AGRICULTURAL SECTOR LOAN I (EDUCATION COMPONENT).

COMPONENT PURPOSE IS TO INCREASE INVESTMENT BY THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN HUMAN CAPITAL THROUGH A PROGRAM OF BOTH VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION/TRAINING. EVALUATION IS BASED ON REPORTS OF THE VOCATIONAL CENTERS AND PROJECT COORDINATORS; PIO/T"S; DISBURSEMENT REQUESTS; AND INTER-UNIVERSITY RECORDS. THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE (SEA) CONTINUED DISCUSSING THE PROFFESIONAL EDUCATION ELEMENT AFTER SIGNING THE LOAN AGREEMENT AND SO DID NOT SUBMIT ITS PRPOSAL UNTIL 8/75. IMPLEMENTATION BEGAN 1/76. IN ADDITION, SEA EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES IN COORDINATING VARIOUS TYPES OF TRAINING WITHIN ITS DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. ALL LOAN ACTIVITIES ARE NOW COORDINATED THROUGH A CENTRAL OFFICE. THROUGH 6/30, A TOTAL OF 1,824 OF A TARGET OF 2,000 SMALL FARMERS RECIEVED VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THE SHORTFALL WAS CAUSED BY BREIF DELAYS IN EQUIPPING THE REGIONAL CENTERS. IN ADDITION, A TOTAL OF 30 PROFESSIONALS FROM 3 NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR GRADUATE STUDY AT US AND 3RD COUNTRY UNIVERSITIES. ELEVEN MORE ARE TO BE SELECTED. THE TIME REQUIRED TO SELECT THESE CANDIDATES, ADMIT THEM TO APPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONS, PROVIDE FOR PRIOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING, PLUS THE 12-24 MONTHS REQUIRED FOR THE COMPLETION OF THEIR WORK, HAS LED TO THE EXTENSION OF THIS COMPONENT OF THE LOAN TO 6/30/79. EVALUATION OF COMPONENT IMPACT AT THE PURPOSE AND GOAL LEVELS WILL BE ATTEMPTED IN THE END OF PROJECT EVALUATION. USAID AND SEA WILL UNDERTAKE A SAMPLE SURVEY OF RECIPIENTS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING. DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF BASELINE DATA, HOWEVER, ONLY TENTITIVE ESTIMATES CAN BE EXPECTED. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WILL BE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF THE RETURNED TRAINEES OCCUPYING THE POSITIONS FOR WHICH THEY WERE TRAINED. MEASURING LONGER TERM IMPACT OF SUCH TRAINING WILL REQUIRE DECADES. LESSONS LEARNED ARE 2: (1) THE PER PUPIL COST OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING WAS HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED. (2) PROGRAMS IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL FORETHOUGHT, DEFINITION OF TERMS, AND RIGOROUS DESIGN.