On Friday, 10 November 2017, the Market Access and Rural Enterprise Development Programme (MAREP) Government of Grenada (GOG) signed the 9th Supervision Mission Aide Memoire with the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) at the Ministry of Finance, St George.
The Supervision Mission was held from 6-10 November 2017 ‘to assess progress in implementation’ by reviewing agreed actions; identifying programme outputs and outcomes; delays and problems; risks for programme completion and sustainability; lessons learnt; as well as, planning of exit strategy to ensure long-term sustainability, impact study and project completion report. The mission encourages accelerating the pace of implementation in all areas, to reach maximum targets.
The Aide Memoire reveals that the quality of programme outputs is satisfactory as a result, both components needs to work closely and monitor implementation to secure targets that needs to be achieved before completion, especially the Vocational Skills Training (VST) job placement and the implementation of the on-going Rural Investment Fund (RIF) projects. Notably, the vital progress will benefit implementation of the new project, ‘Climate Smart Agriculture and Rural Enterprise Programme’ (SAEP).
Present at the signing were Lars Anwandter, IFAD Country Programme Manager; Maria Sisto, Lead Technical Consultant; Ingrid Schreuel, Targeting and M&E Specialist; Amanda Gittens-Baptiste, Institutional Consultant; Lorne Solis, Fiduciary Specialist, Dr Wayne Sandiford, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Byron Campbell, Programme Manager, MAREP.
Conclusively, signing of the Aide Memoire indicates that the MAREP Programme remains relevant to rural areas, is meeting the needs of the rural poor and supporting the generation of new income sources. The Government of Grenada is therefore committed to the reduction of rural poverty and vulnerability for unemployed or self-employed rural young men and women, development and employment opportunities, agricultural successes, increased agricultural production and sustainable livelihoods for farmers in rural communities across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
MAREP
