AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THIS EVALUATION IS BASED ON ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT DESIGN REFLECTED IN THE GRANT PROJECT STATEMENT,FINAL ANNUAL REPORT (FOR 1975-76) AND RELATED CORRESPONDENCE. GREATEST PROGRESS WAS MADE IN UNIVERSITY-RELATED FUNCTIONS SUCH AS GRADUATE TRNG,STAFF DEVLPMNT & RESEARCH, HOWEVER,DIFFICULTIES WERE ENCOUNTERED IN ESTABLISHING LINKAGES WITH OTHER GRANTEES AND IN PROVIDING TECH ASSISTANCE TO AID. MSU COMMITMENTS TO TEACHING,RESEARCH,EXTENSION AND ON-GOING CONTRACT & CONSULTING ACTIVITIES LIMITED ITS AVAILABILITY TO AID. EVALUATORS NOTED THAT THE DEFICIENCIES WERE CHARACTERISTIC OF 211D GRANTS IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS IN GENERAL AND WERE NOT PECULIAR TO MSU. AS WAS NOTED IN THE 1975 PAR,LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE WERE NEVER SPECIFIED UNDER 211D,MAKING A FINAL EVALUATION DIFFICULT. MSU DEVELOPED A CORE OF 15 FACULTY MEMBERS SPECIALIZING IN INTNAL DEVLOPMNT. GRADUATE ENROLLMENT INCREASED FROM LESS THAN 100 TO MORE THAN 125 WITH LDC STUDENT ENROLLMENT NUMBERING 50%. A TOTAL OF 85 ADVANCED DEGREES WERE AWARDED AND 50 STUDENTS RECIEVED RESEARCH SUPPORT FROM THE 211D FUNDS. MSU ALSO DEVELOPED NUMEROUS LINKAGES WITH LDC"S -- ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA. RESEARCH PROGRAMS WERE IMPLEMENTED ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: THE AFRICAN RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK,AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ANALYSIS & SIMULATION,RURAL AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ORGANIZATION IN LATIN AMERICA. THE EVALUATOR NOTES THAT AID"S EXPECTATIONS OF UTILIZING UNIVERSITY CAPABILITIES TO MEET ITS NEED FOR SPECIALISTS SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED AND THAT GRANT COMMITMENTS SHOULD BE SPECIFIED IN MORE DETAIL.