Findings & Revised Scope of Work
Prepared for EU Delegation Iraq | August 2025
The Core Challenge to Digitalisation
Technical constraints (unstable power, outdated IT, limited digital capacity) are significant but secondary. The primary constraint is political will and entrenched institutional interests, producing fragmentation, risk aversion, and overlapping mandates.
SIGNIFICANT, BUT SECONDARY
Technical Challenges
- Unstable power supply
- Outdated IT infrastructure
- Limited digital capacity
Relative weight: ~60%
PRIMARY CONSTRAINT
Political Will & Institutional Interests
- Competing mandates & incentives
- Risk aversion & veto players
- Fragmented governance
Relative weight: ~100%
Reform Priorities
Consultations highlight legal reform as top priority, with gaps in PPP contracts, infrastructure, and institutional alignment forming interlocking barriers that must be tackled concurrently.
Bridging the Strategic Gap
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) focus on profitable, transactional services but cannot function without digitised archives. The MULK project is uniquely positioned to fill this non-revenue-generating "missing middle," creating the foundation upon which modern, fee-based systems can be built.
Undigitised Archives
Costly & Labour-Intensive
THE BRIDGE: MULK Project
Pilots, Standards, & Capacity
PPP Transactional Systems
Sales, Mortgages, Inheritance
Revised Strategy & Budget Realignment
Digitisation pilots (Erbil then Baghdad) and CSO engagement form the anchors of delivery. Legal enablement and e‑cadastre readiness ensure sustainability and scale‑up.
Phased & Adaptive Implementation
Phase 1 launches where buy‑in is strongest; Phase 2 scales federally as conditions allow. Quarterly adaptive reviews align with political milestones.
PHASE 1
Launch Digitisation Pilot in Erbil
Establish a proof of concept. Prioritise standards, quality control, cybersecurity, and CSO monitoring from day one.
PHASE 2
Extend to Baghdad
Scale once disputes ease and institutional conditions allow. Apply lessons from Erbil to accelerate rollout.
CSO Embedding
Citizen accountability embedded in both pilots.
Coordination
Regular EU–UN‑Habitat–GoI/KRG meetings.
Adaptive Planning
Quarterly reviews tied to political milestones.
Communication
Success stories & transparent reporting.
Implementation Mapping to Four Objectives
IMMEDIATE & PARALLEL
Objective 1 – Policy & Legal Reform
Support amendments to Law 43 (1971), e‑signature implementation, and legal recognition of scanned archives.
Objective 2 – Civil Society Engagement
Embed CSOs in pilots for monitoring, inclusion, and accountability.
PHASED PILOTS
Objective 3 – Digitisation of Records
Standards‑based archive digitisation centres (Erbil → Baghdad).
Objective 4 – E‑Cadastre Foundations
Data readiness, interoperability, and GIS integration roadmap.