The technology of Water Harvesting and Conservation Agriculture was developed and demonstrated by the Agric. Engineering, Irrigation Systems & Water Harvesting Research Center, ARC. By developing this technology, Sudan was able to face the problem of alleviated the most common drought and dry spells impact on rain-fed crop productivity and stabilized and significantly increased crop yield and improved farmers food security and income. The main goal of the program is to increase food and nutrition security and diversify rural income and employment opportunities for men, women, and youth, which achieved the objectives of transforming the traditional rain-fed sector producing at the subsistence level to profitable, competitive sustainable economic sector.

This technology was developed from 2010 to 2013 and piloted in Kordofan, Gadaref and White Nile States. Starting from 2014 with the support of the Federal Ministry Finance and National Planning it has been scaling up over 15 states as a national program to 2019.

Number of activities were applied in order to implement this solution:

1. Establishment of innovation platforms on technology transfer and extension centers and at innovative farmers fields where centers are unavailable for demonstration and introduction of technology to producers and serve as training ground for extension agents and farmers,
2. Provision of advisory services for farmers in selection of appropriate technological package relevant to hydrological, soils and topographic elements of farm land and mapping of farm plots,
3. Training of farmers on proper implementation and operation and management of schemes,
4. Facilitate organizing farmers into producer groups (GPs) to access credit for acquiring inputs and services of water harvesting and mechanization from service providers,
5. Submission of list interest farmers to adopt the technological packages improvement to credit institutions and private sector service providers with farmland area and cost of investment,
6. Monitoring and follow-up of systems performance.

During the scaling up phase the ARC stations and the state Ministries of Agriculture have provided the technical advisory services including training on proper implementation by farmers, while the private sector represented by the service providers (machinery owners, agro-dealers, and micro-finance) are engaged in providing mechanized land cultivation and inputs supply supported by credit through microfinance arrangement to farmers.

The most successful element proved to be a climate smart agriculture practice that integrated the available water resources for increased agricultural water productivity that substantially improved the main staple field crops (sorghum, millet, sesame, and groundnut) yields comparing with the traditional practices.  The most tangible outcome is the matching of crop water requirements by harvesting extra surface runoff water otherwise wasted and evenly distributed and water conservation techniques that led to increased and stabilized crop yield in erratic rainfall zones.

Thus, harvesting of overland surface runoff from catchment area and good distribution within the field by the construction of earth contour bunds and deep storage in the soil profile through chisel plow which creates vertical micro-pores has proven to be a good soil and water conservation measure and smart climate agriculture. It bridges the crop water requirement deficit in arid zone of pronounced low and poor distributed annual rainfall (300 – 400 mm) as well as provided a good soil moisture condition for greater response of sorghum, sesame and groundnut crops to micro-dose NPK fertilizer application to remarkably increases crop yield to 1200 kg/fed, 400 kg/fed and 800 kg/fed, respectively. The Conservation Agriculture, on the other hand, has improved crop yield significantly on areas of apparent high rainfall (500 – 700 mm), but normally produces poor crop due to remarkable runoff water loss by 30 to 40 %, which traced back to inefficient no-farm water management practices.  The use of CA provided typical solution and remedial measures eliminated and minimized adverse effects of water and soil loss and hence enhanced sorghum productivity for instance to as high as 1400 – 1700 ka/fed compared to 400 – 600 kg/fed under traditional practices.

Also, the transformation of small traditional farmers from subsistence level of production to market driven and demand production supported by the adoption of improved technological packages leading to increased crop productivity was the positive impact applied on the target beneficiaries. 

Budget: For successful adoption and scale-up of the solution, private sector service providers (machinery owners, agro-dealers, and micro-finance) are required to support the installation of water harvesting and CA techniques and availing inputs. These modern tools of best practices are not available to small producers, and through micro-finance, farmers could access them where the cost of feddan is around USD 80 (USD 192 per ha). In addition, technical support is needed for training of extension agents and farmers, which would cost about USD 50 per trainee, as well as increasing the portfolio credit volume of the micro-finance institutions and development of three distinct rural financial delivery models in the form of ABSUMI model, village savings and credit groups model and community owned central "sanduq" fund; and loans ceiling to improve the outreach of credit to large group of producers.

Contact details:
Sudan
Prof. Mekki Abdellatif Omer (Ph.D)
Director of Agric. Engineering, Irrigation Systems & Water Harvesting Research Center, ARC, Soba
P.O. Box 30, Khartoum North (Shambat)
Khartoum, Sudan
Tel.: +249-912953593, +249-112252418
Fax: +249-185-310813
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The development of sturgeon breeding allows preserving the sturgeon gene pool in natural reservoirs and providing the market with delicatessen fish products, however, in Kazakhstan there were no technologies for growing sturgeon species adapted to local conditions.

From 2012 to 2014 with the purpose of forming a scientific and methodological basis for the commercial cultivation of sturgeon species in conditions of fully-system fish farms in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Research Institute of Fisheries conducted studies on the Development of Biotechnical Methods for Cultivating New Aquaculture Facilities in Conditions of Fish Farms in Kazakhstan.

In the implementation process, methods common to genetic, physiological and ichthyopathological studies were used; In the part of fish farming and fodder production - the relevant regulatory and technical documentation and guidelines. In the framework of studies for the first time in Kazakhstan, genetic studies of sturgeon fish have been conducted and a database of morphological indicators of sturgeon of different ages has been developed.

As a result of the research, the following has been achieved:

• Biotechnical methods of breeding and growing sturgeon have been developed in relation to the conditions of fish farms in Kazakhstan;
• Formulations of domestic artificial feeds for sturgeon fishes have been developed;
• The physiological state of sturgeons was assessed in the course of experimental cultivation;
• Immunomodulators were used and an assessment of the ichthyopathological condition of sturgeon fish was carried out;
• The economic efficiency of the proposed biotechnical measures;
• A repair flock of sturgeon fishes raised in the Almaty and Akmola regions was formed to create a breeding stock. A breeding core was created, consisting of differently aged sturgeons: Russian sturgeon, Siberian sturgeon and stellate sturgeon.

Also patent registrations have been obtained on the following:

• Mixed fodder for sterlet with integrated use of corn processing waste. Innovative Patent №27693.
• A method for increasing the immune status of sturgeon fishes. Innovation patent № 26001.
• Device for incubation of sturgeon caviar eggs. Preliminary patent №15883.
• Device for sorting sturgeon fry. Innovation patent № 19205.

Partners: KazNII PPP - Kazakh Research Institute of Food Processing (co-executor), Chilik pond farm (basic fish farm)

Contact information:
LLP "Kazakh Research Institute of Fisheries" (KazNIIRH)
Name and title: Dr. Saule Assylbekova, Deputy General Director
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The research and development (R&D) infrastructure of both public and private sectors needs to be used in the most effective way in order to use national resources rationally and gain the maximum benefit. R&D studies performed by researchers through benefiting from the infrastructure of public either alone or together with public research are frequently observed in developed countries.

Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey (MFAL) started R&D project support for the agricultural activities of private sector under Agricultural Law No 5488 issued in 2006 and the “Communiqué on the Procedures Between Research and Development Project Coordinators in Partnership with Research Institutions Subject to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs” numbered 2007/1, which became effective in January 2007. The communiqué is aimed to improve R&D capacity and culture of private sector; to develop new varieties, technology, models and tools; to transfer outputs to farmers and agricultural industry as well as to use the country`s limited resources effectively.

Once the communiqué was published large companies began showing interest to agricultural researches.

MFAL assigned the secretarial Tasks regarding the project application, project evaluation and monitoring of approved projects to the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), headquarter of the national agricultural research system, established in 1991.

TAGEM employs 2098 qualified researchers in 21 Central and Regional Research Institutes and 28 Subject-oriented Research Institutes located in different cities of Turkey. These Institutes carry out R&D activities in accordance with priorities of TAGEM. Additionally, 8 Veterinary Control Institutes of TAGEM are authorized to do research. The fields of TAGEM are plant breeding and agronomy, plant health, animal breeding and husbandry, animal health, aquaculture and fishery, food and feed, post-harvest technologies, biodiversity/genetic resources, organic agriculture, biosafety, soil and water resources management, climate change and environment, agricultural economics and bio-economy, extension and innovation etc.

The infrastructure of the research institutes is open to private sector. Thus private sector, individuals and non-governmental organizations are able to perform their studies that they need by taking the advantage of infrastructure opportunities held by public and created with the years of experience and high investments without the need for significant investments for R&D studies. Under the communiqué, individuals or private sector organizations gained the opportunity to execute their projects with the infrastructure and personnel support of research institutes subject to the MFAL.

Advertisement is put on theMinistry and TAGEM web page every year. The institutions and organizations wishing to benefit from R&D support offer their Project proposals within the specified time. After the projects are approved by the Evaluation Board and Secretariat created under Communiqué the contracts are signed and the projects become effective subsequently. Then the relevant project developers get 70% payment to R&D project directly from the ministry and other 30% of its cost from the private enterprises. So the financial strength of private sector and trained research personnel, experience and research infrastructure of 49 Research Institutions subject to the MFAL and spread all over the country with expertise in various disciplines were combined under this regulation. 

127 project contracts were signed in the framework of cooperation between Research Institutes and private sector. In 2017 the project approval rate reached 25.2% with budget of 28.5 million TL or 7,98 million USD.

Contact information:
Turkey, Tarımsal Araştırmalar ve Politikalar Genel Müdürlüğü (General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies - TAGEM)
Phone: +90 (312)307 60 00 / 3157622-26
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The National Center for Artificial Insemination and Genetic Improvement (CNIAAG) was established as a public Institution with Industrial and Commercial Character (EPIC) by Presidential Decree n ° 88-04 of January 5, 1988, which modified and supplemented by Executive Decree No. 05-434 of 10 November 2005. The Center is one of the entities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Center is administered by a Board of Directors and headed by a Chief Executive Officer. The center’s mandate is to monitor and control of all activities in the country, that has included:

• Establishment of a census of the numbers of the different animal species concerned by the AI
• Implementation of seed supply programs and RN equipment in consultation with relevant institutions and organizations
• The development of RN programs and their implementation
• The establishment of a national stock of animal seed safety

In terms of genetic improvement, the Center is responsible, in particular, for:

• Organization, monitoring, and control of genetic performance and selection of broodstock.
• Prospecting, selection of spawners and implementation of means of conservation and genetic improvement of animal species.
• The development and maintenance of genealogical books, on its own initiative or in partnership with specialized organizations concerned.
• The use of semen in accordance with a well-established genetic program and Evaluate the results.

The Center is working through 3 main pillars the first is the artificial insemination which concerns of production and distribution of semen (Bovines, sheep, goats), the second pillar is the genetic improvement which concerns of development of artificial insemination programs and their implementation and the last pillar is Genetic improvement which includes the use of the semen in accordance with a genetic program duly established to the objectives of the Ministry and introduction of cryopreservation techniques for the maintenance and development of local breeds bovine, ovine, goat, equine.

The extension of all the activities of the center on the ground is done by 475 contracted inseminators numbered in 42 districts,

Achievements:                

• In the year 2014, outputs fell following the foot - and - mouth epidemic, success rate vs. RIA is between 45 and 48%
• In 2015, the production of bovine semen reached 145527 semen and the export was 28000 in the same year compared by 58200 in 2014.
• In 2016, the Center started production of bovine embryos and genomic testing by using foreign laboratories in cattle exporting countries to Algeria.

The prospect of the center is to:

• Introduction of sexed semen for creating heifers nurseries
• Introduction of the beef semen
• Boost the activity of artificial insemination as the main pillar of the national genetic improvement of dairy cattle program.
• Introduction of new techniques such as testing by genomics and embryo transfer

CNIAAG Contact details: 
Algeria
Centre National de l’Insémination Artificielle et de l’Amélioration Génétique
Haouch Erroussi – BP 10 Birtouta 16045 - Alger
Tel/Fax : + 213 23 40 00 12
Facebook: biotechnology.dz
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Until 2015 there were no technologies for growing pike perch and works on artificial breeding of pike perch for stocking natural water bodies in Kazakhstan. Cultivation of marketable products in pond farms was also not carried out.

In 2015-2017 in order to develop economically effective technological methods of production of pike-planting pike perch material of the Kazakh Research Institute of Fisheries, studies were carried out on the Development of Economically Efficient Technologies for the Cultivation of Valuable Fish Species and Their Introduction at Fish-Breeding Enterprises in Kazakhstan.

During the implementation of the program works, the methods used in pond and industrial fish farming (in genetic, physiological and ichthyopathological studies) have been applied; In the part of fish farming and fodder production - the relevant regulatory and technical documentation and guidelines.

Technological methods of obtaining pike-planting pike perch material have been developed based on the spawning of pike perch in ponds, obtaining eggs, incubating eggs, obtaining larvae, frying young plants, growing juveniles.

In Almaty region, in 2016, the biotech schemes for growing commercial products (two-year-olds and three-year-olds) of pike-perch in a polyculture with Nylon tilapia`s stockyards, two-year-old carp and white amur were carried out. Survival of two-year-old and three-year-old pike-perch was 100%, the average weight of two-year-olds is 250 g, three-year-olds 750 - 800 g, which corresponds to the requirements of the pike perch commodity condition. As a result of experimental cultivation, satisfactory fish productivity values of 50 kg/hectare were obtained for pike perch in ponds. The fish that make up the polyculture (carp and white amur) during the fish-breeding season reached the marketable weight, an additional yield of fish products was obtained for two years of carp and white amur to 500 kg/hectare.

The results of the conducted researches in the Chilik pond farm showed the real possibility of growing pike-perch`s commercial products in polyculture with carp and white amur in conditions of fish farms in the south of Kazakhstan.

Based on the results of the experimental work, recommendations on the cultivation of commercial pike perch in ponds of fish farms in the south of Kazakhstan have been developed. The patent registration for an innovative way of incubation of fertilized caviar of pike perch has been obtained.

Partners: Chilik pond farm (basic fish farm)

Contact information:
LLP "Kazakh Research Institute of Fisheries" (KazNIIRH)
Name and title: Dr. Saule Assylbekova, Deputy General director
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.kazniirh.kz

Slow Economic growth and continuous increase of unemployment, which is now 44% represents the biggest problems and challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such a high unemployment rate is a result of devastating effects that recent conflict and economic transition process had on big employers, state owned holding companies that have been a backbone of Bosnia and Herzegovina economy and provided most of the jobs — working places in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Privatization rather negatively affected these processes since privatized companies didn`t manage to achieve revenue they had before 1992 and many of them are extinguished. With view of it, the Fast Growing Small and Medium Enterprises (FGSMEs) that represent a small percentage of the total number of companies (up to 10%) contribute significantly to the solving of problems by creating between 60% and 75% of new jobs. FGSMEs are also resistant to market recession and don't lose jobs during this period.

Since Sarajevo Macro Region has no sufficient developed business support services oriented to the SME sector, in 2014 Sarajevo Economic Regional Development Agency (SERDA) initiated the solution aiming to foster business expansion of FGSMEs through development of the new services/consultancy for FGSME/SME support in the region.

The solution developed and introduced new specific local economic development tools created for employment and economic growth, including methodology for new jobs creation and provided 15 FGSMEs with the following services:

1. 15 business analysis for FGSMEs;
2. 15 Business consultancies for FGSMEs (management consulting, sales, changes management, support to development of export, financial consolidation, business planning, marketing, Business plan development, support to innovation development, market research, rural development);
3. Of 15 companies that received business analysis, 11 companies receive grants of direct support (up to 50% project contribution), for production tools development, software, innovation development, EU standards introduction, education, equipment, product design, fairs visits).

Owing to the support received the following has been achieved:

• 11 companies has expanded their business. Among them is the FGSME Procedo that has reported 30% job growth in past 12 months (from 24 to 32) and 70% of export increase;
• Strengthened capacities and business expansion of FGSME in pilot municipalities;
• Positive experiences and best practices disseminated and transferred to wider regional area.
• 73 new working places were created;
• Transparency in SME sector increased through transparent financial support to companies that want to increase their business, to purchase new equipment, new software;
• Communication and cooperation among local institutions and B2B developed and supported
• The methodology for identification of FGSME and growth potential has been developed (for local purpose)
  • Local SME sector analysis and set of indicators developed and applied in three municipality/partners
  • Local action plan for support to the SMEs created (three of them) and Guidelines for local action plan on this practice developed (will be used in other municipalities)

Budget: 102,000 euro 

Partners: Association of Business Consultants in BiH – LESPnet, Municipality Vogošća, Municipality Ilijaš, Municipality Novi Grad

Contact information:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo Economic Regional Development Agency (SERDA)
Contact Person: Faruk Cerić
Phone: +387 33 652 935; +387 33 648 686
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Solution: Since its inception, ASAN Xidmət has become a state agency most widely applying the volunteer activity. Volunteerism is the activity undertaken by young people at ASAN Xidmət centers aimed at their self-development and enhancing their knowledge.

Goals and objectives: In order to facilitate employment opportunities for and support undergraduate and graduate ASAN volunteers in building their professional careers, ASAN Xidmət launched a website called ASAN Kadr (www.asankadr.az) in March 2015. This portal creates the bridge between young and experienced persons with distinctive work potential and public and private entities.

Implementation: Every young person between 17-25, both undergraduate and graduate, can apply for volunteerism in ASAN Xidmət. Those, who pass the selection process, undergo two-month volunteer work in ASAN Xidmət centers. Volunteers who successfully complete the contractual obligations are awarded a special certificate and reference by the State Agency and this provides an opportunity for their successful transition to the next phase of their professional life. So far more than 7000 young people have successfully undergone a volunteer activity in ASAN Xidmət centers.

Until 13 April 2016, 2227 CVs of ASAN volunteers have been uploaded on the portal. Moreover, 444 public and private entities have registered to the portal. Altogether 5579 job applications and job interviews have taken place through the portal.

Achievements: It is remarkable that so far 556 professionally distinguished young ASAN volunteers have found employment in ASAN Xidmət centers, other state entities, private companies and enterprises with 268 of them through the ASAN Kadr portal. Information on all volunteers, who have found employment, is regularly updated and their testimonials are placed on the portal.

Replication: The solutoijn can be replicated in countries in need to improve the youth employment system.

Budget: Access to and use of the portal by volunteers and entities are free of charge. Maintaining the portal is done by ASAN Xidmət HR Department, and requires minimum financial resources.

Contact details:  
Azerbaijan, Baku
ASAN Xidmət
Contact person: Mr. Elchin Huseynli
Phone: (+994) 12 444 74 41
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web links:  www.vxsida.gov.az, www.asan.gov.az  

The Romanian Mobility Fund for Governmental Experts is a rapid response financing tool that facilitates the quick transfer of Romanian experts and expertise to Romania’s ODA priority countries, such as Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan in order to meet the ad hoc needs in development sectors in which Romania can bring an added value, by sharing its transition experience to democracy and a market economy. This instrument is addressed to public servants from both Romania and its partner countries.

The Mobility Fund has been designed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania (MFA) in consultation with the UNDP and became operation in the autumn of 2013. The instrument is fully financed form the MFA’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget on an annual basis and is implemented jointly by the UNDP Regional Hub in Istanbul and the MFA.

The Mobility Fund’s focus areas are:

• Transition to democracy (reconstruction of the state, democratic governance, administrative reform, support for the civil society, the media, and conflict resolution);
• Support for agriculture and sustainable economic growth in the climate change context– preferably in the phytosanitary and sanitary and veterinary fields;
• Environment protection and support for activities to promote sustainable energy in the context of the climate changes;
• Health and education (secondary priorities).

The Mobility Fund is an application-based financing instrument, whereby interested representatives of public authorities in Romanian or the ODA partner countries (and in exceptional cases, where the requested expertise cannot be found in public institution, representatives of the private sector and the civil society) can submit their proposal, using a standardised application procedure. Applications for the Mobility Fund are received throughout the year, depending on the availability of funds, and are awarded on the first-come first-served principle, granted that the assistance needs are well justified.

Which are the eligibility criteria?

• The applicants can be Governmental experts from Romania or partner countries (representatives of civil society in exceptional and justified cases, when their expertise could add value to the actions of the Governmental experts);
• The proposal must respond to a direct development need of at least one partner country;
• The activities must have practical objectives and must produce tangible results/deliverables;

Eligible costs: transportation/flight tickets; Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), as per the UNDP list of DSA rates around the world;

What is the application procedure?

The application process lasts up to 15 working days. The complete application must be sent to the UNDP representative with at least 10 working days prior to the event/meeting. Within maxim 5 working days from the receipt of the complete application, the applicant will receive a response to the acceptance or rejection of the application. In the case of acceptance, the flight ticket will be procured by UNDP in the shortest time possible, and the respective DSA will be granted to the successful applicant.

Between August 2013 and April 2016, 31 mobility missions were financed through this mechanism, targeting the following fields of expertise: public health – phyto-sanitary, agriculture, consumer protection; project writing, M&E; market economy; internal affairs and public safety; anti-corruption and justice; child protection; public communication; and education.

The Mobility Fund for Government Experts:

• Offers a low-risk, low-cost and timely solution for scaling up adequate development solutions upon the request and with the ownership of the partner countries, in a complementary manner to the other available funding modalities used by Romania;
• Is well suited for small scale interventions that do not require a more ambitious project or programme-type intervention;
• Is dedicated to development needs that had not been planned/could not have been planned in advance so as to be financed through other financing modalities, such as annual calls for proposals.
• Offers reduced bureaucracy of the application process, with rapid deployments of experts in maximum10 days upon the application submission;
• Can be used as seed funding to assess the potential for partnership development in a partner country.

Budget: 73,000 USD between 2013 and 2016

Contact details: 
Romania
Contact person: Anca Stoica, Romanian ODA Project Manager, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
Phone: +40729660597
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Mobility Fund for Civil Society Experts is a financial instrument facilitating the transfer of expertise and knowledge sharing between civil society experts in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. This financial instrument is administered by the Romanian NGDO platform (FOND) and is fully financed by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

The Mobility Fund was established in 2013, by FOND, in response to the request expressed by the participants at the 2010 Civil Society Forum Romania – Republic of Moldova that aimed at strengthening the cooperation and dialogue between the NGOs from the two countries.

The Mobility Fund for Civil Society Experts includes two types of financial support: funding for individual missions and small grants awarded to NGOs.

What are the eligibility criteria?

Eligible applicants:

• Representatives (individuals) of civil society/academia from Romania and the Republic of Moldova only. An expert can benefit from only one grant per each financial cycle of the Mobility Fund.
• Experts cannot also be awarded any type of professional fee by the organiser/any other third party.
• Moldovan and Romanian NGOs that aim to exchange experience and best practices in development-related fields.

Eligible activities:

• For individual mobility missions of NGOs representatives: seminars, working meetings, mentoring activities, individual consultancy services provided that the applicant serves as resource persons;
• For organizations (small grants): public communication activities relating to European integration, workshops, trainings, study visits for groups of 2-5 people in Romania / the Republic of Moldova, short internship programmes in Romanian organisations.
• Each grant does not exceed the threshold of 5000 USD.

What is the application procedure?

FOND launches the call for individual mobility proposals/small grants. For individual mobility missions, applications are accepted on a rolling basis following the first-come first-served principle. The complete application, including the application form, CV, meeting agenda, a brief overview of the activity must be submitted within 15 days prior to the event. An answer should be received in maximum 5 working days.

The grant is awarded in two tranches and covers transportation, accommodation, meals and other incidentals. For small grants, FOND launches a separate call. The application file must include the application form, registration documents and certificates of the applicant and its partners and the last activity report of the applicants and its partners. A commission composed of representatives of FOND, UNDP and the MFA evaluates the applications.

The Mobility Fund supported approximately 20 individual mobility missions and 10 small projects, between 2013 and 2016.

The Mobility Fund for Government Exerts:

• offers a low-risk, low-cost and timely solution for scaling up adequate development solutions upon the request and with the ownership of the partner countries;
• is well suited for small scale interventions that do not require a more ambitious project or programme-type intervention;
• is dedicated to development needs that had not been planned/could not have been planned in advance so as to be financed through other financing modalities, such as annual calls for proposals.
• offers an effective application process;
• can be used as seed funding to assess the potential for partnership development in a partner country.

Budget: 71,000 USD between 2013 and 2015.

Contact details:  
Romania
Contact person: Adriana Zaharia, Adela Rusu
Phone: +40734325662/0747798582
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Drafting public policies, strategies and action plans in the area of preventing and combating corruption is part of the mandate of the Ministry of Justice.  The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) initiated and coordinated the drafting process of three such strategies. The latest one, the National Anticorruption Strategy (NAS) 2016-2020, was drafted following a complex consultation process of all relevant stakeholders, following the good practice established under the previous strategic cycle (2015-2015). Around 90 civil society organizations, public institutions, companies and business associations were consulted during a 6-month period, resulting in more than 170 drafting proposals. The consultation process was divided in five different platforms, representing: (i) the central public administration; (ii)the independent authorities and anticorruption institutions; (iiI) local public administration; (iv) business sector and (v) civil society. The document entered into force on August 23, 2016.

The strategy made use of the self-assessment report of the implementation of the previous strategy, as well as of an independent external audit report on the results of NAS 2012-2015, undertaken by experts contracted by the OECD.

As an outcome the multidisciplinary strategic document was developed, addressing all public institutions, including the executive, legislative and judiciary, local public administration, business environment and civil society. The strategy represents a real anticorruption agenda that needs to be assumed at the level of all public institutions. It builds on the lessons learned from the previous strategy, while emphasizing the measures and sectors that still require a focused response, such as health, education, public procurement, local public administration, political party financing, whistleblower protection, ethics counseling and revolving doors.

The mechanism of thematic peer review missions at the level of the public institutions will form the bulk of the monitoring process. Evaluation visits will be carried out at the level of public institutions by expert teams composed of representatives of the five cooperation platforms (including civil society), in order to assess their progress in implementing the commitments undertaken in accordance with the programmatic document. Between 2012 and 2015, 83 evaluation missions took place, 17 in the central public administration and 66 in the local public administration. The evaluation visits result in an evaluation report that is published online and complements the self-evaluation procedure envisaged by the strategy.

The Executive summary on the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption on Romania, published on the UNODC website, notes the involvement of the private sector and civil society organizations in the implementation and monitoring of the National Anti-corruption Strategy as an example of success and good practice.

This model of periodically evaluating the implementation of NAS builds trust between NGOs and public institutions and opens dialogue channels that are otherwise neglected or undermined by reciprocal distrust.

The model implemented by the Ministry of Justice in designing strategic documents could be easily transferred in other countries with low trust in the AC efforts to contribute to building ownership of the people over the anticorruption agenda.

Contact details: 
Romania, Bucharest
Contact person: Anca –Luminita Stroe
Romania’s Department for Crime Prevention, Ministry of Justice
Phone: +4037.204.10.60.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://sna.just.ro/

The strategic movement One Village One Product (OVOP) was designed specifically for regional development in Japan and implemented in a number of Southern countries, with Kyrgyzstan being first in Central Asia.

The OVOP concept was adopted and indigenized in Kyrgyzstan by Kyrgyz artisans and local producers under coordination of the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic and with support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a vision to increase incomes and wealth of local communities through value addition to local resources, human capacity development and marketing of high value added products, which would be recognized worldwide.

The uniqueness of the OVOP approach is that oriented to achieve economic development in regions and communities by identifying and further production exclusively from local resources, development of packaging design and labels, followed by quality control, as well as the promotion of local and global markets.

Development of the new regional product involved producers, farmers, Committee members and other regional representatives. Producers are not left alone to find new idea and produce something unique; on the contrary, regional people with joint efforts and together with the project support identify available raw materials in the region, look for historically and traditionally known or regionally and culturally specific products.

Today, the OVOP has more than 1,500 members who make up the Association. About 300 - 400 producers annually make jointly felt souvenirs, which are later exported to Japan and through Japan are available worldwide in Muji shops.

• Use of local resources and the generation/stabilization of income of the villagers, the promotion of local production and the acceleration of regional development, and promoting cooperation among the villages in the area of ​​industrial activity. An example is usage of only natural dyes for felt products using herbs growing in Issyk-Kul region such as sainfoin, yarrow, chiy, husks etc. Utilization of those will enable producers to market final products as regionally specific products.
• Encourage and stimulate local people to make own efforts in development and marketing of regional products, which leads to improvement of their life standards.

The OVOP does not provide any financial means and support for raw material procurement or for transportation expenses. All activities of the producers are business based which contributes for their further sustainable and independent management of their activities.

Initially, the project was piloted Issyk-Kul region. The Ministry of Economy intends to scale-up the model in other areas of Kyrgyzstan.

Tajikistan expressed its interest in replicating the model with an initial study-tour in Kyrgyzstan organized by UNDP Tajikistan. The Deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development from Afghanistan also took part in it. Such elements as joint efforts of producers and the government institutions, continuous communication and information sharing, selecting proper raw materials, understanding customers’ needs, advancing production technology, improving workshops, developing unique design and well-organized production system play a vital role in replicating the model.

Partners: JICA, the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Authorized Representation of the Central Government in Issyk-Kul Region.

Contact details:
Asel Bogombaeva - Chief Specialist of Strategic Planning and Development, Department, the Ministry of Economy
Phone: +996312620535
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UNFPA in Armenia supports various initiatives aiming at reduction of maternal mortality, as well as abortion and infection rates through introduction of modern methods of contraception, improved access to and quality of Reproductive Health/Family Planning services, better antenatal services and care, education of young people on reproductive rights, health, and sexuality issues.

In 2002,UNFPA Armenia in cooperation with the Center for Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology (CPOG) introduced the services of Mobile Gynecologist in hard-to-reach and remote rural areas of Armenia. The Mobile Gynecologist is a fast way of reaching women in labor by mobile gynecologist teams (MGTs) using an ambulance car fitted with the needed equipment. MGTs operate in six cities of five regions in Armenia, namely, Ararat (Ararat region), Armavir (Armavir region) Gavar and Vardenis (Gegharkunik region), Artik (Shirak region) and Spitak (Lori region)). From these base locations the teams are called to remote rural areas whenever there is a difficult case of woman in delivery and a life of woman is endangered.

The MGT consist of highly qualified and trained medical personnel (a gynecologist and a sonographer). Each team utilizes a vehicle that is fully equipped with necessary medical equipment (mobile ultrasound machine, portable Doppler and cardiotocograph machine) and supplies. 

The MGTs were providing antenatal services to approximately 1200 women annually as a part of the regular antenatal public service provision to pregnant women. The establishment of MGTs contributed to:

• Decrease of maternal mortality rate. The maternal mortality was reduced by 20 percent in 2009 and by 70 percent by 2010;
• Helped to address the regional disparities;
• Changed reproductive health services for the better in rural areas;
• Also due to regular visits to communities, signs of cervical and breast cancers and other health issues could be identified at an earlier stage to take preventive measures.

The Mobile Gynecologist model can be replicated in any country to ensure universal assess for care, especially for poor population in remote areas and can serve as an alternative solution to provide access to reproductive public health services in remote communities.

Partners: Republican Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology (Armenia)

Budget: Equipment costs per car $15,000 in addition to the cost of ambulance cars

Contact details: 
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact person: Tsovinar Harutyunyyan, UNFPA Armenia CO Program Analyst
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.