El Salvador

FY 2001 Program Description and Activity Data Sheets

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FY 2001 Program In FY 2001, USAID will continue to pursue its six-year rural poverty reduction strategy begun in FY 1997. It will expand access and opportunities for poor, rural families to participate in and benefit from El Salvador's growing economy. One activity will work with cooperatives and other rural organizations to promote the cultivation and marketing of high value non-traditional crops. Another activity will support policy reforms to privatize, decentralize and develop policy options to combat rural poverty. Others will expand access by the poor to credit through microfinance lending and provide targeted training opportunities that support the overall strategy. Building on past successes in the education sector, USAID will work with local NGOs and government institutions to increase the awareness of child-raising practices and improve the skills of those who care for young children. Finally, USAID will complete assistance to communities that received land under the Peace Accords to parcel the land and secure individual titles for their members. USAID will deepen democracy in El Salvador by helping Salvadorans to develop more inclusive and effective democratic processes. A new activity to strengthen local government and citizen participation will begin in FY 2001, building on ongoing assistance to 28 municipalities. By FY 2001, the criminal codes enacted in 1998 will be fully operational and USAID will begin to turn attention to reform of the commercial and civil codes. With funding from the Hurricane Mitch reconstruction supplemental, USAID will be assisting the Salvadoran government to establish an office of government ethics to improve transparency and accountability in the public sector. Other ongoing activities will strengthen citizen involvement in local and national government. USAID will help Salvadorans expand the coverage of health services in rural areas, especially for women and children, and enhance the sustainability of those services. USAID will continue to support the Government of El Salvador and non-governmental organization health providers to provide basic preventive health care services to reduce child and maternal mortality in rural areas. These approaches will be complemented by policy reform to encourage greater attention to the needs of rural areas and to implement more cost-effective approaches to delivering health care. USAID will work with the Government of El Salvador and private institutions to increase access to clean water by rural residents. USAID will support efforts primarily at the municipal and community levels to strengthen municipal management of watersheds, increase citizen involvement in addressing water problems and protect water sources. These actions will be complemented by targeted support for policy reforms at the national level to support decentralization of local water resource management, improve wastewater management, and establish and enforce water quality standards. In addition, community-based water distribution systems will be installed or rehabilitated, and complemented by health education to reduce water-borne illnesses. USAID is also exploring opportunities to enhance the linkage between water-related and agricultural activities, with special attention to integrated pest management. In June 2001 USAID will complete all activities related to the special objective for Hurricane Mitch reconstruction. These interventions, along with anticipated assistance from other donors, will have established a foundation for economic activity, improved the quality of life, and reduced the rural population's vulnerability to natural disasters in this impoverished region. [an error occurred while processing this directive] ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: Expanded Access and Economic Opportunity for El Salvador's Rural Poor Families, 519-001 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $9,036,000 (DA), $3,500,000 (CSD) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $9,500,000 (DA), $3,250,000 (CSD) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002 Summary: The long years of conflict and economic stagnation that El Salvador experienced in the 1970s and 1980s severely deteriorated living standards for the country's urban and rural poor. In contrast, the peace process and ambitious economic and social sector reforms consolidated during the 1990s have raised incomes, reduced unemployment, and expanded access to higher quality primary education. Since the chief beneficiaries of economic growth and social spending in El Salvador have been the urban poor, USAID now directs its programs to expand access to financial services, markets, education, and infrastructure for rural households so that they may better participate in and benefit from the strengthened Salvadoran economy. USAID policy dialogue emphasizes that the Government of El Salvador (GOES) must do more to distribute the benefits of economic growth to the rural poor, especially through infrastructure investment and greater availability of social services in rural areas. Hence, USAID's other activities complement these policy reform objectives by giving rural poor households better access to credit, technology, education and training in order to help raise their incomes. USAID seeks to strengthen service providers that work with the rural poor, with the objective of expanding household income opportunities and making service provision sustainable. For example, USAID works with NGOs and credit cooperatives to increase access by the rural poor to credit and secure savings, and to technology and marketing services. USAID is also collaborating with the Salvadoran Institute for Protection of Minors in a new initiative to expand access to early childhood education in rural areas, and is providing small grants to rural communities for vital infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and health clinics. Key Results: USAID is working to achieve five key intermediate results, essential to expand opportunity and access for rural poor families. These results are based on increasing access to (1) education and training; (2) secure land titles; (3) marketing, technology, and financial services for rural producers; 4) infrastructure; and (5) a supportive policy environment. Performance and Prospects: Performance over the past year has reached expectations. By the end of 1999, three new activities - in agriculture, microfinance and early childhood education - are operational and beginning to show results. USAID is contributing to several significant policy reforms. On the rural infrastructure side, USAID is assisting the GOES to define a strategy that seeks to provide electricity to unserved rural communities, and to better target subsidies for energy consumption so that they reach the country's poorest households. USAID is working with local governments and the national assembly to develop reform proposals for local revenue generation, as a means of financing infrastructure investment. USAID has also contributed to the development of new banking laws. One result is that the national legislature has consulted broadly with nonbank microfinance institutions to develop a proposed law to integrate them into the formal banking sector. Once the law is passed, USAID plans to support the Superintendent of Banks in development of norms and procedures relating to microfinance institutions. USAID provided support to the Superintendent of Pensions to incorporate public sector day workers into the labor history database, to facilitate their participation in the newly privatized pension system. Policy reforms facilitate USAID activities that work directly with rural producers. USAID-supported microfinance institutions have opened access to credit for more than 37,000 borrowers, from predominantly rural and poor households, a result which will more than double by the end of the strategy period. Since 1997, USAID partners have provided marketing and technology services to 54,336 producers. A total of 1,328 group title properties received by Peace Accords land recipients have now been subdivided, and 21,771 individual titles have been legalized. By 2001, all Peace Accords land beneficiaries will have secure individual titles to their properties. In rural areas, testing shows improved educational attainment has resulted from USAID investments in textbooks, curriculum and teacher training over the past decade. Since 1997, USAID has assisted 110 communities in the construction of small infrastructure projects identified by the local population. During FY 2000, USAID will award grants to up to 50 additional rural poor communities to obtain priority infrastructure works. Possible Adjustments to Plans: No changes to the current strategy are being considered. The mission plans to evaluate its human capacity development activity this fiscal year, and anticipates that some changes to the design may be recommended. Other Donor Programs: Active programs of the InterAmerican Development Bank and the World Bank provide significant resources to El Salvador in education, infrastructure, land registry, microfinance and economic policy. Many bilateral donors are also present. USAID assistance is directed to: (1) providing seed financing in innovative areas where other donors are not yet present, but which have great potential (e.g., early childhood, formalization of microfinance NGOs); and (2) helping to leverage the efforts of players outside the central government to participate more fully in rural development, in particular local government and sustainable local NGOs. USAID coordinates with the aforementioned donors to support the GOES in setting a policy framework that is conducive to reducing rural poverty. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Current grantees and contractors include the U.S. firms Chemonics, Harvard Institute for International Development, Development Alternatives Inc., Development Associates, Technoserve and DevTech Systems Inc.; GOES agencies such as the Salvadoran Institute for the Protection of Minors, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture; and an array of local and U.S.-based NGOs, including CARE, Catholic Relief Services, the Cooperative League of the USA, the World Council of Credit Unions, the Foundation of Entrepreneurs for Educational Development and the Ungo Foundation. Partners for USAID's new early childhood activity include UNICEF and the Metropolitan Community College (Omaha). Selected Performance Measures: Baseline Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Rural population with children ages 7-10 attending school 79.4% (1995) 81.0% (1998) 85.5% 86.8% Number of male/female customers receiving services (i.e. management, agricultural technical assistance, bulk input supply, processing or produce marketing) 28,594 m 7,856 f (1996) 39,478 m 14,858 f (9/1999) 43,000 m 14,500 f 46,000 m 15,500 f Number of rural active borrowers 24,936 (1996) 37,027 (3/1999) 62,750 73,000 U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: More Inclusive and Effective Democratic Processes; 519-002 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $3,800,000 (DA), $1,500,000 (ESF) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $4,800,000 (DA), $1,500,000 (ESF) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002 Summary: By the beginning of the strategy period in 1997, most of the structural and organizational changes to key democratic institutions mandated by the Peace Accords had been effected -- the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman and a new national civilian police force were established, and reforms to the appointment process and terms of office for Supreme Court magistrates had significantly depoliticized the judicial branch and strengthened its independence. These structural changes alone, however, merely set the stage for the much more profound transformation of El Salvador's legal and political system, which will take at least the next decade to achieve. USAID is supporting Salvadoran efforts to strengthen democratic processes, increase citizen participation and improve the quality of governance. USAID is directing its efforts toward ensuring that all Salvadorans, especially women and children, have access to effective legal and judicial protection. Key Results: USAID considers four key intermediate results as necessary for achieving this objective: (1) in the area of legal protection, significant improvements in the level of citizen confidence in the judicial system, resulting from an improved legal framework and reduced average processing time for criminal cases; (2) in 28 selected municipalities, establishment of broadly representative local development committees, preparation of community development plans, and an increase of at least 50% in local tax revenues invested in public works or other priorities established in the community development plan; (3) establishment of a new civil registry and issuance of new identity/voter registration cards to 3,000,000 adult Salvadorans; and (4) a more vibrant, better informed and active civil society involved in national and local decision-making processes. Performance and Prospects: Performance has generally kept pace with targets established for USAID's municipal development and citizen participation activities, the establishment of the new civil registry, and judicial training to facilitate implementing reforms to criminal legislation and more expedient case processing. USAID catalyzed support for the drafting and passage of important criminal justice system reforms. To facilitate implementation of the new criminal procedures and sentencing codes and to expand citizen access to them, USAID helped purchase equipment to establish public defender and prosecutor offices in each of the country's 14 departments. USAID also delivered specialized training for judges, prosecutors and public defenders in formulating oral trial arguments, the interviewing of witnesses and in following trial court procedures (e.g., timeliness and adherence to scientific use of evidence). From June 1998 through May 1999 the Public Defender's Office provided over 27,000 individuals with free legal counsel, up from 10,000 for the same period during 1997-1998. The Public Defender's Office has attributed this increase to the new criminal procedure code and more active use of conciliation methods. During 1999, USAID continued to strengthen democratic local governance. USAID assisted in the formation of local committees to design and implement local development plans in concert with municipal authorities. Ten additional municipalities began receiving assistance from USAID in 1999. In all of the 28 municipalities where USAID provides technical assistance for municipal services administration, mayors held at least one public forum to present and discuss the 1999 budget and are consulting on priorities more regularly with their constituents. Upon appointment of a new National Registrar in late 1997, USAID and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) agreed to co-finance the technical design studies required prior to purchasing equipment and launching the new civil registry system. In July 1998, the technical study was completed and approved by the National Registrar. Currently, USAID, through a grant to the UNDP, is assisting the Government of El Salvador (GOES) with the establishment of the National Citizen Registry and the Single Identity Document by helping the RNPN with the construction of the historical data base -- a first step in an effort to issue an estimated 2,000,000 new identity/voter registration cards in 2001. Civil society cannot function effectively without access to information, the participation of a broad range of citizens, and the opportunity to participate in the policy-making process. USAID is therefore working with the Legislative Assembly to make the legislative process accessible to citizens. During 1998, USAID assisted the legislature to develop a modernization plan -- one element of which is the creation of departmental offices to facilitate public access to the legislature. The first of these offices, located in Chalatenango Department, opened in January 1999 and the second one was inaugurated in the San Miguel Department in November 1999. USAID is also providing technical assistance to establish the equivalent of a congressional budget office. The fight against corruption and achievement of transparency in public sector has prompted USAID to fund activities with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the GOES. USAID initiated an advocacy training program for local NGOs and has trained public and private sector leaders in anti-corruption strategies. An anti-corruption working group with both public and private sector membership has been formed and will receive USAID support for its advocacy and public awareness activities. Possible Adjustments to Plans: No adjustments to the current strategy are planned. However, the Assistant Administrator for the Latin American and Caribbean Bureau has approved USAID/El Salvador's use of Economic Support Funds to include law enforcement agency personnel (i.e., National Civilian Police) in training activities within the democracy strategy. This authorization enables USAID to more effectively support the implementation of the new criminal codes through joint training of all judicial sector players - judges, prosecutors, public defenders and police - to increase their understanding of the law, clarify their respective roles and improve their coordination in implementation of the law. USAID will also assist the GOES, using funds from the Hurricane Mitch supplemental allocated to the Department of State for international narcotics and law enforcement, to establish an office of government ethics to increase public sector transparency and accountability. Other Donor Programs: The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Spain continue to contribute significantly to judicial reform, along with a World Bank program. The IDB, the German aid agency (GTZ), and the UNDP all have active local development programs. The United States and Japan continue to identify and fund projects designed to strengthen civil society under the Common Agenda. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The principal grantees and contractors in the judicial sector include Chemonics, DPK Consulting and the National Center for State Courts. The Research Triangle Institute and DevTech Systems Inc. are implementing USAID's activities in local governance. In both of these areas, USAID is also financing an inter-agency agreement with the Department of State for targeted training and study tours in the United States and speaker series on judicial, human rights and local governance topics. The State University of New York and Florida International University are providing assistance to strengthen the Legislative Assembly. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems is conducting studies for the design of the civil registry. Management Systems International is assisting USAID with the refinement and tracking of performance indicators. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (1996) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Average criminal case Processing time, in months 16 4* 12 3 Local development/municipal service delivery plans, in number of municipalities 0 18 25 25 Increase in locally-generated tax revenues (in 18 municipalities) 0% 65%* 50% 50% New identity/voter registration cards issued 0 0 0 2.0 mill. * Actual results surpassed the targets set for 2000. USAID is reviewing the targets for 2000 and 2001 for these indicators. U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: Sustainable Improvements in Health of Women and Children, 519-003 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $3,822,000 (DA), $7,145,000 (CSD) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $5,627,000 (DA), $6,888,000 (CSD) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002 Summary: USAID is helping to improve the health of women of reproductive age and children under age five by increasing the use and sustainability of appropriate health practices and services. USAID's support for health and population activities in El Salvador spans several decades and is associated with a steady improvement in health and population indicators. Now, USAID is expanding geographically the coverage of health services, especially for women and children, and seeking mechanisms to enhance their long-term viability while reducing the dependency on donor funding. New health reform efforts are also being encouraged and supported that will create an enhanced institutional, legal and financial basis for achieving and sustaining improved health status among these vulnerable groups. Key Results: Three key intermediate results contribute to achieving this objective: Child Survival: USAID programs reduce mortality and morbidity in children under the age of five through support to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and to NGOs in order to provide primary health services such as vaccinations, growth monitoring, nutrition, prenatal care and the prevention and treatment of preventable diseases. Reproductive Health: USAID programs reduce reproductive health problems through improved safe motherhood and birth outcomes. Families receive assistance to have fewer unplanned and mis-timed pregnancies. USAID is also providing assistance to prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. Policy: To improve health for women and children, USAID works with the Salvadoran government and other donors to enhance the policy environment to support long-term changes. The policy component supports sector-wide reforms, including decentralization and increasing community participation in health services policies and practices at the local level. Performance and Prospects: USAID has financed major health and demographic surveys every five years in El Salvador since the late 1970s. The 1993 and 1998 National Family Health Surveys (FESAL) showed marked improvement in the health status of Salvadorans: infant mortality dropped from 41 to 35 per 1,000 live births. For child mortality, the FESAL showed a decrease from 12 to eight per 1,000 live births. Contraceptive prevalence increased from 53% to 59.8%. Acute respiratory infections decreased from 59.4% to 33.4%. The total fertility rate dropped from 3.83 to 3.54 children per woman. Prenatal visits increased from 68.7% in 1993 to 76.0% in 1998, with a higher number of women seeking prenatal care in their first pregnancy trimester (from 45.7% in 1993 to 75.2% in 1998). The FESAL recorded more than a doubling of rural households with piped water systems - from 14% to 30%. Diarrhea incidence nationally decreased from 24.4% in 1993 to 20.2% in 1998. As the health sector's leading donor for over 20 years and virtually its only donor during El Salvador's 12 years of civil conflict, USAID can take the credit for much of these improvements. USAID plays an important leading role in coordinating, developing and implementing activities that support the health reform process. USAID will continue to provide financial and technical assistance to develop new health legislation that ensures equitable service provision, especially for the rural poor. USAID will assist the MOH to develop a more effective and affordable health care delivery system, and will support the efforts of the presidentially-appointed National Health Council to develop a plan for reform of the nation's health care system by the end of 2000. An assessment of the MOH National Tuberculosis Program, conducted in close coordination with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), resulted in a $2 million, three-year infectious disease program to reinforce and improve tuberculosis control that began in mid-1999. In addition, USAID is working with PAHO, the Centers for Disease Control and the MOH to design a new post-Hurricane Mitch program, to begin in early 2000 which will strengthen MOH disease surveillance, laboratory and epidemiological capacity. USAID supports the MOH in implementing, developing and strengthening programs to prevent the spread of sexually-transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. USAID is also coordinating with USAID's regional HIV/AIDS activity to support implementation of El Salvador's National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. To ensure the coverage of child survival and reproductive health services in those areas previously assisted by USAID-funded NGOs, the MOH with USAID assistance, hired and trained 240 new health promoters to expand service delivery to the rural population. To complement this effort, the MOH in 1999 also contracted with five NGOs to provide additional rural health services is those areas not directly served by the MOH. Possible Adjustments to Plans: No adjustments to the current strategy are planned. Other Donor Programs: Three other major donors besides USAID work in the health policy and reform area: PAHO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the German aid agency (GTZ). PAHO and GTZ concentrate mostly on supporting the MOH's decentralization process in limited geographic regions. PAHO also supports the MOH's implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Diseases initiative and other aspects of child health and emerging diseases. A $21 million, 25-year IDB loan, which was expected to be approved by the GOES in 1998, is still pending ratification by the Legislative Assembly. The European Union is developing complementary activities to improve access to potable water and sanitation services for rural people. The Government of Japan is also implementing activities to address water quality and distribution, and sanitation. UNICEF supplies essential medicines and is the lead donor on food fortification and micronutrient issues. In the area of reproductive health, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) supported the development and adoption of the National Reproductive Health Plan. UNICEF programs continue to target adolescents with information including HIV prevention and, together with PAHO, educating Salvadorans on domestic violence and women's role in society. The European Union and GTZ also support reproductive health programs in El Salvador. Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Current grantees, contractors and/or technical assistance recipients include the MOH, CARE International, Primary Providers' Training and Education in Reproductive Health (PRIME), Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival (BASICS), the Salvadoran Demographic Association, and other local NGOs. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (1993) Actual (1998) Target (2000)* Target (2002)** Maternal mortality (Per 100,000 live births) 158 120 120 90 Infant mortality rate (Per 1, 000 live births) 41 35 30 19 Child mortality rate (Per 1,000 children under 5) 12 8 9 6 Total fertility 3.85 3.58 3.58 3.1 * data are collected every five years in the regular health and demographic survey, hence data in this column reflect the targets for 2000, which are the same as for 1998 and 1999 ** although the activity will be completed in 2002, the data will be collected in the year 2003 Family Health Survey U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Access by Rural Households to Clean Water, 519-004 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $2,700,000 (DA) PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $4,000,000 (DA) STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002 Summary: USAID is increasing access by rural households to clean water by focusing and integrating water and watershed-related activities from all of USAID/El Salvador's strategic objectives on protection and conservation of water sources and development of local capacity to manage decentralized water systems. The water provided must be of acceptable quality and quantity, the water delivery systems must be operational and efficient, and municipalities (or local private operators) must be able to manage and regulate water source protection and water distribution effectively. Funds provided directly for this objective are used primarily for environmental aspects of the objective such as education, watershed planning and protection, and development of policies and regulations. While the strategy is national in scope, the primary focus is on community and municipal-level interventions in three critical watersheds that transcend the boundaries of 18 municipalities. Key Results: Under this objective, USAID will: (1) improve the quality of water sources by increasing the area covered by sound agricultural practices and improved waste management practices; (2) increase the number of efficiently operating water systems in the project area from 8 to 82; (3) increase the effectiveness of citizen actions to address water issues, leading to an increase in the number of changes based on citizen action from 43 to 300; and (4) increase municipal government participation in the management of local water resources by assisting municipalities to enact at least 36 local ordinances related to the water sector and encouraging municipalities to invest at least 25% of their resources in water-related projects. Performance and Prospects: USAID signed a cooperative agreement with CARE, the principal implementing partner, in mid-1999. In addition to initiating its own actions, CARE has signed sub-agreements with three local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and memoranda of understanding with local governments that will assist with implementation. USAID is considering additional interventions to accelerate the achievement of performance targets, particularly in the areas of wastewater treatment and solid-waste recycling. Wastewater treatment systems (oxidation lagoons, for example) will reduce the amount of raw sewage being dumped into rivers that flow through the flood-prone coastal area. The wastewater treatment systems will also serve as educational tools to help steer public opinion and national policy towards treatment of domestic sewage. USAID may also finance small grants to communities or local NGOs for solid-waste recycling programs, capitalizing on local initiative and identification of creative solutions to contamination problems. Solid-waste recycling has the added benefits of generating rural income and employment and reduces the need for landfills. In addition, USAID will be financing small grants for community-based infrastructure projects such as low-cost rural water delivery and storage systems. The target area for this objective includes much of the low-lying coastal area where damage from Hurricane Mitch was most severe. The emergency gave watershed protection and water purification programs greater visibility in late 1998 and accentuated the importance of caring for watersheds and assuring sustainable supplies of clean water. USAID's environmental education activities - with collaboration and counterpart funding from the Ministry of Environment -- began work immediately to provide chlorine and teach communities how to purify drinking water. In December 1998, CARE, operating with emergency funding, began a six-month effort to rehabilitate latrines, and clean and upgrade wells and water systems in the affected area. The impact of these interventions can be seen in the low incidence of serious illnesses following the flooding, and a dramatic rise in awareness of water issues. A survey of awareness of causes and solutions to water problems conducted in February 1999 registered awareness rates of 91%, up from 16% the previous year and well beyond the FY 2002 target of 86%. These rates are almost certain to decline as the emergency becomes less immediate. However, USAID and its partners hope to build on this achievement, to sustain awareness and changes in behaviors. In environmental policy, the USAID provided technical assistance to develop regulations to implement the 1998 Environmental Framework Law and provided guidance for preparation of additional regulations that will be needed in the future. USAID is also working closely with the Government of El Salvador (GOES), the Legislative Assembly, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and municipal and community organizations to build support for the development and passage of a new water law which meets the needs of the water sector. In 1999 the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative in El Salvador approved 15 new grants to local NGOs and community development groups for environmental protection and child survival projects. Since 1994, the Enterprise for the Americas has funded 288 projects with a total value of more than $20 million. Possible Adjustments to Plans: No adjustments are planned. Other Donor Programs: The IDB is the largest multilateral donor in the water sector. The IDB's newest loan for the water sector, approved at $55 million, awaits ratification by the Legislative Assembly. That particular loan requires that the Salvadoran government pass a new water law that will modernize and decentralize authorities in the water sector. The loan will also be an important source of financing for construction or rehabilitation of water systems that serve small municipalities and rural areas. USAID expects the loan and the new water law to be ratified by the Legislative Assembly within the year. The European Union, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Spain all implement activities through the Government of El Salvador or NGOs to install, rehabilitate and construct water supply and sewage systems in rural areas and ex-conflictive zones. The Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Program and the Pan American Health Organization also support interventions to increase access to water supply and sanitation services as well as to strengthen water resource management in rural areas. A UNICEF environmental education program features water and sanitation as one of its themes. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: CARE is the principal implementing organization under the objective. CARE works with three local NGOs with expertise in watershed management, participatory development, strengthening local government and improved performance of water delivery systems. World Vision is also working under a cooperative agreement to protect watersheds in Ahuachapan Department. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (1997/1998) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Rural households in target areas with water that meets quality and time standards, by gender of head of household (1997) 30%m 26%f 38%m 39%f 46%m 45%f 55%m 55%f Rural households nationally with water that meets quality and time standards, by gender of head of household (1997) 41%m 38%f 39%m* 39%f 48%m 47%f 52%m 52%f Increased use of improved agricultural and conservation practices, in number of hectares   -- soil conservation   -- organic cropping   -- integrated pest management (1998) 4,055 815 811 4,423 931 1,047 4,500 1,100 1,100 4,800 1,200 1,200 * several water systems have been reported not operating U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: Assist El Salvador to Make The Transition from War to Peace, 519-006 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: none PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: none STATUS: Terminated INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1992 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1997 Summary: The formal signing of the Peace Accords on January 16, 1992, marked an historic turning point for El Salvador and an end to nearly 12 years of armed conflict. Immediately following the signing of the Peace Accords, USAID initiated a five-year, $300 million (including host-country-owned local currency), program to support peace and national reconstruction. The program was implemented primarily through the Secretariat for National Reconstruction (SRN), the principal Government of El Salvador (GOES) institution for post-war reconstruction. The first two years of the program focused on the reintegration of combatants from the FMLN and government military personnel into civilian life. From 1994 through 1997, USAID concentrated efforts on addressing the long-term social and economic needs of the 115 municipalities located in the ex-conflictive zone. More than 130 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have assisted in the implementation of 84 separate activities benefiting the 1.4 million people located in the ex-conflictive areas. The strategic objective played a significant part in ensuring the timely completion of the Peace Accords, focusing not only on the reintegration of ex-combatants and displaced civilians, but also on the reconstruction of social and productive infrastructures in areas most severely damaged during the conflict. It also set the foundation for the mission's present efforts to reduce rural poverty and promote broader-based economic growth. This strategic objective, and all activities under it, ended by September 30, 1997. Key Results: This strategic objective addressed four areas: (1) reactivation of factors of production (land, labor and capital); (2) re-establishment of basic services and infrastructure; (3) strengthened local-level democratic institutions and civic participation; and (4) reintegration of ex-combatants. Performance and Prospects: USAID's contribution to the fulfillment of the Peace Accords has been substantial. The United Nations refers to the GOES's National Reconstruction Plan as a model for countries making the difficult transition from war to peace. USAID, through its National Reconstruction Program (NRP), was the largest contributor to the Plan. The USAID not only met, but often exceeded the challenges it set out to achieve in 1992. Peace is a substantial and integral part of Salvadoran society today. The FMLN transformed itself from an insurgent movement to a powerful political party, sharing control of the legislature with the ARENA party. Over 45% of the population lives in municipalities which the FMLN, alone or in coalition, was elected to govern. Ex-combatants from both sides of the conflict struggle to advance economically, sharing their challenge with a broad segment of Salvadoran society confronting an equally difficult economic environment. Organized civil and military conflict are a thing of the past. In the ex-conflictive zones, as well as in the broader society, potable water, rural roads, electricity, and health and educational services are still in short supply, but they exist in far greater abundance than during the war years. According to an independent survey, families in the NRP target area saw a 33% increase in their incomes as a result of credit and technical assistance received over a two-year period. The families represent slightly less than three quarters of target population. Similarly, a report prepared for the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), states "...that total household income has risen most dramatically in the eastern department of La Unión and in the former conflictive zones of Chalatenango, Cabañas, San Vicente and Usulután. Morazán, another former conflictive zone, has also experienced a rise in nominal total household income that exceeds the national average..." Prior to the war, these conflictive areas had historically been among the poorest and least served by the central government. The geographically focused approach of the NRP has done much to redress this previous lack of government attention and investment. Although still poor, the ex-conflictive areas of the country now compete favorably, or at least on a par, with the other rural areas of El Salvador in terms of economic growth. Regarding training, more than 107,000 people, ex-combatants and civilians alike, received either training or technical assistance in agriculture and small business development. In 1997, alone, over 6,000 people, 27% of them women, were trained, which is double the target for that year. Contrary to widespread expectations of total failure, over 40% of microenterprises created under the microenterprise program for middle-level officers were still functioning in 1998. In addition, over the five years, 93,937 loans were provided to beneficiaries to increase crop production and establish or expand microenterprise businesses during the program life. USAID's assistance to the Peace Accords-mandated land transfer program ensured that over 36,000 eligible beneficiaries received title to land individually or in groups. USAID then played a central role in securing the full cancellation of the land transfer program debt and in ensuring that program beneficiaries held their land free and clear of all debt. In addition, in 1997, 1,277 beneficiaries on 29 properties received individual title under a pilot land parcelling activity which continues under the economic growth strategic objective. An estimated 1.1 million people living in the NRP zone benefited from more than 2,900 small-scale infrastructure activities. These infrastructure projects include new and rebuilt schools, health clinics, and potable water systems, improved roads and bridges and hundreds of miles of new rural electrical service. Over the five-year life of project, USAID channeled nearly $100 million in resources through 137 NGOs to support a wide array of ex-combatant and civilian development activities. The final evaluation of USAID's assistance to the Peace Accords noted, "the use of NGOs as executing institutions greatly facilitated the implementation of the NRP, and was essential for providing access to program services by the target population, a large percentage of which is located in remote, war-torn areas." This assistance to NGOs also strengthened their rural organizational base, improving their advocacy capacity to articulate and act in representation of rural clients. In addition, USAID made a significant contribution to building participatory democracy by supporting and promoting 1,378 municipal open town meetings held nationwide with over 175,000 Salvadorans participating. In the past five years, USAID assisted in the successful re-insertion of ex-combatants into the mainstream of society through the following activities: more than 21,000 ex-combatants received vocational and academic training while approximately 17,000 received agricultural and microenterprise credit. In total, there were 36,059 ex-combatants and squatters who received land under the land transfer program and about 9,000 people wounded during the war were rehabilitated. In 1997, the last year of this strategic objective, USAID continued to turn out impressive results including rehabilitation services for 1,247 war-wounded. Possible Adjustments to Plans: None Other Donor Programs: Other donors provided more than $900 million to the peace process. Japan was the second largest donor, contributing $207 million in loans and grants, followed by the Inter-American Development Bank ($145 million) and the European Union ($90 million). The European Union's contribution does not include substantial contributions from member countries. Germany, for example, contributed $29 million. In addition, a number of international and domestic NGOs contributed their own resources to the program. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The GOES's Secretariat for National Reconstruction managed most of USAID's assistance under this objective by channeling funds through U.S. and Salvadoran NGOs and government institutions for specific activities. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (1992) Actual* (1997) Actual* (1997) People trained 3,960 (m) 600 (f) 43,392 (m) 10,723 (f) 75,387 (m) 32,358 (f) Clients receiving credit 6,650 (m) 6,200 (f) 58,123 (m) 28,871 (f) 65,061 (m) 29,265 (f) Ex-Combatants receiving rehabilitation services 1,400 8,375 9,193 Ex-Combatants and squatters receiving land ** 1,400 8,375 9,193 m = male; f = female * cumulative ** USAID-financed activities only U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file) ACTIVITY DATA SHEET PROGRAM: El Salvador TITLE AND NUMBER: Reduced Vulnerability of the Rural Poor to Natural Disasters in Targeted Areas, 519-007 PLANNED FY 2000 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: none PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: none STATUS: Continuing INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1999 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001 Summary: In late October 1998 Hurricane Mitch pounded the Honduran coast, and generated intense rainfall across Central America. By November 1, the level of precipitation reached its maximum as Mitch, down-graded to a tropical storm, stalled over the region. In El Salvador, this extreme precipitation fell on highly deforested land, already saturated by abnormally high rainfall in the month of October, triggering widespread flooding and landslides. The Government of El Salvador (GOES) reported that 239 people died or are missing and damage estimates, including indirect trade losses, totaled $132.5 million. The hardest hit areas were in low-lying coastal zones, particularly in the floodplain of the Lempa and San Miguel Grande rivers. This special objective responds to the reconstruction needs of the 10 municipalities where damage from flooding was most severe. The focus of this assistance is on reducing the vulnerability of the rural poor to natural disasters in one of the poorest regions in the country. This assistance follows on the response by USAID, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense to the emergency and initial rehabilitation needs of the affected population. Assistance during the current reconstruction phase from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, regional USAID programs and six other U.S. Government agencies - U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- complements and is coordinated with this special objective. Key Results: In these municipalities, USAID is: 1) stimulating economic activity through the rehabilitation of 113 kilometers of rural roads, expansion of the electricity distribution grid by 80 kilometers and introduction of high-value crops; 2) restoring and expanding access to basic community services through the construction or improvement of 500 houses and 80 schools to flood-resistant standards, construction or rehabilitation of approximately eight water systems, 850 wells and 2,200 latrines; and 3) mitigating the environmental impact of future natural disasters through attention to environmental management and disaster preparedness planning at the community, municipal and national levels. Performance and Prospects: This special objective was approved by the Assistant Administrator on April 14, 1999. Implementation began with the signing of two cooperative agreements - with the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) and CARE -- on June 17 and a bilateral agreement with the GOES on July 2. The implementing partners moved quickly to initiate activities, despite the rains of May-October and renewed flooding in the target area. By November 30, 1999, CHF had begun construction of 14 new houses and had signed agreements with two local NGOs and one international NGO, Habitat for Humanity International, for the construction of 419 more houses. Five schools are under construction and four more are being designed. The Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA) - a sub-grantee to CHF -- assisted farmers to plant 624 hectares of high-value crops. In the aftermath of the storm, USAID had signed an emergency $1 million cooperative agreement with CARE International to carry out a six-month water rehabilitation activity. With these funds, CARE rehabilitated 4,750 latrines, cleaned and rehabilitated 4,626 wells, upgraded 980 of the wells to reduce contamination from flooding, and constructed nine water systems to serve 9,800 people. Under this objective, CARE is continuing this effort. By the end of November, CARE had upgraded 318 more wells and constructed 425 more latrines. During this same period, CHF planted over 71,000 trees to protect micro-watersheds, began reforestation of 17 hectares of mangroves and planted grasses and other plants on 1,000 meters of the earthen levees along the Lempa River to protect them from erosion. CHF, working through Partners of the Americas, complemented these watershed management interventions with the training of 12 communities, thus far, in disaster preparedness and the review of municipal disaster plans. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working under a participating agency service agreement, will re-enforce these efforts with the development of a master flood control plan for the target area. The road rehabilitation and electricity components - which require more extensive engineering designs and rigorous procurement procedures - will be underway by early 2000. Both are still on schedule; the road rehabilitation and the construction of the new electricity lines will be completed by June 2001. Meanwhile, the National Confederation of Peasants is working under a cooperative agreement to install 420 solar panels in communities that are not on the electrical grid. Possible Adjustments to Plans: No adjustments are planned. Other Donor Programs: Japan, Germany, Spain and Sweden are the principal other bilateral donors providing assistance for post-Hurricane Mitch reconstruction. The Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union, the World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Development Program are the major multilateral organizations involved in the reconstruction effort. American Red Cross and Catholic Relief Service, along with other international NGOs and church groups, are also providing additional resources to assist with reconstruction. In most cases, the assistance promised by these organizations is in the early stages of implementation or still at planning stage. Notable exceptions include the food-for-work programs administered by the WFP and the rapid response by the international NGOs. Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The Cooperative Housing Foundation - with its principal sub-grantees, CLUSA and Partners of the Americas - is implementing activities in housing, schools, agriculture, disaster preparedness, environmental management and small infrastructure. CARE is implementing the component on water and sanitation. The Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Technical Secretariat for External Financing are implementing the rural roads and electrification components, respectively. Other implementing organizations include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Confederation of Peasants. Selected Performance Measures: Baseline (April 1999) Actual (1999) Target (2000) Target (2001) Number of Mitch affected farmers assisted1 0 1,194 4,000 5,000 Kilometers of rural roads rehabilitated2 0 0 30 113 Small infrastructure projects and schools3 constructed, in number 0 0 50 120 Number of communities trained in disaster preparedness4 0 4 80 100 Number of hectares of land under conservation measures 0 17 150 350 1Over 9,500 farmers were affected in the target area. 2Nationally, 2,653 kms. of rural roads were damaged by Hurricane Mitch. 3Over 280 schools, 100 in the target area, were damaged as result of the storm. 4There are approximately 150 rural communities in the target areas that were affected by Hurricane Mitch. U.S. Finance Table (Microsoft Excel file)

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