Implemented by PAR Consulting  

What is the Socio-Economic Background to Erzincan? 
Erzincan has a total population of 280,000, with 14% of this overall population located within the pipeline corridor. Out-migration is mainly experienced in rural areas. Population levels have increased due to high birth rates and the return of inhabitants during the rebuilding phase following the 1992 earthquake in the province

Economically, settlements are based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Villagers are poor compared to western regions.

There are insufficient infrastructure facilities and services in most settlements, though there are better electricity, water and telephone connections. Average literacy rates are high (87%) but only 2% of respondents have attended university. The settlements generally have no health centres.

Low income is the main problem identified by residents in the settlements. Unemployment is another key problem in these settlements.

Source: EIA Household and Settlement Survey (2001)

What are the overall CIP Programme aims? 
The overall objective of the CIP is to promote sustainable social and economic development of the people living within the 4 km corridor along the BTC Pipeline, which go beyond the simple mitigation of negative impacts caused by pipeline construction. The CIP, which intends to cover settlements and sections of the population experiencing greatest poverty, will give rural communities, support associations, co-operatives, and NGOs the skills to help themselves. The projects aim at improving social and economic capacity, income-earning and economic opportunities, improving the agricultural sector and increasing rural people’s problem-solving skills through training, and organization. A series of infrastructure improvements is also planned for schools, health facilities and water and sanitation facilities.

Who will implement the project? 
The project will be implemented by PAR (private consultancy firm) with the cooperation of the Rural and Urban Development Foundation (NGO). The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) will manage all activities with a small number of experts. The Turkish Dentists’ Association will be a sub contractor. Setbir (meat and dairy producers organisation) and Çimteknik (seed company) will participate in the project as private companies who will practice contractual farming. Efforts will be made to include local NGOs in project implementation.

Which groups of people will the project target?  
The project will target women, school and pre-school children, the unemployed, craftsmen, farmers, tradesmen and the uneducated.

What geographical area will the project cover? 
The project activities will cover the 4 km corridor within the two provinces of Gümüşhane and Erzincan. 46 villages; Tercan; Başköy, Çadırkaya, Beğendik, Karacaören, Aktaş, Yaylacık, Hacıbayram, Topalhasan, Mustafa Bey. Çayırlı; Yaylakent, Verimli, Harmantepe, Balıklı, Yeşilyaka, Sırataş, Çaykent, Tunaçayırı, Doğanyuva, Esendoruk, Çilhoroz. Kelkit; Günbatur, Bindal, Güzyurdu, Yeniyol, Güllüce, Akdağ, Kuşluk, Kozoğlu. Refahiye; Alacaatlı, Olgunlar, Avşarözü, Çamdibi, Arpayazı, Şahverdi, Günyüzü, Yurtbaşı, Kandil, Pınaryolu, Yeniyurt,Madendere, Konakköy, Hacıköy, Mer. Kalkancı, Tuzlu Çayır, Ulucak, Günyüzü

What activities will the project include?  

• Inform the public about the project
• Provide opportunities for public discussion of the major issues
• Analyse baseline conditions in the areas where activities are planned
• Prioritise needs by consensus among communities
• Identify village leaders
• Identify existing NGOs and CBOs
• Identify communities that are willing to participate
• Identify the poorest villages
• Identify and budget for quick impact projects
• Plan a selective vaccination programme for livestock in the target communities
• Identify target groups for education and training
• Allocate female trainers for women
• Select locations for training and plan the schedule
• Establish co-ordination with the State authorities
• Set up unions of beekeepers
• Organise meetings with seed producing and meat buying companies
• Start beekeeping activities
• Livestock treatment and vaccination activities
• Start fodder crop cultivation
• Determine and begin quick impact projects
• Training activities: 5-10 income generating/skill building training programmes for women organised each year, including literacy, handicrafts, dairy processing
• Establishing and strengthening cooperatives.

What improvements will the project help communities to achieve?  

• Measurable estimates of income increase in the region are as follows:

            o Animal husbandry (20% increase in milk yield; 20% increase in meat production; reduced hide loss)
            o Bee-keeping

• Decrease in animal deaths and increase in the number of livestock
• Introduction of new marketable products
• Enhanced abilities to solve community problems
• Leveraging additional finances for infrastructure improvements
• Development of vocational skills
• Participatory decision making adopted
• Experience acquired through the conducting of demonstration projects
• Farmers trained in agriculture, beekeeping, livestock breeding and entrepreneurship
• Enhanced co-ordination between government agencies and the community
• Participatory mechanisms created for the youth and gender mainstreaming
• Capacities of NGOs strengthened
• Children’s dental health improved
• Urgent small scale infrastructure needs met (quick impact projects)
• New agricultural production methods introduced
• Financial models developed for increasing marketing channels
• Functional cooperatives established

How will sustainability be built into the project?  
Sustainability is the main objective of the whole project. Community support and full participation for the project will be the main means of ensuring sustainability. Every effort will therefore be made to achieve community participation. The production and marketing mechanisms will be established for the benefit of everybody and will therefore continue without any extra financial support as long as the mutual benefits continue. In addition the following elements will be introduced to the community, especially to the newly formed organisations:

• Production organized under cooperatives
• The mechanisms for obtaining credit
• Relations with State-run projects in the area
• Micro-funding programmes offered by other organisations like the World Bank and the EU
• Strengthening of community capacity

For further information: 
PAR: Bülent Özgun (Programme Director) or Tezcan Abay (Project Co-ordinator)
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it --- Tel: +90 (312) 284 8065