Battelle project in Sudan

Evaluation is based on site visits and interviews with project staff and subcontractors and is attached to a special evaluation (PD-AAJ-063) and three other trip reports; no evaluation period is given. Although the contractor, Battelle Memorial Institute (BMI), has coordinated its activities well with USAID/S and has spent sufficient time in Sudan to ensure productive programming, it has not developed the administrative and promotional procedures needed to create a lasting and positive image of PDP II. Nonetheless, BMI has written and AID/W has approved a thorough country strategy paper which calls for an integrated, gradual approach to developing a Sudanese Government (SG) population policy -- i.e., achieving fertility control indirectly by improving the quality of life. A more direct and aggressive fertility reduction program would likely be rejected by the SG and would damage efforts to develop a coordinated population/family planning policy. Despite delays and unnecessary complications, BMI has selected the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as the sponsoring organization, and both authors and research topics appears well chosen. The research is not likely to result in a notable addition to present knowledge but will, nevertheless, increase the visibility of population research. In addition, both ESRC and BMI are expected to receive the support of the National Population Committee, a newly formed group of Sudanese leaders concerned with population issues. Finally, it is recommended that BMI adopt procedures that facilitate organization-building and anticipate interorganizational and interpersonal problems which might arise among participating groups and individuals.