On August 9-13, CLDP, in close cooperation with USAID and Iraq’s Ministry of Planning, led a Workshop on Drafting Effective Government Contracts for Iraqi officials. The 15-member delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Planning and included officials from the Ministries of Oil, Housing and Construction, Higher Education, and Water Resources. The workshop is part of CLDP’s multi-year programming with the Ministry of Planning to develop the capacity of officials that represent major procuring entities in Iraq. During the workshop, the delegation participated in simulated negotiations that focused on preventing and managing contractor disputes. The workshop also included best practices for streamlining procurement practices throughout Iraq’s key ministries, in particular, implementing bid-protest mechanisms. In terms of next steps, as the government aims to increase infrastructure development through private public partnerships, CLDP will provide assistance on the technical aspects of such arrangements.