Caribbean regional development training project

Evaluation covers the period 1979-7/81; no methodology is indicated. After a 6-month delay to satisfy conditions precedent, project implementation by the Caribbean Common Market Secretariat (CARICOM) is on schedule. Attainment of the target of 300 Individual Training Grants (ITG) has been threatened, however, by rising training costs and overemphasis on long-term instead of short-term training. Of the 91 ITG"s to date, only 10 have been from medium developing countries (Guyana and Jamaica), thus satisfying the target that 80% of ITG funds would be allotted to the eight less-developed countries (LDC) and Barbados. Due to the difficulty of LDCs to release middle- and senior-level personnel, more junior-level personnel than anticipated have entered the project, thus threatening the project"s potential multiplier effect. Four of the 12 planned public sector seminars, averaging 22 participants, have been held and four more are planned. However, only 12 of the 48 planned island-specific private sector seminars, averaging only 10 participants, and none of the 12 planned regional private sector seminars have been held. The vastness of the project area has caused logistical problems, e.g., the pressure put on trainees, especially for U.S. training, due to the length of time required for communications between CARICOM and the Regional Development Office (RDO/C). Project experience has taught that donors must delimit precisely the areas for development-oriented training and that the lagging of the private sector has been due to its suspicion of the public sector, i.e., CARICOM.