Report on volunteer association component of the neighborhood urban services program in Egypt

The report is based on several previous studies by American and Egyptian consultants. Egyptian law has encouraged the formation of PVO"s, but the funding has not kept pace with the growth in the number of PVO"s or with the absorptive capacity of these PVO"s. Moreover, further increases in PVO effectiveness are impeded by their lack of management, programming, production, marketing, and curricular design skills as well as by bureaucratic funding delays. To attack these problems, 8 million Egyptian pounds (L.E.) will be set aside for private sector financial assistance. Of this amount, L.E. 2 million will be earmarked to develop new PVO"s, especially in the area of informal housing. The remaining funds will be used to fund small neighborhood projects (i.e., at a cost of L.E. 1-5,000 each) which can be funded, because of their small size, without bureaucratic delays. PVO"s will be expected to raise half their own funding. A U.S. PVO with extensive developing country experience will be chosen to train Egyptian PVO personnel in organizational management with emphasis on self-help activities and on PVO self-sufficiency. A PVO Grants Committee will be formed in each district to ensure PVO"s and their projects operate in accord with Egyptian priorities; to facilitate communication between PVO"s local governments, and the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA); and to oversee project implementation. MOSA will assume audit responsibility over projects. In addition, a neighborhood activator will be trained and appointed to each district to involve community members in identifying, designing, and evaluating projects; to assist PVO"s to prepare project documents; to review, along with the PVOGC, requests for grants; arrange technical assistance; and in general, to promote a spirit of neighborhood volunteerism.