CONSEQUENCES OF SMALL RICE FARM MECHANIZATION OF PRODUCTION, INCOMES AND RURAL EMPLOYMENT IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF ASIA

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 9/77 TO 9/79 AND IS BASED IN KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL INTERVIEWS AND ONSITE VISITS. FOLLOWING A SLOW START, THE PROJECT IS PROCEEDING WELL. SATISFACTORY PROGRESS WAS MADE TOWARD THE ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT PURPOSES WHICH WILL BE FULLY ACHIEVED WHEN RESEARCH IS COMPLETED AND RESULTS ARE PUBLISHED. THREE SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS WERE HELD. THE RESULTS OF TWO SEMINARS WERE PUBLISHED AND THE THIRD IS IN PROCESS. STAFF MEMBERS ENGAGED IN AN ORGANIZED RESEARCH ACTIVITY, THEREBY ENHANCING THEIR RESEARCH ABILITIES FOLLOWING PROJECT TERMINATION. METHODOLOGIES FOR SITE SELECTION, DATA COLLECTION, AND ANALYSIS WERE DETERMINED. SPECIFICATION OF THE REGIONAL ANALYSIS MODEL IS YET TO BE COMPLETED. SERERAL EVENTS PLACED THE PROJECT BEHIND SCHEDULE. ALTHOUGH THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED IN 9/77, TEN MONTHS PASSED BEFORE THE REVISED PROJECT PROPOSAL WAS APPROVED AND FUNDS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE CONTRACTOR, THE INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IRRI). EVENTS BEYOND IRRI"S CONTROL MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO INITIATE WORK IN PAKISTAN, REQUIRING MODIFICATION OF THE FOUR-COUNTRY COMPARISON STUDY. INDONESIAN AND THAI DROUGHT CONDITIONS RAISED QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RELIABILITY OF SITE DATA. AN ADDITIONAL YEAR OF DATA COLLECTION IN THESE TWO SITES IS PLANNED. THE PROJECT TAUGHT THE ADVANTAGE OF UTILIZING A USAID/PHILIPPINES STAFFER AS A REVIEW TEAM MEMBER AND THAT MORE TIME IS NEEDED TO COMPLETE A RESEARCH PROJECT OF THIS KIND. ELEVEN RECOMMENDATIONS PERTAINING TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT WERE MADE AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. THREE RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRING AID/W ACTION BY 1/80 WERE MADE: TO EXTEND THE PROJECT FOR TWO YEARS UNFUNDED; TO DELAY BY A YEAR THE PROPOSED REGIONAL MODELLING SPECIFICATION; AND TO MODIFY THE CONTRACT SO AS TO DELETE PAKISTAN FROM THE STUDY. A DRAFT 10/79 TEAM EVALUATION REPORT IS ATTACHED.