EVALUATION OF THE PATHFINDER FUND; FALL 1975

THE EVALUATION FOCUSSED ON CERTAIN GENERIC AREAS OF PERFORMANCE, NAMELY: BASIC ASSUMPTIONS; DIRECTIONS AND OBJECTIVES; RELATIONSHIPS; STAFFING PATTERNS; COMMUNICATIONS; AND PROJECT SELECTION, SUPPORT, EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK. THE EVALUATORS AGREED THAT AT THIS POINT PATHFINDER HAS A CHALLENGE TO RE-THINK AND RE-DEFINE ITS UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES IN ORDER BETTER TO EXPRESS ITS BASIC ROLE AS AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO LENDING THE WAY, TO ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SOLVING MANKIND'S POPULATION CRISIS. THE TEAM FOUND LITTLE INDICATION THAT PATHFINDER PRESENTLY HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ASSUMPTIONS UPON WHICH ITS PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND STATED OBJECTIVES ARE BASED. THE RANGE AND VARIETY OF PROJECTS SUGGEST THAT PATHFINDER LACKS THE POLICY DIRECTION NECESSARY TO BE CONSISTENTLY SELECTIVE IN PROJECT CONSIDERATION, DEVELOPMENT AND ACCEPTANCE FOR FUNDING. THIS LACK OF WELL-DEFINED CRITERIA FOR PROJECT SELECTION PRESENTS AN OBSTACLE WHICH NOW APPEARS TO LIMIT PATHFINDER OPERATIONS. IT WAS THE CONSENSUS OF THE TEAM THAT PATHFINDER HAS COME UNDER UNDUE EXTERNAL INFLUENCE BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF A WELL-DEFINED BASIS FOR ITS OPERATIONS. THE RE-EXAMINATION AND EXPLICIT RE-STATEMENT OF ITS BASIC ASSUMPTIONS AND OBJECTIVES WAS THE CENTRAL RECOMMENDDATION OF THE EVALUATION. THE EVALUATORS MADE 21 RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE FIVE GENERIC AREAS OF PERFORMANCE INCLUDING THAT: (1)PATHFINDER SHOULD DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF GUIDELINES WHEREBY PROJECT APPLICATIONS CAN BE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO CLEARLY DEFINED PRIORITIES; AND (2)PATHFINDER SHOULD CONSIDER DEVELOPMENT OF AN EVALUATION SYSTEM AMONG ITS HIGHEST PRIORITIES FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.