Centre Africain de Formation et de Recherche Adminisratives pour le Developpement (CAFRAD) : evaluation report

Evaluation covers the period 3/76-3/80 and is based on site visits (to Ghana, Senegal, and Kenya), document review, and interviews with government and African Training and Research Center in Administration for Development (CAFRAD) officials. Despite the strong desire for project management (PM) training expressed by participating countries, only 25% of project funds have gone to PM training and the project"s overall focus has been shifted from PM training to general support of CAFRAD. Specifically, PM training was hampered by CAFRAD"s limited PM capability; ill-advised assumption of participants" travel and per diem expenses; dependence on multi-donor funded workshops; and use of many consultants. None of 15 planned training of trainers (TOT) regional centers were established, and only two of four planned TOT courses have been run. Participating countries" desire for CAFRAD to serve as a PM information clearinghouse has been poorly addressed. Moreover, despite CAFRAD"s increased membership, its planning and control systems are poor and its financial status was weakened by the ending of UN Development Program support and by increasing arrears in member dues. It is recommended that: (1) CAFRAD establish a sound planning and control system for program and financial activities; (2) A.I.D. funds be placed in a separate account under strict A.I.D. control; (3) at least one functional sub-regional/national center be developed; (4) a PM syllabus be tested and documented; (5) a core cadre of African trainers be created; (6) a four-person, inter-disciplinary, English- and French-speaking team be developed to identify, evaluate, and distribute PM material, to provide communication channels with member countries, and to facilitate trans-country training; and (7) responsibility for expenses, especially travel and per diem, associated with workshops and seminars be transferred from CAFRAD to member countries.