Intercountry evaluation of municipal development programs and institutions : Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Venezuela

IT IS OFTEN CALLED A DISTRICT, A CANTON, OR A MUNICIPALITY, AND IT MAY BE SUBDIVIDED INTO SMALLER UNITS. MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT IS OFTEN AS MUCH RURAL AS URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTEXT. THE MOTIVATION BEHIND ESTABLISHING A MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTION (MDI) IN NEARLY ALL CASES HAS BEEN TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF CONCESSIONAL CREDITS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. IN ADDITION, MOST OF THE INSTITUTIONS HAVE INCLUDED A COMPONENT TO DELIVER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO MUNICIPAL LEADERS AND OFFICIALS. THE VALUE AND POTENTIAL OF FOUR OPERATING MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS ARE ASSESSED AS INSTRUMENTS FOR THE PROMOTION OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMS WHICH THEY HAVE CARRIED OUT ALONG WITH AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL. THIS IS THE LEVEL AT WHICH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INSTITUTIONS CAN BE BEST ASSESSED. THE MDIS ARE EXAMINED AS AGENTS OR INSTRUMENTS OF NATIONAL AS WELL AS MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND NEEDS IDENTIFIED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THERE IS A DISCUSSION OF GAPS IN PAST PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL AREAS FOR STRENGTHENING THE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORT. A TENTATIVE MODEL FOR PROGRAMMING FOR MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT IS SUBMITTED.