Economic policy development (economic training component)

The component has been implemented by Iowa State University (ISU). Mid-term evaluation covers the period 4/91-8/93. Participants attend class for 2 hours a day and then return to their offices. ISU has completed one of two planned 12-month training cycles, which have been of high-quality and have remedied, to a significant degree, the deficiencies in the application of economic reasoning and analytic skills characteristic of most participants when they entered the program. Forty-three participants will be graduating (6 persons have dropped out) and returning to full-time employment with 28 separate public organizations. The program has proven far cheaper per trainee than participant training. It is recommended that a third training cycle be added to increase the numbers trained to a level sufficient to affect policy formulation, and that ISU establish follow-up activities (after-hours, so no more time is taken from work) to bolster the trainees" new professional identities and strengthen linkages among participating ministries, and also to assure that supervisors know how to take advantage of their workers" new skills. The following lessons were learned. (1) It is important that USAID have a partnership with an important ministry, which can host the training program and carry it forward into other ministries; this host ministry should develop an effective recruitment and publicity strategy. (2) An experienced, highly qualified Chief of Project who can set policy and operational ground rules early and build momentum is essential. In this case, a knowledgeable, locally hired administrative assistant has also been critical. (3) It is important to set and adhere to standards as well as to content. ISU maintained its high expectations of what trainees can contribute to the public sector, motivating them as professionals. (4) The public lecture aspect of the final module has been very important in publicizing what the public employees have studied, and, particularly, in introducing key policy issues into public debate. (5) In-country training programs founder if instructors do not lend it strong credibility at the outset; successful in-country programs should hire instructors who are indigenous to the region in which they are working, are native speakers, have strong credentials as scholars and presenters in their field, and preferably, have U.S. training. (6) Training must be put to proper use upon its conclusion. This is much less likely if immediate supervisors are not readied for trainees" return. Supervisors left in the dark about a lengthy program will resent its release-time aspects and may feel threatened or fear they may lose highly valued employees. Students may have analogous fears -- that they will be penalized for their job absence or concentrated with other graduates in "economic centers." (7) The training model could be replicated in other countries where targeted groups for technical training exists (e.g., in the health care, environment, or democratization sectors).