In just four years, MSI’s Tatweer program in Iraq trained more than 100,000 government employees in all of Iraq’s 18 provinces.

In Iraq, decades of war and sanctions stripped the country of its most talented public servants as they fled to neighboring countries. The country was left with the delivery of critical government services in tatters. With USAID funding, MSI is implementing the National Capacity Development project known as Tatweer, “development” in Arabic.

Since 2006, MSI has been part of the U.S. government’s program to build the capability of Iraq’s ministries to better meet the needs of its citizens. Tatweer works in 11 ministries, including the Ministries of Health, Justice and Oil, as well as the executive offices of the presidency council and the prime minister’s office.

“The Iraqis and expatriates working on USAID/Tatweer have … returned to Iraq the ability to teach world-class public administration skills and built modernized administrative systems,” Minister of Planning Ali Baban said. “The end result of Tatweer’s efforts is cleaner water for our children, better health care for our grandparents and energy for our homes and factories.”

Tatweer also supported the rebuilding of Iraq’s civil service training academy, helped to establish public management training programs in five ministries and sent 120 Iraqis abroad through a competitive scholarship program for master’s degrees in public administration.

The first graduate of the master’s scholarship program returned home to Iraq, accepted a new position and established an active alumni association.

Tatweer advisors improved procedures and incentives throughout Iraq’s civilian ministries. Throughout the government, projects were documented and databases tracked development strategies.

New legislation established a Federal Civil Service Commission that created a merit-based civil service at both the federal level and within each of the provinces.

To jump-start national reconstruction, Tatweer provides training in public management functions that included budgeting, the formal process of purchasing supplies and equipment for the government, and project management.

MSI also worked with Iraqis to develop a national trainer certification program. The program then coached 700 Iraqi trainers. These certified trainers then conducted almost all of the training. And the government of Iraq now pays for almost all the training costs.

MSI implemented Tatweer as part of the U.S. government’s program to “build the capacity of key Iraqi ministries to deliver core services.” Tatweer has helped the Iraqi government rebuild its civil service as part of a general U.S. commitment to a strong, independent Iraqi government providing its people with food, medicine, power and a better future. Tatweer has worked with the Iraqi government to promote a transparent, merit-based civil service.

Ministerial training centers went live online across Iraq with Tatweer support, including curriculum, equipment, and trainers. Tatweer’s advisors were requested by the Iraqi Prime Minister to continue support for the nation’s new law and its nationwide implementation.

Organization charts, job descriptions, process maps and information systems were developed for key departments, agencies and ministries for the first time. High priority energy projects were expedited, including commissioning new turbines and gas treatment plants, improving commodity and oil services contracts.

Tatweer will run through January 2011, a span of more than four years.

The Tatweer project was highlighted in both USAID's monthly employee news publication, Frontlines, and its Iraq mission newsletter. To read about MSI's notable work in the USAID publications, click below:

• US Ambassador to Iraq Visits Tatweer Conference. Click here to read more and see photo #16 in the Washington Post.
• Senior Leaders Trained and Graduated from Tatweer Energy Course. Click here to read the USAID press release.

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