Agriculture sector planning

PES covers period 7/81-9/82 and is based on a special evaluation (not attached). It is unlikely the project"s purpose will be attained. Institutionalization of the Ministry of Agriculture"s Planning Department (PD) has not proceeded as planned. The PD has only 8 professional staff vs. a planned 14, due to both severe GOG economic problems (causing budget reductions) and a paucity of qualified and interested candidates. work unrelated to agricultural planning and, due to uncertainty as to the role of an advisor, training of counterparts has been given less emphasis than has the preparation of subsector reports by short-term consultants. Of 25 planning tasks, 7 are completed. The deadline for completing the draft sector plan has been deferred to 12/82. The advisor will not be involved in drafting the plan, for following the special evaluation, the agricultural planning component of the project was suspended, pending project reformulation and resolution of a funding constraint caused by GOG loan arrearages. Implementation of statistical activities has, on the other hand, been satisfactory. The capabilities of personnel in the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and the Crop Reporting Unit have developed well and a qualifed manager has been appointed for the NDMA Computer Center. Work on crop reporting and other surveys is progressing. Remaining pipeline funds have been reallocated to permit the resident senior survey statistician to remain until his counterpart completes U.S. training. Additional work could have been performed by the statistician, had computer installation not been delayed by problems in completing the computer center and providing electrical power. Training activities have been reasonably successful. Project experience shows that evaluations should always be performed as scheduled (as was done in this case), especially when implementation problems are severe. Two alternative scopes of work are to be developed, on the respective assumptions that the funding constraint does/does not continue.