KIGALI – Today on 6th March 2018 at La Palisse Hotel was launched a four day training workshop on “Public Works” and “Environmental Social Safeguards Impact Assessment” (ESIA) as per the World Bank standards. Designed for District staff in positions of Director of Social Development Unit, Director Planning Unit, One Stop Centre and Budget Officers, the workshop is intended to fine-tune projects of Public Works and Expanded Public Works in line with their feasibility studies, ESIA, and adjusting related budget in FY 2018/2019. Mr. MAZURU S. Thomas, M&E Specialist at LODA and trainer during this workshop, reiterated the planning requirements for LED projects: Feasibility Study, EIA, Detailed Technical Design, Procurement, Monitoring, and Project Management & Financial Compliance. He emphasized on the inclusion of citizens’ priorities in local development planning processes as indicate the guiding national planning documents of Vision 2020, ESPRS2 and NST1. Available statistics indicate that for the forthcoming FY 2018/2019, 4,196 citizens’ priorities were expressed and 37% of submitted projects by Districts have considered these priorities. While making a similar review for social protection projects, Mr. Kettlewell Andrew, Financial Advisor for LODA, stated that “In Social Protection we are planning for safety nets, livelihoods enhancement and administration costs. In total 62% of HH in Ubudehe Category One are targeted to receive a safety net payment in FY 2018/2019”. He emphasized that from this FY 2018/2019, all social protection projects should equally bear feasibility studies and detailed PPDs. As per the FY 2018/2019 ceiling, the SP envelope equivalent to 44,696,056,279 Frw is dispatched between VUP and Livelihoods development projects of Public Works, Expanded Public Works, Direct Support, Expanded Direct Support,  Asset Transfer Grant, Caseworkers, Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support,  Skills Development, Ubudehe Projects, Ubudehe Training and Profiling, Support to CSOs, VUP Livelihoods M&E and Kitchen Gardens. It is observed that new components of VUP and livelihoods development have been introduced and shall be financed through Expanded Direct Support, Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support, and Kitchen Gardens. This implies that, during the pilot phase (to be launche in 17 sectors) direct cash transfers shall be disbursed to households in Ubudehe category one with people living with severe disabilities, pregnant women and children under two years old. This workshop is expected to thoroughly explore the feasibility study guidelines of Public Work projects for FY 2018/2019, fine-tune their Project Profile Documents, and adjust related Budget.