EVALUATION REPORT; ACCELERATED IMPACT PROGRAM (AIP); PROJECT 625-11-995-910

THE FY76 ACCELERATED IMPACT PROGRAM (AIP) HAD EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES AND WAS BEHIND SCHEDULE DESPITE SUBSTANTIAL ADVANCE PLANNING AND THE WIDESPREAD DISSEMINATION OF THE AID CRITERIA AND DETAILED PROCEDURES. AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1976, ONLY $2.3 MILLION OF THE $5 MILLION PROGRAMMED WAS OBLIGATED FOR 17 ACTIVITIES IN 5 OF THE SAHEL COUNTRIES. DESPITE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH SIMILAR SAHEL R&R PROCEDURES AND LENGTHY PREPARATIONS FOR THE AIP PROGRAM, IT WAS PERHAPS OVERAMBITIOUS TO EXPECT $5 MILLION IN OBLIGATIONS WITHIN A NINE-MONTH PERIOD. AIP WAS A NEW PROGRAM REQUIRING MORE DELIBERATE AND INTENSIVE DESIGN EFFORTS THAT R&R AND ALSO A CONSIDERABLY LARGER AID/W ROLE IN REVIEW, PROCESSING AND MONITORING. AIP PROGRAM DELAYS AND DEFICIENCIES WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO TWO MAIN FACTORS: (1)VAGUENESS AND CONFUSION ABOUT AIP CRITERIA; AND (2)INADEQUATE DETAIL IN THE A-PID SUBMISSIONS. ALTHOUGH A SMALL NUMBER OF APPROVED AIP ACTIVITIES DID CONFORM TO THE LIMITS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED, I.E., PILOT, START-UP OR INNOVATIVE, THE BULK OF APPROVED ACTIVITIES FOR FY76 APPEARD TO FIT MORE NEARLY WITH IN THE EARLIER IMMEDIATE IMPACT CRITERIA FOR THE R&R PROGRAM FRAMEWORK. FOR FY77, HOWEVER, AFR/SFWA MISSIONS HAVE INDICATED THAT PILOT AND START-UP ACTIVITIES ARE APPROPRIATE TO THE SAHEL DEVELOPMENTAL SITUATION. THE EVALUATORS BELIEVE THE BASIC AIP PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND CORRESPONDING CRITERIA REMAIN SOUND AND VALID. ORIGINALLY, ONE-TIME AFR/W APPROVAL OF DISAPPROVAL WAS TO BE BASED UPON THE REVIEW AND PROCESSING OF THE A-PID. HOWEVER, THE A-PID'S DID NOT CONTAIN SUFFICIENT INFORMATION AND THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS STRETCHED OVER SEVERAL MONTHS. THE EVALUATORS MADE EIGHT GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND NINE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT AIP PROCEDURES,INCLUDING THAT AIP SHOULD BE CONTINUED IN AFRICA IN FY77 AND FY78 AND THAT IT SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON SMALL-SCALE PILOT, START-UP AND INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES.