• The upgrading of community infrastructure by rehabilitation of old structures and construction of new ones in education, health, water and transport and communication sectors,
• Contribution to improvement of delivery and access to social and economic services by the poor,
• Fostering grass root initiatives (social action) intended to enhance the technical and managerial capabilities and attitudes to self-managed development, and
• Reorienting and building capacity of actors in community development including communities, extension workers, NGOs, the private sector and religious groups to equip them with skills in participatory methods for planning and implementing poverty alleviation interventions.

The interventions under MASAF 1 to fall into the two main categories

1. Social Infrastructure and Assistance : that would involve the construction and rehabilitation of primary schools, distance education centres, teachers houses, water supplies, sanitation, improving sewerage and drainage systems in urban and semi urban centres, construction and repair of health centres, clinics and staff houses; and
2. Economic Infrastructure: that would boost the productive capacities and create employment opportunities for the poor. Projects included small-scale irrigation schemes, village access. The objectives of the Project were thus set as follows:

• To provide additional resources for programs targeted at the poor, that is, fund the creation of village level assets, which will be directly beneficial to the poor through investments in primary education, peripheral health services and safe water.
• To promote a new approach to rural development by involving communities in project preparation and implementation, while encouraging government agencies, NGOs and private institutions to assist communities when needed.
• To support a district level program of labour-intensive construction to be targeted at the poorest districts as a safety net operation.
• To strengthen poverty monitoring and assessment systems through financing a Poverty Monitoring Support Facility (PMSF).

Implementation of the Project was to be done through a Management Unit, comprising of a head office and zone offices that would work with district level staff. A Project steering Committee comprising of key sectoral ministries, one traditional chief, and independent members, provided overall policy guidance. Sub-projects were implemented at community level through a community project committee (PMC), which was delegated functionary of the community, and reported to structures such as Village Development Committees (VDCs).

The MASAF 1 objectives were to be achieved through three operational components: the Community Sub-Projects (CSP), the Public Works Component (PWP) and the Poverty Monitoring Support Facility (PMSF).

The CSP component accounted for 71 percent of the funds under MASAF 1, was designed to meet the first two objectives. It provided financial and technical resources for programs targeted at the poor by funding the creation of community assets. It also promoted a new approach to community development by providing an opportunity for communities to effectively participate in the identification, preparation and implementation of their own development projects in collaboration with government agencies, NGOs and private institutions. The project processes empowered communities by creating opportunities for communities to revive the spirit of self-help, enabling them to take control over, and be accountable for their own development.

The PMSF component accounted for 2 percent of MASAF 1 financial resources and was managed by the National Economic Council (NEC). The PMSF supported the poverty reduction policies and programs by bridging poverty-related gaps and developing analytical skills in government and private institutions. It financed the essential building blocks for collection and analysis of data relevant to track progress in poverty reduction and to help guide poverty alleviation policies and guidelines.

ACHIEVEMENTS

A number of facilities were created under MASAF 1 as depicted in the table below:

Education projects included two school blocks, latrines, a borehole, teacher’s house(s) and sometimes Administration Block.

Based on Staff Appraisal Report 1996 Indicators