Written by Mekong Institute

Since May 2008 InWEnt implements the programme Regional rural development through Innovative regional management in South East Asia. Total programme duration is to last for 4 years. Programme activities cover the countries Cambodia and Laos and are operational in two provinces of each country (Siem Reap and Battambang in Cambodia and Sayaboury and Attapeu province in Laos). Since the Federal Republic of Germany has identified rural development as one of the focal area of support, the InWEnt programme closely cooperates with GTZ rural development programmes and DED (Battambang).  

It aims at building up and strengthening regional management structures. The capacity building activities increase the competences of the participating organisations to actively design and coordinate a potential-oriented and participatory regional development of rural areas. The conceptual orientation is based on the LEADER-PLUS approach.

Three objectives should be reached by the end of four-year implementation period:

(A) The partners on local and regional level are knowledgeable in the principles, instruments and processes of integrated rural development, the regional management and the economic development on community and regional levels. They apply these to establish an equivalent development of their rural areas.

(B) Regional, national and cross-boarder networks of executives and decision-makers of partner organisations and institutions are strengthened. They contribute efficiently to a specialist exchange of experience on policies, strategies, promotion programmes and appropriate organisational structures for the development of rural areas and to regional integration.

(C) Selected governmental and/or non-governmental training organisations are qualified to independently carry out valuable capacity building in principles and tools of regional management for realizing an integrated rural development.