AGRICULTURAL MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 4/78 TO 8/79, AND INCLUDED FIELD VISITS TO THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (MATI) AT MPWAPWA AND UKIRIGURU AS WELL AS A REVIEW OF CONTRACTOR REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH PROJECT PERSONNEL AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED AND MOTIVATED PERSONNEL BY THE CONTRACTOR (THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST VIRGINIA) HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS NEITHER AS RAPID NOR AS COMPREHENSIVE AS PLANNED. LEVELS OF OUTPUTS IN OTHER AREAS -- SUFFICIENT LABORATORY SPACE, AN INCREASE IN DEGREE HOLDERS IN TEACHING POSITIONS,AND IN-SERVICE TUTOR TRAINING WERE ALSO LESS THAN PLANNED. A CHIEF FACTOR IN PREVENTING ACHIEVEMENT OF PLANNED OUTPUTS HAS BEEN TANZANIA"S RECURRENT BUDGET SITUATION. TENUOUS BEFORE THE UGANDA-TANZANIA WAR, THE FINANCIAL SITUATION IS NOW CRITICAL. EVALUATORS RECOMMEND THAT TEACHING LOADS OF THE CONTRACT TECHNICIANS BE REDUCED SO THAT THEY CAN DEVOTE MORE TIME TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. ALSO, TEMPORARY EXPATRIATE ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE USED TO EDIT AND COMPLETE TRAINING GUIDES AND MANUALS (NOW IN DRAFT FORM) AND TO CONDUCT TUTOR TRAINING SEMINARS FOR MATI STAFF. PROJECT EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN LIGHT TO SEVERAL IMPORTANT STEPS WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN IN THE NEW FARMER TRAINING SUB-PROJECT: (1) THAT ALL CONTRACTOR NOMINEES BE INTERVIEWED AND APPROVED BY A MISSION REPRESENTATIVE AND THE PROPER TANGOV PERSONNEL; AND (2) THAT THE EXPATRIATE TECHNICIANS" TEACHING DUTIES BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM.