Evaluation of activity under development program

(IHAP), a U.S. PVO, institutionalize a system of program planning, development, and evaluation. Special evaluation covers the period 9/77-9/80 and is based on document review, interviews with IHAP, USAID, and counterpart staff and with beneficiaries, and site visits in Korea, Philippines, and Thailand. The Development Program Grant, which was extended from 9/30/80 to 2/18/81, has helped IHAP expand its activities from 2 to 12 countries and from 20 to 35 major projects and expand its finances from $2.4 million to $4 million. As per grant objectives, a program department has been established in IHAP and three of four positions have been filled, although with some confusion concerning administrative, management, and evaluation duties. Staff training has been minimal, however, with little U.S. training or orientation for U.S.-based staff and even less for field staff. Little applied research has been conducted. IHAP projects, the emphasis of which has shifted under the grant from welfare to community-based integrated rural development projects, are low-cost, of limited duration, have achievable goals, and emphasize self-help, stringent managerial controls, and the heavy involvement of beneficaries to assure the continuation of development activities beyond project life. IHAP functions as facilitator or implementor, providing seed money and technical assistance in planning and management, according to the needs of each individual project. Projects in community development, health, agriculture, and women in development stress the generation of family income, skills training, and the strengthening of local institutions to support technical programs. Targets are based on expressed needs of the community and means for achieving them are usually specified in project designs. On the other hand, assessment of economic costs and returns is weak and IHAP guidelines for evaluating its projects need further development. In sum, IHAP has demonstrated effectiveness and integrity and is clearly capable of implementing a matching grant.