Donor Coordination; Role of Civil Society. The Connectivity Project forms an integral part of an international effort to improve the road network of El Salvador. The total estimated cost of planned improvements to the network is approximately $331 million. The Government has petitioned the multilateral development banks and bilateral donor community for cooperation in this effort. IADB and the European Union are expected to provide substantial assistance to complement the activities of the Government and the activities funded by MCC. The World Bank is providing advisory and financial assistance to complete the SEA related to the Program, the first of its kind led by XXXX. In developing the Connectivity Project, MCC held coordination meetings with many in the donor community. MCC provided information on the proposed projects and gathered important information regarding the relationship between the Government and the donor organizations, as well as the planned donor activity. The interventions financed by other entities do not conflict with the Connectivity Project. Rather, they contribute to create a more comprehensive road network, by incorporating roads that connect to the NTH or roads of the NCR to smaller towns. The consultations conducted by CND revealed broad interest in addressing the Northern Zone’s isolation and limited connectivity. Diverse segments of Salvadoran population and institutions agree on the importance of the Connectivity Project in integrating the Northern Zone and fostering regional and national development. Civil society will play a vital role in the overall success and sustainability of the Connectivity Project. Primarily as independent agents, NGOs, community organizations, and local environmental units are expected to aid in the informal monitoring of construction activities and post-construction activity along the NTH and the NCR. Ongoing public consultation by the Ministry of Public Works (“MOP”) and MARN will provide the avenue for public discourse and consultation regarding the design, environmental assessment, and implementation of Project Activities throughout the Compact Term.
Donor Coordination; Role of Civil Society. The Procurement Capacity Activity complements the activities of other donors. DFID is actively supporting the Public Procurement Board (“PPB”) in Ghana with an interest in developing procurement capacity within existing government bodies. The increased demand for public sector procurement capacity created by the recent enactment of the Public Procurement Act of 2003 (Act 663) allows for multiple donors to be involved without duplication of efforts. In addition, policy and regulatory initiatives funded under this Rural Development Project will be designed to complement and support the efforts of other donors (including the World Bank) that are leading similar initiatives at the regional and district levels. The Community Services Activity builds on the Community Based Rural Development Program, funded by the World Bank and Agence Française de Développement, strengthening local government service delivery, providing capacity building to local government units and building substantial enhancements to the quality and productivity of rural communities. The Community Services Activity will also be in line with efforts of the Government and other donors to strengthen local government institutions in order to facilitate the delivery of education and water and sanitation infrastructure. The district assemblies and area councils are assuming increasing responsibility for planning, coordinating and executing donor activities in their respective areas. The efforts to automate the rural banks and to connect them through a wide-area-network under the Financial Services Activity are extensions and intensifications of the efforts of the World Bank, African Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development, first, to create Apex Bank to provide services to the rural banks and, second, to begin the process of automation using a common software. Finally, the civil society will play a key role in community by overseeing the organization, information dissemination, project implementation, and monitoring and evaluation with respect to the Rural Development Project.
