Financing Community-Based Rural Development: Profiles of the Prevalent Instruments Used to Finance Community-Based Rural Development in Various Industrialised Countries

Introduction

This document presents short profiles of 20 programs and instruments currently used to finance community-based rural initiatives. These programs and instruments were chosen among 70 studied either because they represent good examples of collaboration between different levels of government, including interesting formulas for cost sharing, or because they depict an innovative approach to solving problems associated with financing rural development at the community level, or both.

The information contained in these profiles was compiled mainly from public domain documents, both in print and on the Internet, as well as from conversations and interviews with expert informants and from the author’s personal experience and knowledge. It is provided for discussion purposes and further research would be required to guarantee complete authenticity of every fact that has been gathered. This caveat notwithstanding, it is our belief that the profiles generally and fairly reflect the present situation for each instrument.

The template used for each profile includes the following topics: type of instrument; goal(s); description; location; scope; targets; amount(s) of funds; source(s) of funds; implementation mechanism; allocation mechanism; treatment of non-monetary contributions; governance; methods to ensure accountability; role of partnerships; other information; compatibility with principles underlying the National Rural Policy applicability to Canadian Federal context. The profiles have also been summarised in table form and grouped into one of six categories:

• capacity-building programs;
• privately managed, independent but publicly endowed development funds;
• publicly funded and managed programs;
• investment tax credits;
• loan funds;
• other instruments.

All of the instruments profiled appear to have produced excellent results within the context of their implementation and subsequent operations. However, how these results have been achieved points away from a direct replication approach to program development to one that attempts to mould programs to fit he contours of both the problems to be addressed and their solutions.

Complete document

pdf Financing Community-Based Rural Development: Profiles of the Prevalent Instruments Used to Finance Community-Based Rural Development in Various Industrialised Countries William A. Ninacs, Francine Gareau and Rupert Downing 2003William A. Ninacs, Francine Gareau and Rupert Downing, Financing Community-Based Rural Development: Profiles of the Prevalent Instruments Used to Finance Community-Based Rural Development in Various Industrialised Countries, paper produced for the Rural Secretariat (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Canadian CED Network, 80 pages, 2003