Evaluation report on project 4980265 : extension of small scale agricultural equipment

Special evaluation covers the period 1979-11/81 and is based on site visits and interviews with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) staff. The project is going well in Indonesia, poorly in Thailand, beginning well in the Philippines, and about to begin in India after three long years of discussion. Project strengths are its purpose, which is attractive to LDC's; its client and results-oriented design; and IRRI's fine reputation, which promotes acceptance of the project and attracts capable staff. IRRI has been weak however, in formulating country strategies and work plans in conjunction with A.I.D. and counterpart personnel, and IRRI's strong capability to test new ideas in agricultural equipment has not been fully used due to poor communication with field staff, unclear research priorities, and lack of social analysis, which has left the project with a narrow engineering focus and little ability to identify farmer needs. In Indonesia, excellent progress has been made in equipment extension and in developing small equipment fabricators in the target province of West Sumatra. Since 1979, 5 fabricators have built and sold 100 threshers, 2 others have begun building threshers, and a dealer has sold 50 threshers built elsewhere in Indonesia. Progress was also made at the policy and institutional levels (e.g., a government plan to import Japanese tractors was cancelled). The only problem is a tendency toward dispersion of effort beyond the limited available means; concentration on a few key targets is essential. In Thailand, extension has not been successful, despite a few useful accomplishments, and should be replanned. Neither farmers not fabricators have accepted IRRI equipment designs, and IRRI's expertise in social, policy, and institutional analysis has not been used. Worse, IRRI appears content to let this ineffective program run on indefinitely. If the program is not substantially improved, it should be ended. An impressive start has been made in the Philippines during the 6 months the new outreach officer has been in the country, and greater access to policy issues than in the other countries is likely there.