COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT : WEST BANK/GAZA STRIP (OPG)

Special PES covers the period 9/78-10/80 and is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with A.I.D. and Israeli Government officials and project beneficiaries. The Community Development Foundation (CDF), the operational program grantee, has engaged in social, economic, and infrastructural projects, but the WBGS Military Government has impeded community action, causing serious problems in project implementation. Social projects have emphasized preschool and special education, public health, and child and family services. Support has been primarily in the form of equipment and commodities. Although none of these projects have been individually evaluated, CDF cooperation with recipients and existing local private voluntary organizations (PVO"s) appears good. Economic projects were to have targeted primary production, small industry, and consumer and financial services, but CDF has instead limited its efforts to a group of cooperative-based projects to distribute seedlings, reclaim lamd, and trellis vine crops. Artisans have been supported, and credit, technical advice, and subsidized inputs have been provided. Infrastructure development has emphasized providing commodity inputs to upgrade or construct small water systems, medium-sized sewerage systems, and rural community access roads. It is recommended that: (1) subproject descriptions and feasibility studies be more rigorously designed; (2) A.I.D. seek increase cooperation among the various PVO"s it supports in the area and between these PVO"s and the Military Government; (3) CDF avoid spreading its resources too thinly and instead concentrate on developing potable water resources, strengthening agricultural cooperatives, and equipping rural primary health care clinics since it has the greatest expertise in these areas and indigenous, semi-skilled labor is available; and (4) CDF attempt to implement complementary activities (e.g., potable water development and health improvement) in proximate areas.