Evaluation report of project 649-0101 : agricultural extension, training, and research in the Bay Region of Somalia

Special evaluation covers the period 1979-3/80 and is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with GOS personnel, Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) team members, and project beneficiaries. Good progress has been made in the first four months of project implementation. PASA team members have taken the opportunity to familiarize themselves with farmers' problems in the bay region and determine a course of action to follow with regard to field activities. Three PASA team members have been placed onsite and stress has been put on setting up field demonstrations. seven/eight demonstrations have been held in five villages employing such crops as sorghum, cow peas, and groundnuts. Farmers have not been reluctant to take part in setting up these demonstrations. A regional project manager and six village extension agents have already been assigned to the project (five are located in their assigned villages, one is currently unassigned), and an organizational chart for staffing and operating the Bonka Training Center has been tentatively approved. However, only limited effort has been put into developing a training process; the main emphasis has been on applying an apprenticeship approach. The village extensionists have had only a limited high school education in agriculture and have had little practical experience in farming. Therefore, they are observing and learning from the PASA team members. One team member has worked with extensionists on a one-to-one basis to solve whatever problems occur. However, a more coordinated training approach is needed as the number of extensionists in the region increases. Participant training was to have been provided on both a long- and short-term basis but has yet to be implemented. Sixteen recommendations are noted.