Background:
Muminabad is a remote and mountainous district of Tajikistan. Its main economic orientation, agriculture, cannot fully exploit its potential. There is still lack of access to high quality inputs, lack of knowledge regarding agricultural practices and insecure access to irrigation water. The district’s private non agricultural economy remains weak and faces many problems (access to markets, credits, high taxation and lack of awareness regarding the functioning of private enterprises). The majority of farmers are tenants and rent land on a yearly basis from the Dekhan farm associations. The district has a large potential and a very favourable climate for fruit growing. Furthermore, Muminabad disposes of quite big reserves of pastureland. 

Project Phases:
The LDM has been implemented by CARITAS Switzerland since mid-2000.
An exploratory phase (1.6.2000-30.6.2002) confirmed the feasibility of the project’s initially defined concept that combined technical assistance in key sectors like agriculture and rehabilitation of social and productive infrastructure with governance aspects. LDM established trustful relations with the government and civil society groups. 

The second phase (1.7.2002-30.6.2005) further supported local initiatives in key sectors, which contributed to the improvement of the local living conditions. The LDC continued to promote development processes in a participatory way and tried to steer the allocation of funds from International Organizations working in the district.

The third phase (1.7.2005-30.6.2008) consolidated the previous achievements and enhanced the capacities of the LDC in assessment and monitoring and in awareness-building regarding transparency and accountability. It strengthened the District Administration’s capacity to plan through the participatory elaboration of the DDP of Muminabad.

Following an external review conducted in June 2007, which acknowledged the LDM's progress and positive impact and as per key recommendations given, the fourth phase (phase-out), tries on one side to ensure the achieved results and to make them sustainable and on the other side to hand over the implementation of selected project activities to the respective strategic partners, i.e. the created local associations as well as local government bodies. The further strengthening of the created associations in their institutional and financial sustainability will play an important role.

Overall Goal and Objectives:
The overall goal is to improve sustainable livelihood for women and men, and to support a transparent citizen oriented development planning (including decision-making and implementation) in the District of Muminabad.

Objective 1: To enhance the capacities of local authorities and civil society to steer development of the District of Muminabad in a participatory and gender balanced way. In frames of this objective the project seeks to support elaboration and the implementation of a sector plan in Drinking Water and Sanitation by the “Sector dialogue”-group, which will be submitted to the district and sub-district legislative bodies. Other important activities include further support to the Local Development Committee by organising needs-oriented training and supporting negotiations with other International Organizations active in the district

Objective 2: To contribute to enhanced assets and potentials of the population of Muminabad District, especially of poor families. The main partners for this objective will be local associations to be established and strengthened in order to take over some of the project’s activities regarding the improvement of livelihood of the district population, and in order to ensure continuous activities thereof even after completion of the LDM-project