ADMIN - ORGANIZATION OF INTEGRATED RURAL DEVEL (PROJECT PAPER)

DS/RAD will contract a team of specialists to assist USAID and host country IRD project personnel by diagnosing and correcting deficiencies in IRD project organization, personnel, and management; and by identifying training needs and resources. Both long- and short-term assistance will be provided to 12-18 IRD projects in three to four countries. The team will focus on two types of IRD projects: (1) multi-level, area-focused interventions; and (2) those at the village and cooperative levels. Consultants will use a process methodology, meeting regularly with Mission and host country personnel to shape the project design gradually. This process will afford greater input by Mission and host country personnel and will increase the management expertise of all involved. The contractor will prepare case studies of each consultation, as well as a review of IRD and other rural development projects in 10 LDCs. During the first project year, the contractor will produce a state-of-the-art paper, examining such IRD project aspects as operational scale; project design and finance; administrative hierarchy and control; and the role of foreign donors. A final project report, intended to serve as a desk reference for field managers, will integrate writings on previous IRD projects and will include an annotated bibliography of IRD-related materials referenced by geographic area and project type. A conference will be held in Washington, DC to discuss the draft of this final report and obtain further input from academic sources. Project materials will be distributed to 40 Missions, 30 host country rural development organizations and will be exchanged with 10 international organizations. Every four months, the contractor will provide the DS/RAD consultant data bank with a pool of IRD experts available for short-term assistance.