Bicol integrated area development II; final draft

Evaluation covers the period 1/78-6/81 and is based on a review of project documents, site visits, and interviews with USAID/P and Government of the Philippines (GOP) officials. The Bula-Minalabac Land Consolidation Subproject (BMLCS) is a six-part program whose accomplishments are as follows: (1) Agricultural Production -- estimated end-of-project net increase in rice production is 11,341 tons; (2) Incomes -- data not yet collected; (3) Organizational Development -- numerous rural associations created including one designed for women; (4) Health, Nutrition, and Education -- 2,446 people trained in these fields as well as in agricultural and other skills; (5) Land Reform -- escalating costs indicate that land reform should be attempted only on areas of 1,000 or more ha of contiguous, flat, irrigated land inhabited by beneficiaries of Operation Land Transfer; (6) IAD -- the GOP's policy has resulted in no significant replication of the BMLCS model project. Because of design changes, physical infrastructure development has been delayed and an extension of the project activities completion date from 12/31/82 to 6/30/84 is recommended if nine preconditions are met. Of the 28 remaining recommendations, the evaluation team considered the following seven to be the most important: USAID/P approve short-term technical assistance (TA) funds to help design a strategy for the Irrigators' Association organizational development and training; Ministry of Agrarian Reform (MAR) analyze the project's current cost structure; MAR and USAID/P discuss restructuring the current Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement; a USAID/P officer take responsibility for TA and monitor the project's Institutional Development component; MAR fund subdivision surveys of BMLCS Phases I-V; the Project Management Office hire an additional survey team; a private contractor be hired to provide land consolidation surveys, computations, and mapping services for BMLCS phases IV and V.