BASIC NEEDS TRUST FUND/CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Poverty Reduction
Action Plan
GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE
Basic Needs Trust Fund/Caribbean Development Bank

Poverty Reduction Action Plan

Government of Belize

Prepared by:
Valentino Shal
&
Jacqueline Dragone
SAYAN CONSULTING

March 2014
Belmopan

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMNS ............................................................................................................................... 4
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 6
1.1 The BNTF Programme ..................................................................................................... 6
1.2 The BNTF PRAP ............................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Approach and Methodology ............................................................................................. 6
1.4 Structure of The Prap ....................................................................................................... 8
2 BELIZE: NATIONAL CONTEXT ......................................................................................... 9
2.1 Country Background ........................................................................................................ 9
2.2 Economic Context ............................................................................................................ 9
2.3 Social, Cultural and Political Context ............................................................................ 12
3 POVERTY AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN BELIZE .............................................. 19
3.1 The Incidence of Poverty ............................................................................................... 19
3.2 Factors of Social Vulnerability In Belize ....................................................................... 23
4 NATIONAL POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY ......................................................... 28
4.1 National Frameworks ..................................................................................................... 28
4.2 Government Initiatives and Interventions ...................................................................... 29
4.3 Other Development Partners .......................................................................................... 30
5 ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION OF BNTF TO POVERTY REDUCTION ......................... 32
5.1 CDB Country Strategy ................................................................................................... 32
5.2 Role and Experience of BNTF ....................................................................................... 32
5.3 BNTF 6 Programme ....................................................................................................... 32
5.4 BNTF 7 Programme ....................................................................................................... 34
6 PRIORITIZED ACTIONS UNDER BNTF 7 ....................................................................... 41
6.1 National Development Goals ......................................................................................... 41
6.2 Proposed Areas of Intervention ...................................................................................... 41
6.3 Targeting of Resources................................................................................................... 44
7 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ................................................................................................ 48
7.1 Institutional Arrangements ............................................................................................. 48
7.2 Risks ............................................................................................................................... 49
8 RESULTS FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................... 51
Annex 1 - Schematic of Approach to Developing the PRAP ................................................... 55
Annex 2 - Classification Of Major Cities, Towns And Villages In Belize, 2010..................... 56

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Tourism Growth 2012 ................................................................................................... 10

Figure 2: Belize Real GDP Growth 2001-2012 ............................................................................ 11
Figure 3: Household Poverty in Belize ......................................................................................... 19
Figure 4: Poverty in Belize by District ......................................................................................... 20
Figure 5: Poverty Map By Income Per Capita .............................................................................. 21
Figure 6: Unemployment Rate By District, April 2012 ................................................................ 24
Figure 7: Leading Cause of Death in Belize ................................................................................. 25
Figure 8: Allocation of BNTF 6 Resources .................................................................................. 33

List of Tables

Table 1: Belize Country Population .............................................................................................. 12

Table 2: Povery Rates By Occupation 2002 & 2009 .................................................................... 21
Table 3: Poverty Gap Index By District ....................................................................................... 22
Table 4: Actors And Actions In Education Sector........................................................................ 36
Table 5: ESS Policy Objectives And Outputs............................................................................... 37
Table 6: Actors And Actions In The Water & Sanitation Sector ................................................. 39
Table 7: BNTF And National Development Goals....................................................................... 41
Table 8: Allocation Of Resource Matrix ...................................................................................... 46
Table 9: Indicative Results Framework For BNTF 7 ................................................................... 52

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ACRONYMNS
ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
BMC Bank Member Countries
BNTF Basic Needs Trust Fund
BOOST Building Opportunities for our Social Transformation
BWS Belize Water Services
CAPS Community Action for Public Safety
CARICOM Caribbean Community
CCA Country Common Assessment
CDB Caribbean Development Bank
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women
CPA Country Poverty Assessment
ESS Education Sector Strategy
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FAS Financing Allocation System
FBP Foreign Born Population
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
GBV Gender Based Violence
GDP Gross Domestic Product
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HRD Human Resource Development
IDB Inter-American Development Bank
IICA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
ITVET Institute for Technical and Vocational Education and Training
MDG Millennium Development Goals
MIC Middle Income Country
MLLGRD Ministry of Labour Local Government and Rural Development
MOE Ministry of Education
MTE Mid–Term Evaluation
NER Net Enrolment Rate
NGO Non-Governmental Organizations
NHI National Health Insurance
NPESAP National Poverty Elimination Strategy and Action Plan
NWC National Women‟s Commission
OAS Organization of American States
ODA Official Development Assistance
PAHO Pan American Health Organization
PANCAP Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS
PMC Project Monitoring Committee
PRAP Poverty Reduction Action Plan
PSE Primary School Exam
QSI Quality School Initiative
RTI Road Traffic Injuries
SICA Central American Integration System

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SIF Social Investment Fund
TB Tuberculosis
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UNAIDS United Nations AIDS Program
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF United Nations Children‟s Fund
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
WHO World Health Organization

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE BNTF PROGRAMME

The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) Programme is funded through the Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB) and contributes to the reduction of poverty in targeted communities through the
provision of infrastructure and livelihood enhancement services in participating countries. Since
its inception approximately 33 years ago, BNTF has played a vital role in assisting participating
governments in poverty reduction efforts through the provision of basic infrastructure and social
services in poor and vulnerable communities.

BNTF has undergone six replenishments, a number of design modifications and increasing
resource contributions. Recent evaluations of BNTF 5 and the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of
BNTF 6 highlighted the relevance of the Programme and its achievements. Beneficiaries have
acknowledged BNTF as an important vehicle that filled gaps in coverage of services. In Belize,
the program is implemented through the Belize Social Investment Fund. All participating Bank
Member Countries (BMC) are required to develop a Poverty Reduction Action Plan (PRAP) as a
condition for the allocation of BNTF 7 funding.

1.2 THE BNTF PRAP

The PRAP is used to influence the country‟s priorities for poverty reduction with BNTF
resources. It helps the Government of Belize to determine and commit to action plans that are
well targeted. The PRAP is intended to guide the targeting of resources in order to meet the
needs, priorities, and situation of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country. It sets a road
map to improve the distribution of resources to effectively contribute to the achievement of
national development goals and outlines how it will be accomplished.

Like other developing countries, Belize faces challenges in achieving equity in the national
development scheme, where poor and vulnerable groups are often neglected. There are various
determinants that demand effective inter-sectoral collaboration and enhanced partnerships with
local, national and international partners. Belize has made progress in many areas, however,
effective plans and policies needs to be implemented in order to ensure complementarity in the
investment of resources, address specific challenges and well as streamline data collection and
monitoring of development results. The PRAP is also expected to develop a framework to
engage important stakeholders from Government to communities and other development
partners.

1.3 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The PRAP was developed from a strategic approach considering poverty targeting, strategic
alignment with national development plans and goals and community demand under the
overarching goal of achieving sustainable development results. Strategically nesting and aligning
the PRAP with other broader frameworks provides an opportunity to better coordinate poverty
reduction interventions across line Ministries and other development partners. The model in
Annex 1 graphically represents the conceptual approach to the development of the PRAP.

6
1.3.1 Targeting
While economic growth is generally correlated with reductions in poverty, this is not always the
case. The use of targeting mechanism therefore remains an important feature in the fight against
poverty to ensure that interventions and resources effectively address the poorest and most
vulnerable and their needs. In targeting the poor in the PRAP, socio-economic characteristics of
Belize poor was firstly analysed. Consideration was then given to geographic distribution of
poverty and social sectors most likely to benefit the poor. In characterizing the poor in Belize, a
thorough poverty analysis was done by examining a broad range of socio-economic and
institutional indicators. This included assessing cross-sectoral factors including gender, citizen
security, environment and governance. In doing this a profile of the poor in Belize was
developed including those social issues that contribute to a vicious cycle of vulnerability. An
examination of the geographic location of Belize‟s poor in both urban and rural sectors based on
the most recent CPA and other related data was then carried out. In order to maintain focus on
the three key social sectors of the BNTF, Education & Human Resource Development, Water
and Sanitation sectors were assessed based on how these relate to poverty realities.

1.3.2 Strategic Alignment with National Frameworks

Another critical aspect to the development of the PRAP is the consideration given to existing
national development frameworks. The nesting and aligning of the PRAP enhances the
complementarity between BNTF interventions and other activities within national strategies
frameworks and also allows for better monitoring and evaluation of interventions for
development results. The PRAP is aligned with the National Poverty Reduction Strategy and
Action Plan, the CDB‟s Country Strategy for Belize and Belize‟s Horizon 2030 Plan. It is also
aligned with the Education Sector Strategy developed by the Ministry of Education. Strategically
nesting and aligning the PRAP with other broader frameworks provides an opportunity to better
coordinate poverty reduction interventions with other development partners such as the UN
System and other donor agencies.

1.3.3 Community Demand

Community demand for interventions was also assessed and this came mainly from a register of
project requests from local communities maintained by BSIF/BNTF under the BNTF 6
programme and during BNTF 7 appraisal. These requests came from primary school principals
and village councils. The community leaders filled a basic request form that indicated the type
and scope of interventions that hoped for within their communities. These requests were
analyzed and selected on the basis that they:

a. were requested within the last 5 years to date in order to keep the list relevant and
manageable and;
b. fell within the eligibility criteria for the two target sectors of BNTF7.

It should be noted that tertiary level institutions and household level sanitation facilities are not
eligible under BNTF7 and so while there were requests for these types of interventions they were
not considered given that the target sectors were already established form the outset. Tertiary
level institutions, from a sectoral targeting point of view, are not necessarily critical in meeting

7
basic needs and addressing the immediate needs of the poor. This is not to say that it is
unimportant however, there are likely to be greater returns to the poor from a focus on primary
and secondary education. Projects having to do with access and drainage were also not
considered as the Ministry of Works has indicated that these types of works come directly under
their responsibility.

1.3.4 Information Gathering

The first step of the data gathering process was to conduct an extensive literature review of
existing and available information on poverty and other relevant reference materials. This
included a review of national development strategies including the most recent country poverty
assessment, “Horizon 2030,” the United Nations Common Country Assessment (2011), CDB‟s
Country Strategy, Mid-term review of BNTF 6, Labour Force Surveys, relevant sectoral policies,
human rights reports, national economic reports, and other studies covering a broad range of
social, political and environmental issues. The literature review achieved several objectives. The
first was to identify important national and sectoral frameworks which have a bearing on the
PRAP. Second was to establish critical social indicators, their status and how they affect the
social vulnerability of the poorest groups. Third was to identify potential actions that can be
taken by the program based on on-going interventions.

Interviews with key informants were done within the BNTFO and relevant line Ministries at the
national and district level. These interviews provided a certain level of qualitative understanding
of the major issues and underlying factors contributing to poverty in general outside of official
quantitative statistics. The District Education Managers were specifically able to validate the list
of proposed list of subprojects within the education sector. Topics covered during the interviews
included their experiences with their own interventions and potential opportunities for BNTF 7
interventions.

1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE PRAP

The structure of the document is as follows: The next section provides a brief description of the
major characteristics of the country. Section 3 defines and discusses the poverty situation of
Belize. Section 4 discusses national strategies and approaches to address poverty and aligns the
BNTF programme to national frameworks by outline its role and contribution. This is then
followed Section 5 describing the prioritized actions under BNTF 7. The paper concludes with
an implementation plan and results framework in Section 6.

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2 BELIZE: NATIONAL CONTEXT

2.1 COUNTRY BACKGROUND

Belize is a small, independent country located on the Caribbean coast of Central America and
shares borders with Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, with the Caribbean
Sea to the east. It has a rich diversity of peoples, languages and cultures and has the distinction
of being the only country in Central America whose official language is English. The total land
area is almost 22,700 km2 with the population estimated to be around 333,200 inhabitants. Belize
is also home to the second largest barrier reef in the world with more than 100 small cayes
located offshore.

There are six administrative districts in Belize namely 1) Corozal, 2) Orange Walk, 3) Belize, 4)
Cayo, 5) Stann Creek and 6) Toledo. The Cayo District is located in the west of Belize, home to
the capital, Belmopan. Given the vulnerability of Belize City to hurricanes and related damages,
in 1970, the government moved the capital from Belize City located on the coast and at sea level,
to Belmopan located considerably further inland. Orange Walk and Corozal districts are located
to the north of Belize, which borders with Mexico. Toledo District is to the south sharing a
border with Guatemala and home to the Maya population. Finally, Belize District is located in
the center of the country holding the majority of the population.

Despite a long-standing dispute with Guatemala over that country‟s claim to some of Belize‟s
territory and occasional border incidents, Belize is a sovereign state and the governance structure
is based on a parliamentary democracy, based on the British Westminster system. Belize
achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1981 and is currently a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Central
American Integration System (SICA), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the group of
African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) and the Organization of American States
(OAS). The country therefore has the potential to serve as a bridge between Central America
and the Caribbean, and to share its experiences in both sub-regions.

Belize has recently reached 32 years since Independence, which is timely for development
assessments. The Government of Belize published a National Development Framework called
“Horizon 2030” where it reviews past goals and establishes new ones for the future. These goals
prioritize sustainable natural resource management, governance and education to be the focus for
Belize as well as providing a sound economic future.

2.2 ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Belize is a small open economy that is supported primarily by natural resources with major
sectors being agriculture (citrus, sugar, bananas, fisheries), manufacturing (including petroleum)
and tourism (tertiary sector).

The mining sector enjoyed a robust but short growth over the period 2006 to 2011 having been
discovered in commercial quantities in 2005 and saw its first year of shipment in 2006. Since the
start of petroleum extraction in 2006 the value of exports rose from $77.0 million to $203.2

9
million in 20081. Oil production however has levelled off and is now on a declining trend. Over
the last 30 years the economy has been slowly shifting over from “traditional” commodity
exports to service exports. Indeed oil and tourism went from 1% of total exports at the time of
Independence to approximately 60% thirty years later in 20102.

Tourism remains one of the main engines of growth in the Belizean economy and the principal
source of foreign exchange. The sector generated US$281 million in visitor expenditures in
2008, slightly outstripping total domestic merchandise exports and corresponding to 21% of
gross domestic product (GDP). It is estimated that more than 25% of the employed labour force
is related to or driven by this particular sector. Cruise tourism has become an important feature
of the overall industry. While the global economic crises certainly affected the industry around
2009, it has started to show some signs of recovery. In 2012, a record-breaking number of
overnight visitors visited Belize as shown in the Figure 1 below. Recent figures released by the
Belize Tourism Board show that for the first three quarters of 2013 compared to the same period
in 2012, there was an increase of 8.7% pushing Belize closer to making the 300,000 overnight
visitors mark.

FIGURE 1: TOURISM GROWTH 2012

Visitors Overnight Cruise

900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
-
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

SOURCE: CENTRAL BANK OF BELIZE 2013

Belize‟s real GDP growth however has been on a declining trend since 2003 which suffered even
further when the economy contracted in 2009. Since then it has taken a somewhat upward trend
showing signs of recovery and was at 5.3% in 2012. This however is still significantly lower than
the position in 2009 when it was a 9.3%3. A historical review since Independence shows that

1
Belize Medium Term Development Strategy 2010 – 2013. Ministry of Economic Development, Commerce and
Industry and Consumer Protection. Government of Belize.
2
Thomas, B. and Thomas, V. 2012. The Economic History of Belize: From the 17 th Century to Post-Independence.
Cubola Productions.
3
Major Economic Indicators Table 2001 – 2012. Central Bank of Belize.

10
Belize‟s economic growth has been driven mainly by fiscal stimulus which shows up in regular
boom and bust cycles linked with booms in public spending, credit to the private sector, and
deterioration in the current account 4. The latest cycle between 1999 and 2003 saw increased
public spending financed largely by external commercial borrowing. These fluctuations are a
concern for Belize‟s economy as the government has to contend with debt repayments in slump
years. In 2005, the debt to GDP ratio was at 93% of GDP and clearly unsustainable. The external
debt was restructured in 2007 but the debt burden remained a constraint on the government‟s
budget forcing it to undertake another debt restructuring exercise which concluded in March of
2013. While the immediate effect of this is related to the need for debt repayment it also lowers
the amount of new funding the country can project for development programming. Debt as a
percentage of GDP is currently at 78.6%5.

FIGURE 2: BELIZE REAL GDP GROWTH 2001-2012

Real GDP Growth (%)
10.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
2010
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2011

2012

SOURCE: CENTRAL BANK OF BELIZE 2013

The country faces numerous challenges to economic stability and growth. High indebtedness,
limited progress on public spending controls, and inadequate infrastructure pose persistent
problems. Even though the economy is more diversified now, there is still the problem of
volatility that it has to contend with. Should petroleum remain an important sector of the
economy, world commodity prices for oil are still a consideration and tourism is just as
susceptible to weather conditions in Belize as agricultural and fisheries exports.

Belize has benefited in the past and continues to benefit from Official Development Assistance
(ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); however, in accord with its designation as a lower
middle-income country (MIC), international grant funding is becoming more difficult to obtain.
ODA received by Belize as a percentage of its Gross National Income was 1.9% in 2010.

4
Towards a Sustainable and Efficient State: The Development Agenda of Belize. Inter-American Development
Bank. 2010.
5
IMF Staff Report, Article IV Consultation – Belize 2013.

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According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, in 2011 up to April 2012,
Belize received a total US $308,417,630.50 for public sector investment programs. Other key
technical assistance partners include the US government, the Organization of American States
(OAS), Cuba, Venezuela, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA),
and the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP).

The economic environment that Belize is currently faced with is not conducive to poverty
alleviation. The CDB Country Strategy Paper states that “the overriding challenge for Belize,
over the medium to long term, will be to accelerate national income growth and improve income
distribution to significantly reduce poverty and improve social conditions. A stable
macroeconomic environment will be a necessary foundation for growth.”6 Indeed, in 2013, the
economy registered a growth rate of only 0.7%. The constant burden of debt and the slow
economic growth only reduces the possibility of social spending and constrains much needed
investment in human capital. The resources within the country of Belize cannot adequately
resolve the social conditions and Belize will have to depend on the assistance of international
donors to satisfy the key government objective of the reduction of poverty and inequality.

2.3 SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

2.3.1 Demographics
The demographic profile of Belize is that of a young and ethnically diverse population.
According to the Population and Housing Census 2010 Country Report, the population of Belize
is approximately 333,200 with a slightly higher number for urban to rural population. Males and
females are split almost evenly. The average household size in Belize is 3.9 persons with the
Toledo District having the largest households at 4.7 persons and the Belize District with the
small households at 3.3 persons.

Approximately 56% of the national population is 24 years and under with the median age being
22 years. Population growth has been varied throughout the country however the fastest growing
districts were Cayo, which includes Belmopan, the capital; and the Belize District which
contains Belize City, the country‟s largest city. The population in Belize has been increasing
gradually by 2.65% over the period 2000 to 2010 due mainly to high fertility and immigration.
Most of the growth in population size has occurred in rural areas. The total population for 2010
according to sex and location is outlined in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1: BELIZE COUNTRY POPULATION

Total Male Female
Country Total 333,200 166,500 166,700
Urban 172,800 84,400 88,400
Rural 160,400 82,100 78,300
SOURCE: STATISTICAL INSTITUTE OF BELIZE 2010

6
Caribbean Development Bank, Country Strategy Paper 2011-2015 Belize.

12
The five largest ethnic groups in Belize are the Mestizo, Creole, Maya, Garifuna and Mennonite.
According to the 2010 Census, the Mestizo population increased from 48.4% in 2000 to 50% and
Creole decreased from 27% to 21%. The Maya and Garifuna (both considered indigenous
peoples) make up 10% and 4.6% of the population respectively. About 6% of the population
claim to be of mixed ethnic origin.

The largest source of foreign born population (FBP) comes mainly from the neighbouring
country of Guatemala, followed by El Salvador and Honduras. About 42% of the FBP are
between 25 and 44 years old. Sixty percent had at primary education at most. As concluded in
the Belize Country Poverty Assessment 2010, the population for Belize continues to increase
gradually due more so to immigration. It is to be expected that with the growth of the Spanish-
speaking Mestizo population approximately 57% of Belizeans speak Spanish at a conversational
level.

Christianity dominates religious practices in Belize; 40% of the population is Roman Catholic,
which represents a decline from the last census in 2000. Other major Christian groups are
Pentecostal (9%), Anglican (5%), Seventh Day Adventist (5%), Mennonites (4%) and Baptist
(4%). There are smaller numbers of adherents to Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and other religions.
About 9.4% do not adhere to any religion which has doubled from 10 years ago.

2.3.2 Gender Dimensions

Belize developed its first National Gender Policy in 2002 even though a National Women‟s
Commission (NWC) was established back in 1982. The NWC now monitors and reports on
Belize‟s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) as well as promotes the revised Gender Policy issued by the
government in 2013. The Revised National Gender Policy released by the NWC in 2013
addresses five key areas namely, 1) Health, 2) Education, 3) Wealth and Employment
Generation, 4) Gender-based Violence and 5) Power and Decision-making. Gender equality and
equity have been longstanding issues in Belize and there have been several efforts made to
address the related challenges. These issues generally range from health, education,
unemployment, poverty and political representation.

The incidence of poverty in general in Belize has little disparity amongst gender lines, however
the hardships caused by poverty has been shown to affect women more disproportionately than
males. This not only includes economic aspects of livelihoods, but also the psychosocial aspects
of poverty such as stress, low self-esteem and depression.

Gender disparity in primary education has been quickly narrowing with almost equal
participation by girls to boys. The ratio of girls to boys in 2009 was at 100.1. This is a significant
achievement however there is still a need to improve attendance as one in every 20 boys and one
in every 20 girls are not attending school. In rural agricultural communities boys are more likely
to drop out of school than girls while girls are more likely to complete their schooling. While
there has been moderate success in improving gender disparity in primary education, there are
indications that the disparity has widened at the secondary and tertiary levels of education with

13
males at a disadvantage 7 . It can be reasonably assumed that “male privilege” and gender
expectations placed on males are likely contributors 8 . The Revised Gender Policy cites that
despite the high secondary school drop-out rates, marginal investments have been made in
“second chance” programmes that help young men and women to stay in school, go back to
school or learn a marketable skill. Current “second chance” programmes are implemented
primarily by non-government organizations. In recent years the government has also stepped up
its investment in second chance programmes. These include: 1) Adult and Continuing Education,
High School Equivalency Programmes in various districts including Toledo, Stann Creek, Cayo,
Belize District and Corozal, 2) an Apprenticeship Programme and Skills Training, both in Belize
City.

In terms of health young women ages 15 to 24 continue to show approximately twice the HIV
transmission rate as men of that same age group. This pattern is reversed for women in the older
age groups (40 years and over) who have a much lower HIV rate than men of the older age
groups. This pattern suggests the existence of intergenerational sex between older men and
young women9. Morbidity and mortality patterns appeared among men and women show clear
disparities. Adolescent and older men die mostly from risk-taking behaviours such as vehicular
accidents, injuries (whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted) and HIV/AIDS. Women, on
the other hand, suffer mostly from chronic illness such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and
heart disease.

Unequal power relations between men and women, and expectations of their roles and
responsibilities contribute to the increasing incidence of gender-based violence. These issues
challenges, as both gender-based violence (GBV) and its intensity continue to increase. In 2003,
1,240 cases of domestic violence were registered; it is believed that there is a high degree of
underreporting, so this likely represented only a fraction of the actual number of cases. Women
aged 25-29 years accounted for the highest number of cases (269). In 2006, there were over
1,472 registered cases of GBV, of which 4 resulted in death. A link between the occurrence and
severity of violence against women and the frequency and amount of drinking has been
established by a more recent study10.

The overall presence of women in national decision-making is dismal and very little progress has
been achieved in this area. There is currently only one elected female in the National Assembly
and two who have been appointed as full Ministers in the Cabinet drawn from the Senate. There
are on-going initiatives by the National Women‟s Commission to provide training and
encouragement to women to engage in the political arena at various levels. The 2007 CEDAW
Concluding Comments recommended that the country take concrete measures to correct this
situation, including temporary special measures, quotas and timetables. These have been
reaffirmed by the recent report on the Situation Analysis on Gender and Politics in Belize
supported by UNDP-Belize and the NWC.

7
Belize Scorecard and Outlook 2010. United Nations Development Programme. 2010.
8
A Situation Analysis of Gender and Politics in Belize. National Women‟s Commission. 2012
9
Belize National Gender Policy 2013. National Women‟s Commission.
10
GENACIS Study 2008. Country Specific Variables Belize. Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study.

14
2.3.3 Environment
Belize like other developing countries in the region, on one hand, needs to continue to utilize its
natural resources in its quest for sustainable development. On the other, approximately 45% of
the population lives in the low-lying coastal zone, the region most vulnerable to climate change
impacts. Planning for adaptation has therefore been prioritized among national authorities and
steps are underway to understand the extent of the impact of climate change of Belize‟s
sustainable economic and human development. Apart from potentially undermining national
development efforts, there is growing concern that climate change can threaten or reverse the
country‟s advances towards the MDG‟s and human development should measures not be taken
to mainstream climate change into national decision making and development planning.

The health of Belize‟s population and the development of the country is affected directly, by heat
waves, droughts, floods, storms, and other extreme weather events, and indirectly, through
effects on communicable diseases such as malaria, dengue, and diarrheal diseases; water
availability; and agricultural production. The coastal areas of the country are at, or below, sea
level, and Belize City is prone to flooding. Around 75% of the population in Belize is vulnerable
to natural disasters, which particularly impact on the poor, with devastation exacerbated by land
degradation. Over the period 2000-2007, Belize was affected by 5 major hurricanes. The last
hurricanes to affect Belize were Dean and Felix in 2007, and the total impact of hurricane Dean
on the economy was estimated at US$89.5 million. The most recent storm to affect the country
was Hurricane Richard in October 2010; causing a great deal of structural damage and flooding
to almost the entire country.

Belize has taken great strides in protecting the environment. Currently approximately 36% of
national territory is under protection which is high compared to its neighbours in the region.
Belize‟s National Protected Areas System consists of 95 terrestrial and marine protected areas
that include private, public, and community-based conservation initiatives. Nonetheless, even
with a good record of environmental steward, Belize‟s natural resources still face threat of
degradation both in the marine and terrestrial areas.

The Government of Belize has continuously development legal and institutional measures to
safeguard its natural assets. It has now committed itself to defining its institutional and legal
landscape for climate change adaptation and mitigation, focusing on the roles of various actors,
existing institutional capacities and governance issues in carrying out mitigation and adaptation
activities. In essence the political and administrative systems are being adopted to handle
emerging national issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation. A national climate change
policy and adaptation strategy is currently in the process of being developed by the Ministry of
Forests, Fisheries and Sustainable Development with the support of UNDP-Belize and a regional
project funded by the European Union11.

11
These projects are the “Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Belize‟s Third National Communication to the
UNFCCC Project” (UNDP/GEF) and “Enhancing Belize‟s resilience to adapt to the effects of climate change
Project” (GCCA/EU)

15
2.3.4 Crime and Security
High levels of violence and abuse, especially against women and children and high levels of
violence and crime - including domestic violence and urban gang cultures - have been attributed
to the lack of employment opportunities, the increased availability and abuse of alcohol, drugs
and weapons, the weakness of state institutions and a breakdown in the family structure.

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)12 notes that a high and rising
crime and murder rate, international drug-trafficking, capacity gaps in states institutions that
related to the rule of law and justice system, all combine to make the matter of crime in the
country a major concern. In addition to gangs already operating in Belize, violence is mainly
concentrated in the Belize District, which includes San Pedro and Caye Caulker with the
majority of offences amounting to 36%. The murder rate in Belize is one of the highest in the
world (41.7 per 100,000 in 2010) and the 2009 data show that the rate increased by 50% since
2001. The CPA 13 noted that about half the murders occurred in Belize City (30%) and
principally in the South Side (40%). Motives for the murders included robbery,
altercations/disputes and feuds, drug dealings and domestic disputes. Of particular interest is the
high number of deaths due to homicide that occur in the young, productive population group.
Males tend to be affected more by violence-related deaths. The UNDAF further notes that
poverty is consistently identified as a key cause. Unemployment, marginalization, poor
education, poor housing, living conditions and entrenched cultural norms regarding gender roles
all play important symbiotic roles in generating and sustaining such impoverishment.

The latest crime statistic from the Belize Police Department shows a slight decrease in crime for
2013 as compared to 2012, and an increase in arrests for the year. In the months of January to
September of 2012, a total of 2,070 crimes were reports as compared to 1,845 that have been
reported from January to September 2013. The numbers show that major crimes have decreased
by an estimated 11%, and has fallen is all districts except Stann Creek and Toledo. Those
districts experienced a rise in major crime. Murder rates are also down. Since January to
September 2013 there have been 81 murders, 25 fewer than the same period in 2012. The Belize
District still remains with the highest murder rate, with 51 cases reported in 2013.

The Belize Police Department states that if the trend continues through October, November and
December, 2013 will have reported less criminal activity than 2012. Nonetheless, Belize
continues to be a transit point for narco-traffickers moving illicit drugs towards North America
and this contributes significantly to citizen insecurity.

2.3.5 Governance
Belize is a sovereign state and the governance structure is based on a parliamentary democracy,
based on the British Westminster system. There are challenges in governance that serve as a
major impediment to achieving development goals. Core challenges for Belize include
weaknesses in rule of law institutions; barriers to transparency and accountability; obstacles to

12
United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2013 - 2016
13
Halcrow. Belize Country Poverty Assessment Report 2010

16
greater participation, particularly for women in national politics and deficiencies in establishing a
human rights culture.”14

Strengthening governance in Belize has been a gradual process. The Senate was expanded to
include members from Civil Society and the Private Sector in 2000. An Ombudsman Office was
also established by the Ombudsman Act in 2000. The Ombudsman is empowered to investigate
complaints made by any person or body of persons who claim to have sustained injustice, injury,
or abuse (including any act of discourtesy, or refusal to act, or any act motivated by
discrimination based on religion, language, race, colour or creed), or who claims that an
authority has been guilty of corruption or other wrongdoing. Authorities who are subject to
investigation are:

 Ministry, Department or agency of Government;

 The Belize Police Force
 A City Council or a Town Board
 Other statutory body or authority, including any company in which the Government or an
agency of government owns not less than 51%.

There is an Integrity Commission established by the Prevention of Corruption in Public Life Act
of 2007. Section 6 of the Act requires everyone in public life to make sworn declarations of their
assets, income, and liabilities, including those of their spouse and children living with them.
Even though the Commission has no powers to impose a prison sentence, the Act gives it the
power to issue a severe reprimand or a fine not exceeding $10,000; to seize or forfeit to the State
any property acquired in abuse or corruption of office; or recommend the person‟s removal from
public office. “Persons in public life” include members of the House of Representatives and
Senate as well as the Mayor and Councillors of all cities and Town Boards. Compliance with the
requirements of the Integrity Commission has not been consistent.

Local governance has been expanded to rural communities through a decentralization exercise
where villages are now officially recognized and are mandated by law to establish Village
Councils to govern their communities. The Village Council Act was passed in 1999 and gave
villages wide ranging powers for the “good governance and improvement” of villages. The
Village Councils are organized at the district level and at the national level formally. The
experience with village councils has been mixed where some councils perform well while others
fail to meet their obligations. The councils are challenged mainly by the their limited access to
financial resources as they do not necessarily received budgetary support from Central
Government except in the collection of basic fees at the local level. All urban areas are managed
by Town or City Councils and are much better resourced compared to village councils.

The government recently published a long-term Development Framework for Belize entitled
“Horizon 2030” to identify long-term goals, targets, and indicators to guide in the
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government‟s long and medium-term
development. Horizon 2030 particularly pinpoints the need to transform political culture in
Belize. The first pillar in this document focuses on “democratic governance for effective public

14
UNDAF Belize 2013-2016

17
administration and sustainable development.” The high level goal includes a governance
framework that ensures community participation and accountability of political leaders. The
strategies to achieve these goals are the following:

 Rebuild accountability in politics

 Eradicate corruption
 Transform political culture
 Complete political reform process
 Strengthen accountability of village administration
 Strengthen law enforcement and access to justice

18
3 POVERTY AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN BELIZE

3.1 THE INCIDENCE OF POVERTY

The definition of poverty has been expanding from formerly narrow economistic perspective to
all-encompassing ones that are more multi-faceted and includes powerlessness, vulnerability and
lack of opportunities. Poverty is now seen as essentially related to one, a notion of absence, lack
or deprivation of factors which are necessary for an acceptable quality of life and two, income
poverty is seen as a sub-component of wellbeing, which also includes the notions of vulnerability
and inequality. Vulnerability is defined as groups, households, individuals who may not be
income poor but who could be if they were affected by particular shocks, e.g. natural disasters,
sudden ill health and inequality is defined as the lack of wellbeing arising from the unequal
distribution of income, consumption or other attributes across the population.

The Belize Country Poverty Assessment 2010 was conducted using a three pronged approach. It
included, 1) Living Standards Measurement Survey, 2) Participatory Poverty Assessment to
obtain qualitative data, and an 3) Institutional Analysis to identify institutional measures being
undertaken in regards to poverty reduction. The official General Poverty Line was constructed by
adding a component for non-food expenditure to the Minimum Food Basket/Indigence Line. The
annual GPL for Belize is calculated at $3,429.

The Country Poverty Assessment 2010 that 43% of the national population falls below the
official poverty line of which 16% are considered indigent. This represents an increase over
figures for 2002 when the last poverty assessment was done. Each of the six districts of the
country except for Toledo experienced an increase in both indigence and general poverty.
Poverty in Belize is generally characterized by a lack of employment opportunities, low wages,
lack of a supportive business environment, and exploitation of vulnerable groups15.

FIGURE 3: HOUSEHOLD POVERTY IN BELIZE

100%

90%

80%

70% 57%
67% 67%
60% 76%

50%

40%

30% 27%
20% 22% 23%
17%
10% 16%
8% 10% 11%
0%
Hholds 2002 Hholds 2009 Pop 2002 Pop 2009

Indigent Poor (not indigent) Not Poor

SOURCE: COUNTRY POVERTY ASSSESSMENT 2010

15
NHDAC, 2006, NPESAP 2006-2010.

19
The sharpest rise in poverty has been in the northern district of Corozal where poverty doubled
and indigence tripled. Notably, during the period when the CPA was conducted, Corozal was
one of the districts repeatedly impacted by hurricane and flooding, thus underscoring the
population‟s vulnerability to disasters. The poverty rate in Toledo has shown some improvement
though indigence and poverty levels among indigenous peoples in Toledo remain the highest in
the country. The highest urban poverty rates, including the indigent, are in Belize City,
particularly the Southside area.

FIGURE 4: POVERTY IN BELIZE BY DISTRICT

Poverty
79
80

70
65

60
% Population Indigent

50 48
45 44
41
39
40
35 35

30 26 27
25

20

10

0
Corozal Orange Belize Cayo Stann Toledo
Walk 2002 2009 Creek

SOURCE: COUNTRY POVERTY ASSESSMENT REPORT 2010

The poverty map in Figure 4 below from the World Bank shows the mean per capita income
across Belize with lowest incomes being in the Toledo and Corozal Districts confirming the
results of the CPA. Poverty in Belize increased substantially between 2002 and 2009 primarily
due to the global economic recession and the negative effects of natural disasters. Combining
the urban and rural distributions provides an indication of the greatest concentrations of overall
poverty in the country, which as noted early is dispersed widely: 80% of poverty in Belize is
concentrated in 6 areas: Belize urban (16%), Corozal and Cayo rural (14% each), Toledo rural
(13%), Orange Walk rural (12%) and Cayo urban (10%).

The levels of household and individual poverty in Belize changed between 2000 and 2009
substantially. Household poverty increased around 27% from a quarter of all households to just
under a third. Therefore, the proportion of “not poor households” decreased from 76% to 69%.
The increase in indigent households was greater, just under 40%. The obvious implication of this
is that households are still finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet. 16

The CPA also indicates how the size of the household is linked to poverty. Over 75% of indigent
households and 66% of all poor households have 5 or more persons compared with 25% of “not
16
Halcrow/Country Poverty Assessment, 2010.

20
poor households”. The average size of poor households is 5.3 persons compared to 3.4 for “not
poor households” demonstrate how indigence and poverty rates increase with household size.

FIGURE 5: POVERTY MAP BY INCOME PER CAPITA

SOURCE: WORLD BANK, 2013

It is estimated that 70% of poor households in Belize have at least one person working. This
implies that the jobs that these persons hold are low-wage and less secure. The implication also
is that inadequate jobs have a direct correlation to the level of poverty in the country. This
situation is further exacerbated by large family sizes especially in rural areas which drive up the
dependency ratio. The average size of poor households is 5.3 persons as against 3.4 for non-poor
households. Agricultural workers and people with unskilled jobs are more likely to be poor or
indigent. Overall, the agricultural sector has not changed since 2002 and continues to have higher
poverty rates than any other sector. Even though the agricultural sector has the highest rate of
poverty, other occupations are experiencing poverty as well and poverty is now distributed
across most occupations.
TABLE 2: POVERY RATES BY OCCUPATION 2002 & 2009

Occupation 2002 2009 Difference

Managers 10 18 8
Clerical 4 27 23
Service Workers 20 31 11
Agriculturalists 50 52 2
Skilled manual 26 34 8

21
 Unskilled 38 43 5
TOTAL 27 33 6
SOURCE: CPA 2010

The poverty gap ratio indicates how poverty in Belize has spread across the country more so than
in 2002 where it was concentrated in the Toledo District. The following table (Table 3) shows
how Toledo has demonstrated a considerable decrease in poverty where the other districts have
increased. These increases have occurred through exogenous factors, such as the global
economic recession and natural disasters, hurricanes and flooding.
According to the CPA, the increases in poverty have affected urban and rural areas alike, but
severe poverty remains higher in rural areas. All districts except Toledo have experienced
increases in poverty and indigence due to the factors mentioned above, from which Toledo has
remained to some extent immune because it is connected less to the mainstream economy that
the rest of the country. The level of severe poverty in Toledo, however, remains higher than in
the other districts. Poverty in Toledo is driven mainly by the high levels of poverty and indigence
among indigenous peoples.

TABLE 3: POVERTY GAP INDEX BY DISTRICT

District 2002 2009 Change
Corozal 7.0 13.9 +6.9
Orange Walk 9.3 10.8 +1.5
Belize District 6.2 7.1 +0.9
Cayo District 6.6 9.7 +3.1
Stann Creek 8.6 12.4 +3.8
Toledo 44.4 19.8 -24.6
Belize 10.9 10.8 -0.1
SOURCE: CPA 2010

In regards to age, children are the face of poverty in Belize. Given that Belize has a very large
young population, the children under 15 demonstrate a poverty rate of 50% and indigence rate of
21%, higher than any other age group. Even though the elderly represent a small percentage of
the population, the poverty rate for this age group has increased from 27% in 2002 to 34% in
2009. The other face of poverty in Belize is of the indigenous Mayan population. Even though
their poverty levels have decreased from 77% in 2002 to 68% in 2009 they account for a third of
the population that is the most indigent. All ethnic groups have increased, however the Garifuna
and Mestizo populations increased the most and the lowest is the Creole at 32% poverty rate.

The rate of poverty among gender lines has little disparity. Women have a slightly lower poverty
rate than men by 40% to 42%. This is not to say that the hardships caused by poverty necessarily
fall equally on men and women. Women by virtue of their responsibilities as mothers and
homemakers in general will often experience the sharp end of having to deal with the lack of
adequate funds to maintain their household, particularly where they have no independent source
of income. It is interesting to note however that poverty rates of households where women are

22
employed are generally lower than those with working men only. The implication is that
households where women work are less likely to be poor. It does not imply that women are
earning more than men just that total household income will be higher in these households.
Interestingly median monthly incomes of female and male workers differ little: BZ$700 for
women compared with BZ$780 for men.

According to the CPA, overall, the national Gini coefficient17 increased from 0.4 to 0.42 in 2009.
The net effect of these changes is that there is less variation in district income distributions than
existed in 2002 – which reflects the similar finding on the geographical distribution of poverty.
Inequality in terms of access to services is greatly highlighted in education. Around 50% of
households where the head did not complete primary school are poor compared with less than
15% for those with some secondary or tertiary education. A similar pattern is observed in terms
of access to early childhood education. In the two poorest quintiles, poor Belizeans have very
limited access to education especially in rural areas.

The CPA confirms that poverty in Belize is extensive and persistent, though continues to impact
some populations more than others. The results indicate the following trends that must be
considered in terms of poverty programmes:
 One in three persons (33.5%) live below the poverty line;
 One in three of those living in poverty are indigent;
 Rural Belizeans are almost twice as likely to be poor as are urban Belizeans;
 Poor households have a higher proportion of unskilled workers;
 Poverty is distributed across the country with Corozal showing an increase, however, the
Toledo District is improving but continues to be the poorest district in Belize.

According to the Millennium Development Goals Report and Post 2015 Agenda, despite
economic growth and increased social programmes, reducing poverty is Millennium
Development Goal number one and Belize is not on track to reduce poverty by 16.6% by 2015.
The report implores that there be stronger targeting mechanisms to ensure assistance directed to
the poor. The CDB reports that “greater development effort will be required to attack poverty
through several fronts, these include: addressing significant needs in education; supporting
strategies to reduce crime and enhance security, as well as support for sustainable livelihood
projects in agriculture and tourism. “18

3.2 FACTORS OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN BELIZE

Amongst the population of Belize, poverty is associated with the lack of basic needs which
includes housing, water, and food with limited access to education and health services. Overall,
there is a struggle to survive amongst those living in poverty. According to the CPA, seventy
percent of the population says that economic issues are the cause of poverty indicating lack of
jobs, high prices, and lack of demand for their products. The coping strategy for many people
17
The Gini coefficient is a standard measure of income inequality where 0 represents complete equality and 1,
complete inequality.
18
Caribbean Development Bank, Country Strategy Paper 2011-2015 Belize.

23
results in engaging in illegal activity which only perpetuates the cycle of poverty. The people of
Belize believe that various approaches should be done to address the situation at hand. Some of
these include financial assistance for education, reduced cost of health care and improved access
to services, improving infrastructure, more social services, life skills programmes, and a support
business environment to create more small businesses.
3.2.1 Unemployment
Belize‟s GDP per capita, which is low relative to peers in the region, grew at about 1% in real
terms on average yearly since 2008. This along with increasing poverty is reflected in high
unemployment, widening income disparity, lagging educational attainment and rising crime19.
Unemployment was at 16% in September 2012, affecting the youth (30%) and women (22.4%)
more severely.

There was a gradual decline in unemployment from 1998 to 2007 followed by a substantial jump
from 9% to 13% in the last two years as the economic situation has worsened. Notably, female
unemployment more than doubled between 2007 and 2009 while male unemployment remained
virtually unchanged. The tertiary sector provides almost two-thirds of jobs in Belize and the
retail sector alone provides one-fifth of all jobs. For women, the tertiary jobs make up almost
80% of all female employment (23% of women‟s employment is in retail and 15% in tourism).
The primary construction sectors are a much more important source of jobs for men than for
women; 26% of working men work in the agricultural sector and another 12% work in
construction.

FIGURE 6: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY DISTRICT, APRIL 2012

SOURCE: STATISTICAL INSTITUTE OF BELIZE

The results of the April Labour Force Survey 2013 show some decrease in unemployment
thought it still remains high. The Statistical Institute of Belize reports that the national
unemployment rate was 12.1% in April 2013, compared to 14.4% in April of 2012 as shown in
Figure 5 above. Currently, unemployment is highest in the Stann Creek District at 15.5% and
lowest in the Toledo District at 8%. Unemployment declined in all districts except Belize and

19
IMF Country Report No.13/227 July 2013

24
Stann Creek. But in Toledo and Cayo unemployment fell by more than five percentage points,
due to greater employment in the agriculture sector. The unemployment rate was more than three
times higher among women than it was in men.
3.2.2 Health
According to the Belize Country Cooperative Strategy 2008-2011, Belize‟s health profile is
similar to most countries in Central America and the Caribbean as it is still grappling with
communicable diseases (CD) as well as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the main causes
of death and illness. Overall, health indicators show improvement, but some preventable causes
of death and illness remain major health challenges.

For males, the five leading causes of death in 2010 were homicide and injury intentionally
inflicted, HIV/AIDS, ischemic heart disease, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease. While for
females, the leading causes of death were diabetes, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular
disease, diseases of pulmonary circulation and other forms of heart disease and respiratory
infections. 20

Total life expectancy at birth increased from 69.3 years in 2006 to 73.6 years in 2011 (male 71.3
years, female 76.1 years)21. The total fertility rate was 2.6 children per woman in 2010 and the
overall dependency ratio dropped from 81% in 2002 to 66% in 2009. The increases may reflect
mainly changes in fertility trends.

FIGURE 7: LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN BELIZE

SOURCE: HEALTH IN THE AMERICAS, 2012

Injuries and violence continue to be major factors in the mortality profile in Belize. Road traffic
injuries affect all age groups over 1 year of age, in particular, the 20-59 age group (35.5% of
deaths from external causes for 2001-2005). In a study done on the Economic Impact of Road
20
The Ministry of Health, Government of Belize. Health Statistics of Belize 2005-2010.
21
Pan American Health Organization, 2012. Health in the Americas 2012 Edition, Country Volume.

25
Traffic Injuries August 2010 a total of 63 people died as a consequence of RTI during 2007 (a
mortality rate of 20.72 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), 338 were hospitalized and a total of 565
slightly injured was estimated.

There is a high prevalence of communicable diseases in Belize, including dengue, respiratory

diseases, and intestinal illnesses that constitute part of the “unfinished agenda” in public health,
as well as others that present new challenges, to include but not limited to HIV/AIDS and the TB
co-infection, along with the ever present threat of pandemic influenza.

HIV and AIDS continue to pose challenges for Belize, however there has been progress and
infections are decreasing. Belize saw a 50% decline in new HIV infections, but still has the
highest sero-prevalence in Central America and the fourth highest in the Caribbean22. From
1986 – 2009, there were 5,045 reported cases of HIV and 963 deaths. The majority of deaths
were recorded in the Belize district (69.5%). In 2009, 9,236 persons were tested for HIV, of
which 4.9% tested positive. Stann Creek had the highest positivity rate (7.8%) followed by
Belize district (4.3%). The 50 years and above age groups had the highest positivity rate (8.0%).
According to the United Nations AIDS Programme, for 2012, there were 3,100 cases of HIV,
where men are affected more so than women and the adult prevalence rate is 1.4%. Less than
200 deaths occurred in 2012 due to HIV23.

On a positive note, HIV/AIDS infections are down recently and there is progress in access to
treatment and coverage rate. There is also a national condom distribution plan where the
Government distributes free condoms to try and curtail the epidemic. There is also a strategic
plan to increase education, information and communication on prevention of HIV.

The Government of Belize has a policy of universal access to primary health care, and a network
of clinics and permanently staffed health centres and health posts are available to address the
basic health care needs of the population. Despite health sector reform efforts, the Government
remains the main provider of health services, though recently there have been greater efforts for
a public-private mix, through NHI, which aims at promoting equitable access for disadvantaged
population groups. The system of rural health centres with permanent staff is supplemented by
mobile health services, community nurses‟ aides, voluntary collaborators, and traditional birth
attendants working in rural communities. The private sector has been expanding over the past
few years, both in size and services provided. There are several NGOs that provide specialized
services as well. Belize has done well with health related MDG‟s: child mortality, maternal
health, major diseases are slowly improving.
3.2.3 Vulnerable Groups
About 48.3% of Belize‟s population is under the age of eighteen. There are many issues
currently that are negatively affecting the youth. The Belize Crime Commission is still reporting
a high level of youth crime and violence due to weakness in the family unit, deficiencies in the
educational system and poverty. Current issues that face youth today consist of malnutrition,
HIV/AIDS, crime and violence, lack of education, and health related issues. A gang culture and
gun violence persists in urban Belize City with devastating consequences. The Belizean youth

22
Pan American Health Organization, 2012. Health in the Americas 2012 Edition, Country Volume.
23
www.unaids.org

26
continue to need a supportive family structure that guides them into the future. Along with this, it
is crucial that quality education and training develop the youth with life skills and critical
thinking. Access to education must be addressed in order for the youth to be prepared to make
that transition to adulthood and productive citizenship and reducing their vulnerability.

Belize lags behind in addressing human trafficking issues.24 Sex tourism continues to occur in
Belize and goes unimpeded. Belize holds a poor record in protecting girls from sexual
exploitation and prevents new victims from entering this world. Prosecuting the trafficking
network that maintains girls in commercial sexual exploitation happens rarely and needs to be
improved. Related to this is that Belize is a source, transit, and destination country for men,
women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced prostitution and
forced labour. Child sex tourism has become an emerging trend in Belize where vulnerable or
poor families force their daughter to provide sex in exchange for money or gifts. Often times
families from neighbouring countries migrate to Belize and end up in this situation. Efforts on
behalf of the Government of Belize are beginning to recognize the problem, however there is
need to increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses and convict and punish
trafficking offenders, increase law enforcement efforts against both labour and sex trafficking. A
positive development recently was the passage of an amendment to Belize‟s criminal code that
gives gender neutral protection to males and females in terms of sexual violence.

Challenges persist in terms of addressing rural and indigenous groups that remain at greater risk
of poverty and poor health indicators than urban and non-indigenous groups. 25 The Country
Poverty Assessment 2010 shows that the rate of poverty among the Mayas is at 68%, the highest
among all other ethnic groups in the country. Fifty one percent are considered indigent meaning
they not able to adequately meet calorific needs and overall account for a third of the indigent
population nationally. Poverty as a major social issue among indigenous peoples is manifested in
other related issues such as limited access to education, and lack of proper health care. For
instance, attendance of Mayan children in school is lower than all other ethnic groups, at all
levels, from primary to tertiary levels26. Similarly, a high rate of malnutrition is evidenced by the
highest rate of stunting occurring among Mayan children besides other issues related to maternal
and child health 27 . The situation of indigenous Mayas in Belize is not anything unlike the
experiences of indigenous peoples in the region. Under these circumstances their socio-economic
wellbeing continues to demand attention both at policy and operational levels.

24
US State Department‟s Trafficking in Persons Report 2010
25
UNDAF Belize 2007-2011
26
Alonzo et al. (2013). Challenges and Opportunities in the Belize Education Sector. Technical Note No. IDB-TN-
538. Inter-American Development Bank.
27
UNICEF. (2012). Belize Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey. Final Report.

27
4 NATIONAL POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY

4.1 NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS

The Government of Belize developed a National Poverty Elimination Strategy and Action Plan
(NPESAP) for the period 2009 - 2013. The current NPESAP contains a better analysis of the
poverty situation in the country. It was developed using a more participatory approach as the
development process featured nationwide consultations which was absent in the previous
strategy. Additionally, the new NPESAP is fully aligned with the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) and as such the implementation of the strategy should result in the achievement of
the MDG‟s as well. The NPESAP sets out issues and measures in the macro-structural, human
development and infrastructure areas, and simultaneously targets urban and rural poverty and the
cross cutting issues of governance, gender and environment.

The five strategic thrusts of the NPESAP each target a specific set of national priorities. The
first, Economic Policies for Enabled Growth, seeks to address the need for a stable
macroeconomic and fiscal environment to ensure that resources for social programmes are not
diverted toward monetary and fiscal imbalances. The second, Effective Planning and
Transparent and Accountable Governance for Growth, sets out key priorities which include
improved accountability, transparency and public service delivery. The third, Investing in
Human Capital Development, addresses human capabilities and human development needs. It
provides for expanded education and health opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged. The
fourth, Infrastructure for Economic Growth, incorporates priorities in the areas of private
enterprise, infrastructure and trade. The activities in this area include measures to improve
communication and transportation linkages between poor communities and larger population
centres and to enable rural communities to access potable water and sanitation. The final
strategic area, Strategic Support for Equity and Development, provides for specific
interventions to improve the conditions of residents in key geographic areas, such as Belize City
Southside and the Toledo District, as well as other vulnerable groups.

The NPESAP places emphasis on improving access, coverage, efficiency and equity in health
and education and the continued expansion and improvement in potable water supply systems. It
also calls for the improvement of education facilities through expanded and upgraded
infrastructure and proposes the rehabilitation and expansion of rural primary (inclusive of early
childhood education centres) and secondary schools and health facilities based on poverty,
school statistics and population. The most recent Education Sector Strategy (2011 – 2016)
makes a similar call in addition highlighting the need to improve education quality.

Additionally, four special focus areas were identified by the NPESAP to take into account the
most pressing concerns expressed during public consultations and after assessing on-going
interventions. These include high youth unemployment and low secondary level survival rates.
The intervention proposed for addressing the low labour force participation and school secondary
school survival rate is to provide a subsidy to low-income families living at or below the poverty
line with children that are both school age and working age. The second special area of focus is
supporting improvement in the land management framework and in natural resource
management practices including the protection of water resources. The third area of focus is on

28
ageing as it regards older persons as a vulnerable group. The last special focus area is on the
vulnerability of children of families in the lower income brackets to crime and violence
especially in urban areas.

The Belize Medium Term Development Strategy 2010 – 2013 reaffirms the strategic focus of the
NPESAP and also sets our five sectoral focus areas namely, 1) Enterprise Development, 2)
International Trade Capacity and Competitiveness, 3) Environment and Disaster Risk
Management, 4) Human Development and 5) National and Citizen Security. The focus on human
development entails efforts to improve health, nutrition and education services and to address
needs in the labour market, social protection and social safety areas. The strategic objectives for
education under the Human Development area reflect those outlined in the NPESAP. They
include a focus on early childhood education, reducing drop-out rates especially at the secondary
level, improving achievement and quality, and improving the professional development of
teachers. It also promotes the development and implementation of training programmes in
particular for vocational skills sets demanded by the identified priority export sectors.

In promoting a longer term development strategy, the Government of Belize also recently
developed the Belize Horizon 2010-2030 National Development Framework. The Strategies
under the Horizon 2030 Framework are grouped under four thematic areas. These are:

1) Democratic Governance For Effective Public Administration And Sustainable

Development;
2) Education For Development - Education For Life;
3) Economic Resilience: Generating Resources For Long Term Development; and
4) The Bricks and the Mortar - Healthy Citizens and A Healthy Environment.

Horizon 2030 reflects a shared national long term vision for Belize and was the outcome of a
long participatory process that engaged a wide cross-section of society and institutions in its
development. While not specifically mentioning poverty reduction, Belizeans enjoying a high
quality of life is one of the key elements of the national vision and specific actions are proposed
to achieve this.

4.2 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AND INTERVENTIONS

The Government of Belize has undertaken several programmes aimed at addressing poverty and
social exclusion that are in line with the broad strategies and visions articulated by national
development frameworks. Some key pro-poor initiatives include BOOST (Building opportunities
for our social transformation), CAPS (Community Action for Public Safety), and the Southside
Poverty Alleviation Project.

BOOST is a programme through the Ministry of Human Development and Social

Transformation, conditional cash transfer programme aimed at achieving immediate poverty
reduction through regular cash payments subject to certain criteria and breaking the cycle of
poverty through the positive social development of children. The project is aimed at five
different groups: women who are pregnant, children 0-4, school children, elderly and physically
disabled. The programme basically requests you to vaccinate your children, send them to school
and if you are pregnant to see a doctor in exchange for BZ$44- BZ$82 a month. BOOST is also
29
helping poor households access financial services such as the credit union. The World Bank
published an article in June of 2012 that praises the programme because “in a little over a year,
the program surpasses the results of similar initiatives in bigger countries”28.

The CAPS Project is a four year, ten million dollar project, financed through the Inter-American
Development bank to contribute to the reduction of youth crime in Belize City. The project will
build a youth center with recreational activities and juvenile youth rehabilitation. The Southside
Poverty Alleviation Project will turn canals in the Jane Usher Boulevard area that are in such
deplorable condition into aesthetic development. Essentially they will be narrower and the streets
would be wider making the vicinity more pedestrian-friendly by having sidewalks.

A new project, with support from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), was recently
launched to contribute to youth development in Belize City. The Youth and Community
Transformation Project is a $15 million dollar initiative aimed at addressing the needs of youth
on the Southside of Belize City. The project is focused specifically on the constituencies of Port
Loyola, Lake Independence, Pickstock and Collet. The construction/rehabilitation of critical
community infrastructure including a new Lake Independence Resource Centre and the
upgrading of the Wilton-Cumberbatch playing field are part of the project activities. The
Government of Belize has also received technical assistance from the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) to implement the social agenda of the NPESAP. The technical
assistance valued at $3.4 million is to help the government address 1) Health, nutrition and social
protection responses to consequences of food crisis, 2) Quality and Coverage of Education
Component, and 3) Targeting Efficiency and Evaluation of Social Services.

4.3 OTHER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

In addition to national initiatives, there are various government ministries, NGO‟s and
international organizations that are actively involved in promoting Belize‟s sustainable
development. There are five UN agencies that maintain offices in Belize: UNICEF, UNFPA,
PAHO/WHO, UNAIDS and the UNDP. However, the UN System has also 13 non-resident
Agencies that include Belize into their areas of action. Even though some of them have been
active in the country (FAO, UNESCO, and recently UNODC), most of them do not have
programs funded in Belize and their participation is mainly in joining projects when they arise.

The UN System in Belize finalized and signed in April 2012 the UN Development Assistance
Framework (UNDAF) 2013-2016 with the Government of Belize. The UNDAF provides the
basis for joint programming and cooperation among the UN agencies present in the country. The
UNDAF process, based on the analysis factored within the Common Country Assessment
(CCA), identified four broad priorities for the UN assistance and development cooperation
framework: (1) Advancing Human Rights with Equity, Equality and Non-Discrimination; (2)
Promoting Economic and Social Well-being, Citizen Security and Justice; (3) Environmental and
Natural Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Mainstreamed into
Public Policies and Development Processes, and (4) Democratic Governance.

28
World Bank June 2012. Belize “BOOSTS” School Attendance and Access to Financial Services for the Poor”

30
Belize is also a member of the Organization of the American States (OAS). The four entities of
the system that are operating in the country are the OAS country office, the Caribbean
Development Bank (CDB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the Inter-American
Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), and PAHO. The IADB has provided support to
close the gap in health equity through the Salud Meso-America project for those living in the
lowest income quintile. Most of the aid given by the IDB was mainly to support projects in
agriculture, disasters, urban development, water and sanitation, sustainable infrastructure,
tourism and education.

31
5 ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION OF BNTF TO POVERTY
REDUCTION

5.1 CDB COUNTRY STRATEGY

The BNTF Programme in Belize falls under the CDB Country Strategy. The objectives of CDB‟s
strategy for Belize focuses on enhancing sustainable economic growth by: supporting attempts to
correct fiscal and external imbalances; financing investments deemed critical for enhancing
growth; lending to eligible private sector entities; and financing critical social development
projects. In regards to social sector development specifically, among other strategies, CDB will:
(i) address crime and security issues; (ii) improve the quality of human resources; and (iii) pay
due attention to social cohesion, including addressing the needs of the poor and under-privileged
groups.

5.2 ROLE AND EXPERIENCE OF BNTF

Recent evaluations of BNTF 5 and the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of BNTF 6 have highlighted
the relevance of the Programme and its achievements in social development. Beneficiaries have
acknowledged BNTF as an important vehicle that filled gaps in coverage of services. Sub-project
interventions provided access to enhanced social infrastructure (multi-purpose resource centres,
educational, health, day-care and other facilities) and upgraded the quality of services provided
by water, sanitation and drainage systems, roads, and footpaths, previously unavailable or
inaccessible to the community. There remains a high demand particularly for BNTF investments.
Demands were greatest in education and human resource development (46%), water and
sanitation (23%) and community access (13%). BNTF has encouraged the participation of
community groups in the design, supervision, and post construction maintenance of the sub-
projects through the formation of Project Monitoring Committees (PMC). Participation from the
community groups is promoted from the design of a sub-project.

5.3 BNTF 6 PROGRAMME

The Belize BNTF program has contributed strongly to national development through the
provision of social infrastructure including resource centres, schools, health clinics and through
access created to water, sanitation, drainage and roads. Traditionally demand in Belize has been
highest for education and water supply projects with about 60% of the BNTF6 investments being
in these sectors.

The Mid-Term Evaluation of the BNTF 6 Programme shows that the BNTF continues to be
relevant to participating bank member countries. The programme continues to reach the poorest
communities indicating the relevance of the PRAP as a key feature. Nonetheless, the programme
has been challenged by insufficient data to measure effectiveness though it is evident from the
outputs that positive outcomes have been achieved. Similarly, poor maintenance limits the
effectiveness and sustainability of interventions already carried out.

Under Belize‟s BNTF 6 Programme a total of 26 projects were implemented as of November

2013. A total of 26, 942 persons benefited from the interventions across the country. The Belize

32
BNTF6 program is valued at $6.6M under this program. Project funds are fully committed under
BNTF 6. Most of the resources allocated went into the Education, Water and Health sectors. A
significant portion of the resources also went into an integrated community project done in rural
Toledo. All projects were carried out in direct collaboration with relevant line Ministries. About
6% of the resources went into providing skills training for youth.

Under BNTF 6, a new approach of working directly with ITVETs was established in order to
increase the efficiency of implementing skills training subprojects given that ITVETs were
already set up to provide vocational training. The results of the effort have been mixed. Some
students took full advantage of the programme while others lagged behind with limited uptake.

Several observations were made in the Mid Term Evaluation for BNTF 6 which should be noted
as lessons learned for BNTF 7:

 The need for greater community participation,

 Closer alignment with country strategies,
 Improved results reporting,
 Improved process efficiency and
 The need to strengthen the capacity for maintenance of the investments made.

The new cycle, BNTF7, has been redesigned to address these areas. In BNTF7, maintenance will
be given greater importance through project development that includes the promotion of
community ownership, improved designs and specifications, construction quality and shared
learning from maintenance initiatives in other BNTF country programs.

FIGURE 8: ALLOCATION OF BNTF 6 RESOURCES

6%
21% Community Markets
Education

31% Health
9% Integrated Project
Skills Training
6% Vulnerable Persons
Water & Sanitation
14% 13%

33
5.4 BNTF 7 PROGRAMME
The seventh cycle of the BNTF program, BNTF7, was approved with approximately $10.6
million for projects in Belize in October 2012. Of this amount, $10.1 million is grant funds and
$0.5 million represents Government of Belize financing. BNTF interventions in general are
carried out in three core priority sectors: 1) Education and human resource development (HRD),
including pilots in micro-enterprise development and youth and citizen security, 2) Water and
sanitation; and 3) Basic community access and drainage. There is specific focus on the
vulnerability of youth and marginalized communities; and a strategic and efficient market-driven
and outcome-based approach to training and livelihoods enhancement.

For Belize specifically, BNTF 7 will focus in two sectors namely, 1) Education and Human
Resource Development and 2) Water and Sanitation. The Project Steering Committee (PSC)
for the BNTF Programme, made up mainly of Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of relevant line
Ministries and community representatives decided to focus on these two areas based on the
complementarity of the BNTF programme to on-going initiatives led by the Government and
support by other development partners. The PSC also decided not to get involved in access and
drainage activities as the Ministry of Works and Transport requested to the BSIF/BNTF that
these works be maintained directly under their responsibility.

5.4.1 Education Sector

Belize has made modest progress in both expanding access and improving the quality of its
education system over the past ten years. There are still however major challenges that it faces in
those key areas. School attendance continues to be among the lowest in the region. At the pre-
school level, one in three children are enrolled which is significantly below the regional average
of 65%. The majority of children in pre-school are enrolled mainly in the Belize District and
urban areas29.

The net enrolment rate (NER) at the primary level only increased by 1% from the period 2001 to
2010 from 94% to 95% respectively even though primary school education is mandatory in
Belize. The 5% that are not enrolled in school is mainly due to the costs associated with
schooling and availability of school facilities especially at the early childhood level. Even though
primary education is officially free in Belize, some families cannot afford uniforms and books
and therefore some children still do not attend school. The NER for secondary education is even
lower though some improvement has been achieved there from 2004 (44%) to 2010 (49%). 30.
Nonetheless about more than half of Belize‟s secondary-age school children remain out of
school. By comparison, other English-speaking Caribbean countries have more than double the
coverage in Belize (averaging about 80% at the secondary level.) Those who do no complete
secondary school reduce their chances to enter the labour market which increases their risk of
becoming involved in criminal activities.

29
Alonzo et al. (2013). Challenges and Opportunities in the Belize Education Sector. Technical Note No. IDB-TN-
538. Inter-American Development Bank.
30
Belize Education Sector Strategy 2011 – 2016.

34
According to the recent (2013) technical study carried out by IDB on Belize‟s education system,
education coverage is increasing only among the wealthiest students. At the primary level,
students from families in the highest income quintile were the only group that experienced a
slight increase in attendance rates (2 percentage points) over the last 10 years. The enrolment gap
between the wealthiest and poorest groups of primary school students increased from 2
percentage points in 1999 to 7 percentage points in 2009. Similarly, children from the wealthiest
quintile are now more than twice as likely to be enrolled in secondary schools as those in the
poorest quintile. There is a particular concern that students from rural areas have limited access
to secondary education. In 2009, while five in ten students living in urban areas were enrolled in
secondary schools, only three in ten residing in rural areas were attending school. The urban-
rural gap in primary schools has remained largely constant at 2 percentage points over the last
decade. In 2009, 93% of primary-aged children in urban areas attended school, compared with
91% in rural areas. The CPA also highlights the fact that given the correlation between poverty
and rural areas, the much higher non enrolment rate is to be expected and can be seen more as
reflecting a low distribution of schools in rural areas and not simply because of a decision not to
attend school. This is particularly concerning given the importance of education in developing
the skills needed to take up employment opportunities in the future. Notwithstanding all these
pressing challenges, Belize is on track to attaining universal primary education enrolment (MDG
Goal #2) target of 100% by 2015. The BNTF is expected to contribute to this goal by expanding
access especially in poor rural areas.

Belize‟s teaching force at both primary and secondary levels is largely unqualified. Forty percent
of teachers are untrained. The schools in the southern districts of Stann Creek and Toledo have
the lowest proportion of trained teachers (approximately 33% in each district) and report the
lowest student performance on the PSE exam, with approximately 64% of the students obtaining
unsatisfactory grades. This is a crucial aspect to the quality of education that the children receive
and how that contributes to the national development of the country.

Technical and vocational education also remains a problem as well with low enrolment. The
provision of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Belize remains
problematic, and despite substantial investment, enrolment has been disappointing. Four centres
that were already established in 2001 have seen no increase in enrolment. There is a prevalent
and persistent view that TVET options are for the less academically inclined student, who must
opt for this as a last resort having failed to secure a place in a junior college, or in regular
secondary school.

In order to address the challenges associated with enrolment, repetition and drop-out rates the
Ministry of Education (MOE) hopes to adopt a number of strategies. At the pre-primary level,
the government intends to increase the number of schools and hire additional teachers to
maintain the current student/teacher ratio. Additionally, the MOE intends to open preschool
classes in selected primary schools across the country and establish school feeding programs in
poorer areas. At the primary and secondary levels, the government will focus on developing
special school-based programs, run before and after normal school hours that aim to reintegrate
out-of-school children into formal schooling and providing incentives to teachers to staff such
programs. The Education Sector Strategy calls for new constructions of primary schools to go

35
from $7,154,083 in 2011 to $13,336,509 by 2015 to ensure a proper learning environment as
well as to meet population growth needs.

The MOE has also rolled out a Quality School Initiative (QSI) which aims to strengthen school
leadership and plans to expand school feeding programmes as well with the programme. Also
with assistance from the IDB, the Ministry initiated a public financing reform of secondary
education. The new Financing Allocation System (FAS) is to guarantee greater equity in school
financing and to ensure that students have equal access to a sufficiently broad and relevant
curriculum. The system is now based on the courses offered, the average cost per student, the
number of students enrolled, and the number of students with special needs. Rather than funding
a sophisticated curriculum in some schools, the government now funds the basic curriculum in
all schools. Schools, therefore, have an incentive to collaborate on the offering of courses outside
the basic curriculum. Also in strengthening governance as per the National Education Strategy,
the IDB will be supporting a quality assurance system and teacher quality by establishing
national teacher education and accountability standards.

Specific initiatives to address the challenges within the education sector and support its
development are outlined in the table below:

TABLE 4: ACTORS AND ACTIONS IN EDUCATION SECTOR

Lead Organization Programme/Project Focus Areas Partners Involved

Ministry of Education  Government‟s Textbook  Nation-wide School Management
Programme  Select schools IDB
 School Feeding  Rural areas
Programme  Nation-wide
 Transportation assistance  Secondary
 Secondary School Finance school students
Reform
 Education Subsidy
Ministry of Education  Primary and Secondary  Southern Belize EU-Banana Support
Education Teacher (Stann Creek Programme
Training Project in District)
Banana Belt
Social Investment Fund  Education infrastructure  Target areas MOE
especially rural School Management
CDB
Ministry of Human  BOOST Programme  Primary School MOE
Development attendance – World Bank
Nation-wide
(8,600
beneficiaries)
YWCA  Alternative education  Urban and rural BRDP-EU
programmes, adult poor (Belize, MOE
literacy, adult skills Cayo and
training, after school Toledo)
programmes, pre-school
programmes
IDB  Education  Increase access MOE
to education School Management

36
 from primary to
tertiary and
improve the
quality of
education, and
school financing
programme
(focus on
poorest districts)
UNICEF  Education- Early  Nationwide MOE
Childhood Education and School Management
School Readiness

As can be noted from Table 4 above, the MOE is taking considerable steps to address the
challenges of the education sector. The key issues from expanding early childhood education,
improving secondary school enrolment, improve teacher training to addressing the needs of
school dropouts are all being addressed by the MOE and its partners in varying degrees.

The Education Sector Strategy (ESS) has outlined key policy objectives and outputs for the
sector over the period 2011 – 2016 as follows:

TABLE 5: ESS POLICY OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS

Objectives Outputs
1) Increase Equitable Access At All 1. Expand access to Pre-School Education (3-4 yr. olds)
Levels Of Education 2. Increased enrolment and completion at primary level
3. Expanded access and increased completion rates at the
secondary level.
4. Increased enrolment in technical and vocational programmes
5. Improve completion rates at tertiary level.
6. Improve enrolment of children with Special Education Needs
7. Expand access to pre-service and in-service professional
development for teachers
8. Applying new technologies to increase access and achievement
2) Improve The Quality And Relevance 1. Improved school leadership and management for
Of Education At All Levels school effectiveness
2. Improved effectiveness of teachers in supporting
student achievement at all levels
3. Approved Teacher Education (TE) programmes
effectively delivered by all institutions training teachers
4. Increased number of appropriately certified teachers at all
levels
5. Improved relevance and delivery of the primary and
secondary curriculum.
6. Improve the quality and relevance of Technical and
Vocational Education and Training
7. Improve education services to children with SEN
3) Strengthen Governance Throughout 1. Increased accountability of schools to parents and
The Sector With Emphasis On local communities for school performance
Increased Student Achievement 2. Schools are governed and managed in accordance with
requirements in the education rules.
3. Improve management effectiveness of MOEY

37
 and District Education Centres
4. Quality assurance system based on common minimum
standards of service delivery applied across all educational
institutions
5. MOEY publishes through website annual report of
performance against targets of Education Sector Strategy.

Contributing to the strategic objective of the MOE for this sector will require targeted
interventions and support to various critical factors identified given how varied the required
outputs identified are. The BNTF programme has a complementary role to play in attaining the
strategic objectives. The role of the BNTF in the education sector therefore is to facilitate the
expansion of the coverage of education from early childhood to the secondary level in the
neediest areas in parallel with improvements in quality. The capacity of BNTF to deliver in these
aspects especially in rural areas can help to ensure that other aspects of the Ministry‟s
educational strategies can be achieved more efficiently.

5.4.2 Water and Sanitation

The share of the population with an improved water source increased from 43.6% in 1995 to
76.4% in 2006. Indeed, alternative estimates suggest that access to safe drinking water nationally
grew to 99.5% in 2008, though rural areas lag behind at 90%. UNDP Belize estimates that Belize
is on track to achieve the target of 100% access in 201531.

Villages in Belize that rely on public taps or standpipes and hand-pumps are not typically
considered as having access to an improved source of drinking water. However, using the MDG
classification, these villages would be considered as having access to an „improved source of
drinking water‟ 32 . Nonetheless, approximately 10% of households in Toledo still use rivers,
ponds, streams, creeks and springs as their primary source of water, the highest of all districts
(national average 2.1%), making this district still vulnerable to water–borne diseases.33 The ten
villages without any form of water supply in the country are located in the Belize District (six
villages), one in Cayo, and three in Toledo. Aside from the availability of rural water systems,
there are approximately 22 villages where the existing water system was not functioning
properly, affecting 2627 households. The failure of these systems is linked to lack of
management capacity, and lack of self-sufficiency in terms of user-fees to pay for maintenance
and repairs. This is usually the case where the connections are not metered. Rural water systems
are also managed by Water Boards that are politically appointed and this has caused many to not
have the required level of accountability especially given the fact that hardly any considerations
are given to administrative or technical capacities when appointments are made.

Significant progress has been made in sanitation as well, especially in the rural areas. In 2009,
73.5% of households had improved sanitation and 64.4% used flush toilets 34. The recent MDG
report (2013) released by UNDP shows significant improvements with 96.5% of the total
population are now using improve sanitation facility. With respect to solid waste, approximately

31
Belize Scorecard and Outlook 2010. United Nations Development Programme. 2010.
32
Belize MDG Acceleration Framework. Water and Sanitation. UNDP. 2011.
33
Pan American Health Organization, 2010, Health in the Americas Country Volume 2010.
34
Ibid.

38
50% of households do not have municipal garbage collection and almost 30% of garbage is
burnt. The situation with respect to solid waste poses a significant risk to vector borne diseases
and the burning of such presents a risk to respiratory problems such as asthma.

The state-owned Belize Water Services (BWS) is contributing to increasing coverage. In some
instances it is extending its service to rural areas as well. There is however areas where this may
not be likely and the BNTF can fill this gap in the reach of BWSL in rural areas. The Social
Investment Fund through its Strategic Plan has made the strategic decision to push for the
achievement of universal coverage with potable running water considering that it is very close to
making the target. The BNTF has made significant investments in this sector and has contributed
to the high levels of achievement currently realized. Achieving full coverage by 2015 requires
implementing geographical targeting, especially for rural communities in the Belize and Toledo
districts. The Belize River Valley Water Project underway is expected to connect nine rural
communities in that region taking rural coverage with potable running water even closer to the
target leaving only the Toledo District to be addressed.

In order to enhance existing water systems in both rural and urban areas, there are currently
upgrading projects taking place. The Sarteneja Water System for instance is being upgraded by
the installation of a new reverse osmosis plant. This is being carried out by the Social Investment
Fund. A water and sewerage expansion project is also being carried out by the government in
San Pedro with funding from the CDB.

The main water and sanitation initiatives that are currently underway are shown in the table
below. They are currently being financed through CDB, IADB and UNDP.

TABLE 6: ACTORS AND ACTIONS IN THE WATER & SANITATION SECTOR

Lead Organization Programme/Project Focus Areas Partner Involved

Belize Water Services  Upgrade of BWSL's  Northern Highway junction to CDB, GOB
Ltd. network capacity Burrell Boom, increasing
and reduction of capacity at the Double Run
non-revenue water Treatment Plant, replacing
through the storage tank at Wilson St.,
upgrading of Belize City, and procuring and
transmission lines. installing leak detection
equipment
Belize Water Services  Belize River Valley  Construction of a system to CDB, GOB
Ltd. Water Supply provide potable water to
Project villagers of Bermudian
Landing, Double Head
Cabbage, Flowers' Bank,
Isabella Bank, Lemonal, St.
Paul's Bank, Rancho Dolores,
Scotland Halfmoon, and
Willows Bank (Belize District).
Belize Water Services  Integrated Water &  Increase Placencia and Seine IDB, GEF, and GOB
Ltd. Sanitation Bight residents' access to
Programme for the sanitation services through the
Placencia Peninsula development of a sewage

39
 collection and treatment system
on the Placencia Peninsula

 MDG Water  Institutionalize democratic

Ministry of Labour, Governance Project governance practices in rural UNDP and GOB
Local Government water and sanitation service
and Rural delivery and build leadership
Development capacities within the MLLGRD
(MLLGRD) to improve the coordination and
performance of local water
boards and their respective
communities

The Ministry responsible for Rural Development generally takes charge of addressing water
issues for rural communities and works closely with the BSIF/BNTF programme. While BWSL
is a state-owned entity it does not set polices regarding rural access to water. Nevertheless, with
the already high level of access to potable running water coupled with the significant investment
in the Belize River Valley, Belize is very close to attaining universal coverage in water. The
main issues are the few remaining communities without water located mainly in the Toledo
District among indigenous communities and the improvements necessary in the management of
rural water systems. The MLLGRD and the UNDP are working to address this key issue with
water governance project. Not only is the project focused on strengthening local management, it
is also working on improving the delivery and leadership capacity within the Ministry itself. The
BNTF can contribute to improved management by providing proper training at the delivery of
rural water systems and by constructing systems where they are not currently available.

40
6 PRIORITIZED ACTIONS UNDER BNTF 7
The expected overall outcome of BNTF 7 in Belize is improved access to education and potable
water in low-income and vulnerable communities. The prioritized actions are linked
complementary to national programmes and are linked to strategies in the Horizon 2030 National
Development Framework as well as the Millennium Development Goals. It also conforms to
CDBs strategic outcomes to “promoting broad-based economic growth and inclusive social
development and associated corporate priority to promote social protection measures and
promoting good governance and associate corporate priority to promote social partnerships.”
According the Country Strategy, CDB proposes to assist Belize to close the growth-poverty gap
by: improving the opportunities for persons to escape poverty, increasing inclusivity and
reducing vulnerability. Other CDB interventions are designed to contribute to the following
additional outcomes: improved quality and access to education and training; enhanced social and
community development; and improved environmental sustainability.

6.1 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The target sectors of the PRAP, take into account national development goals as well as
millennium development goals. Investments in both Education & HRD and Water and Sanitation
fit well within the Horizon 2030 Pillars 2 and 4. The also correspond the two clear MDG goals as
shown in Table 7 below.

TABLE 7: BNTF AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

BNTF 7 Intervention National Development Goals MDG’s
(Horizon 2030)
Pillar 2 - Education for Goal 2 - Achieve Universal
1. Education and Human Development- Education for Life Education
Resource Development and Lifelong Learning
Human Development
Pillar 4 - Healthy People and Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental
2. Water and Sanitation
Healthy Environment Sustainability-Access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation

6.2 PROPOSED AREAS OF INTERVENTION

The Resource Allocation Matrix outlines BNTF 7 interventions in line with sectoral strategies
and targets. The following provides details on the actions proposed under the target sectors.
6.2.1 Education
The BNTF is poised to make significant contributions to national development goals in the
education sectors. These can be done in several areas. These include early childhood education,
supply and improve primary education facilities in underserved areas, and facilitate the
development of school feeding programmes. All these areas are directly in line with the

41
strategies outlined in the Education Sector Strategy, are sensitive to the poverty realities and the
needs of the poor and complement on-going actions.

Strategy 1: Support access to early childhood education.

Early childhood care and stimulation are now widely accepted by countries around the world as
being extremely beneficial to their development. This is based on the idea that a child‟s
development can be modified and enhanced by the quality of their early environments and
experiences. Some studies show that early childhood cognitive and socio-emotional development
can strongly predict later school enrolment and life success. Failing to tap into this potential can
result in as much as 20% decline in income over a lifetime which can have negative implications
for national development35. The target for early childhood education should be areas of high
crime, such as Belize City as a strategy for building more stable communities and the rural areas
districts of Cayo, Orange Walk and Toledo face the biggest challenge in terms of new
enrolments and will receive priority as outlined in the Education Sector Strategy. Currently
Cayo, (31%), Toledo (30%) and Orange Walk (26%) Districts experience the lowest enrolments.

The BNTF will:

 Provide facilities to open pre-primary classes in primary schools located in

socioeconomically disadvantaged communities;

 Improve infrastructure in existing schools and build new schools where needed to
increase preschool services.

Strategy 2: Increase coverage and access to primary and secondary education.

Population growth is considered in the coverage objectives of the Education Sector Strategy and
as such additional classroom spaces at the primary and secondary level will need to be provided.
The priority however should be on improving and providing facilities to rural areas or to schools
that cater predominantly to children from rural areas. At the secondary level for instance, there is
a marked variation in access across districts, with Belize District already having a GER of 78%
compared to 45% in Toledo. In order to improve geographical equity at the secondary level,
priority will be given to the districts and areas that are furthest from the target. Additionally,
there are high schools in urban areas that cater to children mostly from low socio-economic
backgrounds with low quality facilities. In carrying out BNTF interventions in the Education
sector, greater attention will be paid to addressing issues of quality by supporting specific
activities that contribute to this within the local school setting.

BNTF will:

 Provide facilities to increase the number of adequately equipped classrooms and sanitary
facilities in target areas;

35
Yoshikawa et al., 2007. Early Childhood Education in Mexico: Expansion, Quality Improvement and Curriculum
Reform, UNICEF Innocenti Research Center.

42
  Provides facilities to establish and expand school feeding programmes in poorer areas to
promote enrolment, participation, and the health of children.

 Support primary school principals to develop intervention plans to address school

repetition and drop-out and promote parental involvement through PTAs and other
activities that addresses improvements in quality of education provided.

1.1.1 Youth Development and Employment

Strategy 3: Provide training and income earning opportunities for youth outside of the
formal system based on market demand.

Given the high rate of drop outs at the secondary level especially among boy there is an urgent
need to offer cost-effective, non-formal alternatives to encourage secondary enrolment among
young people who are unable to study in the formal system. Until the persistent notion of
ITVETS being a “last resort” for unsuccessful students is overcome, there is still a need to
provide vocational training opportunities for many young people especially from rural areas. The
BNTF is in a position to provide resources to innovative measures to fill this gap in the
educational development and employment opportunities for young people. While it is important
to continue working with ITVETS, there are a number of local NGOs that are successfully
recruiting and training unattached youth and empowering them with marketable skills.

BNTF will:

 Partner with local organizations who are running successful vocational training programs
to target low income students, and provide male youth with greater incentives to
complete their training to reduce the gender gap.

 Provide support for market-driven skills training ancillary training support geared
towards enhanced incomes and entrepreneurship, including support related to trainers,
course materials, tools, stipends, internships, apprenticeships, and course evaluation
tools.

6.2.2 Rural Water Supply

Strategy 4: Support national effort to achieve universal coverage of potable running water
in Belize by 2015.

Belize has seen significant health benefits by the high level of coverage of potable water in the
country. Major water borne diseases have significantly declined and beneficiaries have
consistently expressed satisfaction with the interventions and express considerable improvements
in the quality of their lives. With significant investments already on-going to address the needs of
communities in the Belize District that are currently without water, the BNTF will focus its

43
resources on the Toledo District and on those water systems in the Cayo District that may need
to be upgraded.

BNTF will:

 Construct and expand rural water systems in the Toledo District;

 Rehabilitate rural water systems in other rural communities.

 Provide training in proper management of Water Systems.

6.3 TARGETING OF RESOURCES

In order to contribute to addressing the sectoral issues and meet the strategic needs identified in
the previous section, the targeting of BNTF7 funds was been conducted in accordance with the
following:

1) Geographical distribution of poverty in Belize at the following levels:

a. Urban/Rural poverty distribution as defined by 2010 Belize Country Poverty
Assessment and 2010 Population and Housing Census was considered. Greater
emphasis is being placed on rural areas of the country given their higher level of
poverty.
b. District poverty distribution as defined by 2010 Belize Country Poverty Assessment
and 2010 Population and Housing Census. Consideration was given to the disparities
between the six districts of the country. There are key districts including Toledo and
Corozal that have disproportionate level of poverty compared to others.
c. City/Town/Village Poverty Level as defined by the Statistical Institute of Belize 2011
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. (List of communities by poverty index is shown in
Annex 2). Even with the districts there are differences in the level poverty and how
poverty is experienced between the local cities, towns and villages. The segments
with the greatest need were given priority through this process.

It is important to note however that a strict geographic targeting is not necessarily possible given
the disperse nature of the poor population in the country. Nonetheless, there are clear areas of
greater need and this was done by going from the broad categories of urban vs. rural to districts
and then to the smaller units of population settlements.

2) Sectoral demand for projects by project applicants to SIF: The SIF/BNTF maintains are
register of project requests from local communities. These were analysed and selected on the
basis that they:

c. were requested within the last 5 years to keep the list relevant and manageable and
d. fell within the eligibility criteria for the two target sectors of BNTF7.

44
It should be noted that tertiary level institutions and household level sanitation facilities are not
eligible under BNTF7. Tertiary level institutions, from a sectoral targeting point of view, are not
necessarily critical in meeting basic needs and addressing the immediate needs of the poor. This
is not to say that it is not important however, there are likely to be greater returns to the poor
from a focus on primary and secondary education. Projects having to do with drainage were also
not considered as the Ministry of Works has indicated their desire to maintain these types of
works under their direct responsibility.

3) Sector priorities as articulated by relevant Line Ministries. In the case of the MOE, the
Education Sector Strategy 2011-2016 was employed. There has been a lot of effort to identify the
main issues and strategic objectives within the education sector by the MOE so it was important
to consider this and for BNTF 7 respond to them strategically. In identifying possible education
projects, not only was the need for education facilities considered but also sector priorities such
as investments addressing health and safety issues and early childhood development in
underserved areas. In addition to this, current actions being undertaken by the MOE and other
partners were also considered.

4) The specific design of sub-projects, will be determined at the time of the CNAA process and
appraisal.

The process of targeting outlined here including consideration for the general characteristics of
the poor in Belize has developed an initial set of interventions with indicative sector allocations
between Education & HRD and Water as shown in the Allocation Matrix below (Table 8.) The
areas of interventions in the education sector were validated in interviews with District
Education Managers at the various District Education Centres.

45
 TABLE 8: ALLOCATION OF RESOURCE MATRIX
SECTOR/TYPE/ Poverty Reduction Strategy PRSP MEASURES BNTF KEY PARTNERS %
PRIORITY Paper (PRSP) INTERVENTIONS (plus EXPENDITURE/
AREAS Targets BENEFICIARIES) ALLOCATION
(Grant and
Country
Allocation)
NPESAP Strategic Thrust 3  Education Statistics.  Provide facilities to open pre-  Ministry of Education 82%
(Investment for Human Capital  SIB Reports primary classes in primary  District Education ($8,600,000)
EDUCATION Development):  EMIS Reports schools located in Centres
 Primary school completion rates  DEC Annual Work socioeconomically  School Management
of100% by 2015 Plans disadvantaged communities;  Parent-Teachers
 Survival rates for secondary  Register of Schools  Improve infrastructure in Associations
schools of 100% by 2015. . existing schools and build
new schools where needed to
NPESAP Strategic Thrust 4 increase preschool services.
(Infrastructure for Growth and  Provide facilities to increase
Sustainability): the number of adequately
 Additional classrooms at the equipped classrooms and
primary and secondary levels in sanitary facilities in target
the areas of need as indicated by areas;
poverty and school statistics and  Provides facilities to establish
population. and expand school feeding
programmes in poorer areas
ESS Targets: to promote enrolment,
Preschool - Reach 50% GER in participation, and the health
both rural and urban areas of each of children.
district (preschool)  Support Primary School
Primary School - 100% NER in principals to develop
both rural and urban areas of each intervention plans to address
district. school repetition and drop-out
- Repetition rate and promote parental
reduced by 50% in all involvement through PTAs
districts, with no increase in drop- and other activities that
out rate. addresses improvements in
Secondary School - Increase GER quality of education provided.
to minimum of 74% in each district
HUMAN NPESAP Strategic Thrust 1  Labour force  Partner with local Youth Enhancement 5%
RESOURCE (Economic Policies for Enabled participation rates organizations to target low Services, Young ($538,000)
DEVELOPMENT Growth):  GDP per capita of income students, and provide Women‟s Christian
 Unemployment to levels employed labour force male youth with greater Association, 4H, ITVET
comparable to other age groups. incentives to complete their (rural areas).
(youth age group to be defined.) training to reduce the gender
 Reduction in the youth gap.
unemployment rate to the same  Provide support for market-
levels of other age groups. driven skills training ancillary
training support geared
towards enhanced incomes
and entrepreneurship.
 Beneficiaries – Education
& HRD – Male (13,360),
Female (13,878), Youth
(8,171).

WATER AND NPESAP Strategic Thrust 4  Reports of local.  Construct and expand rural 13%
SANITATION (Infrastructure for Growth and Government agencies. water systems in the Toledo ($1,400,000)
Sustainability):  SIF assessments and District;
 Increase in the number of reports.  Rehabilitate rural water
villages and towns with access to  Specialized baseline systems in other rural
potable water from rudimentary and evaluation communities.
water systems or from BWSL in surveys.  Provide training in
rural and urban areas in Belize. management of Water
Systems.
 Beneficiaries – Water &
Sanitation – Male (686),
Female (714), Youth (840)

47
7 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

7.1 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The BNTF 7 Programme will be executed under the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF).
BSIF was established as a statutory agency in 1996 to execute community projects and
increasing access of basic services to the country‟s poorest people. It is managed by a Board of
Directors made up of government, private sector and civil society groups including those
representing women and youth. Given the multi-faceted nature of poverty and the need for
increased co-ordination of poverty reduction measures, BSIF undertook the management of
BNTF in January 2002. The BSIF has the requisite capacity to implement the BNTF 7
programme.

The execution of the project will be overseen by a Project Steering Committee chaired by the
Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which is the
executing Ministry. Given that BNTF Programme in Belize is implemented by the BSIF, BSIF
staff is allocated BNTF project responsibilities as part of their regular work activities. This
provides the programme with a strong execution team given the wide range of expertise with
BSIF staff.

During the execution of sub-project activities independent architectural/engineering consultants,

will be engaged by CDB to design/review designs of infrastructure sub-projects and to manage
the implementation of approved works. The consultants will work in close collaboration with the
project staff and interface with poor community groups and other sponsoring agencies at various
stages of the sub-project cycle.

While key line Ministries are on the Project Steering Committee that is not the limit of Ministry
involvement in the project. To ensure that the project is aligned and contributing to line Ministry
policy objectives, technical personnel from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Rural
Development they will be engaged in determining specific areas for BNTF interventions at the
community level while ensuring contributions to sector strategies and programmes. All BNTF
sub-projects will require the endorsement of relevant line Ministries.

Communities will not be involved only as sub-project beneficiaries but will be actively involved
in determined the type and scope of the interventions. As such they will be involved in the design
of sub-projects through community needs and assets assessments (CNAA) as well as during
implementation to monitor sub-project activities. During the CNAA process, community
members will be empowered to assess their own needs and articulate possible options to address
those needs. They will be directly involved in ensuring that the sub-project meets their needs
within the specific sectors and how they will participate in implementation. All members of
communities will be encouraged to participate with specific emphasis placed on women and
youth participation. Each sub-project will also have a Project Monitoring Committee at the site
level and they will assist in developing maintenance plans to ensure the sustainability of the
interventions.
7.2 RISKS
There are a number of risks that can affect the implementation of the project. These risks include
strategic risks, financial risks, and operational risks.

Strategic Risks:
Strategic risks include political considerations both at the organizational and national
government level. Potential risks include:

a. Cabinet Reshuffle results in a change of political and executive leadership of the

executing Ministry and affecting the focus of BNTF.
Mitigating measure: Ensure CEO of relevant Ministry and Chair of PSC is kept fully
informed on status and progress of project execution.

b. General Elections are called within the timeframe of the project affecting the focus and
efficiency of BNTF.
Mitigating measure: Ensure CEO of relevant Ministry and Chair of PSC is kept fully
informed on status and progress of project execution. Project Manager and CEO of
relevant Ministry jointly address incoming Minister responsible for the program.

Financial Risks:
Some of the risks are financial in nature. Realizing any of these risks can have a severe impact
on the project.

a. Operational Funding for BNTF is curtailed or not adequately addressed in government

budgetary allocations.
Mitigating Measure: Minimize operational expenses while maximizing operational
efficiencies as a cost saving measure.

b. GOB is unable to provide counterpart funding as agreed.

Mitigating Measure: Continue to collaborate closely with GOB and Line Ministry in
terms of sub-project selection and endorsement, and preparation of annual budget.

Operational Risks:
Operations risks have to do with the capacity of the BNTFO to deliver the project outputs.

a. High rate of BNTF staff turnover.

Mitigating Measure: Provide structured orientation & training to all staff members
especially incoming ones. Ensure proper project & process documentation by all staff
members. Ensure that departing staff complete and submit handing-over process & notes.
Ensure an efficient recruiting system based on merit and qualifications.

b. BNTFO staff capacity constraints due to volume of work.

Mitigating Measure: Engage consultants earlier in SP implementation to provide
services from design stage.

c. Poor and improper execution of sub-projects.

49
 Mitigating Measure: Conduct comprehensive appraisal process for sub-projects. Adhere
to procurement procedures and ensure proper contract management. Incorporate best
practices & lessons learnt into subprojects. Provide in-house training for continuous
professional development in project management. Continued annual operations audit of
BSIF. Hold regular meetings with Line Ministry technicians to review progress of
subprojects outside of PSC meetings.

d. Backlog of subprojects develops due to lagging execution.

Mitigating Measure: Ensure AWPs are adequately prepared. Account for seasonal
weather conditions in preparing AWPs and subproject designs. Keep all relevant parties
informed on any subproject changes. Promptly address all changes required including
approvals and procurement aspects.

50
8 RESULTS FRAMEWORK
The overall Goal of the BNTF Programme is to contribute to improvement in living conditions
of selected poor and vulnerable communities in participating BNTF member countries. Its
Purpose is to ensure improved access to quality education, water and sanitation, transportation;
and human resource development services. The BNTF Project in Belize is expected to contribute
to these overarching development results as well those of the country‟s national development
frameworks within the relevant sectors. The indicative results framework for the project is shown
in the Table 9 below.

51
 TABLE 9: INDICATIVE RESULTS FRAMEWORK FOR BNTF 7
Expected Results Indicators Baseline Data Source Reports/Frequency Responsibility
Impact:  Percentage of  43% living below  LSMS  Poverty  Ministry of Finance
Improvement in the population below poverty line.  Poverty Maps Assessments and Economic
living conditions of poverty line by sex  12.1%  Statistical Reports  10 year housing and Development
poor and vulnerable  Housing Quality unemployment rate population census  Statistical Institute
communities in Index of Belize
Belize.  Unemployment
rates by sex

Outcomes
Component 1  School
(Education):  Preschool Unit  Annually Management
a. Expanded access  Gross enrolment  25% pre-school Reports  Principals
to pre-school rate by sex enrolment (4-yr.  DEC Annual Work  MOE – Policy and
education in rural olds) plans Planning Unit
areas.  Register of Schools  Statistical Institute
of Belize
b. Increased  Net enrolment rate  94.2% net  DEC Annual Work
enrolment and by sex enrolment at plans
completion at  PSE Score by sex primary level.  Education
primary level.  Repetition rate by  33% of students Statistical Digest
sex score 50% or less  PSE Scores Reports
on PSE.
 7.5% repetition rate
are primary level

c. Expanded access  48.9% net  DEC Annual Work

and increased enrolment at plans
completion rates  Net enrolment rate secondary level.  Education
at the secondary by sex  Net completion rate Statistical Digest
level in rural  Net completion rate and Dropout rate to
areas. by sex be established at
 Dropout rate by sex start of project.
Component 2 (HRD):
a. Increased  Percentage of  To be established at  Labour Force  Monthly  Statistical Institute
enrolment of trainees gainfully start of sub-project. Survey  Annual of Belize
youth in employed after  30% youth  SPCR  ETES
technical and completing training unemployment  ETES Reports  BNTFO
vocational by sex nationally  Tracer studies
training
programmes.

Component 3
(Water):  Percentage of rural  90% rural  MDG reports  Annually  UNDP Belize
1. Increased use of communities with communities have  MLLGRD reports  Quarterly  MLLGRD
potable water by access to potable access to potable  SPCRs  BNTFO
rural households water water.
from well-
managed water
systems.

Outputs
Education:  Number of  To be determined  DEC Annual Work  Annually  MOE-Policy and
1. New/upgraded classrooms built or by on-going Plans  Quarterly Planning Unit
quality education upgraded. education  Register of Schools  DECs
facilities meeting infrastructure  SPCRs  BNTFO
acceptable master plan
criteria. mapping exercise

HRD:
2. Trainees  Number of courses  To be determined at  SPMRs  Monthly  BNTFO
participating in provided. start of project.  SPCRs  PMCs
skills training  Participants in  PMC Reports
courses. training courses by
sex

Water:  Number of rural  To be established in  SPMRs  Monthly  BNTFO

3. Water systems households targeted community  SPCRs  MLLGRD

53
constructed and connected to water at start of sub-  PMC Reports  PMCs
rehabilitated with system project.
households
connected to
system.

54
ANNEX 1 - SCHEMATIC OF APPROACH TO DEVELOPING THE
PRAP

BNTF
PRAP

TARGETING STRATEGIC COMMUNITY

ALIGNMENT DEMAND

Characteristics National Subproject

Frameworks Requests

Geographic Sectoral Stakeholder

Frameworks Interviews/
Consultation

Sectoral Partnerships
 ANNEX 2 - Classification of Major Cities, Towns And Villages In
Belize, 2010

District Rank CITY / TOWN / VILLAGE WEALTH INDEX QUINTILES

SCORE
COROZAL 6 COROZAL TOWN .6437591 4
8 ALTA MIRA .5790832 4
103 BUENA VISTA -.3587505 2
20 CALCUTTA .3979469 3
124 CALEDONIA -.5383208 2
22 CAROLINA .3796982 3
133 CHAN CHEN -.6321793 2
107 CHUNOX -.3697112 2
131 CONCEPCION -.6151253 2
29 CONSEJO .3000028 4
102 COPPER BANK -.3568810 2
87 CRISTO REY -.2162460 2
59 LIBERTAD -.0149783 3
167 LITTLE BELIZE -1.1471894 1
80 LOUISVILLE -.1924424 3
43 PARAISO .1154444 3
135 PATCHAKAN -.6403470 2
89 PROGRESO -.2325623 2
42 RANCHITO .1207242 3
32 SAN ANDRES .2630002 3
37 SAN ANTONIO .2068704 4
39 SAN JOAQUIN .1634298 3
113 SAN NARCISO -.4129621 2
100 SAN PEDRO -.3349799 2
95 SAN ROMAN -.2704621 2
149 SAN VICTOR -.8754872 1
99 SANTA CLARA -.3311655 2
34 SARTENEJA .2227022 3
125 XAIBE -.5472443 2
74 OTHER -.1199516 3
ORANGE WALK 7 ORANGE WALK TOWN .6042270 4

128 AUGUST PINE RIDGE -.5837509 2

4 BLUE CREEK .6908001 4

56
 101 CARMELITA -.3511561 2
40 CHAN PINE RIDGE .1341572 3
26 CUATRO LEGUAS .3276201 3
119 DOUGLAS -.4957579 2
189 FIRE BURN -1.5271397 1
109 GUINEA GRASS -.3818167 2
143 INDIAN CHURCH -.7591545 2
162 INDIAN CREEK -1.0226944 1
86 SAN ANTONIO -.2152530 2
169 SAN CARLOS -1.1646150 1
53 SAN ESTEVAN .0301344 3
92 SAN FELIPE -.2358427 2
129 SAN JOSE -.6140748 2
48 SAN JOSE PALMAR .0633990 3
93 SAN JUAN -.2461117 2
57 SAN LAZARO -.0100758 3
2 SAN LORENZO .8591329 4
183 SAN LUIS -1.4535374 1
106 SAN PABLO -.3694457 2
151 SAN ROMAN -.8820412 1
126 SANTA CRUZ -.5561788 2
180 SANTA MARTA -1.3706255 1
158 SHIPYARD -.9799900 1
55 TOWER HILL .0186619 3
11 TRES LEGUAS .5571859 4
68 TRIAL FARM -.0859497 3
84 TRINIDAD -.2115561 2
47 YO CREEK .0702111 3
85 OTHER -.2147843 2
BELIZE 10 BELIZE CITY .5613782 4
13 SAN PEDRO, A.C. .5070678 4

51 BERMUDIAN LANDING .0456549 3

60 BISCAYNE -.0286017 3
164 BOMBA -1.0673472 1
65 BOSTON -.0638076 3
12 BURRELL BOOM .5075500 4
35 CAYE CAULKER .2192186 3
36 CROOKED TREE .2097406 4
62 DOUBLE HEAD CABBAGE -.0377184 3
130 FLOWERS BANK -.6142286 2

57
 41 FREETOWN SIBUN .1300736 3
117 GALES POINT -.4441461 2
61 GARDENIA -.0320170 3
118 GRACIE ROCK -.4905884 2
19 HATTIEVILLE .4285368 4
50 ISABELLA BANK .0466033 3
105 LA DEMOCRACIA -.3674392 2
5 LADYVILLE .6689924 4
114 LEMONAL -.4260051 2
9 LORDS BANK .5747872 4
1 LOS LAGOS 1.0268209 5
49 LUCKY STRIKE .0502755 3
23 MAHOGANY HEIGHTS .3459115 3
56 MASKALL .0157132 3
94 RANCHO DOLORES -.2656207 2
115 ROCKSTONE POND -.4313285 2
21 SAND HILL .3822626 4
97 SANTANA -.3145884 2
81 SCOTLAND HALFMOON -.1949584 2
77 ST. PAUL'S BANK -.1656368 3
3 WESTERN PARADISE .7494512 4
73 WILLOWS BANK -.1180597 3
137 OTHER -.6539152 1
CAYO 28 BELMOPAN .3059012 4
38 BENQUE VIEJO .2021487 3
15 SAN IGNACIO .4819212 4
24 SANTA ELENA .3407012 4

187 ARENAL -1.5128299 1

170 ARMENIA -1.1800433 1
156 BILLY WHITE -.9476337 2
69 BLACKMAN EDDY -.0897939 2
165 BUENA VISTA -1.0925084 1
83 BULLET TREE FALLS -.1984406 2
154 CALLA CREEK -.9429556 2
64 CAMALOTE -.0509147 3
45 CENTRAL FARM .1115393 3
134 COTTON TREE -.6330869 2
78 CRISTO REY -.1674396 3
121 DUCK RUN 1 -.5253376 2
76 DUCK RUN 2 -.1555758 2

58
 138 DUCK RUN 3 -.6659845 2
58 ESPERANZA -.0147672 3
147 FRANK'S EDDY -.8566857 1
91 GEORGEVILLE -.2355782 2
197 LA GRACIA -1.7952288 1
178 LOS TAMBOS -1.3275119 1
194 LOWER BARTON CREEK -1.5660798 1
181 MORE TOMORROW -1.3893530 1
52 ONTARIO .0378211 3
116 PASLOW FALLS -.4379313 2
141 RINGTAIL -.7485519 2
27 ROARING CREEK .3256018 4
96 SAN ANTONIO -.2840181 2
66 SAN JOSE SUCCOTZ -.0781049 3
90 SANTA FAMILIA -.2333324 2
152 SANTA MARTA -.9115445 2
172 SELENA -1.1844583 1
174 SEVEN MILES -1.2649977 1
44 SPANISH LOOKOUT .1131754 3
185 SPRINGFIELD -1.4914226 1
75 ST. MATTHEWS -.1309807 3
98 TEAKETTLE -.3274139 2
67 UNITEDVILLE -.0824750 3
191 UPPER BARTON CREEK -1.5422929 1
160 VALLEY OF PEACE -1.0040419 1
132 OTHER -.6236149 2
STANN CREEK 25 DANGRIGA TOWN .3341223 3

72 ALTA VISTA -.1062059 3

168 COW PEN -1.1578540 1
112 GEORGETOWN -.3967858 2
46 HOPE CREEK .0935862 3
16 HOPKINS .4425764 4
153 HUMMINGBIRD COMMUNITY -.9295970 1
33 INDEPENDENCE .2550787 3
142 KENDALL -.7552272 1
104 LONG BANK -.3635083 2
18 MAYA BEACH .4367290 4
144 MAYA CENTRE -.7982748 1
173 MAYA MOPAN -1.2375123 1
145 MIDDLESEX -.8181806 2

59
 159 MULLINS RIVER -.9808197 1
17 PLACENCIA .4424806 4
63 POMONA -.0507233 3
192 RED BANK -1.5437303 1
111 RIVERSDALE -.3906614 2
54 SAN JUAN .0243151 3
175 SAN ROMAN -1.2866969 1
139 SANTA CRUZ -.6860757 2
157 SANTA ROSA -.9567959 2
71 SARAWEE -.1059438 2
70 SEINE BIGHT -.0916401 3
108 SILK GRASS -.3708464 2
31 SITTEE RIVER .2677578 3
150 SOUTH STANN CREEK -.8777298 1
122 STEADFAST -.5256926 2
88 VALLEY COMMUNITY -.2276789 2
123 OTHER -.5380802 2
TOLEDO 30 PUNTA GORDA TOWN .2950552 3

206 AGUACATE -2.0154827 1

148 BARRANCO -.8727974 1
155 BELLA VISTA -.9462012 2
146 BIG FALLS -.8370928 2
201 BLADEN -1.9269893 1
177 BLUE CREEK -1.3121541 1
14 CATTLE LANDING .4859156 4
219 CONEJO -2.3691750 1
211 CORAZON -2.1290668 1
176 CRIQUE JUTE -1.2995048 1
210 CRIQUE SARCO -2.1042834 1
221 DOLORES -2.3932416 1
110 DUMP -.3829982 2
127 ELRIDGE -.5659622 2
82 FOREST HOME -.1950522 3
200 GOLDEN STREAM -1.8828338 1
204 HICATTEE-S/HWY -1.9583452 1
196 INDIAN CREEK -1.7805037 1
120 JACINTO/WESTMORELAND -.5185779 2
216 JALACTE -2.2842841 1
193 LAGUNA -1.5529231 1
140 MAFREDI -.7189908 2

60
161 MANGO WALK -1.0191139 1
212 MEDINA BANK -2.2169729 1
199 MIDWAY -1.8544797 1
79 MONKEY RIVER -.1752020 3
220 OTOXHA -2.3927460 1
195 PINE HILL -1.6820508 1
205 PUEBLO VIEJO -1.9962119 1
190 SAN ANTONIO -1.5390469 1
213 SAN BENITO POITE -2.2615602 1
182 SAN FELIPE -1.4083530 1
202 SAN ISIDRO -1.9335402 1
198 SAN JOSE -1.8484868 1
218 SAN LUCAS -2.3223131 1
203 SAN MARCOS -1.9366164 1
163 SAN MIGUEL -1.0610238 1
209 SAN PABLO -2.1005100 1
171 SAN PEDRO COLUMBIA -1.1836339 1
207 SAN VICENTE -2.0604844 1
184 SANTA ANA -1.4805246 1
215 SANTA CRUZ -2.2785141 1
208 SANTA ELENA -2.0924226 1
214 SANTA TERESA -2.2674631 1
166 SILVER CREEK -1.1138581 1
217 SUNDAY WOOD -2.3012585 1
186 SWASEY -1.4920846 1
188 TRIO -1.5262824 1
136 YEMERY GROVE -.6523723 2
179 OTHER -1.3661773 1

61