Project description

Title: Local and rural development in Guatemala
Commissioned by: European Union
Financier: European Union
Country: Guatemala
Lead executing agency: Instituto de Fomento Municipal, Guatemala
Overall term: 2007 to 2012

Context

Guatemala has a traditionally high level of poverty. Particularly affected are the rural, indigenous and female populations of the country. In rural areas, food insecurity is one of the biggest problems. Access to public services there is limited and basic needs can generally not be met. The poor performance of public institutions is due to a political vacuum and the lack of state presence at local level. In the northern border regions of the Huehuetenango area especially, the population has limited access to government facilities.

Objective

The living conditions of the population in the 22 municipalities in the Huehuetenango district are improved. This is achieved by a sustained increase in the capacity of local authorities, as well as increased investment in social and productive infrastructure.

Approach

GIZ International Services (IS GIZ) advises the project under the auspices of the PROATEC consortium. Experts on the ground work in the following areas to achieve the project’s objectives:

• Supporting and advising political institutions and the Huista and Momsohue community associations in the administrative district of Huehuetenango
• Equipping public institutions
• Providing training and further education programmes for local government and the local management level
• Supporting the process of municipal and territorial planning, and environmental management of the partner communities
• Advising on food security at district and community levels
• Conducting feasibility studies in the field of ‘tourism promotion’ and ‘cultural revival of the region’
• Introducing development strategies and programmes in the fields of education and communication
• Support for establishing and enhancing public service infrastructure (drinking water and basic sanitation)
• Establishing a system for alternative energy generation
• Supporting the implementation of efficient projects that promote the economic development of the region and secure food for the population
• Supporting the establishment of a local advice agency for economic development

Results achieved so far

Nine municipalities of the Huista Local Government Association and thirteen of the Momsohue Local Government Association have developed lines of communication and strategies to articulate their interests. They are able to establish alternatives for rural development together, and thus to improve local competitiveness and social development.

• The population of the district administration has better access to basic services. The Human Development Index (HDI) has risen.
• The income of the population participating in production co-operatives has increased compared to at the start of the project.
• 29 communities are organised into community associations. Through participatory planning they have developed a strategy to improve services for the population. Each community association has defined development strategies and coordinates the processes of rural development.
• 30 percent of communities have developed mechanisms for inter-sectoral exchange and coordinate strategies with each other for sustainable economic and social development.
• In 35 percent of the communities, local participation in political decision-making has increased. This is particularly true for the indigenous population, young people and women.
• Municipal authorities have improved the process of tax collection. Thus, investments can be made in social and productive infrastructure.
• A commercialisation and communication strategy has been developed for the productive sector of the administrative district. As a result, profits have increased in the main productive sectors of the district.
• A greater proportion of the administrative district’s population has access to sanitation.
• Plans have been developed for the communities to enable land use based on territorial planning.
• The communities within the district have established a commission on food security.