Friday, 7 August 2009
The Governing Council of Millenium Challenge Account-Armenia SNCO met at the Office of Government, presided at by GC Chairman, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
The Council discussed and approved the beneficiaries’ analysis of the revised MCA-Armenia monitoring and evaluation plan. While revising the plan, the MCA-Armenia was guided by the following key considerations: to reveal the influence of the change in volume on the number beneficiaries, to harmonize MCA-Armenia’s approaches to the beneficiary calculation with the requirements of the new manual. As a result of the analysis, the MCA-Armenia expects that under the agreement the overall number of beneficiaries will stand at 427.763 in 310 communities.
The Council endorsed the contract signed between the MCA-Armenia and ACDI/VOCA MoT McDonald and VISTAA Plus, which stipulates participation of 45 thousand persons in retraining courses regarding inter-farm water management, 36.000 of which will be provided retraining in the sphere of high-value agriculture, too. Participation in the retraining will increase the number of those farms meeting market demand, which in turn is feasible by means of corresponding infrastructures available. To this end, the Consultant will promote the establishment of a sustainable market delivery network chiefly by means of collection outlets and consolidation centers. The Prime Minister instructed the stakeholders to cooperate with regional agricultural colleges and the regional centers of agricultural support.
MCA-Armenia CEO Ara Hovsepyan made a report on the subject. Among other documents, he submitted the draft of the national policy and strategy on irrigation and drainage systems, which seeks to contribute to effective and continuous development of agriculture by means of necessary institutional bases.
Tigran Sargsyan appreciated the document and charged the Ministry of Territorial Administration in its capacity of coordinating body to discuss the paper in order to sum up the observations and proposals made, as well as to establish the order of acceptance. According to the schedule, the draft of the national policy and strategy on irrigation and drainage systems will be approved by November 20, 2009.
The meeting stressed the need for amending the structure of the SNCO in parallel to the fast growth of activity volumes.
In conclusion, the Council made a number of appointments, approved the revised procurement plan and the contract on construction of 4 gravity systems in Aigezard, Shenik, Mantash and Vardenis.
