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FY 1997 Development Fund For Africa: $10,810,551
Introduction.
Namibia, now in its sixth year of independence, is actively engaged in a multi-racial effort to consolidate its new multi-party democracy and remove the last vestiges of a century of colonial rule and decades of apartheid, the results of which are socioeconomic disparities and inequalities. The U.S. Government is providing resources to improve basic education and adult non-formal education systems and to improve management training. Resources will also be provided to protect Namibia's fragile natural resource base at the community level and to strengthen the legislative branch of government to ensure an open and free democracy. It is in the U.S. Government's interest to assist Namibia in strengthening and maintaining a viable, multi-party democracy and in improving the economic and social condition of its people. The United States played an important diplomatic role in helping Namibia achieve independence. Namibia is not only a potential model for democracy and development in southern Africa, but a positive force for conflict resolution throughout the region. Conversely, if Namibia fails as a democracy or in its efforts to increase growth and improve social equity, this could have a destabilizing effect throughout southern Africa. Namibia's failure to achieve its development goals would also be a major setback to the cause of economic and social progress in this important region. Namibia is in a strategic area of southern Africa and its capacity to make a peaceful transition from minority domination -- politically and economically -- to majority rule and empowerment improves the stability of the entire southern Africa region.
The Development Challenge.
Namibia's highly skewed distribution of income favors the five percent minority that receives 70% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that occupies most of the cultivable land and that enjoys incomes on a par with developed countries. This is contrasted with the majority black population which lives predominantly in the rural north on less productive communal lands, relies on subsistence farming, survives on annual incomes of $100-$200 per annum and has limited access to basic social services. Namibia's statistics on under-five child mortality (164 per 1,000), illiteracy rates (60%), high unemployment (40%), and high population growth rate (3%) compare with those found in relatively least developed countries (RLDCs). The rising incidence of HIV/AIDS is also a growing concern. In addressing the inequality issue, USAID focuses on increasing the social, economic and political opportunities of the majority population through interventions in four areas: adult training and human resources development; primary education; environment and natural resources management; and democratic institution building. Namibia will continue to have substantial requirements for training and technical assistance until such time as there is a critical mass of educated, trained and skilled Namibians. Two-thirds of USAID assistance is channelled through U.S. and local/indigenous private and non-governmental voluntary organizations.
In FY 1995, there were impressive achievements and progress in the area of policy and planning. A major cabinet reshuffle brought talented new people into the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) and resulted in a split of the education portfolio into two separate ministries: (1) Basic Education and Culture and Higher Education and (2) Vocational Training and Science and Technology. The GRN completed its first National Development Plan (NDP#1) in early November 1995 following extensive consultations and donor involvement. NDP#1 approval was followed by a successful first Round Table donors' meeting in Geneva in late November 1995. The GRN has met one of its major Round Table commitments by completing a draft national family planning policy paper, which is currently being vetted within the Government. Namibia's first Planned Parenthood Clinic was opened in January 1996. In addition, the GRN is moving ahead on introduction of legislation to reverse generations of race discrimination and legislation on equality of women, which will update old South African laws in accordance with its Constitution. The GRN is firmly committed to development as evidenced by thelarge allocation of budgetary support to education (25%) and health and social services (17%). This reflects its strong commitment to the primary objective of NDP #1 -- human resource development and investment in people. Regionally, the GRN is actively involved in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) at various levels. Namibia has been asked to spearhead the newly created Regional Parliamentary Forum for SADC countries and USAID will be working closely with the Speaker of the House -- the Interim President of the Forum -- to identify ways to assist him to carry out this important mandate.
Since FY 1991, most of USAID/Namibia's resources have been invested in education. Recently, the USAID focus expanded into a comprehensive human resources development strategy which provides funds for degree-level training in United States colleges and universities and short-term management training. New, grade 1 curricula have been developed in school readiness, math, environmental studies, and language. These curricula have been translated into 11 Namibian languages and are in use in 925 schools, reaching 65,258 students. In FY 1995, additional regional Natural Resources Management Support (NRMS) funds enabled the expansion of USAID/Namibia's environmental focus on community level activities linked to income generation. Policy discussions with GRN officials have resulted in GRN action to present legislation which, when passed, will allow communities to derive direct income benefits from their natural resources assets. Work with local women's groups on better utilization of natural resources has resulted in grass thatching operations that generate income in lieu of the former destructive "slash and burn agricultural practices", and trained community game rangers are now based in three major regions of the country to help protect wildlife, including endangered species. In FY 1995, previously ad hoc small-scale democracy and electoral support activities were incorporated into a comprehensive, democracy program.
The GRN has exhibited fiscal and monetary prudence and to date has been reluctant to borrow to finance its development plans. In August 1995, the Ministry of Finance commissioned a study and published a "white paper", Towards a Sustainable Fiscal Policy, which set forth its policies for macroeconomic management and the efficient and equitable allocation of resources to achieve social objectives. External debt has been reported as $600 million, most of which is pre-independence debt owed to South Africa, denominated in Rand. Namibia has one of the lowest debt ratios in Africa. Since independence real gross domestic product has grown at an annual average of 3.6% compared to a population growth rate of 3.1%. The country's balance of payments position is strong, and since independence the GRN has recorded five years of surpluses.
To achieve sustainable development, the Government -- and its development assistance partners, including the United States -- must be willing and able to provide the level of resources required to fully sustain Namibia's development effort. USAID envisions that it will require ten years (through 2005) of sustained U.S. assistance to develop a critical mass of skilled Namibians able to fully participate in the economy and to achieve meaningful results in all three areas of focus.
Other Donors.
GRN figures for external donor assistance fluctuate between $78 and $100 million per annum. In FY 1995 USAID, with obligations of $15.3 million, was the third major bilateral donor after Germany and Sweden. The NDP#1 indicates that bilateral donors provide up to 80% of all external aid, followed by multi-lateral organizations who account for 18%, with the remaining two percent being provided by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Per GRN statistics, 50% of development spending for the period 1995/1996 is from external donors. Recently, the GRN has requested donors' technical assistance to support its efforts to improve aid coordination and tracking of funds in order to improve the effectiveness of all development activities. In the past year, the United Nations Development Program has held bi-monthly meetings with donors to discuss development issues. These have included discussions of NDP#1 and the Round Table.
FY 1997 Program.
USAID's goal is the strengthening of Namibia's new democracy through the social, economic and political empowerment of its majority population. This is being accomplished through institution building, training and education, by assisting local communities to better manage their natural resources and by increasing dialogue and accountability between parliament and the citizenry. The United States has a key interest in fostering an environment for a viable democracy and regional stability in southern Africa, and Namibia's constructive, indeed exemplary, role as a major player in the region is being enhanced through U.S. assistance. Management training and skills development will create more opportunities for the majority population to increase incomes and participate fully in the country's development. With increased control over surrounding natural resources, poor, rural communities will receive higher revenues from tourism and other natural resources, while conserving wildlife and other resources. In FY 1997, program emphasis will be on human resource development, where USAID supports long-term, basic education and short- and medium-term training and skills development, and voter education.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
The challenge is to help Namibia reverse a century of colonial and apartheid rule in which the country's human and physical resources were exploited for the benefit of a small minority. Prior to independence, the educational system was designed to support the unskilled labor requirements of the apartheid system, rather than to provide the necessary human resource base to promote equitable social and economic development. USAID's program helps Namibians and the Namibian government address the injustices of "separate development," which relegated the majority of the population to a life without dignity or opportunity while creating race-based disparities even more severe than those experienced within South Africa. USAID also focusses on Namibia's potentially bright future as a democracy and on the need for preparing Namibians to lead their country into the 21st century and prosper as a nation in a highly competitive international environment.
Results expected by the end of FY 1997 include introduction of the new, lower primary curriculum, reaching 10% of students in the most disadvantaged areas of the rural north where the majority of the population resides; upgraded skills of teachers in 10% of the most disadvantaged schools, through on-site training to enable correct usage of the new curriculum and materials; a minimum of 38 historically disadvantaged men and women having completed USAID-supported training, including internships and degree/diploma training at accredited U.S. institutions; and fifteen new adult training programs introduced and implemented by NGOs.
Agency Goal: Building Democracy
Namibia established itself at independence as a modern democratic state with a liberal constitution and strong commitment to protecting the civil liberties of all its citizens. However, this democracy is fragile. Whereas the GRN has upheld the basic tenets of the constitution, established a National Assembly and a second house of Parliament, as required by the constitution, and has conducted free and fair elections at all levels (national, regional and local), the GRN has been slow in removing old laws that inhibit their objectives for equality. In addition, linkages between legislators and citizens have remained weak. Furthermore, many of Namibia's new political institutions still lack the capacity to operate effectively, due primarily to lack of trained personnel and undeveloped systems and procedures. In addition, theneed for transparency and for a political system that is accountable to its citizens are new concepts in this newly emerging democracy.
USAID's strategy is to strengthen the Namibian Parliament's accountability to the people by (1) improving public participation in public hearings and other fora; (2) training Parliamentarians and staff; and (3) strengthening advocacy capacity in civil society. By the end of FY 1996, the number of Parliamentary hearings will increase from two to five, and the amount of legislation introduced reflecting the concerns and needs of citizens will increase by 200%. Three ad hoc committees will have been created to facilitate citizen input in the public fora. In FY 1997, the GRN's ability to support local and regional elections will depend on USAID funding, one-third of which is targeted in support of this agency goal. A major assumption for our support in this area is that the GRN -- and the country's major political parties -- remain firmly committed to the building of a multi-party, democratic state and to the protection of the human rights of all its citizens. We have no reason to doubt the assumption. The GRN, opposition parties and the Parliament have repeatedly stressed this commitment. Support for non-government organization (NGO) efforts in advocacy will also be supported under Strategic Objective #1 in order to improve the capacity of service and training-oriented NGOs to represent constituency needs in the formulation of GRN policies and programs.
Agency Goal: Protecting the Environment
Namibia, like most countries in southern Africa, faces critical environmental challenges that are exacerbated by frequent drought. Unlike its neighbors, Namibia has two major deserts within its borders, 65% of its land mass is unsuitable for cultivation of any kind and the country lacks interior perennial rivers. Owing to the latter, Namibia is heavily dependent on rainfall. Competition between humans and animals (domesticated and wild) for water and suitable terrain is intense. Given this fragile eco-system, USAID is assisting the GRN to develop strategies to maximize the renewable aspects of its natural resources and is assisting communities to capture benefits of wildlife and natural resources.
By the end of FY 1996, income from community-based activities, totalling $350,000, will directly benefit 1,250 households, who will share these resources. A minimum of 200 men and 90 women will have participated in local management structures and training. Two Namibian organizations will have the capacity to provide community-based natural resources management and environmental education information, and 15 inter-regional field trips and study tours involving NGOs, private institutions and GRN staff for the purpose of information exchange on NRMS issues will have been completed. Also 10,000 hectares will be under management by local communities in the targeted areas of USAID focus, and the number of natural resource management structures built will have increased four-fold.
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Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth |
Stabilizing World Population Growth & Protecting Human Health |
Protecting the Environment |
Building |
Providing Humanitarian Assistance |
TOTALS |
|
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USAID Strategic Objectives |
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1. Improved Training Opportunities for Historically Disadvantaged Adults - Dev. Fund for Africa |
6,963,698 |
6,963,698 |
||||
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2. Improved Delivery of Quality Primary Education to Grade 1-4 Learners in the Most Disadvantaged Schools - Dev. Fund for Africa |
1,100,000 |
377,242 |
1,477,242 |
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3. Increased Benefits to Historically Disadvantaged Namibians from Sustainable Natural Resources - Dev. Fund for Africa * |
1,563,697 |
1,563,697 |
||||
|
4. Increased Accountability of Parliament to all Namibian Citizens - Dev. Fund for Africa |
|
805,914 |
805,914 |
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Totals - Dev. Fund for Africa |
8,063,698 |
377,242 |
1,563,697 |
805,914 |
|
10,810,551 |
USAID Mission Director: Edward J. Spriggs
PROGRAM: NAMIBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved Training Performance and Education/Training Opportunities for Historically Disadvantaged Namibians, 673-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $6,963,698 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To develop a critical mass of trained managers in both the private and public sectors.
Background: Two major constraints to Namibia's ability to attract foreign investment are the lack of historically disadvantaged Namibian entrepreneurs with mainstream business skills and the lack of well-trained Namibians in middle- and upper-level management in mainstream companies and the public sector. Strategic Objective #1 addresses these problems. The planning capacity of the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) to carry out many of its development objectives is constrained by a lack of mid level managers to implement its program. In May 1994, USAID funded an assessment of human resources development to identify the gaps within both the public and private sectors and the type of intervention that could be undertaken. Using a regional activity called "Human Resources Development for Africa", USAID is undertaking a two year pilot activity that will be followed by a longer-term bilateral activity based on successful pilot activities and lessons learned.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: The current short-term management training intervention addresses a critical need for managerial training in both the public and private sectors. To date, two advisory boards have been selected to oversee each of the major components -- public and private -- and twenty-five candidates have been identified for short-term management training courses. Most of the identified courses will be held in the United States and are of three months duration, with shorter courses identified for neighboring countries and one in-country seminar is planned. As designed, the pilot activity focuses primarily on the private sector, which will benefit from two-thirds of the $3 million funding and will be under the direction of the U.S. private and voluntary organization (PVO). A Cooperative Agreement with a U.S. PVO was signed in December 1995 to implement the private sector component and oversee in-country, third country and U.S.-based training. To date, private sector and public sector management boards have been established for the activity, and several of the estimated total of 160 managers have commenced training. USAID is among the top five bilateral donors providing assistance in the human resources category.
Description: The objectives of this intervention will be to develop various modules for short-term management training programs (up to one year duration) which will, over the life of this activity, produce some 400 well-trained, highly competent managers in both the public and private sectors, many of whom will, after learning advanced business skills on the job, elect to use this expertise to form their own companies. USAID's intervention will build on the lessons learned during the "pilot" phase to identify the types of internships and firms/organizations for placement of selected trainees. Medium and long term technical assistance will be used to plan more in-country workshops and seminars on management and allow USAID to reach more beneficiaries. Technical assistance will identify and assist local institutions (public and private) to strengthen their capacity to conduct management training programs and to design curricula and materials for that purpose. In the public sector, USAID will continue to identify ministries and parastatals in need of managerial-training assistance, although the primary focus will continue to be on the private sector. Training opportunities in the public sector will be identified in conjunction with recipient organizations and will require that each organization has a training assessment plan in operation. In the private sector, short-term management training will assist Namibian companies to meet their diversity objectives. Programming of more in-country workshops on management and strengthening of the capacity of local institutions to carry out such training will be a secondary focus of this longer-term intervention.
Host Country and Other Donors: The Ford Foundation is also working in this area, assisting the Namibian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to establish an Affirmative Action Advisory Service that will help businesses make the transition to a more open approach. The UN Development Program (UNDP) is assisting the GRN to identify human resources development requirements. USAID, which is among the five largest donors, has been working with the GRN National Planning Commission to develop a comprehensive human-resources plan as part of their National Development Plan just published for the five year period: 1996-2000. The UNDP convenes monthly donor meetings for coordination and information-sharing purposes. The GRN, which is extremely committed to human-resources development, also facilitates donor meetings.
Beneficiaries: Most current and future historically disadvantaged Namibian managers in the private sector and a substantial portion of those in the public sector. By focussing on the training of these Namibians, USAID assistance will assure that more Namibians can contribute to the economic development of their country.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Currently, USAID is implementing training activities through U.S. PVOs, including World Education, Inc., the African American Institute, and AFRICARE, as well as through Namibian government partners and local NGOs.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Number of target organizations that 0 (1995) 4 (1997)
use staff development plans
that support enhanced roles for trained
historically disadvantaged Namibians
Number of historically disadvantaged 17 (1995) 160 (1997)
men and women successfully completing
USAID supported training
Intermediate Results:
Number of candidates nominated for 33 (1995) 160 (1997)
USAID training programs by target
organizations
Number of USAID supported private 0 (1995) 15 (1997)
and public sector organizations involved
in organizational transformation
PROGRAM: NAMIBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Improved Delivery of Quality Primary Education to Grade 1-4 Learners in the Most Disadvantaged Schools, 673-S002
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $1,477,242 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005
Purpose: To increase the Namibian Government's capacity to implement its new lower primary curriculum while improving learner outcomes in the most disadvantaged schools.
Background: The education system that the Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) inherited at independence was fragmented along racial and ethnic lines, with vast disparities in the allocation of available resources. The education system had been administered by 11 different race-based departments of education. Education was designed to support the apartheid system rather than provide the necessary human resource base to promote equitable social and economic development. The majority of teachers were unqualified, particularly at the lower primary level -- grades 1 through 4. Initial GRN reform efforts and donor attention focused on the upper grade levels (grades 8 -10) to maximize immediate impact. Over the last two years, with USAID assistance, attention has been refocused on the foundation of the education system -- the lower primary level.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: The Basic Education Support (BES) activity has placed USAID in a strong, supportive policy dialogue role with the GRN on education policy, and has enabled USAID to help the GRN refocus its resources and personnel on primary education and the lower primary level in particular. This will result in fundamental, long-term benefits for Namibia with respect to reduction of illiteracy and improved efficiency of the entire education system.
Description: USAID's ongoing interventions are on two levels. At the national level, USAID is supporting curriculum design and development, the production of new teacher and student materials, and the development of new, more appropriate approaches to student assessment and testing. At the school level, USAID will support on-site teacher training in at least 500 of the most disadvantaged lower primary schools in Namibia. This latter element is being implemented through one of the largest USAID - Peace Corps cooperating agreements in the world. Commencing in 1996, a new component will be added to the BES activity: training of key personnel in the National Institute for Educational Development, which will enable the Institute to take over the curriculum development and other work now being supported by a USAID-financed U.S. technical assistance team.
Host Country and Other Donors: Human-resources development is a high priority for the GRN, which remains committed to allocating more than a fourth of its national budget to education, representing approximately 10% of GNP. USAID is the primary donor providing assistance at the lower-primary level. Other donors supporting the GRN in areas complimentary to USAID's lower-primary focus include ODA (British Overseas Development Agency), FINNIDA (Finnish Aid), NORAD (Norwegian Aid), DANIDA (Danish Aid), SIDA (Swedish Aid), the Netherlands, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) , and the EU ( European Union).
Beneficiaries: All Namibian school children in grades 1 through 4, as well as their teachers and principals.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID has engaged the contractual services of an experienced U.S. firm, the International Institute for Education, as well as U.S. Peace Corps for the implementation of this activity.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Targets:
Percentage of most disadvantaged 0 (1995) 10% (1997)
schools meeting established criteria
for improved quality education services
Percentage of boys and girls in 0 (1995) 10% (1997)
the most disadvantaged schools with
access to improved quality education services
PROGRAM: NAMIBIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increase Accountability of Parliament to all Namibian Citizens, 673-S004
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $805,914 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1999
Purpose: To strengthen the responsiveness of elected representatives by increasing citizen participation in the election process.
Background: Increased accountability of parliament to all Namibians will enable citizens to participate fully in the democratic process which includes, not only legislation but also the electoral process. The logical follow-on to the on-going strengthening of parliament and advocacy interventions linked to democracy building will be the strengthening of the electoral process at both the regional and national levels. To date Namibia has conducted two national elections (1989 and December 1994), and one local and one regional election in 1992. These elections, while clearly free and fair, have been contested along ideological party lines, with only lackluster debate on electoral platforms and limited scope for citizens to express their concerns. The process has also been hampered by inefficient voter registration systems and elections management. The Namibian public remains uneducated on their rights and responsibilities as citizens and therefore cannot articulate their demands to their representatives. With the support of the current USAID Democratic Institution Building (DIB) project, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are establishing the basic competency in advocacy to help channel citizen concerns into the policy and legislative processes.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: Prior to FY 1995, a combination of ad hoc activities and funding from Africa Regional 116(e) human rights activities and the Africa Bureau provided technical assistance, training and materials in support of strengthening both the judicial and legislative branches of government as well as support for local, regional and national elections. These activities resulted in the first live broadcast debate of topical public issues by party representatives and extensive voter education campaigns in all nine language services of the Namibian Broadcasting Company. The bilateral DIB activity, begun in FY 1995, has incorporated many of the former training and institutional building activities into a coordinated approach. More specifically, it is providing $3 million in technical assistance, commodities and training to support the strengthening of Namibia's two houses of parliament. This support is developing the institutional capacity and legislative processes to respond effectively to their constituents' needs and concerns and to provide oversight of the Executive branch. Support to NGOs and the press is enhancing their capacity to represent their constituencies' interests in policy and legislative formulation. With their newly gained skills, NGOs are soliciting public input and providing policy recommendations on pressing public issues such as land reform, community-based natural resource management and housing development.
Description: USAID's intervention will focus on consolidating achievements made in strengthening parliamentary structures -- the constituency offices, the committee system, open public hearings and new public access-orientated parliamentary rules and procedures -- that permit and encourage citizen participation. Training of parliamentarians will focus on promoting an understanding of the legislative process, and building legislative skills, democratic and ethical values, and outreach capabilities. Training and technical assistance to NGO will support networking and enhance the capacity of NGOs and the press to represent citizen group concerns to Parliament. Groundwork will be completed for an intervention beginning in 1998 and 99 that focuses on planned regional and national elections. The beginning of this intervention in FY 1997 will enable sufficient lead time to carry out required training and technical assistance to grass roots organizations, intermediaries and others who will be involved in the electoral process. Training will be a major component of this intervention. It will support the GRN's initiatives to establish a system of permanent voter registration and to implement other relevant election reforms. Training programs with parliamentary party caucuses will promote outreach withconstituents and open, public debates as a basis for the development of issues-oriented election platforms. USAID would initiate its training and institution-building activities to ensure the inclusion of all citizens' concerns in the 1998 regional and follow-on national elections.
Host Country and Other Donors Through its partnership in the DIB program, the Namibian Parliament has committed itself to establish fora for public participation in the legislative process and to strengthen the operation of the library, research and public outreach units of parliament. This initiative will provide a foundation for elections-related constituency outreach. The German Government provides assistance to the Namibian Institute for Democracy, an NGO that conducts training and civic education programs on the Namibian constitution and the principles of democracy. The United Kingdom supports public-service reform and police training and training of parliamentarians. In the 1994 national elections, the German Government and European Union also supported GRN-run voter education campaigns. The United States is among the top donors in this area and is the major donor providing direct assistance to the Parliament.
Beneficiaries: All Namibian citizens
Principal Contractors, Grantees and Agencies: Currently, USAID is implementing its DIB program activities through U.S. private and voluntary organizations, including the National Democratic Institute and World Education International, as well as through GRN partners and local NGOs. USAID will continue this approach with the implementation of the new Electoral Support Program, which will assist in training of NGOs and local community workers in preparation for the regional election in 1998 and the national election in 1999.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Targets
Number of public hearings, including committee hearings 0 (1995) 10 (1998)
held with citizen participation
Number of open, public debates by party candidates 2 (1994) 5 (1998)
in national and regional election campaigns