Village and Neighborhood Development Project (VNDP) - First Cycle

Project Overview

The Village and Neighborhood Development Project (VNDP) - First Cycle, funded by the World Bank, was initiated to enhance local governance and community development in Gaza. The project primarily focused on capacity building for communities and local government units (LGUs), ensuring they were equipped with the necessary skills to plan, manage, and implement sustainable development projects as follows:

Community Needs Assessment by Participation.

Writing the Report of Needs Assessment.

Community Planning.

Project Cycle Management.

Proposal Writing.

Leadership Skills.

Communications and Networking Skills.

Procurement.

The project also included the implementation of micro-projects in 16 villages and neighbourhoods in Gaza Strip using a Community-Driven Development (CCD). The projects were being implemented in various engineering and social fields. The targeted areas were listed in the following table:

No.

District

Area

Neighborhoods

1

Rafah

Rafah

Mawasi Rafah, Kherbat Al Adas, Sheikh Al Eid

2

KhanYounes

KhanYounes

Mawasi KhanYounes, Qaa’ Al Qurain, Jourit Al Lout, West Camp

Al Qarara

Al Matahen

Bani Sohaila

Al Zanna

3

North

Jabali

Beir Al Na’ja, Jaffa Block

Beit Lahia

Al Seiafa, Ghaben

Beit Hanoon

Al Izba, Al Bora and Al Farata

Um El Nasser

East Part of Um El Nasser

Role of CEP in the project

CEP’s involvement in the VNDP First Cycle included providing technical expertise in the design and delivery of capacity-building activities, such as:

Facilitating the Community Needs Assessment, ensuring that it was participatory and reflective of the community's real needs.

Supporting community planning efforts, helping local stakeholders develop actionable plans.

Training community members and LGUs in Project Cycle Management, Proposal Writing, and Procurement, ensuring they were equipped to implement their projects successfully.

Building leadership and communication skills, enabling communities to manage development projects and interact effectively with local authorities and other stakeholders.

Ensuring the sustainability of the training by embedding a capacity-building culture within communities and LGUs, which empowered them to continue their development efforts after the project's completion.