Uruguay

The development objective of the Promoting Innovation to Enhance Competitiveness Project for Uruguay is to strengthen Uruguay's capacity to generate, transfer and adapt... Show More + knowledge and technology by supporting: (i) the institutional framework for science, technology, and innovation (STI); (ii) investments in human capital and high-quality research teams; (iii) technology transfer and private sector innovation; and (iv) cross-sectoral and international research collaboration and mobility of researchers between public institutions and the productive sector. The main purpose of this restructuring is to extend the closing date of the project, in order to allow for a more complete realization of Project Development Objectives (PDOs). In particular, there is room to fully achieve the objective of 'strengthen capacity to transfer knowledge and technology', by improving and completing execution of activities. Taking advantage of this restructuring process, additional changes encompassing the three components and indicators will strengthen implementation and monitoring of the project as a whole. Consistent with the changes to project activities and timetable, PDO indicators will change as follows: one indicator will be dropped; one new indicator will be created; four indicators will be revised in structure and or target. Targets for eight out of eighteen intermediate indicators included in the 2010 restructuring will change to reflect the evolution of activities observed until 2012 and two new intermediate indicators will be created to monitor key activities. The closing date will be extended by 18 months to June 13, 2014. Show Less -

Ratings for the Foot and Mouth Disease Emergency Recovery Loan Project for Uruguay were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was moderate,... Show More + the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also satisfactory. Some lessons learned included: emergency projects can be an effective tool to assist a country in controlling animal disease outbreaks, provided that conditions exist for a rapid Bank response in terms of project preparation and disbursement of funds. The design of an operation to address the economic emergency caused by a zoonotic event should be sufficiently flexible to combine short-term containment measures with support to strengthen surveillance and prevention systems in order to ensure long-term sustainability and minimize the risk of subsequent emergencies. The development of an individual animal tracking system represents an extremely effective mechanism to ensure adequate epidemiological surveillance and more rapid and effective containment in the event of an outbreak. The establishment of such system will be greatly facilitated by the previous existence of a reliable reporting system for farm livestock inventories and transactions. Enhanced individual tracking systems integrating health and geo-referenced data not only help to manage and mitigate disease outbreaks, but also can represent a valuable tool for on-farm herd management, as well as a source of strategic information on livestock production, logistics, marketing, processing, and food safety issues. Efficient, timely and uninterrupted operation of a Livestock Information System that involves animal tracking can be affected by the rules and regulations of the public service, particularly in terms of procurement procedures, flow of funds and remuneration levels for specialized staff and Information Technology (IT) operators. The achievement of a sustainable national disease free status should also incorporate transboundary disease surveillance and control with neighboring countries. Strong and continuous programs of education and training of the public and private veterinary services as well as farmers and public in general are required to update the evolving sanitary threats. The benefits, advantages and limitations of fast-track additional financing as an instrument to increase project funding should be carefully evaluated to determine if it represents the best option to expand and/or consolidate the outcomes of an emergency operation. If so, a more detailed design and appraisal will be required, in order to incorporate those elements not fully addressed in the original design. Show Less -

The project development objective is to strengthen Uruguay's capacity to generate, transfer and adapt knowledge and technology by supporting: (i) the institutional framework... Show More + for science, technology, and innovation (STI); (ii) investments in human capital and high-quality research teams; (iii) technology transfer and private sector innovation; and (iv) cross-sectoral and international research collaboration and mobility of researchers between public institutions and the productive sector. There are 3 components. Component one is to support STI policies and institutional strengthening .and will help establish a coherent policy framework for science, technology, and innovation (STI); consolidate and improve existing policies and programs; develop a strong monitoring and evaluation capacity; and raise awareness of STI among stakeholders. It will achieve the above through three subcomponents: (i) support the development of public STI policies; (ii) support the National Research and Innovation Agency; and (iii) set up and support the STI Observatory. Component two is to build human capital and high-quality research teams and will strengthen the capacity to develop new knowledge by: (i) promoting excellence in science and technology research in priority areas; (ii) increasing the stock of advanced human capital and ensuring the early integration of young researchers in research networks and the private sector; and (iii) strengthening priority technical tertiary education programs. Component three will promote innovation and technology transfer to the productive sector and will: (i) seek to introduce new instruments to promote technology transfer and accelerate the adaptation of new technologies and innovations by firms in key clusters; and (ii) promote high impact innovations by fostering new collaborations between the productive sector and knowledge institutions such as universities and research centers. Show Less -

The development objective of the Integrated Natural Resources and Biodiversity Management Project is to promote, particularly among groups of small and medium-sized... Show More + fanners, the adoption of economically and environmentally viable integrated production systems, within a context of holistic ecosystem and natural resources management, while mainstreaming biodiversity. Likewise, the global environment objective seeks to promote increased understanding on the role of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, and the potential impact of various land use practices upon biodiversity, and their economic and ecological sustainability. Through the Natural Resources and Biodiversity Management Component, demand-driven activities will be financed to promote sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity. This will be accomplished through financial and technical assistance towards improving natural resources management practices in livestock production systems, with special reference to improved management of natural pastures and biodiversity. The component will further adopt improved practices in dryland agriculture; for natural resources management systems in irrigated areas; and, in biodiversity conservation. The second component, fully financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) resources, will establish demonstration areas within the selected areas of GEF-interventions (grasslands and "serranias"), for a sustainable use of natural resources in key micro-catchments which are of importance for biodiversity, combining sound practices for natural resources management, and creating increased public awareness on the significance, and socioeconomic importance of biodiversity. The main objective under the third component is to develop support services that would contribute to the efficient implementation of sub-projects, financed under the previous two components. It is divided in four sub-components: institutional strengthening; natural resources management instruments; training and technical assistance; and, studies and applied research. The fourth component will guarantee a sound and efficient management of the Project through three sub-components: a project executing unit, encompassing staff and operation costs; the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system; and, implementation of a public information and dissemination program. Show Less -

The Fifth Livestock Development Project was designed to continue assistance to Uruguay's national livestock development program by providing medium- and long-term credit... Show More + to beef cattle and sheep ranchers, dairy farmers, pork producers and machinery contractors. The project's objectives were to expand beef and milk production so as to enable Uruguay to increase meat exports, to substitute domestically produced dairy products for imports, and help the Government to improve sector policies. The strategy used for meeting project objectives was to: (a) step up pasture production through use of phosphates fertilizer and better seeds; (b) improve ranch and farm management by constructing fences, water points, and cattle handling facilities; and (c) initiate product diversification on small-scale farm holdings. The quantitative assessment of the impact of credit projects is traditionally difficult, but the more so in this case for two reasons: (a) although there is a project monitoring unit with an excellent data base of relevant records on a sample basis, it is too early to evaluate the effects of on-ranch project investment on technical coefficients and production; and (b) the country's sector policies have been unstable and changes occurred in the international beef markets upon which Uruguay depends, and which had an impact on the sector difficult to quantify. Show Less -