6 Quarter: April – June 2007

VII. COORDINATION WITH MIDAS
ADAM and MIDAS continue to coordinate efforts and resources, where appropriate, to maximize
the impact of each program.
i. ACTIVITIES SHARED BY MIDAS AND ADAM TEAMS
The ADAM and MIDAS teams have developed an active technical assistance program to support
the Colombian Government in passing Bill 30, known as the Rural Development Statute. In this
process, the teams’ recommendations were supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and incorporated into the latest version currently under debate in the Chamber of
Representatives.
The primary recommendations include the following:
Improve the design of poor farmers’ incentives to acquire land through voluntary
negotiations and competitive procedures to minimize price distortions that can create
policies for assistance based on demand;
Strengthen the mechanisms to protect land rights of displaced populations and Afro-
Colombian and indigenous groups that have suffered forced displacement by illegal
armed groups;
Prevent small landholders from continuing to operate in highly informal environments
and create incentives for a more efficient use of land holdings; and
Introduce mechanisms and principles that ensure efficient and transparent operation of
INCODER, the principal organization executing rural development policies.
Finally, MIDAS and ADAM have also have worked on developing guidelines to ensure due
diligence in the review of ownership of land where USAID programs plan to launch projects.
ii. COORDINATION OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES
Farmer Field Schools (ECAS by its acronym in Spanish)
ADAM provided training to the technicians of APROCASUR who manage the Field Schools in
the southern part of Bolívar on specific technical issues (interpretation of soil analysis and
recommendations for the application of nutrients). Supervision was also performed on the
operation of these schools.
Additionally, between June 15 and 18, training was provided to seven technicians of the project
Montebravo/Acción Social/ADAM and 15 farmer leaders on the ECAS methodology and the
application of technical concepts of interest to the region.
iii. FINANCIAL SERVICES
Thanks to the new regulations obtained by the banking sector of the MIDAS Political
Component 6 , in April of 2007, Citibank (which does not participate in the AMP), established 78
CNBs in 37 ADAM municipalities. Eleven of the 78 CNBs are located in municipalities where
previously only Banco Agrario was present. The financial services that are initially being offered
by Citibank are: deposits, bill payments, and loan payments. This helps to advance the objective
6 Decree 2233 of 2006 “which regulates financial services provided by financial institutions through correspondents”.
USAID/Colombia: Areas for Municipal-level Alternative Development (ADAM)
Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report 6 th Quarter: April - June 2007
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