Private Sector Development for the Department of Sololá

Results achieved as of the project end include: (1) Improved efficiency of agricultural chains: (i) 2 888 producers (1332 coffee producers and 1556 horticulture producers) have improved their coffee and vegetable production through the use of better techniques resulting in an increase of 87% in productivity for coffee and 25% for horticulture; producers who have introduced parcels of vegetables within their coffee plantations have seen noticeable growth in additional income. (2) Public and private investment: (ii) the project leveraged $3 million in public-private investments in infrastructure for economic development; (iii) 2 municipalities have incorporated economic investments in their public development plans that are also integrating gender equality aspects; (iv) technical personnel were trained in economic development in 12 municipalities; (v) pre-investment studies for water treatment plants were conducted in three municipalities and technical and financial support was provided to the construction of a wholesaler market in Sololá municipality. (3) Tourism and job creation: (vi) the project contributed to a 15% growth in tourist numbers to Sololá; (vii) 18 organizations improved their capacity to develop a community-based network to provide essential services for tourists economically benefitting 344 persons; (vii) a total of 2075 people (56% of which are women) received training in tourism development through the Guatemalan Tourism Institute. (4) Business administration: (viii) 1 729 small entrepreneurs (83% women) were trained in such sectors as agriculture coffee vegetable honey textile handicraft and tourism of which 700 have received financial services for developing or growing their businesses resulting in 1 484 jobs created (above the target of 1000); (ix) a youth entrepreneurial system involving business planning access to credit skills training and coaching during the first months of business operations was implemented whereby 244