Dominican Republic : agricultural policy analysis, project no. 517-0156 -- final evaluation report

Final evaluation covers the life of the project (1984-88). The project has met its objectives. During its first phase, under the Jorge Blanco administration (1984-86), the UEA provided high-quality, issue-specific policy studies and options analysis to the GODR's reactivated National Agricultural Council (CNA) and the Agricultural Policy Analysis Committee (CAPA), a group of CNA members from the public and private sectors. Most requests for policy analyses during this phase were from the private sector. During the second phase (1986-88), although the CNA was deactivated by the Balaguer adminstration, both CAPA and UEA continued to operate, with UEA responding primarily to policy analysis requests from the Technical Sub-Secretaries of Agriculture and of the President. The studies undertaken by UEA have provided sound and coherent policy recommendations to the government, the only drawback being that external TA, needed by UEA to calculate social costs and benefits, was not available after departure of the long-term advisor in June 1986. Acceptance of UEA's proposed policy measures generally proved easier in the second phase (although there were also notable successes in Phase I), and the policies advocated by UEA have in fact helped raise farm incomes and increase agricultural efficiency. Recommendations for a possible extension of the project are, inter alia, to (1) produce more studies, (2) hire a full time macroeconomist, and (3) encourage the private sector to commission more studies.