AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH USAID AND PASA PERSONNEL. DESPITE DELAYS DUE TO SLOW RELEASE OF COUNTERPART FUNDS, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM. ALSO, ALTHOUGH HAMPERED BY SEVERE STAFFING CONSTRAINTS, THE PROGRAM AND STUDIES DIVISION BEGAN, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY DISCONTINUED SYSTEMATIC STUDIES OF AGRICULTURE SECTOR POTENTIAL AND PROBLEMS. SERIOUS DOUBTS ARE NOTED CONCERNING THE EFFICACY OF THE TRAINING STRATEGY DESIGNED FOR THE PROJECT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STATISTICS DIVISION PERSONNEL, THE EVALUATORS QUSTION THE WISDOM OF SENDING TO THE US ZAIRIANS WHO HAVE NOT HAD INTENSIVE WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE. A NEED TO REFORMULATE THE LOGICAL FRAMEWORK IS NOTED, BECAUSE THE STATED GOAL IS INCONSISTENT WITH BOTH THE GOZ AND USAID GOALS IN THIS SECTOR. THE SUGGESTED NEW GOAL STATES: "TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN THE PRODUCTION OF MAJOR FOOD CROPS, WITH PRIMARY FOCUS PLACED ON INCREASING SMALL FARMER PRODUCTION AND INCOMES". A NEW PURPOSE IS ALSO SUGGESTED WHICH STATES: "TO IMPROVE, IN THE SHORT TERM, THE QUALITY OF THE SMALL FARMER INCOME POLICY ADVICE EMANATING FROM THE DEPT OF AGR, AND TO IMPROVE OVER THE LONGER TERM, THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITY OF THE DEPT OF AGR"S UNITS CONCERNED WITH PLANNING, DATA GATHERING, AND ANALYSIS, THEREBY ENABLING THE DOA WITH ITS OWN RESOURCES TO IDENTIFY AND RECOMMEND SMALL FARMER INCOME STRATEGIES".THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INCLUDED: 1) USAID/DOA SHOULD RECRUIT A NEW PRIME CONTRACTOR TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; 2) USDA SHOULD BE ASKED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE 3 CURRENT PASA TECHNICIANS; 3) USDA SHOULD BE ASKED TO CONTINUE ITS SHORT-TERM ASSISTANCE TO THE STATISTICS DIVISION; 4) US TRAINING OF NEW RECRUITS SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER COMPLETION OF 2 YEARS WITH THE PROGRAM AND STUDIES DIVISION; 5) WAYS SHOULD BE SOUGHT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF QUICK RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS.