DURABLE COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES – TAHFEEZ
PROVINCES
Anbar, Baghdad, Basrah, Dohuk, Erbil, and Ninewa
LIFE OF ACTIVITY
June 2020 – August 2025
USAID FUNDING
$125 million
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER
Chemonics International
GOALS
The two-track USAID Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) project, known in Arabic as Tahfeez, meaning “encouragement,” builds resilient, adaptive communities and advances economic well-being in target communities in Iraq. USAID addresses underlying drivers of conflict, increases community leadership of inclusive local development, improves private sector networks, and increases micro, small, and medium-size enterprise (MSME) development.
Business Competitiveness and Job Creation Initiative
Tahfeez enables MSMEs to identify barriers to growth and advocate collectively for business-friendly policy changes. As the name Tahfeez implies, the project provides young Iraqi entrepreneurs with tailored consulting and advisory services, including cutting-edge business incubation services and in-kind grants. Tahfeez works with Iraqi business associations, business development centers, and financial institutions to strengthen private sector networks, apply international best business practices, and advocate for improved access to financing.
100 Solutions For Sustainability
Tahfeez enables communities impacted by conflict to identify and resolve tensions peacefully through facilitated and inclusive community dialogue. The project fosters long-term local stability with technical assistance, including capacity-building and support tailored to each community’s needs, such as improving public services and infrastructure and building youths’ skills.
IMPACT
- $3.7 million provided to MSMEs, increasing revenues by 80%.
- Enhanced social cohesion by 85% among 3,200 individuals.
- Trained over 4,450 entrepreneurs and farmers in business development. About half of youth participants got jobs.
- Reduced farmers’ production costs by 50%.
- $42.6 million invested in local firms, creating 5,650 jobs.
- Facilitated an $85 million lending program for Iraqi MSMEs.
- Conducted community-led activities with 16 CSOs in 12 communities across four provinces, helping improve social cohesion and resilience.
- Finalized 21 activities in 12 communities to sustainably mitigate conflict drivers by creating 7 local groups and initiatives, engaging 7,800 people in 4 provinces; half were women.
- Provided training and mentorship to 18 CSOs and 94 emerging leaders to cultivate sustainable community advocacy.
