Iraq: Housing & complementary job creation

Summary

The European Union funded, "Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation (BEIT): Towards Decent Work and Affordable Housing in Iraq" project, jointly executed by ITC, UN-Habitat, and ILO aims to generate quality jobs by enhancing the housing and construction sector. Specifically, this EU-funded initiative targets economic growth through job creation and the development of affordable, sustainable housing in Iraq.

ITC's role, leveraging its strengths, focuses on two main areas: i) strengthening the construction sector's value chain by organizing stakeholders, particularly MSMEs, and improving their sustainable practices, and ii) enhancing governance and regulatory frameworks in the construction sector to attract more investments.

In shaping BEIT proposal for the housing and construction sector, we applied a Market systems development  (MSD) approach, placing a strong emphasis on understanding the interconnected components of the market system. Our research involved analyzing the intricacies of supply chains and demand trends, and we identified systemic barriers hampering market efficiency. We engaged extensively with various stakeholders such as local firms, government bodies, and consumers to understand their unique perspectives and challenges. A critical aspect of our research was examining the regulatory framework, identifying areas for improvement to enhance local firm competitiveness and ease both inputs and market access.