National Support for Local Investment Climates (NSLIC)

Working with Indonesias National Ministry of Planning (BAPPENAS) and selected provincial and local governments (kota & kabupaten) in Sulawesi, the National Support for Local Investment Climates (NSLIC) strengthened the investment climate and support sustainable, equitable and competitive enterprises in order to increase employment and incomes for poor women and men across Indonesia. Cowater had overall responsibility for the projects management and implementation and for the achievement of the projects intended outcomes. NSLIC supported four main program areas: i) improving the ability of national and local governments to address key constraints in business regulations and licensing that impede gender-responsive, environmentally sustainable economic growth; ii) increasing the capacity of local governments and enterprises to coordinate activities and sustainably connect and integrate into the regional and national economy; iii) increasing the ability of national-level agencies to support equitable, gender-responsive, environmentally sustainable local and regional economic development; and, iv) increase SME access to gender-responsive, environmentally conscious business development services. Cowater advanced these goals by providing technical assistance to national and district/city level officials on legal regulatory issues that impede economic growth and local and regional economic development. Key activities included, addressing constraints to barriers in local business regulations and licensing, strengthening coordination mechanisms on economic development plans and local program implementation and improving local economic development planning. Additionally, Cowaters team managed a Responsive Innovation Fund (RIF) to help unlock constraints to growth and catalyze local economic development.