LAO/730
Local Development and Governance Strengthening

The LAO/730 Local Development and Governance Strengthening Project is funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and executed by the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev) through LAO/030 – Local Development Programme for Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane Provinces. 

The LAO/730 project will add new aspects and impact to the ongoing LAO/030 programme through additional funding and implementation mechanisms in 2020-2022, while simultaneously supporting the development of a potential new joint Swiss – Luxembourg Local Governance Programme to be carried out in Lao PDR from 2022 onwards.. 

The project implementation follows the objectives, result-framework, principles, guidelines and management structure of LAO/030. SDC contribution is focussed on complementing ongoing activities under the LAO/030 programme to enhance the impact and modalities of selected interventions, such as: 

• climate change actions in the community-led development component; 
• social infrastructure access in some of the 229 target villages; 
• district development planning and links to other local planning; 
• additional capacity in local planning, community-led development, and change management; 
• cooperation with long-standing SDC partners in governance, geographical information system, agricultural development, and land management. 

The budget is 1 687 200 EUR, of which 1 562 200 EUR are managed by LuxDev via the LAO/030 programme, and 125 000 EUR are managed directly by SDC.  The initial project period is expected to be 18 months, from November 2020 to April 2022.  With the start of the LAO/730 project, SDC will become a member of the LAO/030 Programme Steering Committee and will be invited to participate in the regular central and provincial coordination meetings.