Project profile — Program-Based Approaches Facilitation Fund

This fund provided flexible and rapid support to strategic activities that help Nicaraguan public institutions develop and manage sector-wide programs, in order to encourage investment by international donors in such programs. It responded to the government's clearly stated desire to move toward sector-wide programs in order to reduce administrative costs and increase the effectiveness of external cooperation. The fund is managed locally by CIDA's Program Support Unit in Nicaragua and responded to requests from Nicaraguan ministries, public sector institutions and municipalities.

N/A

Results achieved as of project end included: CIDA and other donors are now more confident to invest in sector wide-programs. CIDA is now directly supporting two PBAs (Program-Based Approach) in Nicaragua in the sectors of education and agriculture. Under the PBA fund, 15 small-scale initiatives (sub-projects) were financed to enable the following results: The development of a National Work plan for the Ministry of Education, a National Strategy for Decentralization and Local Development, and a National Strategy for Water and Sanitation. Sixty civil servants strengthened their management capacity and knowledge of Sector Wide Approaches, Aid Effectiveness and donor coordination. This will directly translate into a greatest impact of the Official Development Aid in Nicaragua.