Svay Rieng province is situated approximately 125 kilometers Southeast of Phnom Penh and bordered by Vietnam. Svay Chrum district includes the provincial capital 17 communes and 168 villages. Chamlong, Kruos and Svay Ang communes are the geographic focus of the Integrated Community Development (ICD) programme, where CIDSE Cambodia works in all 27 villages.

CIDSE's work in Svay Rieng province began in 1986, when it supported government efforts in agricultural development. The project assisted four villages of Chamlong commune in Svay Chrum district in areas of rice production research, agricultural supplied inputs, water resource development, and animal distribution. In 1990, CIDSE started an animal credit project for poor women in the same villages.

In April 1993, CIDSE's approach in Svay Rieng was assessed within the framework of a new Country Policy Document. A major shift in direction resulted with the programme moving from support to government activities to direct integrated community development. In August 1993, a Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) was conducted in Svay Chrum district to select participating communes and villages. The first project of the integrated community development (ICD) programme started in seven villages of Chamlong commune in January 1994 and had expanded to 11 villages of Krous commune by January 1996. A second project commenced in April 1996 and was co-financed for two years by the Commission of the European Communities from May 1996 to April 1998. By December 1998 the second project had expanded to 9 villages of Svay Ang commune operating in a total 27 villages. Activities included capacity development, school, latrine and well construction, rice and cow banks, savings and credit, agricultural extension, health, adult literacy and civic education.

An independent evaluation of the Svay Rieng ICD program conducted in the middle of the year 2001 and put the any recommendations and strategies planning for future options. The evaluation team notes that CIDSE should prepare a long-term strategy to set up Community-Based Organizations (CBO) in the context of phasing out plan, clearly delineate the roles and functions of CBO on which sustainability of the program depends and also building up the capacity with clear indicators to measure progressively the growth of capacity.

In 2003, ICD SR program supported communities to form CBO in each of three communes as well as CBO statutes were drafted. ICD Svay Rieng delegated the tasks to the CBOs and empowered the communities through these CBOs in order to manage their activities by themselves in the shortcoming.

An independent assessment has conducted during Svay Rieng ICD programme phase four from April – May, 2004. The recommendation of ICDSR assessment for immediate and post phase out implementation concerning on the future sustainability of the CBOs is and will be necessary to consider that the strength of the CBOs in the future will be directly proportional and dependant on the strength of its individual foundation, namely the VDCs, PCs and VVSs. Through the remaining period of the phase four programme and the post phase four periods, the capacity building initiatives will have to continue at village and commune level until such time as the CBOs have capacity to take over the full responsibility from CIDSE ICD Svay Rieng programme. In this regard, specific recommendations made in relation to village development actors and its structure will continue to be relevant for the foreseeable future.

Based on the recommendations of the external assessment to ensure the sustainable smoothness management of the new emerging of the CBOs, the CIDSE ICD programme should retain a small support team for supporting the new CBOs in Svay Rieng province. This team will include both institutional and programme development advisors to closely provide support to the both CBOs and CCs. The Small Desk of ICD in Svay Rieng is proposed to continue working closely with the three new emerging CBOs (FEDA, SACKS and CDA) to build the capacity of these CBOs through organized training, workshop, exposure visit, coaching, on the job training and follow up.