Note: This document may not always reflect the actual appropriations determined by Congress. Final budget allocations for USAID's programs are not determined until after passage of an appropriations bill and preparation of the Operating Year Budget (OYB).
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
FY 1998 Development Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,370,000 Introduction
The Dominican Republic is undergoing an historic transition presents new opportunities for the United States to pursue its multiple and long-standing interests in the country. The presidential elections of mid-1996, which brought to power Leonel Fernandez and his team of dynamic, young leaders bent on forging a modern, participatory democracy. a dramatic changes in the Dominican Republic's internal and external policies are occuring. Internally, the new government is seeking to maintain macroeconomic stability while reforming the justice system, reducing corruption, and addressing the needs of the poor. Externally, the new administration is reversing years of virtual isolation from Hemispheric and world relations, seeking a leadership role in the Caribbean and recognition as a member in good standing among international organizations. The Fernandez government's reform agenda faces stiff challenges: opposition control of Congress, a fragile fiscal base, and an untested, inexperienced team of government officials. High popular expectations for change serve both as an asset and a liability for the new government. The new government's success will depend in no small way on its effective channeling of support from an emergent civil society and the international community.The major U.S. interests in the Dominican Republic include enhancing market access for U.S. exporters, combatting the smuggling of aliens and other contraband, controlling the spread of AIDS, combatting drug trafficking and money laundering, strengthening democratic institutions, promoting stability in the region, and reducing environmental degradation. The Dominican Republic is the United States' seventh largest export market in Latin America. The proximity of the Dominican Republic means that its problems often have a direct spillover effect on the United States. For example, the high incidence of poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and social injustice have resulted in sizable emigration. Roughly one out of nine Dominicans is now thought to live, legally or illegally, in the United States. Maintaining support for participatory democracy and sustainable economic development during a period of historic transition are essential to addressing these conditions and protecting core U.S. interests in the Dominican Republic.
The Development Challenge
Recent estimates put the Dominican Republic's population at some 8.1 million people. During the early 1990's the country made slow economic progress and maintained steady growth following an initial round of economic reforms in 1989-90. Improved monetary management since late 1994 is responsible for keeping inflation below 2% and achieving remarkable real growth of 6.9% in 1996. Nevertheless, the Dominican Republic remains the second poorest country in the Caribbean and the sixth poorest in the Hemisphere. Flawed governance and macroeconomic policy have added disproportionately to the burden of the poor. Per capita gross national product (GNP) of approximately $1,420 in 1994 masks a pronounced inequity in income distribution -- the poorest 50% of the population receives less than 20% of total income, while the richest 10% receives about 40%. In spite of positive economic growth, the protected economy is not absorbing the large pool of unemployed and underemployed. The level of social sector spending is one of the lowest in the Hemisphere. To fulfill its promise to address poverty issues, and to do so in a sustainable fashion, the government must be willing to implement reforms that will broaden the tax base, spur investment and job creation, and provide sufficient resources for education and health. Yet the ability to act on economic as well as other issues is hampered by weak government institutions that have been plagued by constantly changing officials, patronage, and corruption. Critical reform measures languish in Congress. Serious flaws in the judicial system act as a considerable constraint on economic development and limit individual rights. The newly-elected administration has made modernization of the State its highest priority and is moving aggressively to implement long overdue reforms in thesecritical areas.Tourism and the free zones continue to be the driving forces of the economy, although the latter have experienced strong competition from Mexico since the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. With a total foreign exchange income of nearly $2 billion in 1995, these two sectors were the principal contributors to the country's positive current account balance. The nongovernmental organization (NGO) sector is active, filling many gaps in public services such as health, family planning, microenterprise credit and support, environmental management, and women's issues such as legal aid.
Other Donors
The Dominican Republic receives relatively little development aid compared to most other Latin American and Caribbean countries. In 1994, total official development assistance (ODA) net of interest repayments was $69 million, or less than $9.50 per capita, compared with $113 million ($47 per capita) for Jamaica, and $217 million (about $20 per capita) for Ecuador. The United States provides almost 9% of all donor assistance and is the largest bilateral donor after Japan. Italy, Spain and Germany are other important bilateral donors. The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program contributed almost 40% of total net ODA in 1994. The World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) also provide sizable resource flows .FY 1998 Program
USAID's strategy of recent years to help the Dominican Republic achieve broad-based, sustainable economic growth within a democratic environment has been to work primarily with the NGO community. The underlying theme has been to foster and strengthen community empowerment and capacity to deal with development issues. Following the 1996 elections, the new thrust embodied in the country strategy will be to build strong, supportive relations with the new, reform-oriented government to facilitate key political, economic, and social reforms, while using our connections with the NGO community to foster efficient linkages between this community and the state institutions. Such linkages, especially those targeting the poor for delivery of social services to maximize the impact of scarce resources, are the key to improved equity and truly sustainable growth.The principal activities include reform of the justice system, continued civic education and increased support for popular participation in democratic processes, technical assistance for economic policy analysis and implementation, an innovative program of skills development for workers and small and microentrepreneurs, reproductive health services, HIV/AIDS prevention, pilot testing of commercially-viable alternative energy models, and natural resource conservation.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
Recent Dominican experience demonstrates strong linkages between macroeconomic performance and living standards of the poor. Targeted activities to improve these standards and alleviate or reduce poverty must complement long overdue policy reform measures. In addition, income inequality and an unusually high desire to emigrate make this objective highly relevant to U.S. interests. The microenterprise sector accounts for about 23% of gross domestic product (GDP), and provides employment for almost 30% of the economically active population. In FY 1998, a USAID-sponsored small and microbusiness institute will begin operations, developing business skills training, networking with NGOs to make services available to underserved areas, and building the capacity to conduct continuing operational research on the specific needs and achievements of the sector. The FONDOMICRO project will close, leaving the legacy of an independent small business bank to work alongside NGOs to service the credit needs of the small and microenterprise sector. Primary school completion rates of 14% in the Dominican Republic are among the lowest in the world. Achievements under USAID's standard-setting primary education project, closing in FY 1998, will be broadened to the national level by a $90 million project funded by the World Bank and the IDB. USAID will alsopursue a focused economic policy dialogue with the government and provide technical assistance to help strengthen the government's capacity for policy analysis and formulation as well as for more efficient use and better allocation of resources.* Strategic Objective 1:
Increased Economic Opportunities and Benefits for the Dominican MajorityAgency Goal: Stabilizing Population Growth and Protecting Human Health
The Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) spends only l.7% of GNP (or 14% of its budget) on health, well below world and Latin American and Caribbean regional averages. It is estimated that more than a quarter of of every hundred pregnancies are terminated each year by induced abortions, testifying to the inadequacy of family planning services. High rates of unintended pregnancy, especially among adolescents, and lack of accessible primary health and family planning services compound the problems of lower-income groups, since scarce resources are devoted to additional children or to curing family members from preventable diseases. For FY 1998, USAID support will continue to accelerate fertility decline in the Dominican Republic through further strengthening of NGO partners and limited technical assistance to the GODR. Reproductive health information and services are targeted at the male population and adolescents, as well as at women of reproductive age in general, and are closely integrated with the rest of the primary health care program.
Access to and use of reproductive health care services, and human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) prevention is an essential complement to USAID's emphasis on economic opportunities and poverty alleviation. Because of relatively good child survival indicators for the country, strong coverage by other donors, and the capability of the USAID-assisted NGO consortium to continue providing such services, USAID phased out of child survival interventions at the end of FY 1996. USAID intends to market its successful record of NGO-assisted, community-managed water and sanitation projects as a model to mobilize private sector, other donor, and government funding.
The Dominican Republic is a USAID AIDS priority country. Approximately 250,000 Dominicans (3.5% of the population) were expected to be HIV positive by the end of 1995, according to epidemiological projections, justifying USAID's overarching priority to build national institutional and technical capacity to address AIDS issues, including substantial support by the private sector. Although HIV/AIDS is found throughout the social spectrum in the Dominican Republic, the poor and socially disadvantaged are being infected at high rates. To address this growing problem, USAID will: (1) expand its already successful program to conduct an effective public information campaign, especially targeting adolescents, (2) educate and mobilize the private sector through workplace programs, (3) strengthen and expand the participation of both public and private sector organizations in HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention, and (4) develop the infrastructure for greatly expanded diagnosis and treatment.
* Strategic Objective 2:
Increased Use of Effective Primary Health Care Services by Underserved PopulationsAgency Goal: Building Democracy
Establishing an effective, functioning democracy is critical to the future development of the Dominican Republic. Civil society organizations and a public better informed of, and skilled in, the nature and practice of democratic values are the mainstay of such a system. Notable grass roots activities have been supported accross the country to identify, advocate and enact change on a broad range of local and national development priorities. USAID will continue to support and strengthen broad-based, active participation of civil society, including Dominican NGOs, public interest groups, labor unions, foundations, community organizations, and the general public in various aspects of political life, at the local and national level. To ensure a sustainable national framework for participatory democracy,however, reform of key political institutions is essential. In FY 1998, USAID will continue initiatives begun in FY 1997 to support public demand for enactment of judicial reform measures stipulated by 1994 constitutional amendments and to help the new government address critical bottlenecks in both the civil and criminal legal systems. Priority reforms aim to increase the transparency and efficiency of the system and will lessen corruption, protect civil rights, and improve the functioning of the market economy. Another priority is to consolidate the network of democracy action groups supported during the 1996 presidential election campaign to prepare for the 1998 legislative and municipal elections -- another step in this historic democratic transition.
* Strategic Objective 3:
Increased Participation in DemocratizationAgency Goal: Environment Managed for Long-Term Sustainability
The Dominican Republic is over-dependent on inefficient and unreliable energy sources that pollute the environment and deplete the natural resource base. Up to 50% of government-owned and contracted electric power production is often unavailable due to equipment failure or water shortages. An estimated two million rural residents live beyond the reach of the power grid. Firewood and charcoal still constitute the principal cooking fuel in most rural households. Cutting firewood is now considered the principal cause of deforestation, resulting in siltation of the hydropower reservoirs which provide about 35 % of the country's electrical power supply. By demonstrating how known technologies can exploit untapped alternative energy resources in a cost effective and commercially viable way, NGOs, cooperatives, community groups, and private businesses can help dramatically to improve power availability for the rural poor. Solar power for community potable water and domestic lighting systems; solar cooking, heating and drying ventures; pilot conservation projects in critical watersheds, one of which is already being replicated by the World Bank; and wind energy and mini-hydro pilot demonstrations for community electrification, are among the activities receiving support under this strategic objective. A number of United States energy firms have expressed interest in expanding their markets and investments for renewable energy technologies in the Dominican Republic. USAID is laying the groundwork necessary to attract such investment. It is USAID technical assistance has also been instrumental in developing a new energy law proposal and will assist in preparing internationally accepted standards and norms to regulate the conventional energy sector. Funding of this Strategic Objective will be completed in FY 1997.
* Strategic Objective 4:
Increased Availability and Use of Environmentally-Sound Energy Sources
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (000's)FY 1998 PROGRAM SUMMARY
USAID Strategic Objectives Encouraging Economic Growth Stabilizing Population Growth and Protecting Human Health Protecting the Environemnt Buidling Democracy Providing Humanitarian Assistance Total 1. Increased Economic Opportunities and Benefits for the Dominican Majority Dev. Assistance
1,100
200
1,300
2. Increased Use of Primary Health Care Services by Underserved Populations Dev. Assistance
5,570
5,570
3. Increased Participation in Democratization Dev. Assistance
ESF*
2,500
2,500
Total
Dev. Assistance
ESF*
1,100
5,570
2,700
9,370
*LAC Regional request includes $1,500,000 attributed to Dominican Republic democracy objective.
USAID Mission Director: Marilyn A. Zak
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Economic Opportunities and Benefits for the Dominican Majority, 517-SO01
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1998: $1,300,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To augment the human capital of the poor and to facilitate their integration into the economy.
Background: Poverty in the Dominican Republic is the driving force behind one of the highest emigration rates in Latin America. Flawed governance, economic policies, and social injustice are the primary factors that exacerbate Dominican poverty. Coupled with chronic low and inefficient government social spending, these factors result in large numbers of Dominican poor without the requisite skills and capacity to seek and hold gainful employment. Positive and increasing rates of overall economic growth over the past fouryears have not resulted in a marked improvement in the economy's ability to absorb unemployed labor.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID support has included microenterprise credit and training, primary education curriculum development and teacher training, and grants to local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for policy analysis, debate and consensus building. Support for microenterprise credit will cease in FY 1997. Microenterprise NGOs (many started and strengthened with USAID support) are now able to provide credit to more than 25% of microentrepreneurs. USAID has shifted its emphasis to supporting business skills training for microentrepreneurs, which, coupled with credit, is a key ingredient for increasing the survival rate of microenterprises. This decision was based upon a successful USAID pilot experience in FY 1996 that provided such training to approximately 2,000 entrepreneurs. Support for basic education will also be phased out in FY 1997, after successfully leveraging major loans from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. The new Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) is committed to improving the basic education sector as well. Following the 1996 elections, USAID shifted its economic policy reform approach from an almost exclusive focus on consensus building through NGOs to one which includes direct policy dialogue with the new administration. This results from the administration's commitment to protecting economic stability, eliminating corruption, and increasing social expenditures. USAID has already begun assisting the GODR to analyze its precarious fiscal situation and expect to be able to assist them in improving the effiency of public expenditure allocations as well.
Description: USAID focuses on achieving results in three key areas: (1) human capital development, through targeted business and vocational training and increased quality primary education for the poor, (2) financial services for small and microenterprises, and (3) short-term high level technical assistance for economic policy reform and analysis. Funding for the first two areas is channeled through local NGOs. Emphasis is placed on the provision of services that improve the productivity of the poor, at the same time allowing for cost-recovery mechanisms to enable continued service delivery after USAID financial support ceases. Funding for the third area is channeled through an agreement with the GODR. FY 1998 funds will be used to expand microentrepreneur skills training through a new, innovative, small and microentrepreneur business support center located in a local business administration and engineering university. Funds also will be used to further a policy-reform effort focused on sustainable poverty alleviation, that will support alliances between local NGO think-tanks and specific government ministries involved with poverty alleviation.
Host Country and Other Donors: Several major donors assist the microenterprise sector, including theInter-American Development Bank (IDB). The World Bank and IDB are collaborating on a $90 million primary education project which will pick up and expand where USAID leaves off, incorporating new curricula and testing materials in a much broader range of schools. USAID coordinates its policy dialogue closely with those of the Banks, which have provided the new government with their assessments of economic policy reform priorities. The United Nations Development Program will be providing technical assistance and equipment to modernize the inadequate working environment of several key ministries.
Beneficiaries: USAID's focus on the Dominican majority reflects the fact that the poorest half of the Dominican population earns only 18% of the national income. While policy and basic education activities are designed to impact on as many of this majority as possible, USAID training and financial services activities focus on the small and microenterprise sector which employs almost 30% of the economically active population.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through local NGOs including the Microenterprise Fund (FONDOMICRO) and the Basic Education Association (EDUCA), the American Institute for Free Labor Development, and the Ministry of Finance.
Major Result Indicators:
Baseline Target
Reduction in national
poverty level 20% (1992) 18% (1997)
Reduction in unemployment
and under-employment rates 20%/30% (1995) 15%/25% (2000)
Reduction in school desertion
rates 20% (1994) 16% (1999)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Use of Effective Primary Health Care Services by Underserved Populations, 517-SO02
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1998: $5,570,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1993 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005
Purpose: Promote health care reform and assist in improving access to and quality of family planning services, potable water and sanitation systems, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention practices.
Background: A May 1995 World Bank report estimates that one in five Dominicans live in poverty and one in ten in extreme poverty. Data from 1992 indicates that half the families living below the poverty line consume less than 75% of required protein and 61% consume less than 75% of the required calories. Infant mortality has been cut almost in half over the past seven years, with the current rate at 43 per thousand. On average, only 65% of the population has access to potable water, with much lower coverage in rural and marginal urban barrios. Twenty-five percent of the households are headed by women. Fertility rates among the rural population remain high at over four births per woman. Although human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS is found throughout the social spectrum in the Dominican Republic, the poor and socially disadvantaged are being infected at high rates. It is estimated that current HIV prevalence rates among 15-45 year olds is near 2.5%. Equally alarming is the increase in HIV prevalence among prenatal women (2.4% median variable) who are considered a low-risk group. Sixty-three percent of reported AIDS cases are persons under the age of 35 years.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID resources are channeled primarily through NGOs for service delivery and U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for technical assistance in such areas as training, supervision, sustainability, information/financial systems management, and quality of care. Broad-based participation, innovative NGO service delivery methods, and expanded social marketing have made a positive impact on the Dominican Republic's health status. Specific discussions with GODR health officials have begun to determine areas of technical assistance which would strengthen selected areas and build upon the successful community-participation models promoted by USAID-supported NGOs. Water and sanitation projects have focussed upon promoting community-based ownership and management of water and sanitation systems. Sixty community water organizations have been formed. Over one million couple years protection (CYPs) have been achieved by USAID-supported agencies during the past five years. Annual targets have more than doubled since 1989, and nearly 60% of married women use contraceptives. The program has increased its focus on rural women, as well as adolescents and men. Behavioral change communication is a major component of the HIV/AIDS strategy which targets specific high-risk and at-risk audiences. Recent data show significant HIV seroprevalence decrease among high risk groups from 13% to 8% between 1991 and 1994.
Description: Of the total funding requested for population and health, $3,693,000 is planned for population activities and $2,314,000 is planned for health activities. USAID works in four major areas: family planning, including maternal health and breastfeeding; reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV infection; increasing access to potable water and sanitation systems; and policy dialogue for health sector reform. Interventions in STD and HIV prevention target both the general population and core populations at increased risk of transmission and infection. USAID seeks an increasing involvement from the private sector in AIDS prevention. USAID also supports health policy reform to improve access and the utilization of services and to modernize the health sector. During FY 1998, USAID will continue to play a catalytic role in the health sector. USAID is activelybuilding partnerships with other donors and fostering such liaisons between NGOs and the government. Support for community-managed water and sanitation projects will incorporate "challenge targets" to secure increased investments from the NGOs, the government, and the communities themselves. Maternal health issues will continue to be addressed through the reproductive health component of the family planning project. All of USAID's health and population interventions will reflect the cross-cutting concerns of health sector reform, donor coordination, and NGO organizational strengthening, service delivery capacity building, and financial sustainability. USAID's termination of support for direct child survival interventions comes at a time when immunization coverage rates are high, infant mortality has steadily declined, other donors are providing technical and financial resources to the neediest areas, and the capacity of NGOs to work in this sector has been substantially strengthened.
Host Country and Other Donors: The United Nations Children's Fund provides assistance to the GODR and a limited number of NGOs to control diarrheal diseases, promote baby friendly hospitals, acute respiratory infections and policy dialogue in water and sanitation. The rights of children in especially difficult circumstances also will be a major initiative. The European Union supports maternal and child health activities in an underserved western region of the country, medical curriculum assistance, and medicines. It will expand its AIDS interventions in its new 1997-2002 program. The Pan American Health Organization has a range of activities in water and sanitation, integrated community development, food and nutrition, epidemiological programs, diarrheal control, acute respiratory infections medicines and health sector reform. The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank are joint partners in the design of a health care reform program.
Beneficiaries: Women and men, with a special emphasis on youth of reproductive age at-risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; and families in the areas of project water and sanitation provision will benefit from these activities.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through Development Associates, a U.S. firm; U.S. PVOS such as Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Hungry; and local NGOs including the Dominican Association for Family Well-being (PROFAMILIA), the Dominican Family Planning Association (ADOPLAFAM), Women in Development (MUDE), the Basic Education Association (EDUCA), and the National Health Institute (INSALUD).
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Women 15-49 using a contraceptive method 36.8% (1991) 46% (2000)
Target high-risk population using a condom
High-risk population 51.5% 77.0%
Adolescents -- male 29.0% 40.0%
-- female 6.0% 15.0%
Hotel/tourism workers 18.0% 25.0%
(1990/93) (1998)
Target population with appropriate waste water systems 4% (1994) 30% (1998)
Target population served with potable water systems 8% (1994) 50% (1998)
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Participation in Democratization, 517-SO03
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1998: $2,500,000 DA; $1,500,000 ESF
(attributed under LAC Regional Request)
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To enhance broad-based, active participation of Dominican nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), public interest groups, foundations, labor unions, community organizations, and the general public in building true democracy in the Dominican Republic.
Background: Clientelism, combined with weak democracy, has constrained the country's political development for decades. Corruption within the public sector is widespread. An independent, effective judiciary is almost non-existent. Vigorous, broad-based, non-partisan pressure by Dominican civil society institutions and groups is needed if democratic development, political reform, and modernization of the state is to be achieved.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID works in close partnership with its Dominican civil society counterparts. This close consultative and collaborative relationship with its partners starts at the design stage of each of the activities and is maintained through their implementation. USAID's consistent efforts to induce Dominican civil society to play an active role in favor of a free and fair electoral process in 1996 paid off. Observers of the local political scene are starting to recognize a new and totally different attitude by civil society organizations and groups regarding their participation in electoral processes. Breaking away from the traditional concentration of NGO and private voluntary organization (PVO) activities in the capital city, 32 out of 46 subgrants active during the period under the Democratic Initiatives project either have a nationwide outreach or their activities take place totally or partially outside Santo Domingo. The large majority of the beneficiaries ofthese subgrants are barrio or rural community groups.
Description: In response to the transitional nature of the current Dominican political scene, USAID has adapted its approach to both the near- and long-term priorities agreed upon between USAID and its civil society partners. The near-term emphasis is to support strong civil society advocacy of the reform agenda, seeking out areas of collaboration with the new government which took office in August 1996. USAID will also continue strengthening civil society's capacity for active participation with a view toward the legislative and municipal elections scheduled for 1998. The longer-term emphasis is to support efforts to more actively engage the government and the public in ensuring follow-through on the democratic reform process and in practicing democratic values. A new activity in 1997 will respond to strong public demand within Dominican society for the establishment of a functional justice system that includes an independent, well-trained, merit-based judiciary and a responsive Public Ministry. Current efforts to establish a nationwide public defense system to increase access to the judicial system by the disadvantaged will continue. USAID has also begun to work with the GODR's Commission for Justice Reform to design a pilot "model court" program and to broaden the base of support for Justice Reform through a series of seminars.
Other Donors: USAID includes working with other donors as an important component of its democracy strategy. Other international donor support has been unrelentingly solicited in favor of the democratic initiatives undertaken by Dominican civil society, as well as political reforms mainly in the fields of rule of law and modernization of the state. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and the European Union (EU) have shown interest in supporting the Government of the Dominican Republic's (GODR's) intentions in areas related to democracy, such as modernization of the state, decentralization, and rule of law.
Beneficiaries While many activities under this strategic objective target the poor, their reach is truly nationwide. The overall aim of consolidating democracy in the Dominican Republic benefits all citizens and furthers the global interests of the United States.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, Agencies: USAID implements the programs through the local Pontifical Catholic University and the presidential Commission for Justice Reform.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Eligible voters who voted 66% (1990) 80% (2000)
(male and female) M= 71%
F = 62%
Eligible voters intending to vote 88% (1994) 85% (2000)
(male and female) M= 91%
F = 85%
Citizens involved in lobbying N/A (1994) 25% (2001)
for democratic reforms
Citizens active in NGOs and 16% (1994) 25% (2001)
community groups (male and female) M= 21%
F = 11%
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