CONSULTATION WITH THE MANAGEMENT BOARD OF THE IACD
ON EXTENDING THE DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
OF PROJECTS FINANCED BY FEMCIDI
The Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development has the honor to
inform the members of the Management Board that it has received official letters from institutions executing projects
funded with FEMCIDI 2002 and 2003 resources requesting an extension of the term for implementing the projects
beyond December 31, 2004.
Article 23(3) of the FEMCIDI Statute establishes that the Management Board of the IACD may, as
an exception, extend the term for implementation of an activity in the event that it has not been able to fulfill
its objectives within the allotted time because of unforeseen circumstances.
As of October 31, 2004, the institutions executing the projects listed below presented to the Secretariat the
technical reasons for their request for an extension of the term.1 There follows a summary of the explanations given
by the executing institutions.2
FEMCIDI 2002
1.
Workplace Interventions to Increase the Productivity of Workers Living with HIV/AIDS, Saint Lucia.
The project coordination unit is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005. The main reason is that the person
who is expected to conduct the training on policy development for the workplace needs urgent medical care.
The training must therefore be rescheduled for early 2005.
2.
Coastal Wetlands Ecosystems Conservation and Sustainable Livelihood, Saint Lucia. The project
coordination is requesting an extension to December 31, 2005. The project suffered start-up delays and
personnel changes in the executing institution; in addition, difficulties related to the detailed preparation of
the implementation caused more delays than expected.
FEMCIDI 2003
1.
Women’s Political Participation: Training in Governance and Democracy, Antigua and Barbuda. The
coordination is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons: in early 2004, part of the
staff that works in the office executing the project had to be absent from work; following the March 2004
elections and the arrival of a new administration, there was a massive restructuring of the public sector, which
caused significant changes in use of human resources; and, since the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean,
personnel from the office in charge of the project had to participate in humanitarian aid programs in the
afflicted countries.
2.
Offshore Island Conservation Project (OICP), Antigua and Barbuda. The second phase began behind
schedule as a result of the need to complete the activities of the first phase. In addition, implementation of
activities programmed for this year was delayed for the following reasons: change in government officials
working with the project, closing of offices, and nonavailability of consultants; restricted access to the office
1
The IACD Executive Secretariat consulted with all the project coordinators, directly and through the
GS/OAS Offices in the member states and the National Liaison Offices.
2
In cases where there was a delay in presentation of a satisfactory execution plan, the result was a delay in
disbursement of funds.
of the executing institution due to a fire; and, the active hurricane season, which hampered progress in various
areas. The coordination is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005.
3.
Antigua and Barbuda Centre for Dyslexia Awareness – Teacher of Specific Learning
Disability/Dyslexia, Antigua and Barbuda. The project coordination is requesting an extension to June 30,
2005 for the following reasons: the institutions that will provide the training had to make adjustments to
include a distance education component required to train a large group, in addition to direct or live
instruction; the Caribbean Dyslexia Association could not arrange the seminar scheduled for the summer of
2004; and, the start of classes affects the participation of participants this year.
4.
School Management and Certification for Development and Accreditation of Labor Competencies at
the Upper Secondary Level, Antigua and Barbuda – Costa Rica responsible for hemispheric
coordination. The coordination office is asking for an extension to June 30, 2005, based on the fact that the
project was initiated on August 1, 2004, and it is impossible to accommodate all the activities and processes
in less time, especially because of the large number of participating countries.
5.
Tecnologías Económicas para la Desinfección y Descontaminación de Aguas en Zonas Rurales de
América Latina [ Economic technologies to disinfect and decontaminate water in rural areas of Latin
America], Argentina. The project coordination is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005 in order to
complete activities involved in the “Campaign and validation of DSAUI y RAOS technologies” and in
“Strengthening operative capacities of laboratories.” Both activities require laboratory and field work, which
is difficult after December 15, since the participating groups take vacations on different dates, and this makes
it impossible to coordinate the work of the groups and the project coordination unit.
6.
Hacia un Sistema Interamericano de Indicadores de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación: Plataforma
Básica [Building an Inter-American System of Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators: Basic
Platform], Argentina. The coordinating entity is requesting an extension to May 31, 2005, in order to
complete the program of traineeships included in the implementation plan. The invitation has already been
issued, and the applications were sent to the jury which is expected to issue its decision before November 12.
This means that the majority of the traineeships will have to be scheduled for the first quarter of 2005.
7.
Estrategias y Materiales Pedagógicos para la Retención Escolar [Teaching strategies and materials to
reduce school drop-out rates], Argentina. The coordinating institution is requesting an extension to
September 30, 2005. The primary reason is that the first phase of the project was extended to September
2005, and it is impossible to complete the activities scheduled for the second phase by next December.
8.
Elaboración de Políticas y Estrategias para la Prevención del Fracaso Escolar [Preparation of policies
and strategies to prevent school failure], Argentina.
The coordinating institution is requesting an
extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons: the meeting of regional coordinators could only be held
in June 2004 because of overlapping activities of hemispheric and subregional coordinators; there were delays
in contracting consultants from Central America and the Caribbean to draw up the tables on the situation in
the Hemisphere; and, there were also delays in systematization of national strategies and policies and in
designing and programming a web page and a virtual forum.
9.
Local Cuisine/ Restaurant Sector Development in the Caribbean, Bahamas. The project encountered
delays in implementation for the following reasons: very slow responses by the participating countries to
requests to organize the necessary logistics to carry out the scheduled activities; a shortage of facilities for
culinary training in the Caribbean; and, the hurricanes, which caused the postponement of the activities in the
Bahamas and Grenada. The coordinating institution is therefore requesting an extension to June 30, 2005.
10.
Implementation of a Teacher Mentoring Program, Bahamas. The activities scheduled for the first year
encountered delays due to the fact that the project coordinator was physically incapacitated for several weeks
and to the damage caused by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. The project coordination office is requesting an
extension to March 31, 2005, so that it can reschedule the workshops for South Andros/Mangrove Cay during
the January to March 2005 school term.
11.
Regional Evaluation of Saltwater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers on Caribbean Islands, Barbados.
Although most of the project activities have been carried out, the coordinating institution is requesting an
extension to June 30, 2005, to complete the scheduled activities. The reasons for the request are: the creator
and instructor of the “Sutra Modeling” program is not available to give the training until 2005; the contract
with the South West Research Institute consulting group has encountered delays as a result of that firm’s
reorganization; and, the rules of the government of Barbados require all consultant contracts to be examined
by the National Public Prosecutor’s Office.
12.
Slave Route Signage Project – Phase 2, Barbados. The executing institution is requesting an extension to
June 30, 2005. The reasons given are: activities requiring the assistance of other government agencies could
not be carried out as scheduled, because the personnel was working on the budget process; Barbados had to
host a regional tourism conference because of Hurricane Ivan (the conference was supposed to have been held
in the Caiman Islands); and, the staff of the Ministry of Tourism was involved in organizing the conference.
13.
Building the Capacity of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to Extend the Utility of the Just-inTime Lecture (JITL) Technology and Implement CD-assisted/based distance learning environments,
Barbados. The coordinating institution is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following
reasons: personnel changes (the director of the Distance Education Center of UWI and the curriculum
specialist); the need to update the software to be used in view of the development of new technologies, and to
retrain personnel; and, the damage that the recent hurricanes have caused to training centers, especially in
Grenada and Jamaica.
14.
Development of Sustainable Land-Use Systems in Belize, Central America, on Degraded Pastures in the
Tropics as a Model for Mesoamerica, Belize. The coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31,
2005, since the second year of project activities began in April 2004.
15.
Gales Point Skill Development Project, Belize. The coordinating institution is requesting an extension to
February 28, 2005, for the following reasons: road conditions have hampered access to the project
implementation site; more time than anticipated is needed for the participants to develop their negotiating
skills, as a result of their level of education; and, the third year of the project began its activities in April.
16.
Junior Achievement Belize Entrepreneurship Project, Belize. The project coordination office is
requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons: a new person had to be hired as junior
achievement coordinator, and that person needed time to become familiar with the project; and, in view of the
nature of the project, activities are directly related to the school year, which runs from September to June.
17.
Regional Satellite Delivered Distance Learning for Teacher Training, Education and Human
Development in Rural Areas, Belize. The coordination office is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005
for the following reasons: the project began late; the coordinator was changed in the middle of the year; and,
changes in the transfer of responsibilities were necessary.
18.
Machaq Uru Fase II – Gestión Ambiental y Productiva en Municipios Rurales del Altiplano. [Machaq
Uru Phase II – Environmental and productive management in rural municipalities in the Bolivian high
plains], Bolivia. Some project activities have been delayed because the road blockades and demonstrations
in the country in recent months have prevented consultants from traveling into the countryside and have
caused the absence of community members. Moreover, the proximity of municipal elections in December
2004 means that many of the local authorities will probably change. The coordinating institution is therefore
requesting an extension to March 30, 2005 in order to carry out the projected activities in the area of training
and information with the participation of the newly elected municipal officers and the new civil service staff.
19.
Contaminación por Metil-mercurio en la Cuenca Amazónica del Río Beni: Impacto en la Población de
la Región [Methyl-mercury contamination in the Rio Beni Amazon Basin: impact on the local people],
Bolivia. The project coordination office is requesting an extension to May 31, 2005 to complete the activities
scheduled for the first stage. The delay is attributed to the major difficulty in acquiring the highly specialized
reagents and equipment required by the project, much of which has to be purchased outside the country and
then be cleared by customs. These materials are needed for the field work, which has had to be rescheduled
as a result.
20.
Evaluación del Potencial Genotóxico/Antigenotóxico de Extractos de Plantas utilizados en la
Farmacopea Tradicional Boliviana [Evaluation of the genotoxic/antigenotoxic potential of plant
extracts used in traditional Bolivian pharmceutical practices], Bolivia. Project delays are attributed to the
following: delays in hiring consultants because of university rules for contracting foreign personnel; delays in
purchase of equipment and reagents which had to be brought in from outside the country; and, rescheduling of
conferences on dissemination of the results to communities to November and December, when the plants are
at their production peaks and it is easier to obtain samples and data. As a result, the coordinating office is
requesting an extension to April 30, 2005.
21.
Popularización de la Ciencia en América Latina y el Caribe [Popularization of science in Latin
America and the Caribbean], Brazil. Because of the major delay in signing the execution agreement for
this project, the funds from the first disbursement did not arrive at the executing institution until early August.
The coordinating office is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005 to complete the activities scheduled for
the first phase of the project.
22.
Projecto de Coooperaçāo Internacional do Programa Nacional Bolsa Escola com Ecuador e Bolivia
[International cooperation project of the National School Scholarship Program with Ecuador and
Bolivia], Brazil. The coordination office is requesting an extension to August 31, 2005. The main reason for
the delay in implementation is the political and administrative restructuring of the Ministry of Education, as a
result of which part of the operations of the former School Scholarship Program were transferred to the
Ministry of Social Development.
23.
Estrategia de Seguimiento de la Sociedad Civil a la Implementación del Plan de Acción de Québec
[Strategy for civil society follow-up to implementation of the Quebec Plan of Action], Chile. The
coordination office is requesting an extension to April 31, 2005. The first phase of the project, financed with
funds from other sources, began behind schedule and took more time than anticipated. This affected the startup of the second phase, financed by FEMCIDI, and so the national coordinators, who met at a hemispheric
workshop in August, agreed that they needed more time than originally planned to prepare the country
reports.
24.
La Formación de Educadores de Infancia y la Innovación Pedagógica [Training of child educators and
innovation in teaching], Chile. The coordination office is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005, in
order to have more time to implement activities with the schools and to systematize and prepare the products
for the annual meeting.
25.
Construcción de Capacidades para el Uso Seguro y Sustentable de la Biotecnología agro-alimentaria en
América Latina, en el Marco del Protocolo de Bioseguridad y del Futuro Acuerdo ALCA [Capacitybuilding for the safe and sustainable use of agro-food biotechnology in Latin America, within the
framework of the Biosecurity Protocol and the Future FTAA Agreement], Chile. The project
coordination is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005. One of the ADN tracing courses is experimental,
and because of the arrangements being made with the Biotechnology Center Laboratories, IDEA Foundation,
in Venezuela, it needs to be rescheduled for the first half of April 2005.
26.
Programa de Asistencia de Pequeños Hoteles de Centroamérica [Program for assistance to small hotels
in Central America], Costa Rica. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31, 2005 for
the following reasons: there was a change in government in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama, which
entailed the appointment of new officials, and so additional time was needed to inform these officials of the
projects commitments made by their predecessors; delays occurred in printing training materials, and so the
training program established in various components of the projects had to be extended; the Costa Rican
Tourism Institute, the coordinating institution, began moving its offices to another location, which caused
additional delays in implementation of the approved activities.
27.
Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología para el Fortalecimiento de la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana
Empresa Agroalimentaria en el Sector Rural de América Latina y el Caribe [Application of science and
technology for strengthening micro-, small and medium-sized agrofood businesses in the rural sector of
Latin America and the Caribbean], Costa Rica. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to
March 31, 2005, as a result of the devastating effects of the hurricanes that struck the Caribbean area, and
especially hurricane Ivan, which interrupted the normal operations of the enterprises participating in the
project in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Most of the participating businesses were left without
communication, or water, electricity, and telephone service, and without any possible access, so that the
national teams in those countries could not complete the follow-up and technical assistance visits scheduled
for the last part of 2004.
28.
Segunda Etapa del Protocolo Técnico para el Montaje del Programa Observatorio de la Democracia en
Centroamérica [Second stage of the technical protocol to mount the Democracy Observatory Program
in Central America], Costa Rica. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to January 31, 2005 for
the following reason: during the first two weeks of December, the academic reports of the tables of the
governance indicators system will be compiled, and this is one of the key products of the project. Since
virtually all the institutions participating in the project will begin their end-of-year vacations on December 18,
the project will need the month of January 2005 to assemble the information collected.
29.
Training and Study Tours in Innovative Strategies in the Teaching of Mathematics in Primary Schools,
Dominica. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31, 2005. The main reason is that
the persons who were expected to train teachers in October needed to reschedule that for December. Since
the teachers have other responsibilities to fulfill at the end of the year, the training could not be scheduled
before early 2005.
30.
Wind Turbine Energy Pilot Project, Dominica. The project coordinator is asking for an extension to
September 30, 2005. According to the coordinator, there have been delays in installing the wind supervision
systems, due to problems in guaranteeing land rights in Dominica. Although the executing agency finally
acquired access to the land at the end of October, the additional time is needed to install the equipment and
collect data.
31.
Fortalecimiento y Consolidación de la Gestión Empresarial de la PYME Comunitaria Jambi Kiwa
[Strengthening and consolidation of business management of SMEs in the Jambi Kiwa Community],
Ecuador. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005 due to the following reasons:
alterations in the crops of the raw materials of two producers because of external factors caused delays in
shipment of the raw material and analysis for certification; and, the analyses of the raw materials took three
months longer than scheduled.
32.
Instrumentación Técnico-Pedagógica de la Educación Especial en el Ecuador [Technical teaching
instruments for special education in Ecuador], Ecuador. The project coordinator is requesting an
extension to March 31, 2005, because a period of two months between the end of the training and its
evaluation are regarded as necessary in order to better verify its impact.
33.
Promoción, Fortalecimiento y Gestión de Seis Iniciativas Turísticas Comunitarias en Ecuador
[Promotion, strengthening, and management of six community tourist initiatives in Ecuador], Ecuador.
The project coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31, 2005 for the following reasons: the delay in
preparing the implementation plan; and, the fact that the tourist initiatives identified are scattered over the
three geographic regions of continental Ecuador, which complicated communication and access.
34.
Fomento de la Competitividad de las Empresas Rurales del Marañon y el Añil en El Salvador
[Promotion of the competitiveness of rural enterprises in Marañon and el Añil, El Salvador], El
Salvador. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005. Implementation has been
delayed as a result of difficulties in finding consultants who fit the desired profile and the budget of the
project.
35.
Espacios Inclusivos de Formación Profesional para Jóvenes con Discapacidad [Inclusive space for
occupational training for youth with disabilities], El Salvador. The coordinator is requesting an extension
to March 31, 2005. The start-up of the project was delayed by two months, because of problems in obtaining
an agreement among the five institutions participating in implementation of the project.
36.
Fortalecimiento del Cluster de Agro-Industrial de El Salvador [Strengthening of the agro-industrial
cluster in El Salvador], El Salvador. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31, 2005.
The project is in its second year of implementation and there were huge delays in its first phase, for reasons
beyond the control of the executing institution, which was just completed in September 2004. The project has
managed to implement most of its activities in the course of 2004, but it needs an extension for the key
activity of marketing the products of the small businesses benefiting from the project.
37.
Creación de un Nuevo Modelo de Formación Inicial de Docentes, como Estrategia para el
Mejoramiento de la Educación a Nivel Hemisférico [Creation of a new model for initial training of
teachers, as a strategy for improving education in the Hemisphere], El Salvador. The project
coordination office is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons: the implementation
plan was not approved until April 2004, because of misunderstandings involving the need to include the
comments of CENPES in the document; and, the change in government in El Salvador in June 2004 entailed
new officials at the Ministry of Education and the appointment in August of new project coordinators.
38.
Export Promotion, Trade and Economic Integration, Grenada. The serious damage caused by the recent
natural disasters, and especially hurricane Ivan, have hindered or paralyzed the development of the scheduled
activities. The executing institution is therefore asking for an extension to June 30, 2005 to complete the
project.
39.
Development of the National Quality Infrastructure in Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and
Dominica, Grenada. The serious damage caused by the recent natural disasters, and especially hurricane
Ivan, have hindered or paralyzed the development of the scheduled activities. The executing institution is
therefore asking for an extension to June 30, 2005 to complete the project.
40.
Integration of Information Communication Technology in the Curriculum at the Secondary School
Level, Grenada. The serious damage caused by the recent natural disasters, and especially hurricane Ivan,
have hindered or paralyzed the development of the scheduled activities. The executing institution is therefore
asking for an extension to June 30, 2005 to complete the project.
41.
Apoyo al Proceso Enseñanza–Aprendizaje en Escuelas Multigrado Primaria del Pueblo Garífuna
[Support for education-teaching in multi-grade primary schools among the Garífuna], Guatemala. The
project coordination office is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005. Following the change in government
in the country, the executing institution had to conduct a review and analysis of the project, as a result of
which the project had to be modified to better reflect the situation in the country in the area of bilingual
education needs. Consequently, the project initiated its activities seven months later than the scheduled date.
42.
Identificación de una Cartera de Proyectos de Turismo Sostenible en la Región Mundo Maya
[Identification of a portfolio of sustainable tourism projects in the Mayan region], Guatemala. The
project coordination office is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005 for the following reasons: the office
of president of the Organización Mundo Maya, the coordinating institution, was transferred from Guatemala
to Honduras in March 2004, which delayed review and approval of the project implementation plan by the
new officials; and, the consultant hired to identify the proposed sites for tourist development did not receive
in time the form prepared and sent in advance to countries to prepare the technical data on the sites.
43.
Meeting Special Needs in the Classroom, Guyana. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to
March 31, 2005 for the following reasons: the development of the special education model was delayed by
two months because the two persons hired to develop the model migrated to another country and
replacements had to be found; and, the coordinator underestimated the time required to purchase the
equipment needed for the Resources Center.
44.
Centre de Creativité et de Productivité de Cazale [Haitian Center for Creativity and Productivity],
Haiti. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to December 31, 2005. The current situation in
Haiti is such that it has been impossible to develop the project satisfactorily. There have been blockades and
murders along National Route 1, the only access to Cazale, and so it has been impossible to implement the
planned activities in the scheduled time.
45.
Identifying Benchmarks and Indicators in the Formulation of the National Action Plan to Reverse
Desertification in Haiti. The coordinating institution is requesting an extension to December 31, 2005.
Changes in high-level government officials caused delays, as it took time for the new leaders to familiarize
themselves with the project and to obtain their support. Moreover, as a result of the recent natural disasters
afflicting the country, most of the ministry officials working with the project had to take on other functions in
response to the new situation.
46.
Fortalecimiento de las Capacidades de la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa (MIPYMES) de
Centroamérica para que se puedan beneficiar del Tratado de Libre Comercio Centroamérica-Estados
Unidos y del Alca [Strengthening the capacity of micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises in
Central America so that they can benefit from the Central American-US. Free Trade Agreement and
the FTAA], Honduras. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to March 31, 2005 for the
following reasons: the original executing institution declined to participate in the project, and so the
participating countries decided to ask the OAS Office of Commerce, Growth, and Competitiveness to take
over coordination; and, a second coordination meeting had to be held at the request of countries to confirm the
project’s emphasis on development of microbusinesses and SMEs, which further delayed implementation of
the scheduled activities, although the meeting was held at no cost to the project.
47.
Respuestas al Desafío de Mejorar la Calidad de la Formación Inicial, el Desarrollo Profesional y la
Evaluación Docente en los Países del Hemisferio [Responses to the challenge of improving the quality of
initial training, professional development, and teaching evaluation in the countries of the Hemisphere],
Mexico. The coordinating unit requested an extension to March 31, 2005, since the project was late in
starting up because of the time required to prepare a satisfactory implementation plan. In addition, at the
coordination meeting, participating countries believed that they needed more time to successfully complete
the scheduled activities.
48.
Tecnologías para Prevenir y Mitigar Desastres en Zonas de Alto Riesgo [Technologies to prevent and
mitigate disasters in high risk areas], Mexico. The coordinating unit is requesting an extension to April 30,
2005. The reasons given include receipt of the funds from the first disbursement in April 2004, the low level
of activity in the participating institutions in December and January, and the need to have more time to edit
and publish the results of the Third International Workshop on disasters, prevention, mitigation, technologies,
management, and education.
49.
Evaluación de la Conformidad, Acreditación y Calidad para preparar a los Países en América para
lograr el Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas en el 2005 [ Evaluation of conformity, accreditation,
and quality in preparing the countries of the region to attain the Free Trade Area of the Americas by
2005], Mexico. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to February 28, 2005 for the following
reasons: the evaluators needed for evaluation of “pars” and pre-evaluation of “pars” are not available before
January and February 2005; and, the latest round of aptitude tests requires more time for the calibration
exercises, and will be completed in January.
50.
Formación Laboral de Jóvenes con Discapacidad que son Atendidos en los Servicios Educativos
Especiales en el Ámbito Nacional [Job training of youth with disabilities covered by special education
services on a national scale], Nicaragua. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to February 28,
2005 because preparation and printing of the guides and manuals for the workshops, and their review by the
supervising entities, took more time than anticipated to produce quality work.
51.
Programa para el Desarrollo de Capacidades en Materia de Comercio en las Américas [Program for
development of trade capacities in the Americas], Nicaragua. The coordinator is requesting an extension
to March 31, 2005. The World Trade Organization, which is cofinancing the project, has requested that the
second course programmed take place in January 2005.
52.
Incidencia para el Desarrollo de Capacidades Técnico-Pedagógicas en la Gestión Educativa y el
Desarrollo Local [Impact for the development of technical and teaching capacity in the area of
education management and local development], Nicaragua. The project coordinator is requesting an
extension to February 28, 2005a because the course scheduled to be held in Matagalpa coincided with the
close of operations of the organizations developing educational projects, the end of the school year, and the
end of academic activities at the Central American University. The course will therefore be held in January
and February 2005.
53.
Formación de Formadores [Training of trainers], Nicaragua. The project coordinator has requested an
extension to January 31, 2005, since the agreement between UNAM Managua and the Ministry of Education,
required for project execution, was delayed and signed only in August 2004, so the activities began later than
scheduled as a result.
54.
Monitoreo y Control de la Contaminación Marino-Costera en el Pacífico Sudeste de América Latina
[Monitoring and control of coastal marine contamination along the southeastern Pacific coast of Latin
America], Panama. The coordinating unit is requesting an extension to August 31, 2005. Monitoring of
water quality requires collection of samples from the sea which are then analyzed in laboratories. Since
sampling is seasonal (winter, summer), more time is needed to complete the activity.
55.
Producción de Textos Bilingües de la Literatura y Expresiones Artísticas para Niños y Niñas Indígenas
[Production of bilingual publications of literature and artistic expressions for indigenous children],
Panama. The coordinating office is asking for an extension to May 31, 2005. The implementation schedule
has been delayed because of administrative and political changes due to the new administration, and to
geoclimatic problems in the areas where the project is being developed.
56.
Aprovechamiento de la Flora Regional como Fuente de Moléculas Antifúngicas, Antiparasitarias y
Anticáncer [Use of regional flora as a source of antifungal, antiparasitic, and anticancer molecules],
Panama. The coordination unit is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005. Since this is the last year of the
project, the coordinator considers that more time is needed to prepare a report on the results of the four years
of execution. Moreover, the University of Panama has granted collective vacations from December 15 to
January 15, and will be closed during that time.
57.
Energización Sustentable en Comunidades Rurales Aisladas con Fines Productivos, [Sustainable
energy production in isolated rural communities for productive purposes], Paraguay. The project
coordinator has requested an extension to March 31, 2005 due to the fact that the project was late in starting
and so additional time is needed to complete the scheduled activities.
58.
Gestión Integrada y Desarrollo Sostenible para Reducir la Degradación Social, Económica y Ambiental
en el Gran Chaco Americano [Integrated management and sustainable development to reduce social,
economic, and environmental degradation in the Gran Chaco Americano] (Argentina, Bolivia and
Paraguay), Paraguay. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005, because delays
were incurred as a result of a delay in the availability of funds and administrative and institutional problems
of the government.
59.
Proyecto de Capacitación y de Formación de Organización para la Autogestión en Áreas de Extrema
Pobreza [Project for training in self-management in areas of extreme poverty], Paraguay. The project
coordinator is requesting an extension to February 28, 2005 because the crops promoted in the project area
will be harvested and marketed in January and February. The execution period needs to be extended to
support the marketing process.
60.
Integración Escolar de Niños y Jóvenes con Discapacidad a los Centros de Educación Secundaria y
Ocupacional [Integration of youth with disabilities into secondary schools and occupational training],
Peru. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005, since the Emergency Education
Plan that has been promoted nationally requires enormous efforts to redirect and strengthen the teaching and
learning process, which have taken up a large amount of time at the different levels of the Ministry. Also, for
procedural reasons, the acquisition of computer equipment was not possible, and the education institutions
included in the project have not had this support to strengthen the teaching and learning processes.
61.
Modelo de Formación y Certificación de Competencias Laborales para la Educación Secundaria
[Model for training and certification of work skills for secondary education], Peru. The project
coordinator is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005, because certain activities contained in the execution
plan had to be rescheduled, and it was impossible to complete the programmed activities by the scheduled
dates.
62.
Sistema de Información del Medio Ambiente [Environmental information system], Peru. The project
coordinator is requesting an extension to April 30, 2005, because the results of preparation of methodologies
and the Community Standard, both developed under the project, will be presented at meetings in February
2005. Development of the SIMA web site is therefore not as far along as anticipated, and additional time is
needed to compile the information coming from the different sectors.
63.
Popularización de la Ciencia y la Tecnología en América Latina y el Caribe [Popularization of science
and technology in Latin America and the Caribbean]. The project coordinator is requesting an extension
to April 30, 2005, because of a major delay in signing the project execution agreement. The resources for the
first disbursement were therefore received late, and execution of the project started late as well.
64.
Tourism Training and Certification Programs, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The project coordinator is
requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons: the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean
interrupted the training schedule and communication between the coordinator and participants in the other
countries; and, the process of selecting the consulting firm took more time than expected because of a low
response to the invitation to bid.
65.
Legal Metrology Enhancement, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The project coordinator is requesting an extension
to July 31, 2005, because of delays in contracting a metrology specialist from the Jamaican Standards Office.
66.
Saint Lucia Micro Enterprise Development Project, Saint Lucia. The coordinator is requesting an
extension to December 31, 2005 for the following reasons: the executing institution did not present a
satisfactory execution plan to the OAS until August 2004; and, there was a restructuring process, which
seriously hampered project execution.
67.
Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network, Saint Lucia. The CKLN project is financed by the OAS
and the World Bank, with the participation of OECS staff. The OECS representative for the project had to
leave his post to attend to urgent personal matters. The OECS is now in the process of hiring a new
coordinator and it is therefore requesting an extension to June 30, 2005.
68.
Sustainable Development and Bicultural Conservation in the Brazil-Suriname Border Region,
Suriname. The project coordinator is requesting an extension to June 30, 2005 for the following reasons:
delay in finding an executing agency for the proposal for consideration of the Global Environmental Facility;
and, the unexpected absence, due to illness, of one of the key members of the team conducting the
ethnographic study.
69.
Caribbean Icons in Science, Technology and Innovation, Trinidad and Tobago. The coordination unit is
requesting an extension to June 30, 2005. The main reason is that the research on icons in science took more
time than expected, and so it delayed the production of videos and DVDs. The production of videos had to be
rescheduled for early 2005.
70.
Responses to the Challenge of Improving the Quality of Initial Formation, Professional Development
and the Evaluation of Teachers in the Countries in the Hemisphere, Trinidad and Tobago. The project
coordinator has requested an extension to June 30, 2005, for the following reasons: delays in the transfer of
funds from the coordinating country to the other regions; in May 2004, there was a change in the coordinator
for the Andean region, who did not begin working until July 2004; the coordinator of the MERCOSUR region
had problems communicating with the countries of that region; and, execution of the project in the Caribbean
was delayed by the numerous hurricanes affecting that area.
71.
Inter-American Port Security Training – 2004 United States. The coordinating unit is requesting an
extension to June 30, 2005. The reasons given are: the prior project phase had to be extended to August 2004
to modernize the training component, and that caused a delay in starting the 2004 phase; the transfer of
administrative support to CICTE caused delays in planning and organizing some activities; and, two of the
courses programmed had to be rescheduled because of a change in the original venue from one country to
another.
72.
Metrology for the Americas: Measurement Infrastructure in Support of Free Trade and Protection for
the Environment for the Americas, United States. The coordinator is requesting an extension to February
28, 2005, since some of the activities scheduled could not be completed by December 31 and the
corresponding expenditures will have to be made in the first few months of 2005.
73.
“Educando Saber Hacer: Cultivamos el Desarrollo,” Uruguay. The coordination unit is requesting an
extension to May 31, 2005. The reasons give are as follows: the hiring process and the acquisition of
materials took more time than originally expected; some of the regional activities scheduled had to be
postponed because of logistical problems; and, some direct on site activities, such as workshops, also had to
be rescheduled because of weather complications.
74.
Desarrollo de Circuitos Turísticos Integrados [Development of Integrated Tourist Circuits], Uruguay.
The project coordinator has requested an extension to September 30, 2005. The work of coordination among
the four participating countries has taken more time than anticipated, causing a delay in the designation of
focal points and in hiring local consultants.
Should the above-mentioned project extension requests be approved for the dates proposed in each case, the
executing institutions will have an additional month after the new date for completion of each project to present their
final execution reports. The execution period of these projects cannot be extended again.
The Executive Secretariat would very much appreciate receiving your opinion by November ___, 2004 at the
latest. In accordance with the provisions of Article 19.1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Management Board, failure
to respond will be considered as approval of the requests.
IACD00221S01