Evaluation of the ASEAN scholarship for tropical medicine and public health project

Joint TROPMED/USAID evaluation covers the period 1981-9/85 and is based on document review and extensive interviews. The ASEAN Governing Body has effectively allocated scholarships, granting 417 to date for diploma and Master's degree programs at national training centers belonging to TROPMED, a consortium of medical schools coordinated by SEAMEO. The project target of 500 scholarships will probably be exceeded by 5-10%. Highly flexible implementation guidelines, in which the sole restriction limits the number of scholars attending their home country institution to 25% of the total, have allowed training to address national needs while expanding regional cooperation and institutional linkages; in allocating scholarships, ASEAN has demonstrated a commitment to regional cooperation over and above national and institutional loyalties. During the past 2 years scholarships have been used less frequently to reward senior personnel, and an increasing number have been awarded to scholars from regional (i.e., subnational) and provincial institutions. The training has been relevant to the region's health research and delivery systems and seems to be meeting a strong demand; a recent questionnaire shows that most alumni return home to continue public health work - primarily in academic teaching positions and government health programs - and generally in a higher or more technical position. Moreover, the scholarships have proved 60% less costly than U.S. training and have provided needed operations funding for the training centers. It is recommended that: A.I.D. continue to support health scholarships; ASEAN and SEAMEO continue to support linkages within and among ASEAN countries to maximize health resources; and a design team begin work on a follow-on project, giving additional consideration to simplifying the approval process for scholarship recipients.