared a proposal for USAID’s consideration of a five-year strategic plan.
TURKMENISTAN
USAID Assessment of Potable Water Facility Improvements
An analysis was conducted of the institutional and financial sustainability of potable water facility improvement projects in the Aral Sea Basin areas of Turkmenistan.
TURKMENISTAN and UZBEKISTAN
USAID Technical Assistance to Water Ministries and Municipal Water Utilities
Worked with ministries and municipal water utilities (Vodocanals) in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.Provided institutional development, policy, legal restructuring and privatization technical assistance.
Assisted the Republic of Uzbekistan in developing pricing policies to promote water quality.
Worked with engineers and local government officials on affordable wastewater technologies in Turkmenistan.