Community Engagement Program (CEP)

The USAID Community Engagement Project (USAID CEP) is designed to strengthen Jordanian community organizations and local government efforts to meet local needs in three governorates: Irbid, Mafraq and Tafileh. The CEP project brings together community members, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and local government to jointly identify and implement activities that improve quality of life within their communities. CEP will establish and support volunteer groups representing all community members in these areas, including women, youth, government, business, tribal, and religious leaders. The groups will identify their needs and create their own plans to address the development challenges before them which may include initiatives to improve waste collection; the establishment of parks and youth centers; provision of job training for young people; and small scale infrastructure improvements such as school rehabilitation and road repairs. CEP will also support local public and private-sector organizations by improving their ability to implement projects that address community needs and strengthen their relationships and participation with citizens, through training them on management, finance, accounting and communication skills.

As a local subcontractor, Al Jidara’s role is focused on several key component activities which include the following:  Gender, Capacity Building, Regional Program Management for Mafraq and Regional Coordination in all three governorates.

Capacity Building activities include training and capacity building, developing relationships with Jordanian training institutions,  assessment of local organizations who would benefit from capacity building support, oversee the implementation of capacity building plans, identify opportunities for joint training, and coordinate and plan for one-on-one-mentoring.

Regional Program Management in Mafraq. Al Jidara is responsible for planning and implementing all program interventions in the governorate in collaboration with the local communities and authorities, and leading a regional team of community facilitators, grants coordinators and other local staff.  This regional program management function provides the strategic vision and leadership for the program in Mafraq, maintains a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities between partners, and responds to changing conditions in the areas of operation. 

Regional Program Coordination. Al Jidara Program Coordinators for Irbid, Mafraq, and Tafila governorates liaise with local government officials at the governorate and municipal level, and NGOs, and assist with planning, coordination and logistics of events, conferences, and seminars. Program Coordinators also provide support to research, and other tasks as assigned. 

Gender integration ensures that gender is mainstreamed across program components and that all program activities benefit women and men equally. This component aims to promote mainstreaming of gender issues into content of training modules and certificate curricula, trains a cadre of male and female trainers, and reaches out to women from various sectors to take part in capacity building activities, and support community media in producing gender-sensitive content. We also support the establishment of a gender-segregated database that includes information on access to resources and knowledge of these resources by men and women, defines power relations, and the perception and roles of men and women in each community. Our work also ensures that community engagement teams are mixed-sex teams, and that social dialogue takes place in venues and at times that are suitable for women to take an active part in.

Monitoring and Evaluation:  The M&E Coordinator works closely with the technical team to ensure accurate, timely, and effective reporting of all program activities. 

Program Management: Al Jidara provides short-term technical assistance in core areas of expertise including M&E, capacity building and training, local economic development, institutional development, and other areas as required.