Community Action Program III (CAP III) is a two-year, $56.1 million project in Baghdad and Baquba fostering democratic principles at the grassroots level. International Relief & Development (IRD) brings together Iraqi citizens into Community Action Groups (CAGs) and then gives them the opportunity to work together with local governments to prioritize and communicate community needs such as repairing clinics and electricity supplies. In this way, CAP III will help set up systems for citizens to participate in local governance and local governments to be more responsive to their constituents, even after CAP III itself has finished.

CAP III is unique in encouraging communities to choose the projects and activities that will most benefit them. It also facilitates participation, buy-in, and cost share from local governments in order to ensure project sustainability and government response to residents’ needs. Local councils provide a crucial link between communities and national resources and provide a forum for CAGs to advocate their concerns and obtain government funding.

Through CAP III, IRD will work with more than 100 CAGs and another 130 local councils, providing training in different areas such as leadership, transparency and anti-corruption, advocacy, project design and monitoring, budgeting, and roles and responsibilities. These trainings help build the skill-sets of local officials, increasing their effectiveness in bringing central government resources to improve their communities. The program is scheduled to continue through March 2010.

CAP III funds infrastructure and essential services projects including building or repairing roads, markets, schools, and water/sewage networks; business development program grants to small businesses; and assistance to civilian victims of conflict. The goal is for CAGs and councils to cooperate on major projects as well as day to day civic operations.

Another important aspect of CAP III is the support it provides to civilian victims of conflict, including both short-term medical aid for injuries and longer-term grants for business development.
CAP III follows up from the two-year CAP II project in Baghdad.

Under CAP II, IRD completed 1,179 projects worth over $26 million and benefiting over 12 million Iraqis. These projects created 12,687 long term and 12,992 short term jobs. This included the construction or rehabilitation of nearly 500km of roads, 48 schools, 81 hospitals and clinics, 17 sports facilities, five sanitation and sewer projects, and various other facilities including parks, fire stations, markets and community centers.

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