USAID/OTI A I S R O 2020

October 2020

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Management Systems International, a Tetra Tech Company.

USAID/OTI ARMENIA SUPPORT INITIATIVE SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT – OCTOBER 2020

USAID/OTI ARMENIA SUPPORT INITIATIVE

SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT #2 April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

Contract No: AID-OAA-I-14-00012 Order No: 7200AA19F00012

DISCLAIMER

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

1 | ARMENIA SUPPORT INITIATIVE SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT USAID.GOV

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms 2

1. Executive Summary 1

2. Program Overview 1

2.1 Background 1

2.2 Context 2

COVID-19 And Armenia’s State of Emergency 2

Renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh 2

3. ASI By The Numbers 3

3.1 ASI Achievements during the Reporting Period 4

4. Program Highlights 4

4.1 Public Administration and E-Governance 4

4.2 Strategic Communications 6

4.3 Corruption Prevention 6

4.4 Community Engagement 7

4.5 Responding to COVID-19 9

USAID.GOV ARMENIA SUPPORT INITIATIVE SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT | 2

ACRONYMS

ASI Armenia Support Initiative

AUIC Armenian Unified Information Center

CC Constitutional Court

COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019

CIO Chief Information Officer

CPC Corruption Prevention Commission

DPM Deputy Prime Minister

GoAM Government of Armenia

IPRC Information and Public Relations Center

MOJ Ministry of Justice

MSI Management Systems International

OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

OTI Office of Transition Initiatives

PM Prime Minister

RA Republic of Armenia

STTA Short-Term Technical Assistance

SWIFT Support Which Implements Fast Transitions

USAID United States Agency for International Development


1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Transition Initiatives

(OTI) supports U.S. foreign policy by seizing emerging windows of opportunity in the political

landscape to promote stability, peace, and democracy by catalyzing local initiatives through

adaptive and agile programming. In Armenia, the 2018 Velvet Revolution swept a young,

ambitious new government into office on a wave of popular support and optimism for reform and

economic development. In response, OTI launched the Armenia Support Initiative (ASI) in July

2019. The program seeks to support the Government of Armenia’s efforts to implement its reform

agenda and build public confidence through visible and tangible achievements. To date, ASI has

implemented activities in all Marzes (regions) of Armenia, and in Yerevan—including the national

government and Yerevan municipality. As with all OTI programs, ASI implements programming

through clusters of small grants, usually aiming to build on mutually supportive grant outcomes

for greater impact. As of September 30, 2020, ASI has cleared a total of 79 activities focusing on

strategic communications, corruption prevention, community engagement, public administration,

and electronic governance (e-governance).

2. PROGRAM OVERVIEW

2.1 BACKGROUND

In April 2018, peaceful street

protests across Armenia

culminated in the resignation of

the Prime Minister (PM) and

former President Serzh

Sargsyan. In May 2018, protest

leader and opposition

parliamentarian Nikol Pashinyan

was elected as the new PM. In

order to consolidate the political

changes, the former PM

resigned, forcing snap elections

in December 2018. This gave the

pro-government Civil Contract

Party, part of the My Step

Alliance, an overwhelming majority in parliament. The Pashinyan government has subsequently

pivoted to focus on reforms, beginning with ministerial consolidation, drafting long-term 2050

plans, and focusing on anti-corruption measures and judicial reform. It also seeks to establish

foundations for an “economic revolution” to tackle unemployment and emigration. Recognizing

the new government’s clear political will to institute change, along with the public’s expectations

for quick results, USAID/OTI recognized a pressing need to provide assistance to effectively

envision and implement much-needed reforms.

Figure 1 - Republic Square in Yerevan during the Velvet Revolution (Photo credit: Press Office of the Government of Armenia)


OTI awarded the Armenia Support Initiative (ASI) SWIFT IV Task Order to Management Systems

International, a Tetra Tech Company (MSI) in July 2019. ASI works primarily with Government of

Armenia (GoAM) entities to lay the foundations for lasting democratic change. The program’s

objectives are to support the government’s efforts to implement its reform agenda and build public

confidence through visible and tangible achievements. ASI implements activities at the national,

regional and local levels within thematic areas like public administration and e-governance,

strategic communications, corruption prevention, and community engagement.

2.2 CONTEXT

COVID-19 AND ARMENIA’S STATE OF EMERGENCY

In March 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic spreading around the world and governments

scrambling to respond, the GoAM declared a national state of emergency and encouraged all

employers to move to telework where possible, including government offices. Over the spring and

summer, the GoAM kept the state of emergency in place, implementing measures like temporarily

instructing citizens to only leave home for essential needs or activities, and requiring citizens to

complete a “movement form” and carry identification when leaving home. For a time, all mass

gatherings, rallies, and events of over 20 people were prohibited. For the unified management of

human and other resources needed during the state of emergency, the GoAM established a

special headquarters and appointed the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) as Commandant.

Throughout the reporting period, the Unified Info Center was primarily responsible for

communicating the GoAM’s steps to combat the pandemic to the Armenian people. As seen

globally, the national and local governments struggled to balance the lockdown and quarantine

measures, enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19, with their economic and psychosocial

impacts on the general populace. Between April and September 2020, the GoAM implemented

several social and economic support packages to mitigate COVID-19’s impact.

On September 11, 2020, the GoAM officially lifted the state of emergency, but kept in place some

restrictions aimed at stemming COVID-19’s spread. The state of emergency was replaced by a

nationwide quarantine regime through January 11, 2021. Wearing face masks in all public

spaces—both indoors and outdoors—and enforcing social distancing and hygiene rules for

businesses continue to be required across Armenia. At the conclusion of the reporting period,

Armenia’s COVID-19 case numbers are again trending upward.

RENEWED CONFLICT IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Beginning September 27, 2020, heavy fighting broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over

the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, reigniting a conflict, which began in the late 1980s, and

escalated into war in the early 1990s. The United States, Russia, and France are co-chairs of the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, founded in 1992

and tasked with leading the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh

conflict. As this reporting period concludes, the ASI team is closely monitoring the effects of the

conflict on both the Armenian people and ASI’s GoAM partners.


3. RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM TO DATE

Activity Count Funding

Cleared Suspended Completed Closed Total Pending

Total Cleared Total Disbursed

43 1 8 27 $ 167,096 $ 4,053,652 $ 2,270,418

Table 1 – ASI Cumulative Activities & Funding (as of September 30, 2020)

Figure 2 - ASI Activity Map, September 2020


3.1 ASI ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

● 14,352 cloth masks procured and distributed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

● Nine doctors deployed from France to provide surge medical support to Armenian

hospitals at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak

● 12 local artists in Gyumri provided with financial assistance to craft homemade toys for

kids, distributed to 700 families in Shirak Region

● 1,070 waste containers provided to Yerevan Municipality and communities in Shirak and

Syunik Marzes to support citizen clean-ups

● Three schools in Shirak and Gegharkunik Marzes renovated with insulated windows and

doors and updated heating in preparation for winter

4. PROGRESS OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND EVALUATION OF PROGRAM IMPACT TO

DATE

ASI’s support to the GoAM is grouped into three process clusters, whereby the program seeks to

provide targeted support to build or continue momentum or fill critical gaps, all contributing to

moving the needle toward systemic government reforms. The process clusters are: public

administration and e-governance, strategic communications, and corruption prevention. Between

April 1 and September 30, 2020, ASI cleared:

● Three activities with a total value of $318,077 in the public administration/e-governance

process cluster

● Nine activities with a total value of $458,462 in the strategic communications process

cluster

● Four activities with a total value of $156,685 in the corruption prevention process cluster

ASI also supports local and regional community engagement activities in Yerevan and throughout

all Marzes. During the reporting period, ASI cleared 11 activities in this cluster valued at $413,908

total.

Additionally, ASI supported the GoAM’s COVID-19 pandemic response by adapting previously

cleared activities and developing and implementing targeted COVID-19 response activities. To

date, ASI has cleared 16 activities that either directly or indirectly address the pandemic in

Armenia, with a total value of $1,014,626. Some of these activities are categorized within the

COVID-19 response cluster and one of the other four clusters mentioned above.

4.1 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND E-GOVERNANCE

E-governance tools are part of the GoAM’s promised public administration reforms and play an

important role in reducing corruption and ensuring the public can efficiently access services;

especially during COVID-19. The Digitization Board (DB) is an inter-ministerial body established

under the DPM in August 2019, in part to ensure the public administration system’s digitization

and to harmonize state agency digitization efforts. Since September 2019, ASI has been providing

support to GoAM and the DB to advance e-governance reforms and has developed strong,


collaborative relationships with the DPM’s Office. The DB has reached several milestones one

year after being established:

● Piloted their review and approval process with three ASI-supported activities deemed critical

for GoAM;

● Created an e-governance working group comprised of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) from

all GoAM agencies and entities involved in digitization reform;

● The GoAM digital projects consider

the needs and priorities of all GoAM

entities;

● The DB has access to short-term

technical experts to analyze e-

governance business processes and

legislation, and plans to request

GoAM funding for their long-term

staffing needs; and

● The GoAM has started working with

a vendor to develop a unified citizen

services platform that will be

launched through the e-gov.am portal.

Figure 4 – Graphic produced by VXSOFT for the updated e-gov.am web portal (Credit: VXSOFT, Translation: ASI)

4.2 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Over the last year, ASI has engaged with over ten GoAM agencies in 27 activities to improve

communication of the government's reform agenda and progress toward reforms, largely through

Figure 3 Digitization Board meeting headed by the Deputy Prime Minister (Photo Credit: Gov.am)


equipment, technical expertise, and advertising support. All activities have been coordinated with

the Information and Public Relations Center (IPRC), a PM office entity. IPRC is responsible for

shaping and coordinating communications from the PM and line ministries to the public, and ASI

works with IPRC to ensure all activities align with GoAM anticipated communications reforms.

This support has enabled GoAM staff to organize their operations more effectively and use

provided media and teleconferencing equipment to produce professional, appealing video and

photo content that resonates with the public. ASI has also provided support in amplifying GoAM

messages through advertising on social media and regional television networks in an attempt to

increase public awareness. Public TV and the GoAM’s news agency, Armenpress, are also critical

partners in a country where outlets and private individuals with anti-government biases dominate

the media landscape.

ASI notes the following highlights in this cluster:

● Under the COVID-19 state of emergency, IPRC was able to pilot their centralized

communication structure to coordinate line ministry communications, and recently requested

ASI support to develop a plan and legislation for GoAM communications reform;

● The PM’s Press Office can now produce high quality print and video content, including

during PM trips to the regions of Armenia and abroad;

● IPRC has increased their operational efficiency, including their regional work, and enhanced

the quality of their photo and video products;

● Public TV now has functional, modern equipment and software for live broadcasts; and

● The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has professional support to increase public awareness around

ongoing police reforms.

4.3 CORRUPTION PREVENTION

ASI has supported the operationalization of the GoAM’s Corruption Prevention Commission

(CPC) since its inception. CPC is one of three new institutions (along with the Anti-Corruption

Court and the Anti-Corruption Council) that are central to GoAM’s corruption fighting efforts. This

is particularly notable, as corruption was a key driver of the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.” On July 3,

2020, PM Pashinyan chaired the periodic Anti-Corruption Policy Council meeting, receiving

briefings from the CPC Chairwoman and the MoJ on their activities and achievements in

advancing the country’s Anti-Corruption Strategy. During the meeting, the Chairwoman explained

that, "On the basis of the integrity methodology, the commission verified the integrity of those

persons included in the lists of candidates for confiscation of illegally acquired property,

prosecutors, and deputy prosecutors of Armenia coordinating this area, and introduced

conclusions on the assessment of the integrity of 26 candidates: in two cases the assessment

was negative, in eleven cases - positive with a reservation, and in thirteen cases – positive."

Recognizing the new system of integrity checks for appointees to public positions, the PM stated,

"For the first time, a candidate for a public position was exposed to integrity checks in

Armenia.” The Chairwoman also reported other significant milestones for CPC’s work, namely:


● Improvement of the

system of declaration

of property, income,

and interests;

● Approval of a new

sample asset

declaration system;

● Approval of the

methodology of study

and analysis of

declarations and

selection criteria;

● Expansion of the circle

of declarants, with

3,568 declarations

submitted by officials;

● Development of an

integrity checking methodology for appointees to public positions and candidates for judges,

prosecutors, and investigators;

● Creation of a comprehensive methodology for assessing corruption risks in the public

administration system;

● Completion of a four-year institutional development work plan.

To date, ASI has supported CPC through ten different activities totaling approximately $450,000.

These activities include: equipping and repair of the CPC offices, website rebranding and

modernization, an awareness raising campaign CPC’s functions as well as videos and

promotional materials, a CPC strategic planning workshop, interim surge staff and logistical

support as CPC hires full-time civil service staff, and providing a team of international experts to

help navigate the complications of building a new organization, incorporate best practices related

to asset declarations and corruption prevention methodologies, and negotiate with international

donors. ASI’s rapid, near-term support is intended to lay the groundwork for long-term donor

engagements, specifically the USAID Mission’s planned, five-year Armenia Integrity Project. The

World Bank has also earmarked $400,000 from their loan portfolio to Armenia for the creation of

the CPC’s searchable asset declaration database, the central pillar of their anti-corruption

strategy, for which the ASI-supported international consultant team recently assisted in finalizing

the terms of reference and budget.

4.4 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Activities in the community engagement cluster bring together citizens and government to achieve a common good in their communities. Armenia’s future depends not only on a government that does its part to enact reforms, but also a citizenry who feel a sense of joint responsibility and agency in changing Armenia for the better. To date, ASI has completed or is currently implementing a total 24 activities, in close coordination with GoAM counterparts, to address

Figure 5 - CPC Chairwoman and Minister of Justice (Photo Credit: ASI)


citizen requests in every region of the country. GoAM counterparts include senior officials in the national government and Marz heads in municipalities where activities have been implemented.

Under the slogan "Let's Do Something!,” ASI built on the community service campaign which inaugurated a kindergarten in a village in Shirak Marz, where community volunteers renovated the school with ASI-supplied materials. The campaigns grew to engage youth enrolled in a vocation program in a partnership with the country’s only homeless shelter, located in the Erebuni district of Yerevan, and new cultural and economic activities in Gegharkunik Marz.

Insufficient waste management is one of Armenian’s main national grievances. Several activities under this cluster have engaged regional municipalities and citizens around this issue, to demonstrate that the GoAM is responding to citizen requests by investing in improved waste management systems, while highlighting the role of citizens in proper waste disposal. Through four activities over the last year, ASI provided 1,070 waste containers and supported citizen clean ups in Yerevan Municipality, and consolidated communities in Shirak and Syunik Marzes.

ASI notes the following highlights in this cluster:

● ASI collaborated with the Ministry of Economy, Farmers’ Association, and Yerevan

Municipality to develop a new farmers’ market after 700 local farmers lost access to a

previously used municipal space in Yerevan;

● A cleanup involving tourism professionals reached 140,000 people on the GoAM’s main

social media, soon after the GoAM announced a new COVID support package for tourism

professionals.

5. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND ACTIONS TAKEN: RESPONDING TO COVID-19

Throughout the reporting period, as the GoAM reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings and citizen movement evolved, the ASI team took steps to adapt programming and work safely while continuing to support the program’s government partners. In line with government orders and in consideration of staff health, the ASI team continued full telework (enacted in mid-March) through August 27, 2020, when MSI headquarters approved a partial return to office plan.

The ASI team conducted a full portfolio review in March and April 2020 to determine the viability of all current and planned activities under the state of emergency, and simultaneously worked closely with GoAM partners to identify new priority activities to support GoAM’s COVID-19 response. The state of emergency and international travel restrictions caused procurement delays under ASI activities, including through local and global vendors who were forced to work with

Figure 6 - The newly opened Farmers’ Market (Photo Credit: Ministry of Economy of RA)


limited capacity and transportation options. The movement of goods across land borders continued despite limits to human crossing, and customs clearance for goods progressed slowly.

Throughout the crisis, ASI cleared rapid response activities to directly support GoAM crisis communications, regional administrations, and the country’s medical response. ASI supplied a key strategic communications office within the GoAM with laptops to create public information products and hired short-term specialists to help manage social media platforms and produce public health-oriented videos. ASI used Facebook extensively, including advertisements and graphics with accurate information on government requirements related to the state of emergency, reaching hundreds of thousands of Armenians. ASI provided computers and equipment to the RA Ministry of Emergency Services to support crisis response including, but

not limited to, the COVID-19 pandemic. ASI also purchased and installed video teleconferencing equipment for ministries, regional government, and the PM’s office to facilitate their work and ensure continuity.

The ASI team supported local and regional governments in their COVID response. In collaboration with one regional government partner, ASI provided 1,000 food and hygiene care packages to the regional administration to support hard-hit vulnerable families and elderly citizens. ASI also procured and distributed over 14,000 cloth face coverings to Armenian citizens to help counter the spread of COVID-19.

In June 2020, at the height of international travel restrictions, ASI worked with several GoAM partners to implement an activity that brought a team of French physicians to Armenia to share best practices and support the GoAM and hospitals with their response to COVID-19. This was the first team of international medical doctors to be fielded during the worst weeks of the pandemic. ASI also provided medical equipment, such as heart rate monitors and x-ray machines, for Armenian hospitals.

Figure 7 - French physician at St. Gregory the Illuminator Hospital

(Photo Credit: St. Gregory the Illuminator Hospital)

Documents

USAID/OTI A I S R O 2020