Participation and sustainability in social projects: The experience of the local development programme in Nicaragua

This chapter describes the work of the Local Development Programme (PRODEL) in eight cities in Nicaragua, where it provided small grants for infrastructure and community works projects executed by municipal governments and community organizations, as well as loans for housing improvement and micro-enterprises. The external funds provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) were matched by municipal, community and household contributions. Between 1994 and 1998, more than 38,000 households benefited and both loan programmes achieved good levels of cost recovery. The chapter describes these programmes and the micro-planning workshops and other methodologies through which households and communities were given more scope for participation. It explains how local governments and the bank responsible for managing the loans learned to work in a more participatory way, and it outlines the measures taken to ensure that the needs and priorities of women and children were addressed.