Dryland management synthesis

A contractor will be the implementing entity (IE). The IE will provide short-term (4-6 weeks) consultancies to: advise USAID"s and LDC"s on DA strategies and programs; help design, implement, and evaluate DA projects; and conduct studies on technical problems, regional/global issues, or DA investment strategies. The IE will also develop/conduct at least 5 short courses/seminars (including courses for LDC trainers and training program directors), develop audiovisual modules on improving on-farm DA management, and evaluate other organizations" training programs. In coordination with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International Center for Agricultural Research In the Dry Areas (ICARDA), workshops will be held in at least four countries to develop a methodology to diagnose farm-level DA problems in those countries; the methodology will be tested in two countries and organized into manuals for in-country use, and a roster of U.S. and host country DA experts available for interventions will be maintained. In collaboration with international research centers, promising DA technologies will be pilot-tested on a large scale (many small farms over a large area) with attention to socioeconomic issues. The IE will work with the National Agricultural Library and A.I.D. to develop a unified DA information system (into which project-generated data will be fed) for use by USAID"s and LDC"s; resources will be announced in DA newsletters to be published 2-4 times annually. The IE will also produce a state-of-the-art analysis of DA management worldwide (with special reference to the farm level in LDC"s and including a description of promising technology packages) and an up-to-date inventory of DA technologies, technical reports, and training and research materials; develop DA data bases geared to specific countries; and publish at least two practical technical manuals and one planning guide on increasing DA productivity.