APRP - Water Policy Reform - LIFE-IWRMII Project, Egypt

III. MOBILIZATIONThe EPIQ Water Policy long term expatriate technical assistance team mobilized to Egyptduring June 1997. Mr. Thomas Burola, Administrative Officer, and family, arrived in Cairo onJune 12. Dr. Zhongping Zhu, Senior Water Resources Engineer, arrived in Cairo on June13. Mr. John Priest, Chief of Party, and his wife arrived June 18. Dr. Thomas Ley, SeniorIrrigation Engineer, and family, arrived on June 20. Dr. Dennis Wichelns, Senior WaterEconomist, arrived in Cairo on July 2. The expatriate LTTA team members were initiallyhoused in the Cairo Marriott Hotel. Team members individually sought long term livingaccommodations in various locations of Cairo. Most members of the team had foundapartments and entered into long term lease agreements by early August 1997.Transportation was arranged by the Administrative Officer through a local short term contractfor 3-4 vehicles and 3-4 drivers, depending upon needs. A vehicle was made available forthe Chief of Party, the Administrative Officer, and the remaining technical team members.Communications were facilitated by procurement and provision of cell phones for the Chiefof Party and the Administrative Officer.During the last few days of June and the first week of July, the long term TA team essentiallybegan technical operations and activities (described in the next section) from the MarriottHotel. Beginning July 7, the team temporarily occupied available office space in the NileConsultants offices located at 1/5 Street 216, Digla, Maadi. The team used these facilitiesas its headquarters until early October 1997, when it transferred into renovated office spaceon the 9 th floor of the MPWWR office building in Imbaba.Long term Egyptian experts joined the EPIQ Water Policy Team through the NileConsultants subcontract. Initially, Dr. Bayoumi Attia and Dr. Abdel Fattah Metawie weredesignated to begin working with the Water Policy Team beginning in mid-July. Theseindividuals were called to other posts within the Ministry upon the appointment of hisexcellency, Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, as the new Minister of MPWWR. Subsequently Dr.Ahmed Fakhry Khattab and Dr. Ibrahim Elassiouti joined the EPIQ Water Policy Team, asco-team leader and Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, respectively, at theend of July 1997. Engineer Saleh Nour, consulting Hydrogeologist joined the EPIQ WaterPolicy Team on August 31, 1997.Long term technical assistance for the reporting period is summarized in Appendix 2. Shortterm technical assistance for the reporting period is summarized in Appendix 3.5