ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION (ECIEL)

THIS END-OF-PROJECT EVALUATION, CONDUCTED IN-HOUSE BY THE BUREAU FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, COVERS THE PERIOD FROM 6/76 TO 6/79. THE EVALUATION CONSISTED OF A REVIEW OF THE FILE RECORDS AND COMPLETED STUDIES, AND CONSULTATIONS WITH FORMER PROJECT MANAGERS AS WELL AS PROJECT OFFICERS OF DONOR INSTITUTIONS. THE ECIEL (A CONSORTIUM OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS) USED GRANT FUNDS TO DEVELOP A BASIC RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND TO CONDUCT SIX PILOT STUDIES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE MODERN URBAN, TRADITIONAL URBAN, AND RURAL SECTORS OF LATIN AMERICA. THE STUDIES WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A SUMMARY REPORT. DONOR INSTITUTIONS FINANCED TEN COUNTRY AND TWO CROSS-NATIONAL STUDIES TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATION RECEIVED BY INDIVIDUALS, ITS COST AND QUALITY. THE 18 COMPLETED STUDIES WERE OF HIGH QUALITY DUE TO THEIR METHODOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION AND THE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE OF THE ECIEL. HOWEVER, THE PROJECT EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS GATHERING, DISSEMINATING, AND MONITORING RESEARCH RESULTS. GATHERED RESEARCH DATA WAS SLANTED TOWARDS A SMALL GROUP OF RECOGNIZED SCHOLARS; THE EVALUATION TEAM RECOMMENDED THAT FUTURE RESEARCHERS GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE MORE NEGLECTED AREAS OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. IN ADDITION, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE STUDIES" RESULTS BE PRESENTED IN A FORM MORE EASILY ADAPTED TO POLICY AND THAT A "TRACKING SYSTEM" BE DEVELOPED TO MONITOR THEIR IMPACT ON DECISIONMAKERS AND CONSEQUENT EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED IS THAT A NETWORK SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS AND THUS DESERVES THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF AID AND OTHER DONOR AGENCIES.