EVALUATION OF THE NORTH SHABA INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

EVALUATION, WHICH COVERS THE PERIOD FROM PROJECT INCEPTION IN 1976 TO MID 1979, WAS PERFORMED BY A CONTRACTED TEAM THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH GOZ AND USAID PROJECT OFFICIALS AND SMALL FARMERS. PROJECT COMPONENTS, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION, ROAD REHABILITATION, AND MARKETING AND CREDIT, ARE NOT PERFORMING SUFFICIENTLY WELL TO ENSURE PROJECT SUCCESS. THE INTERMEDIATE TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL, ESTABLISHING A WORKSHOP FOR FARM AND INTERMEDIATE TOOL PRODUCTION AND WIDE USAGE OF HAND MILLS. CROP TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO FARMERS (ALTHOUGH THE EXTENT OF THEIR USE CANNOT BE ASCERTAINED), AND 30 FARMER GROUPS, SKILL IN THE PRE-COOPERATIVE STAGE, AND 17 FARMER CENTERS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE RESEARCH STATION AT NGABA IS BEHIND SCHEDULE. FARMER TRAINING WILL DEPEND ON ITS AVAILABILITY. TWO OVERALL ISSUES OF MAJOR CONCERN ARE THE QUESTIONABILITY OF EXCLUSIVE EMPHASIS ON MAIZE PRODUCTION AND WHETHER PROJECT ALLIANCES WITH THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ELITE ARE ALIENATING SMALL FARMERS. A NUMBER OF DIFFICULTIES HAVE IMPEDED PROGRESS SIGNIFICANTLY. PROCUREMENT OF US EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES HAS BEEN SLOW AND LOCAL MATERIALS UNAVAILABLE. POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY AND LACK OF A COHERENT GOZ NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY ARE AMONG SERIOUS EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS. THE EVALUATION TEAM MAKES 29 RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING THAT EXPATRIATE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BE CONTRACTED FOR THE COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING COMPONENTS; A STEERING COMMITTEE BE ESTABLISHED TO COORDINATE GOZ POLICY WITH PROJECT OBJECTIVES; TRAINING FOR ZAIROISE PROJECT PERSONNEL BE CONDUCTED IN THE WEAKER PROJECT COMPONENTS NOTED ABOVE; A $500,000 REVOLVING CREDIT FUND BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE SMALL FARMERS WITH PRODUCTION INCENTIVES; AND THAT ANOTHER IN-DEPTH EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT BE UNDERTAKEN WITHIN A YEAR. APPENDED ARE SEVERAL ANNEXES DETAILING ISSUES TREATED IN THE BODY OF THE REPORT.