EVALUATION OF BOLIVIAN NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE

NCDS CAN CONTINUE TO PERFORM AN ESSENTIAL CATALYTIC ROLE IN STIMULATING THE EXTENSION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES TO THE RURAL COMMUNITIES. WHILE THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING VILLAGE LEVEL INSTITUTIONS HAS BEEN SLOW AND HAS TAKEN A VARIETY OF FORMS, THE CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATION, SELF-HELP, AND COOPERATION IS TAKING HOLD IN COMMUNITIES INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. NCDS NEEDS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM WHICH CAN PINPOINT THE BOTTLENECKS DURING THE PROJECT APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM IN THE FIELD IS GENERALLY QUITE GOOD, HOWEVER, CERTAIN PROBLEMS WERE OBSERVED, EG, MISSING PROJECT DOCUMENTATION, GAPS IN WORK SCHEDULING PROCEDURES, LATE PAYMENT OF SALARIES, AND SOME LACK OF MOBILITY, WHICH SHOULD BE CORRECTED. CONTINUED CLOSE MONITORING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS OF THE NDCS IS NECESSARY. THE EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM MERITS CONTINUED AID SUPPORT.