USAID/Nicaragua
Development Program 2003-2008 (Millions of U.S. $) Ruling Justly: Investing in People: P.L. 480 Food Security...... 62.5 Total ...................................$ 271 |
From 1990-2003, USAID assistance to Nicaragua totaled $1.1
billion. A new $271 million development assistance program began in 2003
and will run through 2008. USAID’s new program promotes responsible
transparent governance and provides assistance for a more open, expanding
economy with a specific focus on trade-led rural economic diversification.
The program encourages investment in people through better governance of
social institutions and improved access to quality health and education services.
Ruling Justly: More Responsive, Transparent Governance
USAID’s
justice reform activities contributed to the passage of a new Criminal Procedures
Code in 2001, the establishment of a Public Defenders Office in Managua and
a new Public Ministry/Prosecutor General’s office. USAID activities
promote public oversight for justice reform to help increase transparency
and accountability in government.
In December 2002, the Criminal Procedures Code entered into
effect nationwide. The new system requires due process and the presentation
of evidence in open
court and transparency in the judicial 
process. The successful enactment
of the Criminal Procedures Code was bolstered by USAID-funded training, technical
assistance and planning carried out in collaboration with the Nicaraguan
government. USAID made significant contributions to the successful implementation
of the code, by providing expert training to judges, prosecutors, public
defenders, private lawyers and others in both the content of the new law
and the ways in which their roles would change in the shift from an inquisitorial
to an accusatorial criminal justice system. Implementation of the new code
brings Nicaragua in line with progress in criminal justice reform throughout
the region and establishes oral, public criminal trials for the first time.
With substantive support from USAID, a proposed new Criminal Code was approved
by the National Assembly’s Justice Commission and presented to the
Assembly Board of Directors in December 2003. The bill will be considered
by the Assembly plenary early in 2004. This represents the culmination
of several years of work by USAID in support for drafting, consultation
and negotiation of the law.
USAID support of voter education, voter registration and poll observers
helped bring about free and fair presidential elections in November 2001.
Economic Freedom: Open Diversified Expanding Economies
USAID focuses its assistance on achieving increased trade and investment
and the development of a competitive, market-oriented economy with particular
emphasis on market-led, rural economic diversification and trade capacity
building.
USAID activities has helped open up new markets and provided technical assistance
to Nicaraguan producers to meet local, regional, and international market
demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, including sweet onions and tomatoes,
dairy products, specialty coffee, organic cocoa beans, red and black beans,
organic meat, and tilapia. In addition, USAID support helped several agri-business
firms find markets for their value-added agricultural products.
Over the last year, close to 30,000 beneficiaries of USAID-funded programs diversified their agricultural production, leading to increased yields and better access to markets. This brought the total number of farm households participating in USAID activities during the last five years to about 120,000.
USAID technical support to the Nicaraguan government on economic policy
contributed to the passing of the Law on Tax Equity and the Law on Forest
Conservation. The Tax Equity law allowed the government to collect $366 million
in taxes in 2003, which was 23% above 2002 collections. The forestry law
is expected to promote sustainable forestry business development and reforestation.
USAID also provided technical and legal assistance for the drafting of biotechnology
legislation.
Natural Resource Management
The USAID-funded Co-management of Protected Areas Project (COMAP) contributed
to improved management of eight protected areas. During this four-year project,
769,669 hectares of protected areas came under more effective management.
An evaluation of COMAP, conducted by USAID, revealed significant achievements,
such as substantial community participation in the management of these areas
and increased incomes of the rural poor living in or near the protected areas.
The project also completed six management plans and constructed six park-ranger
houses and visitor centers. Furthermore, the NGOs co-managing six of the
protected areas received institutional strengthening and financial management
support.
Investing in People: Healthier, Better Educated People
USAID
is working with the Nicaraguan government to improve public and private health
management, to provide greater educational opportunities, and to improve
family health practices. USAID’s programs contributed to remarkable
achievements in improving maternal and child health in Nicaragua.
The heart of USAID assistance to the health sector is the Fully Functional
Service Delivery Point (FFSDP) model, a client-centered approach that focuses
on an integrated package of high-quality services to a known population on
a continuous basis. Using this model, USAID targeted assistance from 2000
to 2003 to over 150 health centers and health posts, or 60% of the total
number of 
health facilities in three of the most isolated and poorest departments.
This approach led to a sharp decline in maternal deaths due to obstetrical
causes in USAID-assisted regions from 57 in 2000, to 26 in 2003. Data from
the Demographic and Health Survey show a consistent pattern of decline in
infant mortality in all three departments. Global moderate and severe malnutrition
in children under two declined from 13.0% in 2000 to 9.6% in 2003, according
to household surveys. Family planning coverage increased from 43.6% to 52.7%;
exclusive breastfeeding from 32.4% to 69.1%; and DPT immunization coverage
in infants under age one from 47.2% to 67.0%. These results contributed to
the decision of the Health Ministry to apply the USAID-developed approach
nationwide.
USAID supported the consolidation of a Private Voluntary Organization/Non-governmental
Organization (PVO/NGO) federation, NicaSalud. The Nicaraguan government
has engaged this federation as a full partner in the development of strategies
to scale-up household and community health interventions under the national
Poverty Reduction Strategy. NicaSalud has helped ensure program quality
and consistency as all members, including Food-for-Peace private voluntary
organization (PVO) members, use consistent, agreed-upon technical approaches.
Nearly all public health facilities provide family planning services, with
USAID supplying 75% of contraceptives used in Nicaragua and thereby contributing
significantly to the country's 69% contraceptive prevalence rate reported
in the 2001 Demographic Health Survey.
Quality Primary Education
USAID’s model school initiative
and focus on quality primary education contributes to increased student access
to education. School completion in
USAID-supported model schools exceeds that of non-model schools by over 20%,
and academic achievement increased 8% in Spanish and 12% in math since the
program began. Parent participation in USAID model schools reached 96% last
year in urban schools and 93% in rural schools.
USAID’s Basic Education Project (BASE) interventions, classroom reform, and community participation contribute to the Nicaragua’s Ministry of Education policy of decentralization and community empowerment. Under the model school program, democratic community participation in support of school quality became a distinguishing feature of primary education reform in Nicaragua. The success of USAID’s model school program led to a decision by the Nicaraguan government to scale-up the model nationwide in its Education for All/Fast Track Initiative.
USAID is also participating in a Global Development Alliance (GDA) with the American-Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce, the American-Nicaraguan Foundation and the Academy for Educational Development that is leveraging over $1.5 million from the private sector, matching a $1.2 million contribution by USAID to improve basic education and nutrition in Nicaragua. Currently, 50 private Nicaraguan businesses are participating in the alliance as school sponsors, providing computers and school supplies and improving school facilities. This GDA has led to the replication of the USAID-supported model school approach to an additional 135 schools.
The Centers of Excellence for Teacher Training (CETT) program, created as
part of President George Bush’s initiative to improve basic childhood “learning
and literacy” throughout the western hemisphere, is providing training
in reading and writing teaching skills to 1,250 teachers.
P.L. 480 Food Security
The P.L. 480 Title II program promotes
production of higher-value crops to improve the food security of 43,656 poor
rural households. Activities
focus on increasing the production of high-value, non-traditional crops,
increasing higher levels of marketing and processing of products and promoting
irrigation, storage, reforestation and soil and water conservation practices
to increase family incomes and improve health and nutrition.
The food aid program also sponsors complementary feeding, maternal health
and child survival activities in selected high-risk communities. Child survival
activities strengthened integration and linkages between P.L. 480 Title II
child survival activities and bilateral primary health and nutrition efforts.
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