Village Support Program
Project / Program Summary

1. Objectives
   
   The Village Support Program (VSP) seeks to improve the access of Guinea's rural population to basic infrastructure and services. To that end, it will use a decentralized and participatory strategy that will enhance efficiency and sustainability of local investments. The program will strengthen fiscal, administrative, and political decentralization, and reinforce local community's capacity to identify, implement, finance, operate, and maintain priority rural infrastructure. Last, the program will be demand-driven and use matching-grants to fund priority investments identified by local communities.
   
   It will be implemented in three four year-phases, using the newly developed Adaptable Program Lending (APL) instrument. The program will first establish efficient mechanisms for decentralizing decision-making and resources, and for strengthening local communities' capacity to manage their own affairs, before moving to the full implementation phase. This approach makes it possible to adjust program implementation in line with lessons learned during each phase, and, thus, to better respond to changing local capacity and country context.
2. Activities / contents
   
   Phase I, (4 years) initiates a learning process for decentralized rural development by articulating local investments and institutional reforms. It essentially covers three components:
   
   (i) A demand-driven Village Investment Fund (VIF) to channel resources directly to the local level for financing basic infrastructure; the VIF will use matching grants and will be designed to evolve into government's main transfer instrument of fiscal resources to the rural development communities (communautés rurales de développement: (CRDs);
   
   (ii) Support to the decentralization process with a particular focus on fiscal decentralization and capacity building of CRDs to enable local institutions to manage their own development; and,
   
   (iii) A priority maintenance and rehabilitation program of rural roads.
   
   During the first phase, approximately 20% of the CRDs (60) will receive matching grants and start implementing their infrastructure programs. Another 15% (40) will start capacity building activities during this period.
   
   Phase II, (4 years), would see on expansion of the program with the intention of reaching the remaining CRDs (about 200). For those CRDs graduating from Phase I, the program would open the menu of eligible sub-projects to a broader range of collective infrastructure and services (productive investments and natural resources management projects). In Phase II, fiscal decentralization would be gradually implemented, enlarging CRDs' local resource base and introducing a system of government transfers. The feeder roads component would be absorbed into a free-standing transport program which would emphasize a national road network approach.
   
   Phase III, (also for 4 years), would see the consolidation of the entire program: further deepening of fiscal, administrative and political decentralization, increased local capacity to undertake a wider range of collective sub-projects, expansion of the role of the private sector, and further integration of civil society into the development process.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   
   The primary beneficiaries are the rural population. The program would have a positive effect on the well being, productivity and income of a rural population of about 5 million. At the end of Phase III, local communities and their representative local governments would have increased their capacity to identify, plan, and manage their own priority infrastructure and service needs. They would be able to oversee the implementation and maintenance of works by contracting private contractors or requesting the support of deconcentrated services, and they would take on an increasing financing responsibility for community-based investments.
   
   Main Benefits
   
   Improved access to basic infrastructure and services: By improving village accessibility, providing safe water, and assisting with infrastructure for primary education and basic health care. The contracting our of village infrastructure construction and rehabilitation would also support local artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs and generate local employment opportunities
   
   Improved local governance: By increasing population awareness and participation, and by improving CRDs' capacity to function effectively as representative and accountable local governments in charge of local development
   
   Improved sustainability of rural development: By empowering local communities and local governments to select high-priority investments and mobilize greater financial and human resources, thereby improving resource allocation and use and leading to increased ownership and improved operation and maintenance
   
   Improved public service practice and capacity: By providing training, equipment, institutional revisions and reforms to deconcentrated staff and central Directorates, and making them more responsive/accountable to local populations.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   
   Focus on rural development, infrastructure, and capacity building.

Task Manager: Bachir Souhlal
Sector Managers: Jean-Paul Chausse, Maryvonne Plaissis-Fressard