Agricultural research project II : external evaluation report, November 1987

Evaluation covers the period 1981 to 1987. The project was generally successful, as the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) gained acceptance as the national coordinator of research. It provided useful services, particularly in planning, and dispensed P.L. 480 Title II and III funds for operational support to its affiliated research institutions. In addition, with minor exceptions, all agricultural research now has a farming systems orientation. On the negative side, field scientists" output was limited by deficiencies in their analytical skills. Also, the official ordinances governing BARC and the research institutes are in conflict, constraining BARC"s ability to carry out its mandate to coordinate and monitor agricultural research nationally. Further, the role and status of Bangladeshi women were not advanced by the project. Three lessons were learned. (1) Structural changes in institutions require years to consummate. (2) Farming systems research is expensive and time-consuming. It should always be coordinated with socio-agro-ecological zones to permit generalization. (3) The pipeline for developing and proving farm technology is longer than the life of the typical A.I.D. project. (Author abstract, modified)