AN EVALUATION OF AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION CONTRACT AID/CSD-2604

135 CONSULTANTS SPENT 4500 CONSULTING MAN-DAYS IN 42 COUNTRIES. APHA"S SYSTEM FOR RECRUITING CONSULTANTS WAS ADEQUATE FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD. 900 CONSULTANTS WERE ON THE ROSTER IN 1975,COMPARED TO 100 IN 1974. HOWEVER,THE POP/FP FIELD HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SUCH PROFESSIONALS AS ECONOMISTS,ECOLOGISTS,SOCIOLOGISTS,COMPUTER SCIENTISTS AND LEGAL EXPERTS. APHA SHOULD EXPAND ITS ROSTER OF PROSPECTIVE CONSULTANTS TO INCLUDE THESE PROFESSIONALS, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT ROSTER CONSULTANTS CHOOSE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUB-SPECIALTIES FOR THEIR PRIMARY FIELDS. APHA SHOULD CHECK ON THE ACCURACY OF ALL CONSULTANTS LISTED ON THE ROSTER,NOT JUST ON MD"S,AS IS CURRENTLY DONE. CONTRACTOR PROVIDED THE IMPORTANT SKILL OF MATCHING THE LDC PROBLEM WITH THE SPECIAL SKILL OF THE CONSULTANT,ALTHOUGH IN 1/2 OF THE CASES,THE DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE CONSULTANT"S QUALIFICATIONS WERE MENTIONED IN THE REQUEST FROM THE LDC OR AID/W. APHA SELECTED CONSULTANTS FOR THE JOB IN A PROFESSIONAL,OBJECTIVE MANNER. CONTRACTOR PERFORMED THE TECHNICAL & FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF ITS WORK VERY ADEQUATELY,BUT PERFORMED ONLY LIMITED SELF-EVALUATION OF ITS WORK. FOR EXAMPLE,CONSULTANTS WERE LOCATED RAPIDLY,USUALLY WITHIN 2 WEEKS,BUT 22 CONSULTANCIES WERE DELAYED FOR OVER 4 WEEKS & APHA DID NOT KEEP ANALYTICAL RECORDS ON THE CAUSES OF THE DELAYS. ALTHOUGH APHA CARRIED OUT ITS LIAISON FUNCTION WITH AID VERY ADEQUATELY,HALF THE CONSULTANTS" REPORTS WERE,SUBMITTED TO AID AFTER THE STIPULATED 1-MONTH DEADLINE. APHA PERFORMED THE NECESSARY BACKSTOPPING IN A FULLY SATISFACTORY MANNER,ALTHOUGH AT HIGH COSTS.MORE THAN 1 DIRECT BACKSTOP DAY WAS REQUIRED PER CONSULTANT DAY,ESPECIALLY TO MAINTAIN THE ROSTERS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT APHA KEEP PERMANENT ANALYTIC RECORDS ON EACH CONSULTATION,NOTING TIME LAPSES BETWEEN STEPS AND REASONS FOR DELAYS AND KEEP RATIOS ON BACKSTOP MAN-DAYS TO CONSULTANT MAN-DAYS. NOT A PES.