Moldova Social Investment Fund (MSIF) is a project created by the World Bank and donor countries in order to contribute to the implementation of National development strategies in Moldova by empowering poor communities and their institutions in management of priority development needs.
The main factors that contributed to the creation and development of this project were not only social and economic decline in recent years, decrease of life quality indicators and impoverishment of a considerable part of the population, especially in rural areas and small towns, but also moral and spiritual decline and decline of the population involvement in the process of changing the community environment.
In the context of development policies and strategies in Moldova, Moldova Social Investment Fund is considered an effective mechanism for changing the attitude and behavior of people in communities in order to enhance social activism and community solidarity, and to improve population and vulnerable groups life quality by increasing access to improved social services.
The target groups of Project beneficiaries are poor population from small communities and towns and people in need, as well as orphans, people with disabilities, persons affected by human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, etc. The Moldova Social Investment Fund contributes to managerial capacities building of such groups and to increasing of responsibility sense for all activities in the community through their direct involvement in the process of identification of their stringent needs, subproject proposals implementation, and to ensuring the sustainability.
By promoting social partnership development at the community level and participatory elaboration of strategic plans for economic and social development of the community, MSIF supports the objectives of the local public authorities reform and contributes to the capacity building of Community institutions, ensuring respect for the principles of transparency and participation and, as the result, sustainable development of the community.
MSIF is guided by the Operations Manual, which is a set of rules and procedures established and approved by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the World Bank in order to achieve project objectives and to ensure the efficiency of investments. Another purpose of the Operations Manual is to ensure transparency in the MSIF procedures at the national and local level, to serve as a methodological and practical guide for the National Council of MSIF, ministries and other stakeholders in Moldova on promotion, identification, development and implementation of subproject proposals.
May 19, 1997 - The Government has adopted the Decision no. 468 on the establishment of the Moldova Social Investment Fund
November 1997 - July 31, 1999 - MSIF pilot project. This step was financed in large part from grants offered by the Governments of the USA, Sweden and Japan.
September 28 to October 10, 1998 - MSIF project was evaluated by the World Bank Mission.
December 14 to 21, 1998 - negotiations with the World Bank on the IDA loan in the amount of 15 million dollars took place.
March 17, 1999 – the first Loan Agreement was signed.
June 3, 1999 - the project was ratified.
July 29, 1999 – the loan became effective.
August 1999 - November 2004 – the implementation of MSIF1 Project.
February 2004 – the development of a new project - MSIF2 was initiated.
November 2004 – the MSIF1 Project was completed successfully in accordance with the planned schedule.
November 2004 - launching of the MSIF2 Project.
September 2009 - extension of the MSIF2 Project.
December 14, 2010 - the Financing Agreement in the amount of 2 mln. Euro was signed, 1,5 million Euro of which represent a grant, provided by the European Union for the implementation of demonstrative subprojects based on the use of solar energy and agricultural waste;
December 15, 2010 - the Financing Agreement in the amount of 5 mln. Euro was signed - a Grant provided by the Federal Republic of Germany (KfW);
