Integrated Rural Development Program
Integrated Rural Development Program
Financed by Sida
Period, January 2008 – March 2009
Association for Sustainable Development and Cooperation “Alka” started to implement the Integrated Rural Development Program. The Program represents the continuation of the Association’s activities towards promotion and support of the decentralization process and support of sustainable development of rural communities in Macedonia.
The program activities are targeting nine municipalities with a different regional setup. In this frame, 18 local projects in rural communities, are planned to be implemented, that will solve priorities in the area of environmental protection.
Program budget is 300.000 EURO
Financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency – Sida
Period for implementation is from January 2008 till end of March 2009
The Overall Objectives of the Integrated Rural Development Program are: sustainable development of rural communities, promotion and support of decentralisation process in Republic of Macedonia on local level.
The Program’s Objectives are:
•Strengthening capacities of communities for solving their priority problems;
•Improving the communication and cooperation between municipalities and communities;
•Promote benefits and advantages of legal registration as individual agricultural workers/ farmers;
•Implementing 18 priority infrastructure projects in rural communities in the field of environmental protection
Target Groups:
•Rural communities with regular number of inhabitants between 150 and 1100;
•Organized groups in the communities (Community Councils, Initiative Boards, Associations of citizens …)
•Agricultural workers, farmers and their Associations
•Administration of 9 Units of the Self-Governance in Macedonia
Focus Municipalities: Krusevo, Plasnica, Brvenica, Gazi Baba, Zrnovci, Vinica, Karbinci, Mogila and Novaci.
Expected Outputs
•Improved communication and co-operation between rural communities and municipal authorities,
•Developed awareness for the need of collectiveness and systematic approach towards solving community problems,
•Increased community cohesion, and improved work transparency
•Increased understanding of possibilities for rural development arising from EU IPA funds,
•Increased number of registered individual farmers in 9 municipalities,
•Strengthened community capacity for economic development.
•18 small scale environmental community projects implemented,
•18 community development action plans produced,
•Increased public awareness about clean environment,
•Increased self-confidence of women in the rural areas and increased awareness for the importance of their involvement in all community aspects,
•Increased understanding of the decentralisation processes,
•Improved living conditions in communities,
•Strengthened Alka’s capacities for assistance to municipalities in successful application for and utilization of EU IPA funds
For realization of program goals and reaching the expected results, activities with different characters are planned:
Activities:
Transparency and accountability
•Program presentation for municipalities and communities
The first introductory presentation is aimed for the municipal representatives, for introducing the goals, target groups, roles of all involved sides and all the rest program components. Municipalities are receiving predefined questionnaire that need to be handed over to Alka in a determinate deadline.
On the next presentation, representatives from community that are under the program criteria will be invited. On that occasion communities will receive questionnaire that need to be filled up in cooperation with the municipality and to hand it over to Alka again in a determinate deadline. With this the communities are showing their interest for involvement into the program activities.
Capacity Building
•Skills for structuring, analyzing and prioritizing of problems in communities and developing sustainable strategies for solving problems
Communities that are fulfilling the criteria for further participation in the program are invited to select their representatives for the Project Cycle Management (PCM) training. The gained knowledge should help them in fulfilling the project application, which is sent to Alka in a determinate time-frame. Communities can use this gained skills in finding solutions for other priority problems in future.
•Creating strategy for sustainable community development
In order to create strategy for sustainable community development, communities are producing Community Development Plan (CDP). This document represents the foundation for future community development. During preparing the CDP, ZORS “Alka” team is working with community focus groups and of course is cooperating with the municipal representatives. By integrating the CDP in the future municipal yearly plans, it represents a guaranty for its realisation as a base for sustainable development of the community.
Informing
•Promotion of benefits and advantages of becoming legally registered agricultural producers /farmers
On a municipal level, the experts in the area of agriculture and stock-breeding are presenting the benefits and advantages of becoming legally registered agricultural producers /farmers, according the law. This is public presentation for all interested agriculture and stock-breeding workers from the municipality. ZORS “Alka” is distributing informative materials in communities where a community project is going to be implemented.
•Promotion of development possibilities arising from the V component of EU IPA funds for rural development
This activity is in the frame of the previously described presentation on municipal level and is conducted from experts in the related field.
•Increased understanding of the municipal roles and responsibilities and the citizen’s rights and responsibilities in the decentralisation process
For this purpose, ZORS “Alks” is conducting a presentation on community level, for the rights and responsibilities of all sides in the decentralisation process. These are interactive presentations, on which municipal representatives should attend. In the frame of this presentation, the citizens are acquainted with the procedures for “Project environmental impact assessment” and sustainability of project activities.
Participation/co-financing
•Financial support from Sida – ZORS “Alka”
In the selected communities (2 per each municipalities), one community project in the area of environmental protection will be implemented. For project realisation, active participation of all inhabitants is necessary. Maximal financial support for priority solving, obtained from Alka is 4.000 EUR for one project. One of the preconditions for project approval is financial participation of municipality and community in the level of minimum 20% from the requested Alka finances.
•Establishing structures. Improving the internal cohesion, involving marginalised community groups, strengthening the sense of belonging and possessing
In the selected communities, Initiative Boards (IB) are formed as coordinative body, for more efficient implementing of project activities in the community. Formed IB is not minimising the role of the Community Council (CC) if it is existent. On contrary, IB represents enforcement of the CC structure, by helping and supporting it. IB must be a reflection of the inhabitants structure, and should include representatives from marginalised groups and representatives from women’s population.
ZORS “Alka” partners in implementing the Integrated Rural Development Program are:
•Local government (9 Units of the Local Self Governance)
•Rural communities
•Central Government (Ministry for Local Self Governance, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water-economy and Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning)
•Civil associations
