Project assistance completion report : PVO support project -- grant agreement 515-0232.00 with Private Agencies Collaborating Together, June 27, 1986-June 27, 1992

The project was a success. (1) PACT helped the Mission to maintain its support to PVOs, especially the U.S. PVO community. (2) U.S. dollars were channelled to international PVOs registered with A.I.D./W to finance their development projects in Costa Rica. A total of 20 such projects were funded. In addition, 18 mini-grants were made to U.S. and local PVOs. (3) Fifteen workshops on subjects of interest to PVOs were conducted, and attended by 757 PVO managers or members of boards of directors. (4) The Asociacion Costarricense para Organizaciones de Desarrollo (ACORDE) was created and legally established as an independent PVO support entity. ACORDE manages a large loan and grant portfolio in dollars and colones and provides, through a contract with the Central American Institute for Business Administration (INCAE), a systematic, sector-wide TA and training program for PVO institutional strengthening. The program has been well-received. The following lessons were learned. (1) While other PVO support entities funded by USAID in Central America have mostly been umbrella organizations driven by PVO interests and need for funds, the foundation-like structure of ACORDE has brought together Costa Ricans of all sectors of the society who have an interest in serving their communities, thereby eliminating the conflict of interest problem. (2) This careful attention to political balance has provided ACORDE with access to both major political parties. The result is that agreements can be reached that give ACORDE access to bilateral and multilateral funding, which requires host government approval. (3) The ACORDE mechanism provides ample coverage for USAID in the field of public relations.