Rural Investment Project (AZRIP)

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The Rural Investment Project for Azerbaijan aims to help households in rural communities complete micro-project investments to improve living standards and aims to increase the use of infrastructure services. The project has two main components plus a project management Component. Component A, Infrastructure, funds grants for approximately 350-450 rural infrastructure micro-projects. It identifies, designs, and constructs or rehabilitates rural infrastructure, based on the priority needs identified by communities. Potential investments include basic economic and social infrastructure ( e g , rehabilitation of secondary roads, water systems, electricity transformers, schools and health clinics). Component B, Capacity enhancement, funds training and technical assistance for project implementation. It consists of two sub-components: Sub-component B-1 will help create the required capacity of involved local stakeholders, e.g. communities, recipients, and Regional Grant Approval Committees (RGACs). In the community mobilization phase, communities and recipients will be assisted in all aspects of micro-project development including completing problem analysis, needs assessments/prioritizations, and proposal preparation. Recipients will receive training in contracting, procurement, financial management, and participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E). Sub-component B- 1 also comprises a broad dissemination campaign which targets stakeholders at large and includes rayon and central government authorities. Sub-component B-2 will finance the long term professional staff and the short-term contract staff in the Regional Operations Offices (ROOs) to build the capacity of the Agency for Support of the Development of the Agricultural Private Sector (ASDAPS) and the government. Sub-component B-2 will also develop the capacity of the project management unit and three ROOs to appraise, supervise, monitor and evaluate the micro-projects (including participatory M&E). Capacity enhancement will take place through management, planning, on-the-job and other training, consultations, lessons-learned workshops, and use of resource materials.