The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
•
the
persistent lack of co‑ordination between the Iraqi Government
and
international
partners, and between international partners.
151.
Staff and
contractors developed a number of approaches to managing the
risks
inherent in
working in such an environment:
•
using
innovative techniques to deliver projects, such as working through
local
Iraqi
contractors, using the military (who were more frequently able to
visit
project
sites) to manage and monitor projects, and helping the Ministry
of
Finance to
set up an office inside the International Zone in Baghdad within
which
international
consultants could work;
•
systematically
tracking poor performance;
•
adapting
delivery methods to reduce fiduciary risk; and
•
building
clear exit strategies into projects, including dedicating
significant effort
to bringing
in other donors.
152.
The Inquiry
recognises the dedication and skill of the staff and contractors
who
worked in
Iraq, often in discomfort and at personal risk.
153.
Witnesses to
the Inquiry and contemporary documents identify three areas
in
particular
where the UK had made a significant contribution to Iraq’s
reconstruction:
•
building
Iraqi capacity at the centre of government (including the
Prime
Minister’s
Office and the Cabinet Office), and strengthening the
linkages
between
Baghdad and the provinces;
•
building
the capacity of the provincial administration in Basra;
and
•
building
the capacity of successive Iraqi Governments to manage the
economy
(including
the launch of a new Iraqi currency in 2003) and engage
effectively
with the
International Monetary Fund.
154.
The Inquiry
met a number of senior Iraqi politicians and officials, and
asked
them for
their views on the UK’s reconstruction effort. DFID’s focus on
building Iraqi
Government
capacity to plan and manage was recognised and welcomed. That
was
contrasted
with short‑term activities, including building schools and
hospitals, which Iraq
could do
for itself.
155.
In Basra, the
Inquiry was told that there was little to show for the
UK’s
reconstruction
effort. A small number of projects were identified as continuing to
have a
positive
impact, including:
•
training in
the UK delivered by the PRT;
•
job
creation programmes supported by DFID; and
•
improvements
to the sewerage system supported by the UK military.
552