Evaluation of the East-West Center Program on Population cooperative agreement

The project involved four major types of activities (research, TA, training, and information dissemination) focusing on five programmatic themes: (1) FP program evaluation; (2) the unmet need for FP in Asia; (3) birth spacing and child survival; (4) contraceptive method choice and accessibility; and (5) population and the environment. Evaluation covers the period 8/88-2/93 vs. a PACD of 8/93. EWCPOP has substantially achieved the objectives of the cooperative agreement. It has produced a significant volume of useful research studies which have had a policy/program impact in the Asia region. These studies met or exceeded the number of deliverables called for and addressed appropriate themes. The research has been collaborative in nature and has been linked to effective TA and training/workshops, resulting in an increase in the capacity for such activity in the countries concerned. Dissemination activities, while generally good, have focused too much on activities in Hawaii and not sufficiently on field activities. Also, evaluation activities have been rather sporadic and not always helpful. The original workplan and budget distribution could have been improved. Planning, coordination, and implementation have all fallen on the same few staff persons, frequently subjecting them to nearly unmanageable workloads. More input from technical staff would have made for an even more successful project. A better workplan, integrating objectives, modalities, and resources would have been equally helpful. Given the success of the present agreement, A.I.D. should give serious thought to a new, revised, agreement with EWCPOP. Such an agreement would have to clearly define strategic goals and present a detailed research agenda and an integrated workplan linking research, TA, training, and dissemination activities to the achievement of specific objectives. These objectives should reflect EWCPOP's comparative advantage and should relate to the work of other A.I.D. contractors and grantees in the context of A.I.D.'s global mission. The agreement must stress activities planned and conducted in the field; include a built-in evaluation plan; and devote greater attention to dissemination in the field using computer-based communication techniques as well as better targeted traditional print media. (Author abstract, modified)