Evaluation of the rural works project, phase I, for USAID/Afghanistan

IT HAS INITIATED SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS TO IMPLEMENT INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN FIVE PILOT REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY. IT HAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED ITS OBJECTIVES BOTH IN RURAL WORKS AND IN INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE LIMIT OF ITS OWN CAPABILITIES, TO THE DESIRES OF THE AID MISSION,OR TO THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL AID PROJECT DESIGNERS. IT IS, HOWEVER, A SIGNIFICANT FORCE FOR CHANGE AND MODERNIZATION. BEGINNING IN APRIL 1976, RDD EXPECTS TO COMPLETE 70 RURAL WORKS. THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SURVEYED, DESIGNED, APPROVED, AND CONSTRUCTION TEAMS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE FIELD. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF USAID IN THE RURAL WORKS PROJECT PILOT PHASE, DESIGN STANDARDS AND CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND GENERALLY ADHERED TO. THE EVALUATION CONTAINS: (1)A SUMMARY OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE; (2)AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRESS OF AID SUPPORT TO THE RURAL WORKS COMPONENT OF RDD AGAINST THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE PROJECT DESIGNERS; (3)SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON A LARGE NUMBER OF ISSUES AND ASSUMPTIONS; AND (4)AN APPROACH TO DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT IN AFGHANISTAN. THE EVALUATORS RECOMMEND THAT AID SUPPORT TO THE RURAL WORKS COMPONENT OF RDD BE CONTINUED.