Urban development support services

A.I.D."s Office of Housing and Urban Programs (PRE/H) will implement the project. The project will provide support externally to LDC governments and internally within the Agency itself. In the former case, the project will support the preparation of national urban policies and conduct sectoral assessments within urban areas (e.g., land needs, industry, urban management and finance). Specific targets include: (1) TA to national/local urban institutions (short-term to improve a specific function, long-term to increase overall capacity), in-country and international training programs, and TA for institutional policy development; (2) action planning and programming in a specific urban area, including concept plans for key urban centers, urban service delivery programs, public/private partnership programs, urban finance and credit programs; and (3) preparation of selective capital assistance programs (using A.I.D., other donor, or Housing Guaranty funding) for small scale infrastructure systems and maintenance, selected facilities (markets, medium/small enterprises, health and education facilities primarily in support of shelter projects), and capital equipment essential to overall objectives. Within A.I.D., the project will participate in urban policy and strategy formulation, develop effective methods for achieving A.I.D."s urban services objectives, monitor urbanization trends, conduct applied urban-related research into key issues, help Missions prepare CDSS"s, and conduct urban development assessments for Missions. More specifically, the project will develop an urban program management capacity within PRE/H and related RHUDO"s and provide specific support upon request for Missions and A.I.D. offices in the preparation of urban-related PID"s and PP"s and evaluation of urban projects, whether or not PRE/H is involved in the specific project execution. The project will collaborate with project 9401001 - Housing the Urban Poor - to provide a grant of $300,000 to finance TA and studies aimed at improving loan collection in programs of Sri Lanka"s National Housing Development Authority. (PD-CAL-942)