BACKGROUND
	PROJECT OBJECTIVES
	CURRENT STATUS
	PHOTOS

A meeting was held with the Regional Committee (formed of SIWM partners) to approve the final draft of the 2003/2004 workplan, which included the comments of the Committee from the earlier meeting. Progress on the Agency’s business plan continued. A contract was signed with Sutron, Inc., of Sterling, VA, to install the main system telemetry project. The first two phases of training for the NGOs selected for the small grants program was completed. The first two disbursements under the micro-project grants were made.

Component One: Establishment of Integrated Policies and Institutions for Water Management.

The consultant working with the Agency on its business plan held several focus groups of Agency personnel to ascertain needs for institutional development, including administrative processes, staffing, and training. Consultants for training in finance and accounting systems as well as communications were identified. A Moroccan consultant in strategic planning was identified. A grid was developed, with the help of the expatriate strategic planning consultant, on which to assure that overlap between the two activities under Component 1 (strategic planning and agency support) will be minimized and coordination between the two activities will be assured. Seven representatives from SIWM partners were sponsored to attend the annual meeting of the International Association for Impact Assessment held in Marrakech, in which they were exposed to both world-wide and Moroccan experience in the preparation and uses of impact assessment for strategic planning.

Component Two: Pilot Projects and Best Practices. Implementation of the pilot projects continued.

The third part of Pilot Project 1, telemetry, was begun with the signing of a contract with Sutron, Inc. of Sterling, VA, for the installation of telemetry for the main system. Installation for ONEP and ORMVA telemetry projects continued. Inventories of wells and pollution sources, under the direction of the Agency, continued to be augmented, with approximately 3,000 wells identified. Implementation for Pilot Project 4, drip irrigation for a water user association, continued with the completion of electrification of and installation of pumps for the wells. Inventories of wells and pollution points continued. Training in GIS systems, as well as interpretation of satellite imaging, continued for SIWM partners. Mobile laboratories (aquifer and irrigation) arrived with vehicles were provided to the Agency and ORMVA.

Component Three: Participatory Resource Management.

Grants for eight of the ten NGOs scheduled for micro-grants were signed. Disbursement was begun for two of the NGOs. Consultants provided two phases of training on administration of the grants, including both democratization (civil society) and financial administration, to the NGOs who will receive the grants were identified. Training was provided to both men and women in each NGO. Planning for a study tour for SIWM partners and representatives from the NGOs continued. Brochures and cassette tapes describing the grants program and its goals were distributed.

Administratively, the 2003/2004 workplan, including the effects of the budget reduction, were approved by the Regional Committee. Also included in the workplan was a request for an extension of the work order to September 30, 2004. Planning for a “water day,” which will include a meeting of the Agency’s Conseil d’Administration (Board of Directors) was begun.

Meetings were held with the Regional Committee (consisting of SIWM partners) to review the 2003/2004 workplan and to present the preliminary evaluation of a $1.2 million budget reduction from USAID. Several activities were identified to advance the RBA and strategic planning. Contracts were completed for parts of the telemetry and drip irrigation pilot projects. Recipients of the micro-project grants were identified and training in grant administration has begun.