External mid-term evaluation of BRIDGES

The evaluation covers the period 9/85-3/90. The project is an important, creative approach to an international educational problem of immense proportions. So far, it has produced a total of 6 research reports, 4 development discussion papers, and 75 casual papers. In addition, 6 computer-based simulation models have been developed, dozens of short-term training and demonstration programs have been carried out, and significant contributions have been made in improving education information systems in at least two countries. Activities have been concentrated in the countries of Burundi, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. On the negative side, there are a number of unfulfilled expectations and persistent difficulties in project operation. The main obstacles stem from the project's ambitious scope, complexity, and limited resources of time and money. Initial expectations regarding the time needed to collaboratively design and carry out research and development tasks were overly optimistic. Despite creative management, target dates could not always be met. The project also suffers from frustrations common to educational development projects. Problems associated with educational development and reform resist complete understanding and educational research does not easily or often result in clear, non-controversial directions for educational policy. Attempting to generalize about the acquired insights across countries compounds the difficulty.