Basic social services, urban upgrading & MEs development.
Description
This programme has a two-pronged concern:
- Basic social services and urban upgrading in some of the most deprived areas of Cairo and Giza (such as utilities, health and education and urban services) and the improvement of local development capacities (including local governance and decentralization
- Support to micro enterprises (MEs) (such as access to credit, business development services) in Egypt
This overall goal of local development, employment enhancement, and employment generation are achieved through an integrated approach combining labour-intensive small public works, urban services, and infrastructure and improved access to financing for Egyptian MSMEs and MFIs. This in four target area, two in the Cairo Governorate (Ezbit Khairallah and Al-Zawya AlHamraa) and two in the Giza Governorate (Ard El-Lewaa and Mit-Uqba).
Within the nexus of urban upgrading, labour-intensive public works, economic development, and microfinance, NSCE implemented multi-disciplinary services to technically assists the realisation of investment packages in these four unplanned areas. This Technical Assistance aimed to strengthening governmental institutions – in particular the technical staff at both Governorates and the Local Districts-, and to build capacity to Egyptian SFD (MSMEDA).
Focusing on contract and procurement management, urban engineering and planning as well as legal, administrative and project management issues, NSCE supported the organisational development and capacity building for these Egyptian stakeholders, implemented community mobilisation and awareness raising participatory activities, managed a number of projects targeting MSMEs, developed microfinance strategies, microfinance products and Islamic Microfinance training plans, upgraded MISs, and
conducted policy advice to enhance necessary legal procedures.
In the preparation of this project, a Needs Assessment and Activity Design Study (NAADS) was carried out and twenty-nine projects have been selected. Capacities to implement these projects, especially at the level of Urban Upgrading Units are strengthened.
Services
- Project Management
- Technical Assistance in urban planning and design, community engagement as well as informal areas development
- Organisational Development and capacity Building for stakeholders, and local partners
- Local society mobilisation and awareness-raising
- Support to manage a number of projects related to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Business Development Services and Urban Development
- Developing microfinance strategies, Microfinance product design capacity building, developing microfinance and Islamic Microfinance training plans, and upgrading MIS systems;