Evaluation of the research and training network of the Agricultural Development Council

and LDC agricultural economists can share their knowledge of rural and agricultural development problems. Special evaluation covers the period 1977-79 and is based on a team review of project documents and a survey of A.I.D. personnel who attended project-sponsored conferences. The International Agricultural Economics Seminar's Research Training Network (RTN) project, implemented by the Agricultural Development Council, has successfully progressed toward achieving planned outputs and has adapted to meet changing needs and emphases. Since 5/77, the project has sponsored 15 conferences in five countries involving 367 participants, and has distributed conference-related publications to 11,500 individuals and organizations. However, to best serve LDC's (LDC participation in conferences has fallen from 32% to 16%), the project should continue to emphasize the entire spectrum of rural development research and education; continue to increase seminars directed toward LDC rural development issues; increase the number of LDC participants; increase the participation of A.I.D. personnel; and involve the Program Committee more closely in the selection of conference topics. The major shortcoming of the project has been its failure to adequately serve Latin America and Africa. Therefore, the number of conferences in the two regions should be increased and the number held in the United States reduced. The RTN staff should be expanded and located more in Africa and Latin America in order to establish linkages and identify subjects and likely participants for conferences. In order to strengthen publications and reduce lag time between a conference and publication of a conference paper (currently 11.5 months), RTN should: encourage authors to remain after conferences to prepare reports; initiate a new series of papers to be written by conference participants who are employees of LDC planning agencies or donor agencies, with both a program and policy focus; and distribute some conference papers in mimeograph form.