Pilot Project for Local Sustainable Development (SUDENE)

Project BRA/98/017 -- Start Year: 1998; Approved Budget: US$12,500,000; End Year: 2001; Implementing Agent: NEX (National Execution Related Projects); Executing Agent: SUDENE

Project background and rationale: Despite the successful integration of the North-Eastern States in the Brazilian economy, which has led to an economic growth of this area superior to the national average during the last decades, many municipalities still present extremely low levels of income per capita, an inadequate level of education of the population and a low level of public investments in basic infrastructure and services. This has shown the limits of a development model based on the State as main or only actor and characterized by the centralization of resources and competences and by a low degree of efficiency and efficacy. Therefore, the Special Office for the Development of the Northeast (SUDENE), based in Recife (PE), has developed an alternative model of development based on the collaboration of local authorities to the formulation of development policies, thus privileging dialogue and effective participation of the recipient communities. This Pilot Project, developed with the technical support of UNDP, is part of this general framework.

Project development goal: This pilot project aims at promoting sustainable local development and to reduce regional socio-economic inequalities, at increasing employment and income opportunities and at improving the conditions of human development in the recipient 33 municipalities with the lowest HDI belonging to the area of intervention of SUDENE, which comprises the Northeast and part of the State of Minas Gerais.

Project immediate objectives and expected outputs: This project comprises three immediate objectives:

1. To promote the articulation, coordination and improvement of the management standards of the local development policies executed by the three governmental levels (Federal, State and Local)

2. The formulation of a Development Strategy of the North-East for the XXI century;

3. To develop methodologies and instruments that allow the extension of the project in the remaining areas of intervention of SUDENE.

It is expected that at the end of this project the recipient municipalities will be able to promote policies of local development autonomously.

Contact details: SUDENE

MD Praça Ministro João Gonçalves de Souza – S/Nr. Ed. SUDENE - 5º andar – Sala S022 Cidade Universitária 50.670-900 – Recife – PE Phone: +55-81-4162719 +55-81-4172717