Project Outline Summer school San Carlos, Río San Juan, Nicaragua (CA)
FEB, University of Groningen
Newcastle University
Introduction
The Association for the Promotion of Sustainable Local Development in Río San Juan (ASODELCO) is a
local non-profit organization, founded in March 1994 and legally recognized in July 1996.
The organization is working on forty-four projects in the following areas: social (improvement of
(rural) housing, infrastructural improvement), water management (waste water and drinking water),
sanitation, production and tourism.
Besides these social projects, ASODELCO manages some credit programs (revolving funds), aiming to
benefit families in the municipality of San Carlos and its surrounding communities.
ASODELCO is managing the microcredit program Emprende Mujer of the Citylink Groningen-San
Carlos since October 2015.
Person responsible for interns: Ing. Nohemí Bellorín Dávila, Executive Director
Process consultant: Dr. Freddy Hernán Ruíz Álvarez, President ASODELCO
Support area in which students will develop their pre-professional practices
Social microcredit program.
Tasks to be developed by the students:
1. Student 1 - Internal and external situational diagnosis of the social impact of the credit
promoted by ASODELCO with respect to the categories, terms and amounts of the loans
granted in the municipality of San Carlos and its surrounding communities.
Objectives
• Conducting an internal and external situational diagnosis of the credit impact, to determine
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of new credits / credit systems.
• Evaluate the level of customer satisfaction with respect to the care and service provided by
ASODELCO.
• Evaluate the level of customer satisfaction concerning the amount financed by ASODELCO.
• Evaluate the level of customer satisfaction concerning the quality of service provided by
ASODELCO.
• Evaluate the level of satisfaction of the clients concerning the agility of the procedures of the
services offered by ASODELCO.
2. Student 2 - Conduct a study and / or analysis of the loan portfolio placed and / or recovered
by ASODELCO.
Objectives
• Assessing the impact and the functioning of the ASODELCO credit program, measuring
results, efficiency and effectiveness and formulating recommendations for improvement.
• Carrying out an analysis of default with its respective projections.
3. Student 3- Elaborate ideas for small profiles or business plans that are profitable and / or
sustainable in accordance with the economic activities identified by the applicants.
Objectives
• Identifying and formulating small profiles or business plans that serve as the basis
(profitability and motivation) for clients for the granting of credit.
4. Student 4 - Develop training aimed at women beneficiaries of the microcredit program
Emprende Mujer on entrepreneurship and other issues related to the economic activities they
carry out.
Task for all students - To make a (short) report in which the results of the task will be described and
how that can be related to the model on Local Economic Development (Pennink, 2014)
Student Commitments:
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Draw up an activity plan and present it to the Executive, Administrative Board / Board of
Directors for validation and / or approval.
Design and elaborate formats and / or matrices for the collection of information.
Design methodology for each of the four tasks.
Prepare progress reports and final reports reflecting expected product results.
We propose that each student coming to ASODELCO carries out one of the four tasks mentioned
above so that all four of them will be covered during the internship (3rd till the 28th of July 2017).
Information about costs per student
- Citylink Groningen-San Carlos will arrange a guest family for every student coming to San
Carlos (4 students, 4 guest families). The stay (room, meals, normal use of internet) at the
guest family will cost U$ 200 for 4 weeks. Cash payment on arrival in San Carlos to the guest
family.
- Each student has to pay a small fee to ASODELCO (U$ 25 a week) to cover the expenses
which have to be made by the NGO during the internship (such as gasoline to visit the rural
areas, tutoring etc.). Cash payment to ASODELCO when starting the internship.
- Each student has to pay a ‘mediation fee’ to Citylink Groningen-San Carlos of € 150. The
student will receive an invoice from the organization before leaving for San Carlos, which has
to be paid by bank transfer.
© ASODELCO/CITYLINK GRONINGEN-SAN CARLOS, FEBRUARY 2017