Community Development and Licit Opportunities (CDLO) Activity Annual Performance Report: October 2018 – September 2019

The project's main objective is to empower rural citizens to function as effective partners with both the public and private sectors. Throughout Fiscal Year 2019, CDLO continued to make sustained progress towards its main objective. The project implemented various interventions, including the establishment of Territorial Evaluation Spaces (ETEs) in 15 departments, which facilitated the participation of local stakeholders in the decision-making process. Additionally, CDLO supported the development of community-based organizations (CBOs) and local solution partners (LSPs), which enabled rural communities to access resources and services more effectively. The project also focused on promoting economic development and reducing illicit crop production (ICP) in rural areas. CDLO worked with local partners to establish microenterprise results and accountability act (MRAA) programs, which provided training and financial support to small business owners. Furthermore, the project implemented a rural finance initiative (RFI) to increase access to financial services for rural communities. In terms of security, CDLO continued to operate in a challenging environment, with the closure of two major highways due to landslides and other events not controlled by the project. Despite these challenges, the project maintained a strong focus on community engagement and participation, which helped to build trust and credibility with local stakeholders. The project's progress was monitored and evaluated through a variety of indicators, including the number of ETEs established, the number of CBOs and LSPs supported, and the number of microenterprise programs implemented. The results of these indicators showed significant progress towards the project's main objective, with rural citizens increasingly participating in decision-making processes and accessing resources and services more effectively. In terms of budget, CDLO spent a total of $4.5 million during Fiscal Year 2019, which was within the approved budget of $5.5 million. The project also maintained a strong focus on gender and vulnerable populations, with a specific strategy and communications plan in place to ensure that these groups were included in all project activities. Overall, the CDLO Activity made significant progress towards its main objective during Fiscal Year 2019, despite operating in a challenging security environment. The project's focus on community engagement and participation, economic development, and reducing illicit crop production helped to build trust and credibility with local stakeholders, and laid the foundation for continued progress in the future. The project's next quarter will focus on implementing a range of activities, including the establishment of new ETEs, the support of CBOs and LSPs, and the implementation of microenterprise programs. The project will also continue to monitor and evaluate its progress through a variety of indicators, and will make adjustments as necessary to ensure that it is meeting its main objective. In terms of major activities or interventions planned for the next quarter, CDLO will focus on the following: * Establishing new ETEs in 5 departments * Supporting the development of 10 new CBOs and LSPs * Implementing 5 new microenterprise programs * Continuing to monitor and evaluate progress through a variety of indicators Overall, the CDLO Activity is well-positioned to continue making progress towards its main objective in the future, and will remain a key partner in promoting collective vision of territorial alternative and rural development in Colombia.