Competitiveness Enhancement & Enterprise Development (CEED)
Implementer: Chemonics International, Inc.
Project period: 09/2005 - 09/2010

The Competitiveness Enhancement and Enterprise Development Project (CEED) is a market demand driven project that seeks to enhance the competitiveness of Moldovan private sector enterprises within the global market with an emphasis on: 1) textile and apparel; 2) information and communications technology; and 3) winemaking. CEED will work to establish a business environment that stimulates sustainable economic growth and promotes capital investment. CEED will also stimulate effective private/public dialogue and pursue transparency, international codes and performance standards.

Over time, CEED will catalyze the establishment of apex trade organizations that will benefit from efficient and effective relationships within sector supply chains and value chains. The goals of the project are to develop new and better paying jobs for Moldovan citizens and to increase revenues for the targeted sectors.

Agribusiness Development Project (ADP)
Implementer: Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA)
Project period: 06/2004 - 06/2009

The Agribusiness Development Project (ADP) is a five year, $12.2 million project representing the second generation of USAID assistance to agricultural development in Moldova. ADP seeks to increase rural incomes and employment in Moldova by improving the international competitiveness and trade performance of the agricultural sector and ensuring that private farmers achieve economic success in the transition to a market economy.

ADP will strengthen Moldova’s high value agricultural sector by addressing four major links of the value chain. It will: 1) ensure agribusinesses have access to market information to penetrate new export markets, diversify product lines and better meet demand; 2) establish and strengthen competitive agribusinesses; 3) improve farmer capacity to produce product volume and quality to sustain competitive exports; and 4)establish producer and industry associations to facilitate cooperation.

To achieve these goals the project provides technical assistance, training and matched grant support to: 1. mid-level, medium and small scale agricultural processors; 2. intermediate valu-adding enterprises along the market chain; 3. service providers related to agricultural exports and activities; 4. farmers that produce or are seeking to produce high-quality products; and 5. agricultural producer and industry organizations.

Agriculture Policy Project

Implementer: Abt Associates, Inc./ACDI/VOCA

Project period: 08/2006 - 02/2008

The project assists the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) of the Republic of Moldova become a modern western institution by developing and implementing a restructuring program for the Ministry.

The program has four major objectives:

1. Develop and adopt a Mission Statement for the MAFI that meets industry, consumer, and public needs through public dialogue with Moldovan agricultural stakeholders.
2. Develop an organizational restructuring plan, based on the international best practices of nearby European states of similar size and profile, and assist the MAFI in fully implementing the plan.
3. Assist the MAFI in drafting a human and financial resources allocation plan including necessary regulations, personnel procedures, financial procedures, procurement procedures, etc. to enable implementation of the reorganization plan. Complete all necessary regulatory changes and conduct training in new procedures.
4. Organize and facilitate public discussion and provide accurate, complete information needed for the public to knowledgeably discuss and provide input to appropriate government officials.

Anti-Trafficking Initiative
Implementer: Winrock International, Inc.
Project Period: 08/2004 - 08/2008

The USAID Anti-Trafficking Initiative will reduce the criminal trade in human beings in Moldova through a comprehensive set of activities focusing specifically on the economic roots of trafficking and improving access for young women and girls to employment within Moldova. The project will provide victim assistance and support services, an effective outreach component, improve access to employment and business opportunities, and implement an awareness enhancement program.

Better Opportunities for Youth and Women in Moldova
Implementer: UNDP
Project Period: 10/2004 – 03/2009

The project will establish a network of self-sustaining transitional living and educational "halfway houses" in Moldova. The purpose of the network is to reduce the vulnerability of returned trafficking victims and state boarding school and orphanage graduates to the criminal trade in human beings in Moldova by providing safe, affordable, supervised learning and living environments where they will have access to life-skills, job and employment training, health services and counseling, and tangible work experience that can prepare them for meaningful employment in Moldova and successful (re) integration into the community.

Western NIS Enterprise Fund
Implementer: Western NIS Enterprise Fund
Project period: 06/1995 - onward

The Western NIS Enterprise Fund, a private equity fund with a management portfolio of $150 million, promotes the expansion and strengthening of privatized Moldovan businesses by providing capital, management and marketing assistance, and information systems for new and/or existing enterprises. The Fund makes equity investments and debt transactions including direct loans to entrepreneurs and lease-financing for equipment and/or property to those companies that demonstrate strong prospects for growth and a high rate of return on investment.

Farmer-to-Farmer – Agriculture Volunteers Program (AVP)
Implementer: Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA) 
Project period: 09/1999 - 09/2007

The Farmer-to Farmer program mobilizes skilled volunteers to assist individual farmers and farmer cooperatives in grassroots initiatives that impact agribusiness development. Roughly 35 volunteers, many of whom have over 20 years of farming and business experience in the U.S, participate every year. Volunteers work side by side with Moldovan farmers in assignments that help local farming communities with strategic marketing, development of farmer cooperatives, assistance with developing budgets and work plans, and training local trainers in financial management and record-keeping. The program works closely with the American Farm Bureau Federation and its Women’s Committee to strengthen the representation of women in agriculture and agribusiness.

Access to Credit Initiative – Moldova
Implementer: The Pragma Corporation
Project period: 09/06 to 09/08

The USAID Access to Credit Initiative will reduce constraints to mortgage lending, expand the availability of capital to borrowers as an alternative to bank financing, and facilitate the growth and development of the leasing industry in Moldova. The program provides: 1) Technical assistance and training to the National Bank of Moldova, private commercial banks engaged in or willing to start mortgage lending market operations, and other associations such as the Moldovan Bankers Association, the Association of Real Estate Brokers, the Associations of Appraisers and etc.; 2) Technical assistance to build corporate bonds, mortgage-backed bonds, and the securitization of other asset pools once appropriate enabling legislation is passed; 3) Technical assistance to the Government of Moldova to develop longer-term Treasury securities for the construction of a long-term Government yield curve; and 4) Technical assistance and training to increase the capacity of existing industry participants including assisting foreign lessors and investors in entering the market; working with local organizations to create new leasing companies; and providing information and training to other market participants such as potential lessees, vendors, banks and insurance companies.

Credit Enhancement Program
Implementers: Moldinconbank, Banca Sociala, Mobiasbanca, Corporatia Finantare Rurala
Project period:10/2003 – 9/2009

This Development Credit Authority (DCA) loan portfolio guarantee facility encourages selected Moldovan banks to grant credit to farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by facilitating access to capital, cash markets, and technical know-how. The DCA provides risk-sharing alternatives for mobilizing private capital in Moldova that overcome major obstacles such as the lack of financing for to micro and small businesses, and small farmers for short, medium- and long- term loans. The program provides critically needed capital and opportunities for Moldova ’s small businesses and farmers. The project provides a $27 million Loan Portfolio Guarantee facility for seven financial institutions: Mobiasbank ($4 million), Moldinconbank ($2million), Banca Sociala ($1 million), and the Rural Finance Corporation ($1 million), Victoriabank ($6 million), Agroindbank ($ 9 million), Fincombank ($4 million).  

Rule of Law
Implementer: American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI)
Project period: 09/1994 - 12/2009

ABA/CEELI works with Moldovan legal institutions, judges, bar associations, students, and lawyers to strengthen the quality and awareness of legal education and legal reforms, with an emphasis on environmental law, public awareness of the legal profession in a democratic society, and judicial reform. CEELI also develops continuing legal education programs with the Collegium of Advocates and the Judicial Training Center of the Republic of Moldova.

Local Government Reform Project
Implementer: The Urban Institute
Project period: 02/2000 - 08/2007

LGRP empowers local governments and assists them in improving fiscal autonomy, efficiency, responsiveness, accountability and transparency. The program builds the capacity of municipal officials to implement reforms and improve delivery of services, and strengthens the capacity of citizens to participate in decision-making by providing training and technical assistance to NGOs in the mobilization of communities, the formulation of community development agendas, effective representation, organization of public hearings and effective participation in municipal affairs. In FY 05 and 06 LGRP training and technical assistance will be expanded to 100 communities and will provide in-kind assistance to approximately 150 demonstration to help communities meet priority areas in their strategic plans including improvements to water, heat, gas and other municipal services.

Strengthening Democratic Political Activism in Moldova (SPA)
Implementer: Consortium for Election and Political Process Strengthening II 
(CEPPS): The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National
Democratic Institute (NDI)
Project period for IRI: 10/2003 – 05/2009 
Project period for NDI: 02/2006 – 02/2009   

Strengthening Democratic Political Activism in Moldova (SPA) addresses the issues of political power, democratic initiatives and leadership skills at the grass-roots level.  The program supports the conditions for political leadership to evolve in communities. It involves local political structures, empowers political activists, and builds democratic practices from the bottom up.
IRI activities focus on:
1. Increasing political activism among men and women, both party activists and independents, particularly at the local level;
2. Augmenting the effectiveness of local political activists and local party members to achieve specific policy objectives (i.e. to achieve progress on issues identified by voters as important); 
3. Strengthening democratic local party structure; and
4. Fostering concrete reforms within party structures at the national level.  

NDI strengthens Moldovan political parties by providing assistance and training in:  
1. Organizing party structures; 
2. Methods and uses of public opinion research; 
3. Recruitment and mobilization of members at the local party level; 
4. Citizen outreach;
5. Developing a policy platform; and
6. Coalition building.

The Moldova Citizen Participation Program
Implementer: International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX)
Project period: 09/2004 - 09/2009

The Moldova Citizen Participation Program (MCPP) will enhance the capacity of citizens throughout Moldova to create tangible and positive change in their own communities through civic activity and democratic practices. The MCPP will mobilize communities throughout Moldova (excluding Chisinau), build the capacity of community activists and NGOs to implement projects that create positive change in the quality of community life, fund local community-based development activities and projects, increase citizens’ knowledge of transparent government processes and procedures, and foster constructive citizen/local government dialogue and partnerships.  At the end of the proposed project local communities throughout Moldova will have addressed a variety of their priority development needs by effectively mobilizing their own resources, selecting and supporting local leadership, and collaborating with a variety of public and private sector entities.

Reform and the Nonprofit Sector
Implementer: The Eurasia Foundation
Project period: 05/1993 - onwards

The Eurasia Foundation grant-making program awarded small grants to strengthen the nonprofit sector’s involvement in reform. Grant proposals are reviewed in business development; business education and management training; economic education and research; public administration and local government reform; NGO development; rule of law; media; and electronic communications.

Community Connections Program
Implementer: World Learning for International Development/Center for Social and Economic Development (CSED)
Project period: 09/2005 – 09/2010

Community Connections (CC) is a U.S. Department of State exchange program being transferred to USAID. It focuses on the public diplomacy goal of exposing participants to U.S. society and promoting reform in Moldova. CC interventions are homestay-based practical opportunities in the U.S. for entrepreneurs, local government, legal professionals, non-governmental organization leaders and other professionals.  Participants are placed with community organizations of similar interest in the U.S. that arrange such activities as hands-on internships with volunteer companies and organizations, site-visits, professional training, seminars, and community-based cultural activities. Community Connections activities will: expose participants to U.S. society; create links between U.S. and Moldovan communities; encourage public-private partnerships in Moldova by including private sector and government participants; and provide professional training and exposure to the day-to-day functioning of a free market system and democratic society.

Strengthening Tuberculosis Control in Moldova
Implementer:  American International Health Alliance (AIHA)
Project period: 10/2003-09/2007

The Strengthening Tuberculosis Control program aims at assisting the GOM in combating the tuberculosis epidemic in Moldova by enhancing the nationwide implementation of the cost-effective Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course strategy (DOTS) approaches for tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment and surveillance procedures. The anticipated results will be reflected in the increased access to quality TB services for vulnerable groups and higher detection and cure rate that would break the spiral of tuberculosis transmission. These results will be achieved through the implementation of four components involving DOTS-based policies and practices that will: 1)establish a National TB Laboratory Network to diagnose infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, 2) improve human resource capacity and disease control services within the general health system, particularly at the primary health care level, strengthening the system’s capacity to initially detect YB suspects and provide post-hospital treatment and care, 3) improve TB surveillance, 4) increase public awareness on TB issues.

Preventing HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B & C in Moldova
Implementer: Emerging Markets Group, Ltd.
Project Period:06/2006-06/2010

The goal of the program is to decrease the transmission of HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis B and C through cost-effective preventive measures, and ultimately contribute to reducing the public health risk of these diseases. The program has five major objectives:
1. Strengthen voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services for HIV/AIDS to meet WHO and UNAIDS standards and expand VCT capacity to integrate viral hepatitis B and C services throughout Moldova;
2. Strengthen programs in behavior change communications (BCC) in order to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B & C, as well as to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS; 
3. Improve the safety of blood and blood products in Moldova, especially to ensure that blood supplies are  free of HIV and hepatitis B & C;
4. Strengthen the laboratory capacity to diagnose Hepatitis B and C, and improve epidemiological surveillance in Moldova;
5. Improve guidelines and update safe medical practices in accordance with international standards to reduce cross-contamination with HIV and viral hepatitis in health care facilities and support the implementation of those practices.

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