Evaluation of technical assistance to support the 1980 worldwide census program (DUALabs, Inc. and Delta Systems, Inc.)

Special evaluation covers the period 10/78-3/82 and is based on document review, interviews with contractor staff, and site visits. Because the principal contractor, DUALabs, Inc., lacks expertise in LDC women's issues, their state-of-the-art report on census data on women is neither comprehensive nor useful. The report lacks conceptualization, omits key works, and fails to use indicators on the problems of LDC women. It is doubtful whether the report can be salvaged; any revision must be extensive and should be undertaken only by a expert on women's indicators. Moreover, DUALabs has not taken appropriate and cost-effective steps to ensure succesful completion of country-specific reports. Conferences held by DUALabs were not effective. On the other hand, Delta Systems Consultants, Inc. (DSC), the technical contractor, has ably performed in-country consultations and has contracted outside consultants as necessary; 24 consultation trips have been made, the majority to Latin America and the remainder equally to Africa and Asia. Software consultation and workshops (especially regarding COCENTS and CONCOR) accounted for 70% of the trips. DSC's follow-up monitoring of consultations, has, however, been weak and little effort has been made new initiate software enhancements and workshops. DSC has developed three major technical products: a software inventory report; a hardware feasibility report; and a CONTROL software system, the latter providing on-line data on the administrative progress of censuses and surveys. While generally valuable, and produced in a cost-effective and timely manner, these products are not without weaknesses. Dissemination of the inventory report has been inadequate, and the hardware report needs extensive revision, particularly regarding country-specific references. The CONTROL system was successfully installed and field-tested at the National Institute of Statistics in Lima, Peru. Dissemination of the system to other LDC's is recommended. Several other recommendations address the above noted-problems.