The overall objective of the project is to enhance the efficiency of agricultural production, processing and marketing to increase income and employment of the population in the Kyrgyz Republic. The services include: Analysis of the prospects for fostering development of agricultural marketing cooperatives and identification of reforms in the agricultural research system, which could contribute to improved marketing of agricultural and food commodities. The direct project objective of the consultancy services is to provide inputs for the preparation of the Agribusiness and Marketing Project document to be formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Industrial Processing (MAWRIP).

The goal is to improve the sustainability and equity of drainage and irrigation services, particularly for poor farmers. The purpose is to identify and formulate appropriate pricing systems and cost-recovery mechanisms that reflect the ability and willingness of farmers to pay.

The study is expected to not only serve the Kyrgyz Republic but also be relevant to other countries, particularly in Central Asia, in determining and recommending pricing schemes and cost-recovery mechanisms for drainage and irrigation systems. The TA will have four outputs:

• Current cost and revenue of drainage and irrigation services will be determined,
• Ability and willingness to pay for water and drainage and irrigation services assessed,
• A set of alternative pricing systems and cost-recovery mechanisms for irrigation infrastructure investment and O&M (operation and maintenance) suitable for WUAs developed, and
• Information gathered disseminated.

Key services included the following:

• Review the key literature on pricing systems and cost-recovery mechanisms in relevant countries; and key policy documents and legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic, including various decrees, Law on Water, Law on Water User Associations, and draft water code, to determine the current legal framework and identify any issues;
• Analyse DWR (Department of Water Resources) costs and revenues from the national to village levels to determine the ability to fund off-farm O&M;
• Review the development of WUAs under the On-Farm Irrigation Project and Agriculture Area Development Project to identify the various practices with respect to pricing systems and cost-recovery mechanisms;
• Conduct a field survey of up to four drainage and irrigation systems to determine the costs of water, O&M and capital investment;
• Formulate and propose alternative pricing systems and cost-recovery mechanisms to remove the key constraints on willingness and ability to pay, and take into consideration the final beneficiaries real ability to pay. The costs and benefits of each alternative will be identified and evaluated

The project objectives were aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods for rural citizens in the Kyrgyz Republic that will contribute to a reduction in rural poverty and reduction of rural outward-migration. The project identified coping strategies and income generation activities, which could be exploited, in a sustainable way, by livestock producing communities. This included: 1) identification of mechanisms for the development and support of sustainable income generation in livestock, crops and off-farm business; 2) improvement of the access to services for small scale rural producers (i.e. access to advise, training, inputs, transport, markets and market information, work with water users associations); 3) development of the local capacity to support livelihood and community development initiatives; 4) improvement of the capacity of community groups and organisations; 5) dissemination of information to other donors, government, other NGOs at oblast and national level.

To create a seed sector in Kyrgyzstan, which works according to internationally accepted standards, enabling it to produce high-quality seeds of improved varieties for Kyrgyz farmers. The specific objectives for sub-component A are to 1) strengthen institutional and regulatory structures and services relating to the seed industry, through a process of capacity enhancement, rationalisation and restructuring; 2) raise the operational standards of certification and quality control services to international OECD, ISTA, UPOV and ISF standards; 3) improve seed farms’ management practices and techniques in order to improve output and quality as well as operational and financial performance; 4) improve seed processing and marketing services so as to create a competitive situation in which farms have a choice; 5) make available quality seed or rootstocks of other crops while improving production and marketing (refers to non-cereal crops).

The specific objective for sub-component B is to develop and implement a plant-breeding program, with the aim of producing new commercial varieties in a few selected crops and attracting a new generation of plant breeders.

Drawing up Terms of Reference for development of systems, methods and procedures for preparation of the annual Public Investment Program in Agricultural Sector (ASPIP). This includes the following:

• Preliminary analyses of existing systems, methods and procedures.
• Preparation of brief review of foreign experience.
• Formulation of role and tasks of ASPIP in the process of PIP preparation and identification of mechanisms in order to integrate development of ASPIP into PIP development.

Development of the assignment for preparation of proposals on organisational development of the Ministry. Development of the assignment for preparation of personnel training in new methods and procedures for preparation of ASPIP and linking it with drafting the budget.

The main objective of the present impact assessment is to determine how the RFP II activities and resources impacted the rural people and whether and how the overall goals and specific objectives of the project were achieved. Further, the assignment will identify the critical issues that affected project implementation as part of lessons learned. The work also will cover assessment of the sustainability of achieved results. The impact of the project will be assessed against the initial project objectives as described in the Project Design Summary in the Project Appraisal Document. The final report under the assignment will contribute to the Implementation Completion Report to be prepared by the World Bank Team at the closing of the Project.

The goal of the TA is to facilitate the adoption of a PBA to develop a market-oriented agriculture sector. The purpose is to develop a policy, strategy, and action plan for agriculture to 2015. To achieve these objectives the TA will have the following components and key outputs:

• For policy development, the TA will support identification and elaboration by the Government of its vision for agriculture and the priority policy areas, drawing on the Comprehensive Development Framework, the National Poverty Reduction Strategy, and Agrarian Policy Concept.
• For strategic planning, the TA will support preparation of a medium-term strategy (2015), by means of which the agreed policies can be effected. A series of action plans will provide the basis for the implementation of the strategy and a mechanism for the monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the plans will be developed.
• For aid coordination and cooperation, aid agencies will seek to agree on a set of principles for their support to the sector and will seek endorsement of these by the Government so that they feed into the setting of policy and strategy development.

Specific services provided by our company:

• Review the development trends and performance in the agriculture sector since independence, and identify key issues for and constraints to future development of the sector. The review should include the crosscutting issues of poverty, gender (especially land allocation, marketing, access to credit, etc.), institutional development and governance, and the environment.
• Carry out a comprehensive sector analysis structured within the agreed analytical framework based on available information, and extensive dialogue with Government, the aid community, the private sector, foreign joint venture companies, farmer groups, nongovernmental organizations, and individual farmers through direct dialogue and stakeholder workshops.
• Carry out an initial review of legislation and determine the extent to which this supports the priority policies, and identify necessary modifications to legislation and any new legislation needed to support the policies.
• Prepare an overview of all development partner strategies, programs, and projects to facilitate matching with the policy and strategy being developed.
• Develop an effective participatory approach for the formulation, preparation, and consensus building of a medium term sectoral strategy.

The wider objective of the project is to arrest desertification in the North Aral Sea Region, through promotion of sustainable stewardship of water resources in the Aral basin, thereby enhancing rural livelihoods while protecting the environment. Specific objectives are the: 1) increase of the efficiency of water use in Kyzylorda oblast by crop diversification and improved crop and water management; 2) promotion of environmentally friendly means of poverty reduction & employment generation in Kyzylorda oblast; 3) Enhancing of water resource management decision-making in the Syr Darya basin. In addition, the EDIKO project has result in a number of studies including a comparative economic and agronomic study of rice production, the identification of viable alternative agricultural crops to rice and a Syr Darya agricultural irrigation water use environmental impact study for Kyzylorda Oblast.

The project addressed some of the most crucial issues in Kazakh forestry. The tentative agenda included strengthening the national forest management system, rehabilitation of the north-eastern Irtysh forest vegetation of the dry Aral Seabed and improved rangeland management in saxaul woodlands of the southern Kyzyl-Orda oblast.

The community involvement consultancy is to provide advice on the design of participatory guidelines, processes, and other arrangements required for this involvement. Special efforts were required to keep expectations for the project realistic and grounded in an understanding of the current attitudes, behaviours, and experience with Kazakhstan that is related to participatory natural resource management.

The purpose of this contract is to provide economic expertise as part of the project team for the collection and analysis of economic and financial information related specifically to the investments proposed under the project, and to contribute to the design of the project for preparation of a project implementation plan and associated background studies on the proposed 6-year Kazakhstan Forest Protection and Reforestation Project.

To create a seed sector in Tajikistan, which works according to internationally accepted standards, enabling it to produce high-quality seeds of improved varieties for Kyrgyz farmers. The specific objectives for sub-component A are to 1) strengthen institutional and regulatory structures and services relating to the seed industry, through a process of capacity enhancement, rationalisation and restructuring; 2) raise the operational standards of certification and quality control services to international OECD, ISTA, UPOV and ISF standards; 3) improve seed farms’ management practices and techniques in order to improve output and quality as well as operational and financial performance; 4) improve seed processing and marketing services so as to create a competitive situation in which farms have a choice; 5) make available quality seed or rootstocks of other crops while improving production and marketing (refers to non-cereal crops).

The specific objective for sub-component B is to develop and implement a plant-breeding program, with the aim of producing new commercial varieties in a few selected crops and attracting a new generation of plant breeders.

The main objective of the ADTA us to assist the government in resolving accumulated farm debts and promoting, implementing and monitoring the policy reforms, particularly in farm privatisation, land reform, agriculture marketing and water resources management. The ADTA develops a debt resolution strategy based on the review of all contracts that have resulted in accumulated debts, and helps to establish debt amounts to be written off or rescheduled. The consultants undertook the following main tasks:

• Assistance in Resolving Accumulated Farm Debts;
• Agriculture Marketing, Support Services and Cotton Grading;
• Water Resource Management;
• Information Awareness Campaign.

The project conducted review of Tajik legislation on real estate rights, land code, land reform, leasing, mortgage, state property, civil code, water code, water users associations, tax, local government and drafting of policy and legal reform proposals on above subject matters, including outlines for real estate law, land law and WUA law, and the impact of land reform of the situation in agriculture and privatisation process as well as the effectiveness of the land reforms.

The overall objective of the project is to support the economic and social development of vulnerable populations in Tajikistan's South Western region in a participatory and sustainable way by improving the access of newly privatized farmers and other rural businesses to information/training and advice.

The project is aimed at the establishment of an integrated advisory /information /training system for farmers and rural businesses. This must be capable of responding to the needs of farmers and rural businesses identified through a bottom up approach. These needs will be expanded and prioritized following an Information/Training Need Analysis and Labour Market Analysis carried out to the project. This analysis will provide the basis for structuring the Rural Advisory Center in the Ministry of Agriculture, the RAC in the region and the Advisory/information Centers in full partnership with the relevant national and local government offices and community groups.

The objectives of this contract are to establish and support ‘catchment based’ integrated water resource planning and management bodies in pilot transboundary areas; to optimise water allocation & demands for planning horizons of five and subsequent ten years. The resource planning and management will take account of the national development strategies, such as that enunciated in “Kazakhstan 2030”; to reduce water logging and land degradation through coupled management of shallow ground water and surface water, including management of irrigation water; To develop conjunctive use of shallow and deep groundwater with surface water resources for drought alleviation within pilot transboundary areas.

West Tian Shan Interstate Biodiversity Project seeks to assist the three countries to develop sustainable approaches to preserving the biodiversity of the region. The project focuses on three key outcomes as a means of ensuring that sustainable development occurs: 1) to reinforce, harmonise and support the implementation of the legal framework relevant to environmental conservation in the three partner countries; 2) to carry out a programme of training and professional development to increase the skills and knowledge of the stakeholders, in order to protect the biodiversity and landscape of the West Tian Shan and to ensure sustainable and economic development; 3) to develop mechanisms and to implement plans to enable cross-border co-operation among protected areas, forestry and local authorities to create an integrated approach to the management and monitoring of the territories of the West Tian Shan. The areas of project operation in four protected areas: Sary-Chelek and Besh Aral (Kyrgyz Republic), Aksu Djabagaly (Kazakhstan), and Chatkal (Uzbekistan). The project covered: Sustainable Tourism, Marketing of Local Products, Alternative Farming Opportunities, Recreation Use of Forestry, Public Awareness and Environmental Education.