USAID project at the finish line after COVID hiatus

AMMAN — After the COVID hiatus, USAID’s “Sustainable Cultural Heritage Through Engagement of the Local Communities Project” (SCHEP), which began in 2014, completed most of its projects, SCHEP chief of party John Shearman told The Jordan Times.

“We got an extension last August through February 7, 2024,” Shearman said, adding that the last phase of the project is under way. 

The plan is to receive another long-term grant from USAID or other organisations in order to start new projects and continue SCHEP’s four ongoing subprojects.

“The first one is Amman Citadel Project, which links the citadel with the Roman theatre downtown,” Shearman underlined. The initiative aims to create a tourist trail while involving the local community and providing them with the opportunity to increase their current business or launch new businesses as the trail attracts a greater volume of tourists.

The SCHEP team has completed two phase: analysis and design. They have also created an archaeological field school for up and coming archaeologists on the citadel’s south slope.

“We decided to do a hydrology study there for drainage because some of stone walls have showed signs of moisture retention,” Shearman said, adding that SCHEP also did topography and stability studies, and designed structures accordingly, which will be presented to the Department of Antiquities (DoA).

SCHEP, along with the DoA, is preparing to publish The Jordan Heritage Strategy booklet. Along with the booklet, they will organise workshops and training sessions for the DoA and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities staff.

“We are also working with International Council on Monuments and Sites [ICOMOS] for Jordan, and the goal is to make them sustainable,” Shearman said.

“The idea is for local stakeholders to continue monitoring the sites and completed projects. ICOMOS Jordan is very important in terms of conservation,” Shearman emphasised, adding that the strategy is a group effort between the USAID’s SCHEP and local policy-makers and experts.

SCHEP, along with other stakeholders, is also working on The Jordan Heritage Portal project. “There is a lot of shared information and many events, and right now, that material will be translated into English,” Shearman said. Also on the portal, young people can find information about scholarships and job opportunities. 

“I strongly believe that Jordanians can do their own conservation, but they need field experience,” Shearman said.