Africare general support grant

Final PES covers the period 7/82-3/85 and is based on a special evaluation (PD-AAR-482). The project achieved its objectives, enabling Africare to improve its management, increase sevenfold (between 1979 and 1984) its base of private support (particularly from corporations and foundations), strengthen its field programs, and prepare more small projects for private funding. Africare no longer requires A.I.D. core support; however, Africare"s largest projects (representing 70% of field operations funding) are financed through A.I.D. OPG"s. Africare is a well-managed organization and maintains good relationships with host country personnel. Areas for improvement include project design capability and timeliness in reporting. It was learned from project experience that time is required for self-sustainability (12 years in this case) and that private donors" support for ministry-level planning projects lags behind that for smaller projects with more tangible results, e.g., wells, clinics. It is recommended that Africare: (1) be more explicit in project design about implementation responsibilities and emphasize sustainability issues; (2) not promote joint ventures as it lacks this type of expertise; (3) limit sector planning activities to those that complement ongoing Africare field programs; (4) finish computerizing its home office, especially in the areas of fundraising, program management, and community response; (5) separate administration from finances by creating an additional office or administrative unit; and (6) strive to administer a mixture of large and small projects to balance economies of scale against small projects" appeal to private U.S. donors. A.I.D. should consider linking grant fund disbursements to timely receipt of progress reports. Also, A.I.D. (and other donors) should consider Africare capable of managing a large number of rural development projects and should judge Africare proposals solely on their technical merits. Finally, the U.S. Congress should distinguish, in its privateness legislation, between funding for projects and for administrative infrastructure.