Audit of long-term participant training program in Africa

Audit report examines PT activities through 7/86 in 17 bilateral projects (in 8 countries) having significant PT components and is based on document review and interviews with participants, contractors, and with officials of USAID"s, the Bureau for Africa, and A.I.D."s Office of International Training (OIT). Despite the many positive aspects of the PT program - for the most part, participants did remarkably well scholastically and returned to their countries - numerous problems were noted with regard to the design, implementation, follow-up, and evaluation of the training. Missions failed to adequately assess PT requirements during project design and planning stages. Formal training plans either were not prepared or did not give sufficient consideration to such factors as the availability of PT candidates, the timeliness of the training, or the possibility of providing PT in other African countries rather than in the United States. Also, contrary to A.I.D. policy, extensive undergraduate training was being provided without Mission documentation of extenuating circumstances. However, Missions have been doing a much better job of designing and planning newer projects. Secondly, formal systems have not been established for Mission follow-up of returned participants and evaluation of PT effectiveness. As a result, implementation of many projects has been severely hampered. Finally, past evaluations of PT projects or components have made little effort to assess the impact of training on returned participants" job effectiveness or the broader question of whether PT has furthered A.I.D. and host country development objectives. It is recommended that the Bureau for Africa: (1) require Missions to make detailed assessments of training requirements and to prepare country- and project-specific training plans; (2) identify ways to augment Missions" personnel resources for participant follow-up and require Missions to implement OIT"s PT Management System or a similar PT follow-up system; and (3) require that future project evaluations include an assessment of PT impact. The Bureau for Africa"s comments on the audit are appended.