USAID Helps Village Council Members Learn Leadership Skills
The government's National Institute for Public Administration (INAP) has begun its nationwide training program for newly elected village council members with support from USAID. In a recent session, 34 representatives from 7 local councils learned more about their roles and responsibilities in leading their communities. The participants, including 22 women, gained management, decision-making, and administrative skills. They also learned how to collect and update basic demographic data about their villages for use at different levels of government. INAP's training program targets the council members from all 442 of Timor-Leste's villages. (March 21, 2006)

MCC Delegation Meets Government, Public, and Private Sector on Compact Process
A senior delegation from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) visited Timor-Leste earlier this month for preliminary discussions on Timor-Leste's new status as a compact-eligible country. The team held top-level meetings to discuss the process of developing a Millennium Challenge Account country compact. In addition, the delegation gave an overview of the compact process to government ministers and representatives from civil society, the private sector, and the donor community. (March 21, 2006)

USAID Joins Other Donors in Budget Support Evaluation
USAID participated in a recent supervisory mission to monitor the progress of the Consolidation Support Program (CSP). CSP provides a framework and agreed benchmarks for grant-financed budgetary support for Timor-Leste's government in FY 2006, 2007, and 2008 as it implements its National Development Plan. CSP focuses on three thematic pillars: service delivery for poverty reduction, job creation, and good governance. Gender and monitoring/evaluation have received special attention as cross-cutting issues. Progress was highlighted in poverty reduction and good governance, although the mission noted slower progress in job creation. Some benchmarks fell short in budget execution and timely procurement for construction projects. (March 21, 2006)

Future Veterinarians Gain Marketable Agriculture Skills
Through its support of a local agricultural NGO, USAID is helping Timor-Leste's future veterinarians learn effective animal husbandry and horticulture skills to improve livestock production while reducing negative environmental impacts. In recent training sessions, 80 students learned how to convert livestock manure into organic fertilizer. They also learned the relationship between fertilizer application, more nutritious fodder, and increased quality and quantity of livestock. USAID-funded agricultural projects such as this one help Timor-Leste's farmers improve their skills and expand the country's agricultural economy. (March 21, 2006)

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