CARE/SIERRA LEONE RURAL PENETRATION ROADS; GRANT NO AID/AFR-G-1154; EVALUATION

THE RURAL PENETRATION ROADS CONSTRUCTED HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING FARMER ACCESS TO THE AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AND EXTENSION SERVICES UNDER THE INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THE ORIGINAL THREE-YEAR TARGETS OF CONSTRUCTING 900 MILES OF RURAL PENETRATION ROADS, 120 BRIDGES, AND 7,425 CULVERTS AT A TOTAL COST OF $4 MILLION WERE UNREALISTIC. BY JUNE 30, 1977, CARE EXPECTS TO HAVE COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 224 MILES OF FEEDER ROADS, BRIDGES AND BOX CULVERTS AND 672 PIPE CULVERTS. BASED ON CALCULATIONS OF ACTUAL IN-KIND AND CASH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ALL SOURCES FOR FY 1976, THE COST IS AN ESTIMATED $12,000 PER MILE. THIS IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN ANY PENETRATION ROADS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN AFRICA. THERE ARE SEVERAL UNIQUE FEATURES OF PROJECT WHICH MAY LIMIT REPLICABILITY OF THE LOW-COST APPROACH IN OTHER WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES. CARE IS DESIGNING, CONSTRUCTING AND/OR REHABILITATING ROADS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MINISTRY OF WORK STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR CLASS IV ROADS, THE EVALUATORS MADE TWO PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS: (1)THAT THE SECOND TRANCHE OF THE GRANT BE MADE AVAILABLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE; AND (2)THAT AID SHOULD CONSIDER AN EXTENSION AND/OR EXPANSION OF SUPPORT TO THE PROJECT WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE FOLLOWING MATTERS: USAID-FINANCED PROCUREMENT, GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE CONTRIBUTIONS, BRIDGES, EVALUATION AND THE AID PROJECT MANAGER.