CLEARINGHOUSE ON DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS

with information on the application of communications technology to development problems. Special final evaluation, attached to a PES (DOCID B9310925001501) covers the period 1/77-6/78 and is based on an onsite review of the project by a five-person team from A.I.D. and the Academy for Educational Development, the implementing agency. CDC has assembled an excellent staff with complementary skills, and its Development Communication Reports and Profiles have been valuable in communicating analytic statements, project summaries, and state-of-the-art information and in identifying problems of broad relevance. Thus, A.I.D.'s Office of Education (AID/DS/ED) should continue and strengthen the CDC's activities. It is recommended though, that: (1) AID/DS/ED actively participate in all questions of project priority and emphasis; (2) target audiences be better defined by gathering field-oriented knowledge through questionnaires or other means; (3) the CDC's information analysis, summary, and synthesis roles be emphasized over its more purely library functions; (4) CDC publications be improved by using a more concise style, focusing on sector applications, not limiting issues to a single sector, and publishing simple "how-to" items in separate handbooks; (5) support be given for greater CDC staff participation in professional meetings and field visits to Missions and LDC counterpart institutions; and (6) the CDC develop guidelines for referring users to other development communication sources and institutions.