AID grant no. AID/PHA-G-1077 to Overseas Development Council to assist PVOs to improve the planning, implementation and evaluation of PVO development assistance

PROJECT CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS, TO BE HELD FOR PVO TECHNICAL PERSONNEL, ODC, A.I.D., THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON VOLUNTARY FOREIGN AID, THE COUNCIL ON FOUNDATIONS, AND LDC REPRESENTATIVES, TO DISCUSS IDEAS ON IMPROVING FORWARD PLANNING CAPABILITIES AND THE OPERATION OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE NEW INITIATIVES AND EMPHASES OF FOREIGN ASSISTANCE LEGISLATION. A SERIES OF 5 WORKSHOPS, PLANNED AND COORDINATED BY ODC, WILL BE HELD: 2 ON THE EAST COAST (ONE IN WASHINGTON, DC), ONE EACH ON THE WEST COAST AND IN THE MID-WEST, AND ONE FOR SELECTED PVO PERSONNEL TO REVIEW WORKSHOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS. APPROXIMATELY 100 PEOPLE WILL ATTEND EACH WORKSHOP. PVO PARTICIPANTS WILL BE FROM FUNCTIONAL AREAS SUCH AS FOOD AND NUTRITION, HEALTH AND POPULATION, AND EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT. (IN LIGHT OF THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS UNDER WHICH MANY AGENCIES FUNCTION, SOME ATTENTION MAY BE GIVEN TO IMPROVING MANAGEMENT.) ODC WILL PROVIDE PAPERS TO SERVE AS A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION OF THE FUNCTIONAL AREAS. THE PAPERS, TO BE PREPARED BY EXPERTS CHOSEN BY ODC, WILL DEFINE THE CHIEF PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS, IDENTIFY THE KEY CONCEPTUAL ISSUES INVOLVED, PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING THEM, AND INDICATE WHAT A.I.D. AND THE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DONE AS A METHOD OF SUGGESTING WAYS IN WHICH PVO PERFORMANCE CAN BE IMPROVED. A.I.D. WILL PREPARE A PAPER ON ITS VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT. FURTHER TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION WILL INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT SITUATION IN LDC"S; THE KEY ROLE OF PVO"S IN EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS; THE NECESSITY FOR LONGER-RANGE AND MORE SYSTEMATIC PLANNING BY PVO"S PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP; AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY AND EMPHASIS; AND THE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS NEEDED TO REACH THE POOREST MAJORITY IN A WAY THAT WILL PRODUCE SUSTAINED CHANGE. ODC WILL REPORT TO A.I.D. ON THE WORKSHOPS AND WILL ALSO CONDUCT FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES.