Community committees plan, implement and maintain small-scale infrastructure with broad community participation

PNDS is a nation-wide community development program of the Government of Timor-Leste. Worth $300 million over eight years from 2014, it is contributing to rural development by funding the 'missing link' to services - basic village infrastructure - and providing jobs and training. Communities receive an annual grant of between US$50,000 - US$75,000 directly from the Government to plan, construct and manage their own small-scale infrastructure projects. DFAT has supported the development and implementation of PNDS through the PNDS Support Program. DFAT's support focuses on program design, corporate and implementation systems, staff training, communication, and monitoring and evaluation.

PNDS-SP has supported the GoTL to deliver 1,374 small-scale infrastructure projectts, involving more than 245,000 Timorese women and men, since 2013. The Program has helped GoTL establish monitoring, IT and financial systems and recruit and train PNDS staff and community management teams.