Agricultural development council

Evaluation covers the period 6/72-6/78 and is based on a joint A.I.D.-ADC workshop. The ADC has performed well and the project is achieving its purpose. A total of 81 individuals received ADC fellowship awards (72 Ph.D., 6 M.S., and 3 non-degree). All but four were assisted by the grant, three are still in the United States under other auspices, and 27 are currently being supported. The other 51 have returned home to important positions in their respective fields. The ADC has been careful to allocate the fellowships where U.S. training would be most useful; has selected fellows according to strategic training needs of the participating Asian countries; has shifted one-third of future Ph.D. training into previously neglected agricultural subjects, (e.g., forest, fisheries, and irrigation economics); and uses the U.S. Ph.D. program only when more appropriate training is unavailable. Although the program was judged highly successful in terms of student quality, development of leadership, and overall contribution by the ADC, a continuation of the project cannot be approved. Because of the availability of general participant training projects to Missions and the policy requirement to link training closely to the needs of the poor majority, a separate regional activity for Ph.D.-level training is no longer acceptable. While the ADC favors a flexible general support grant, A.I.D. prefers to support specific ADC programs on a country-by-country basis. A proposal acceptable to both parties might focus on training in various forms - fellowships, research grants, visiting scholars, or publications. It is recommended that A.I.D. provide the final FY 78 funding for the current project and that the ADC submit a revised PID for a follow-on project.