Agricultural policy and planning project

This is A.I.D."s fourth project to support the development of the SEP. The priorities of the GOZ and the SEP since project design have shifted from commodity and regional studies to macroeconomic issues related to the agricultural sector. As a result, the rigidly quantified annual outputs demanded by the Chemonics contract have become less and less relevant in the eyes of the GOZ. The Chemonics team and USAID/Z recognize this impasse between the terms of the contract and the real needs of the GOZ. The team has tried to bridge it through broadening their annual work plans, but the results, thus far, have not satisfied the GOZ. Any major influence on GOZ agricultural policies would require that GOZ/SEP perceive the team as a useful resource for timely advice on the GOZ"s priority issues. The GOZ does not appear to have this perception of the team at the moment. Due to earlier frictions over primes, continuing tensions within the Team over leadership, and changed GOZ priorities, no commodity or regional reports have been completed to date. Some 15 months after the start of the project, no computers have arrived and no students have departed for long-term training in the United States. The evaluation concluded that two primary tasks must be undertaken for the project to achieve its potential: (1) A thorough review of the project is required by SEP, USAID/Z, and the team to ensure that it conforms to the real needs of the GOZ. (2) Short-term and medium-term changes are required to the TA team in order for it to be more effective. (Author abstract)