EVALUATION OF OPG SMALL SCALE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT - CIDERE BIOBIO.

This final regular evaluation covers the period 8/76-8/77 and is based on a review of audited annual reports and field inspections. A shift in emphasis from project identification and the development of incipient projects to the promotion of feasible projects led to shortfalls in the number of ideas identified and evaluated (178 of 250 planned) and of feasibility studies conducted (13 of 22). Nevertheless, the project was an unqualified success. A.I.D. funds enabled CIDERE to operate at almost full capacity, while significantly expanding its Chilean resource base. CIDERE-funded projects created 6.5 million person-days of employment, far in excess of the original target of 1.5 million, although less than the reprogrammed goal of 7.5 million. The success of the project in the first year led the evaluation team to set overly ambitious targets for the rest of the program. Seven CIDERE projects were expanded into other regions and more are being adopted. The project taught that in determining project objectives, ratios between potential activities evaluated and feasible projects initiated are useful indicators. Project purpose indicators of absolute numbers (e.g., number of potential activities evaluated) are not as useful, as it is more difficult to identify feasible projects than it is to reject non-feasible projects. The project also taught the need for strong community support in projects of this type, as well as the need to hire -- at competitive wages, a strong, intelligent, and experienced manager for the PVO. Although A.I.D. funding has terminated, CIDERE has obtained a government grant to continue operations at the same activity level.