Local Economic Development in Nicaragua: Experiences from PRODELSA

"The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) requested this project for the purpose of learning lessons from the implementation of the EU­funded, Nicaraguan­executed, PRODELSA program. PRODELSA is based on the premise that Nicaraguan Municipal governments can effectively help reduce poverty by playing a more proactive role in promoting local economic development (LED), and facilitating ventures that leverage local competitive and comparative advantages, generate income and employment opportunities, and improve food security. The purpose of the report is not to provide a comprehensive evaluation of PRODELSA, but more narrowly to study PRODELSA's experience in the area of municipal development planning in addressing LED, and in the area of investment project planning to determine the extent to which projects are carried out in a technically, institutionally, and financially sustainable manner. The report studied these variables by focusing on a sample of three productive projects. The results will be used to improve the design and implementation of the new UNCDF­funded, Nicaraguan­executed, PADETOM program, which has goals similar to those of PRODELSA. "