This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 003485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM EAID EG AID
SUBJECT:  USAID/EGYPT LAUNCHES EXPANDED DEMOCRACY AND 
GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORTING CONTRACTING 
INSTRUMENTS 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  IN MARCH AND APRIL 2006, USAID/EGYPT 
SIGNED THREE MAJOR INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACTS (IQCs) 
TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE IN EGYPT. THESE 
IQCS WILL PROVIDE A TIMELY AND COST-EFFECTIVE MECHANISM 
TO IMPLEMENT USAID'S DG STRATEGY IN THE AREAS OF MEDIA, 
DECENTRALIZATION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THE IQC 
MECHANISM ALSO WILL ACCOMMODATE FUTURE PROGRAMMATIC 
AREAS THAT USAID/EGYPT IS PLANNING IN THE AREAS OF 
HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION. IMPORTANTLY, THESE 
IQCS ALSO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY FOR 
OTHER USAID MISSIONS AND USG AGENCIES IN THE BROADER 
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  2005 WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR USAID/EGYPT'S DEMOCRACY 
AND GOVERNANCE PORTFOLIO. THE PORTFOLIO HAS GROWN FROM 
ONE BILATERAL ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE PROGRAM IN THE 
SPRING OF 2005 TO FIVE BILATERAL PROGRAMS IN SUCH 
DIVERSE AREAS AS FAMILY JUSTICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 
DECENTRALIZATION AND MEDIA STRENGTHENING. 
ADDITIONALLY, THE DG OFFICE IS FUNDING MORE THAN A 
DOZEN GRANTS TO EGYPTIAN AND INTERNATIONAL CIVIL 
SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS.  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 25- 
YEAR HISTORY OF THE US-EGYPT BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, 
THESE GRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AS DIRECT GRANTS TO CIVIL 
SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS.  THE DG PORTFOLIO, CURRENTLY AT 
$240 MILLION, IS GROWING. ANNUAL PROGRAMMING FOR FY 
2006 IS EXPECTED TO BE $48 MILLION, MORE THAN DOUBLE 
THE FY 2005 BUDGET OF $22 MILLION. 
 
¶3.  TO HELP EGYPT MOVE CLOSER TO FREE AND FAIR 
PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN 2005, 
USAID'S DG OFFICE PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL 
SUPPORT TO THREE MAJOR COALITIONS OF OVER 15,000 
EGYPTIAN DOMESTIC MONITORS, FIELDED TWO INTERNATIONAL 
ASSESSMENT TEAMS ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC 
INSTITUTE AND THE INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE, 
TRAINED JOURNALISTS ON CITIZEN-BASED ELECTION 
REPORTING, ENABLED A NETWORK OF NGOS TO CARRYOUT A 
VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AND ORGANIZED FOUR CIVIC 
DIALOGUES ON ELECTIONS ISSUES.  ALTHOUGH INTERNATIONAL 
ELECTION MONITORS WERE NOT FORMALLY ACCREDITED, THE 
USAID-SUPPORTED CIVIL SOCIETY COALITIONS WERE 
INSTRUMENTAL IN SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURING THE GOE TO 
ALLOW DOMESTIC MONITORS INSIDE THE VOTING BOOTHS. 
THESE EFFORTS WERE REINFORCED BY GRANTS THAT RAISED 
AWARENESS ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION AND CIVIC 
DUTIES, FOCUSING PARTICULARLY ON STUDENTS, YOUTH, THE 
DISABLED, AND DISADVANTAGED AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS 
SUCH AS COPTS AND BEDOUINS. USAID WILL CONTINUE TO 
SUPPORT THESE AND OTHER REFORM-ORIENTED GROUPS IN 
PREPARATION FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS IN 2008. 
 
¶4.  IN THE MEANTIME, USAID HAS DEVELOPED INITIATIVES 
DEVOTED TO ADDRESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS, TRANSPARENCY 
AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF TARGETED EGYPTIAN GOVERNING 
INSTITUTIONS. PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND PROCURED 
TO PROMOTE FAMILY JUSTICE; MORE EFFECTIVE AND 
TRANSPARENT ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE; 
DECENTRALIZATION AND PARTICIPATORY LOCAL GOVERNANCE; 
AND PROFESSIONALIZATION OF JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA 
REFORM. WHILE USAID/EGYPT PROCURED FAMILY JUSTICE USING 
A USAID/WASHINGTON RULE OF LAW IQC, USAID/EGYPT IQC'S 
WERE INITIATED FOR THE THREE OTHER ACTIVITIES.  THESE 
IQC'S REDUCED PROGRAM MANAGEMENT COSTS COMPARED TO THE 
WASHINGTON-BASED IQC, ALLOWING GREATER FUNDING FOR 
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.  USAID MISSIONS AND OTHER USG 
ENTITIES OPERATING IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR EVEN ASIA MAY 
USE THESE IQCS TO REDUCE THEIR COSTS FOR DEMOCRACY 
PROGRAMMING. 
 
¶5.  USAID'S NEW BILATERAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE: 
 
FAMILY JUSTICE:  USAID/EGYPT WILL WORK WITH THE 
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A 
NEW FAMILY COURT LAW.  FIRST, THE PROGRAM WILL 
STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE FAMILY JUSTICE SYSTEM TO 
MEDIATE FAMILY DISPUTES BY DEVELOPING, ASSESSING AND 
IMPLEMENTING TRAINING IN PILOT COURTS IN THREE 
GOVERNORATES. SECOND, IT WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO 
INFORMATION ON FAMILY LEGAL SERVICES BY ESTABLISHING 
INFORMATION OFFICES WITHIN THE FAMILY COURTS, BUILDING 
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MINISTRY AND THE 
MEDIA TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE NEW LAW, 
AND ENGAGING NGOS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ON LEGAL 
RIGHTS AND AVAILABLE LEGAL SERVICES FOR FAMILIES. 
FINALLY, THE PROGRAM WILL ESTABLISH A MANAGEMENT 
INFORMATION SYSTEM TO MONITOR BOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF 
MEDIATION SERVICES AND MEDIATION RESULTS, ENHANCE THE 
CAPACITY OF THE MINISTRY TO COLLECT DATA AND IDENTIFY 
LESSONS LEARNED DURING IMPLEMENTATION. 
 
¶6.  ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE:  IN TANDEM WITH 
ITS ON-GOING SUPPORT OF THE JUSTICE SECTOR, EFFORTS IN 
THIS AREA WILL PROVIDE MORE EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF 
COUNSEL TO CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS AND IMPROVE THE 
ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THE APPROACH WILL 
INVOLVE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR 
GENERAL (PGO) IN CAIRO TO: DEVELOP A PUBLIC DEFENSE 
SYSTEM, ACHIEVE CONSENSUS AMONG KEY MINISTRY OF JUSTICE 
OFFICIALS, PREPARE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND INITIATE 
IMPLEMENTATION; DEVELOP CURRICULA THAT ENGAGES 
PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES IN APPLYING HUMAN RIGHTS 
CONCEPTS TO DUE PROCESS PRACTICES IN EGYPT; AND 
AUTOMATE SELECTED AREAS OF THE PGO TO IMPROVE THE 
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY OF THE PGO AND 
INCREASE ACCESS TO THE CASE FILE BY DEFENSE COUNSEL. 
 
¶7.  DEMOCRATIC LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND DECENTRALIZATION: 
USAID WILL IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO 
RESPOND TO CITIZEN PRIORITIES BY INCREASING REVENUE, 
ESTABLISHING PARTICIPATORY MECHANISMS TO MANAGE 
RESOURCES, AND STRENGTHENING MANAGEMENT. SUPPORT 
FOCUSES IN SIX GOVERNORATES (SOON TO BE SELECTED) WHERE 
USAID HAS INVESTED IN EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND THE 
ENVIRONMENT. POLICY DIALOGUE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL WITH 
THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IS 
HELPING TO SHAPE THE LONG-TERM DECENTRALIZATION REFORM 
AGENDA TO DECENTRALIZE KEY FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT 
AUTHORITIES TO THE LOCAL LEVEL. 
 
¶8.  PROFESSIONAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT:  USAID WILL HELP 
THE EGYPTIAN MEDIA SECTOR BECOME MORE PROFESSIONAL, 
ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, AND INDEPENDENT THROUGH BUILDING 
THE CAPACITY OF EGYPTIAN INSTITUTIONS THAT TRAIN 
JOURNALISTS, IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT OF MEDIA, AND 
DEVELOPING LOCAL MEDIA.  USAID WILL ALSO HELP THE GOE 
IMPLEMENT A MEDIA REFORM AGENDA.  WHILE THE PROJECT IS 
JUST STARTING, USAID ANTICIPATES PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS 
WITH KEY CAIRO-BASED INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS: EL AHRAM 
REGIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE; AL AKHBAR TRAINING CENTER; 
EGYPTIAN RADIO AND TELEVISION UNION TRAINING CENTER; 
THE FACULTY OF MASS COMMUNICATION AT CAIRO UNIVERSITY; 
AND THE STATE INFORMATION SERVICE. 
 
¶9.  THREE PROGRAMS (DEMOCRATIC LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND 
DECENTRALIZATION, PROFESSIONAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT, AND 
ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE) WERE PROCURED AS 
FIRST TASK ORDERS UNDER LARGER AND BROADER INDEFINITE 
QUANTITY CONTRACTS. WINNERS OF THE TASK ORDERS WERE 
RESPECTIVELY PADCO, MSI AND CHEMONICS. ENTITLED THE 
REGIONAL DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE IQC'S, ONE FOCUSES ON 
CIVIL SOCIETY, ONE FOCUSES ON GOVERNANCE AND ONE 
FOCUSES ON RULE OF LAW. 
 
¶10.  THE CIVIL SOCIETY IQC, WHICH COVERS CIVIL SOCIETY, 
MEDIA AND CIVIC-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION WORK, WAS AWARDED 
TO MSI, AED AND CHEMONICS. THE GOVERNANCE IQC, WHICH 
COVERS LOCAL GOVERNANCE, LEGISLATIVE STRENGTHENING AND 
PUBLIC SECTOR ANTI-CORRUPTION WORK, WAS AWARDED TO 
PADCO, CHEMONICS, ARD AND RTI. THE JUSTICE IQC, WHICH 
COVERS JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE-BASED ANTI- 
CORRUPTION WORK, WAS AWARDED TO CHEMONICS, DPK, AND THE 
NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS. 
 
¶11.  THESE IQCS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO OTHER MISSIONS OR USG 
AGENCIES IN THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 
REGION INTERESTED IN SIMILAR DG PROGRAMS.  NEGOTIATED 
FOR ISSUING EITHER COST PLUS FIXED FEE OR FIXED PRICE 
TASK ORDERS AND STRESSING MID-EAST SPECIFIC EXPERTISE, 
THESE MECHANISMS CAN HANDLE UP TO $500 MILLION IN 
DEMOCRACY ACTIVITIES ON A QUICK TURN-AROUND BASIS. FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT JAYNE CARBONE USAID/EGYPT 
CONTRACTING OFFICER, JCARBONE@USAID.GOV. 
JONES