Audit of AID participation in Sahel River Basin development

Audit report covers the period 1975-1986 and is based on document review, field trips, and interviews with personnel from AID/W, USAID"s in Senegal and Niger, and regional organization (RO)s. Since 1975 A.I.D. has authorized $60 million for 14 projects to strengthen the planning capabilities of three West African RO"s: the organizations responsible for the development of the Gambia and Senegal River Basins (OMVG and OMVS, respectively) and the Niger Basin Authority (ABN). These efforts have had mixed results. On the positive side, A.I.D. provided the RO"s with planning data critical to developing the three river basins; these data included social, economic, and environmental studies, river basin development models, and a comprehensive study of the Gambia River Basin. Maximum use was not made of these data, however, as A.I.D. assistance was less successful in strengthening RO planning capacities. The projects experienced problems with TA and participant training and a lack of qualified host country personnel, while the RO"s had internal management problems and lacked funds because some member countries did not pay their dues. In addition, contrary to the guidelines provided by A.I.D. Handbooks, the Senegal and Niger Missions did not systematically reassess project assumptions, measure project results, enforce grant conditions and covenants, conduct required evaluations, or review the projects" costs and benefits. This resulted in impaired effectiveness and the incurring of unnecessary cost. A.I.D. began to address these problems in 1986 when assistance to ABN was terminated because of poor results and USAID/Senegal withheld assistance on a new project pending organizational improvements in OMVS. The audit recommends that A.I.D. make future assistance contingent upon improvements in the RO"s and also makes specific recommendations to improve project management. The Senegal Mission, while criticizing certain aspects of the audit - USAID/S felt, in particular, that the audit did not give sufficient credit for OMVG and OMVS accomplishments, especially the expected completion of dam construction in the Senegal River - concurred with the audit recommendations and has already begun corrective action. The Niger Mission also criticized the audit, but the termination of all assistance to the ABN results in the closing of the recommendation specifically directed to that Mission.