Educational media for women

Evaluation covers the period 8/1/78-11/30/80 and was based on site visits. Project successes include the enthusiastic participation of 168 farm women in the Dominican Republic -- the site of initial activities -- in vegetable cultivation and chicken and rabbit raising. Productivity increased surprisingly quickly (as of 9/80, 80% of the participants had bred their rabbits) and new product consumption and marketing will begin in 12/80. The host government has shown great interest in replicating the project nationally. Project outputs include the production of brochures and slide-tape presentations, an enhanced women"s training capability at the Ministry of Agriculture, and a methodology for farm women training activities. Project failures include the lack of mass media training activities. The project manager hired by the Interamerican Institute for Agricultural Sciences (IICA), the implementing agent, lacks media experience and believes that interpersonal strategies are more effective than media training. (A.I.D. should monitor initial project activities of site and staff selection more closely.) Moreover, the El Cercado site selected by IICA lacks a local radio station. Training components planned for ongoing projects were omitted as site conditions required a new project design. Little has been done regarding vegetable cultivation: only a shallow well has been installed in one family"s garden. Baseline data were hand-tabulated, which is costly and wasteful, and included too much material for project needs. To ensure future emphasis on media-based training, A.I.D."s project manager will accompany IICA staff on future site selection. Options regarding media use include further mass media activities at El Cercado, additional pilot sites in or out of the country, and adding a media specialist to the permanent project staff. Systematic IICA management and reporting procedures and a technical assistance and data management plan should be developed for the project"s duration.