From Aurora Borealis to Carpathians. Searching the Road to Regional and Rural Development

III. Reflections on practical examples

PCM at work in Rural Development Program, Romania

Rural Development Program preparation started with institutional and social assessments carried on
during years 2000 and 2001¹. The institutional framework and its capacity were pictured and the
potential key actors to be involved during the implementation were consulted during institutional
assessment and also in the preparation of the monitoring and evaluation system. The bottom-up
approach was assured while the project county applications have been elaborated, local stakeholders
being involved together with the representatives of local and regional/county authorities. The
different tools to be later on used in monitoring different activities of the project (e.g. capacity
building, roads) were tested by the villagers later involved in carrying on the projects and their
feedback have been later on incorporated in the revised versions of the forms. The Logframe has
been the starting point in the design of the monitoring and evaluation system of the project and
specific interlocking frameworks have been used to picture the overall project objectives’ hierarchy
as well as the sub-components’ objectives’ hierarchy (see table 4 from Project Assessment

Document 2002, p.53).

Hierarchy of Objectives

Key Performance
________Indicators

Data Collection Strategy

Critical Assumptions

Sector-related CAS Goal:

Expanded social and
economic opportunities to
rural in areas.

Sector Indicators:

Increased market and local
investment activity (both Γarnι
and non-farm) with associated
income increases for rural
households, including the
poor.

Improved rural health status
(reduced incidence of water
home diseases), increased
educational enrollment and
improved attendance,
including poor and marginal
groups.

Sector/ country reports:
Cornmunc public investment
data, new LSMS surveys and
poverty assessments; updated
NSC enterprise survey;

MOAF data on new SME
registrations; MOH health
data; MOE data on rural
enrollments and frequency of
attendance.

(from Goal to Bank Mission)
Expanded rural opportunities
contributes to poverty
reduction.

Program Purpose:
To strengthen Jocal
governance by improving the
capacity odΓ local
'administration and
community/user groups to
undertake a range of socially,
economically and technically
viable public investments that
are responsive to local
preferences and needs, and to
increase the availability of
sustainable infrastructure and
other pιblιc∕community goods
to rural inhabitants in poor
areas. TTiis will be
accomplished through a
program of training and
technical assistance to local
governments and beneficiaries
that will be carried out by
local consultants and NCiOs,
and Supplexnented by
investment grants.

End-Of-Program Indicators:
Increased ability of local
governments and community
groups to independently
undertake decision making
mill investment
implementation tasks, for a
Uingc of investments, in an
accountable manner.

Increased availability of
infrastructure and other public
goods for households in target
areas.

Increased number of public
investment proposals
(commune, CBO) in target
areas, from baseline.

Increased competitive private
sector provision of project
preparation, implementation
and O<ScM services from
baseline.

Program reports:

Follow up to baseline survey;
reports of NSC aɪɪd PlUs,
CountyZcornniunc plans
(including any new urbanism
plans) and budgets; interviews
with key informants.

(from Purpose to Goal)
Improved governance and
decision making leads to rural
investment pattern that
improves social and economic
opportunities.

Table 4 Project design summary, goal and purpose details

¹ Andra Aldea-Partanen has been involved in the institutional assessment of the project. She also contributed to the
design of the monitoring and evaluation system of the RDP, in the position of deputy team leader.

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