Until 2007, gtz supported Sri Lanka's development effort through the Economic Strategy Support Programme (ESSP) in Central Province. mesopartner supported the programme throughout its life cycle, covering a wide scope of services: 

• Method development: Adapting the PACA to the Sri Lankan reality ("LOCA"), introducing and adapting the Compass as an impact monitoring instrument
• Capacity building: Training ESSP and counterpart staff in LRED principles, LOCA and Compass
• Policy advice: Assisting ESSP in its effort to explain LRED to provincial and national authorities
• Process consulting: Assisting ESSP in developing its internal structure, responding to the need for increasing internal specialisation and addressing the need to set up a robust monitoring process

After gtz phased out its support, ESSP transformed itself into a regional development agency.