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• Size: 33,700 sq. km

• Population: 4.7 mln, 54% rural

• GNP per capita: US$ 410, the poorest country in Europe

• 55% of population poor

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• Started as a pilot in Dec. 1998• Credit effective since Aug. 1999• Five year project• Cost: US $ 20 million

IDA: US $ 15 million

Sida: US $ 1.25 million

GoM: US $ 1.25 million

Communities: US $ 2.0 million

Soros Moldova: US $ 0.5 million

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• Empowerment of poor rural communities by strengthening their capacities in community decision-making and management

• Improvement of the quality of basic social and economic services for the poor rural populations in Moldova

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• Social Services: education (schools, kindergartens, early child education) health (PHC, health education etc)

• Communal Services: water/sanitation, gas supply, roads/bridges, environment etc.

• Targeted Programs: children social development, de-institutionalization

• Community Development programs

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• Philosophy: work together to solve common problems, community solidarity

• Mechanism: grants up to US $ 75,000, creation of CBOs, technical assistance, training, post-investment phase

• Criteria: ownership, participation, investment sharing and sustainability

• Result: better community services and human/social capital development

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• Information dissemination, community facilitation

• Training and technical assistance• Financial support up to 85% of the micro-

project cost• Monitoring, norms and standards• Innovation (new heating technologies,

space utilization, alternatives to residential care etc.)

• Fund raising

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• Organization of community meeting (30% of adult population)

• Prioritization of problems, finding solutions, selection of implementing agency (40% women)

• Collecting community investment (15% of total cost)

• Monitoring implementation (quality of works, scheduled of programs etc.)

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• Preparation of proposals • Signing grant agreement• Procurement of contractors and TA,

signing contracts• Supervision of implementation, signing off

payments, ensuring quality of works and services, progress reports to community

• Ensuring sustainability, management

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• Community facilitation (PRA)• Training: proposal writing, community

action plan development, procurement, fund raising and management

• Technical Assistance: legal advice, registration, preparation of project design, work with central and local government etc.

• Round table discussions, seminars, contact with other development agencies

• Community newsletter “ Renovation”

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• CBO prepares 2 year development action plan (including O&M)

• Performance benchmarks agreed with the SIF• SIF post-investment grant to match every $ of

privately raised money for implementation of action plan

• Follow on projects with DFID funding

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• About 1,000 villages visited by facilitators• 125 CBOs created, 16 % participation• 115 micro-projects completed, covering

about 10% of rural population • Total community investment about US $

2.0 mln, including US$0.5 mln post-SIF• Post SIF grants: 10 communities Dutch

grants for SBS program• About 8,000 people received some type of

training

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• Community development is time consuming• How to scale up and maintain the quality of

interventions (intensive training and participation)

• How to sustain impact on community capacity developed and solidarity when there is no growth and conditions deteriorate

• How to monitor the impact better, especially when it comes to human/social capital