Despite steady economic reform during the second half of the 1990s, poverty remained high in Senegal. More than a third of the total population was living below the poverty line, and more in rural areas. Agricultural growth had stagnated for many reasons—but mostly because rural populations suffered from a lack of participation in planning, financing, and managing local development.
In 2001, to rectify this lack of rural empowerment and voice, Senegal’s Government launched the National Rural Infrastructure Project, which aimed to use a participatory, community-driven approach to public service delivery in rural areas. The goal was to enable local governments to operate and maintain infrastructure investments—starting with the building of basic community infrastructure. IDA provided institutional support and financing.
About 2.2 million people in 110 rural communities benefited from the first phase of the program. IDA’s institutional support catalyzed improvements in local governance, participation, and management of public finances.
Highlights:
- Incomes increased. An impact study based on semi-annual panel surveys of 850 households over the period 2002–2005 showed marked improvements in the living conditions of the population. Household incomes in the project target areas increased by 25 percent, and most benefited from improved access to essential services, especially in reducing the time needed to reach schools.
- Local Government revenue multiplied. Fiscal revenues of local governments in the project area improved by a multiple of 2.8, and the purchasing power of beneficiary households rose by 6.8 percent.
- Local governance and services improved. Within the project areas, improved local governance in terms of transparency and fiduciary management was reported, while more social services and infrastructure became available at the community level.
- Community participation expanded. 80 percent of targeted rural communities gained from capacity building programs; 90 percent of rural communities prepared local development plans funded by the government; and 60 percent of community projects were successfully completed by villagers.
Total project cost was US$47.5 million, of which IDA provided US$28 million from 2001 to 2005. In addition to basic infrastructure, IDA funding contributed in institutional development at the community level by sustaining mobilization of resources for more local investments and maintenance of new infrastructure.
Development partners include the International Fund for Agriculture Development (contributing US$5.4 million), OPEC (US$1.9 million), and the African Development Bank (US$4.9 million).
Although beneficiary communities have set up maintenance committees and set aside funds for operation and maintenance, capacity is still weak and will require additional efforts by local governments. The subsequent phases of this program and the social development fund program were merged into the Participatory Local Development Project in the context of a national community driven development program. The response from both the Government and IDA is an important operation of 100 million dollars with 50/50 co-funding. This operation is aimed at more resources mobilization and transfer to local governments and communities to deliver services in rural areas and vulnerable small communes.
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