Audit of information used to monitor progress on USAID/Egypt"s irrigation management systems project (project no. 263-0132)

Audit report covers the period 1981-9/94. As of 9/30/94, USAID had expended a total of $274 million on the project. These funds had been used to finance 10 separate components covering a wide range of activities, including a $63 million component to help the Government of Egypt (GOE) build and improve irrigation infrastructure; a $48 million component to install a high-tech telemetry system to collect and transmit data on water levels from 800 remote sites nationwide; and a $33 million component to develop the capacity of 11 water research institutes. However, the Mission had difficulties quantifying improvements in irrigation efficiency as a result of the project, since it has not been possible to directly link project outputs to increases in agricultural production. In addition, factors unrelated to the project, such as policy reforms and research, have also had an impact on agricultural production. In terms of outputs, 2 of the 10 project components have been completed, the largest of which has surpassed its target of replacing 18,500 irrigation structures. In regards to the three largest remaining active components, targets have been achieved in only half. In addition, the audit found that required financial and other analyses had not been done to justify the project"s $37 million Survey and Mapping component. The major recommendation is that USAID/E redesign the project"s purpose-level indicator to provide a basis for deciding whether investment in a follow-on project is warranted. The present project has a planned completion date of 9/95.