Final evaluations of the food crops research project (655-0011), the watershed development project (655-0013) and the PL 480 Title [II] 206 program and design recommendations for a consolidated project

480 Title II, Section 206 program in Cape Verde. All three activities were well-designed, competently managed, and effectively assisted by project technical advisors; inputs were provided at planned levels and in some cases, notably training, exceeded them. The Food Crop Research project focused its assistance on INIA, the national agricultural research institute. INIA has made great strides toward becoming a mature agency capable of carrying out a broad research mandate covering the entire complex of rural development -- improvement of all aspects of dryland and irrigated crop agriculture, social/economic considerations, and natural resource conservation technology. INIA has also trained the project extension agents who organize the P.L. 480-funded laborers who carry out conservation works in watersheds. The project's overseas training has produced a staff of researchers of good potential. Some trainees are still to return; additional training is also required for a complete research staff. INIA's research planning, strategy, and administration are rated as good. Research products have begun to flow, but there are still shortcomings in analysis, dissemination, and utilization of the output. Field experiments and demonstrations are few as yet, and INIA is only now at the point where it can begin to develop research applications with direct utility to conservation and agriculture. Nor is there an effective extension service in place to transmit such research to users. The Watershed Development project's physical achievements are impressive. Some 12,500 structures (vs. a target of 8,060) have been installed, including contour furrow and rock walls, checkdams, embankment groins, catchment tanks, reservoirs, water conductors, etc. More than 4 million trees have been planted, providing 286,000 person days of employment. In addition, some 600 members of communities in watersheds received instruction in tree planting, conservation, irrigation, and public health. The project is significantly behind schedule, however, in the production of the basic document to govern future annual workplans in each watershed and sub-basin, called Phased Watershed Development Plans. The plans require specialized personnel, extensive data, and administrative planning, which have not yet been brought together. From a technical standpoint, moreover, the structures in place are not adequately maintained, nor are they well-designed for durability; these deficiencies pose the danger of expensive breakdowns and loss of capital infrastructure. Finally, the scientifically based integrated watershed planning vital to a sound and enduring conservation program has not yet been adopted. The P.L. 480 Title II program, administered directly and well by USAID/CV and its Cape Verdean counterpart, has achieved its nominal purpose. Nearly 18,000 MT of corn, rice, vegetable oil, and beans with a total CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) value of $32 million have been imported to meet to a carefully calculated food requirement. Approximately $25 million in local currency has been made available to watershed operations, primarily for labor costs, generating employment and income; the labor has been reasonably well-utilized. At any given time in the non-agricultural season, 4,000-8,000 thousand men, women, and children, representing half of the working population of the designated watersheds, are employed by the Watershed Development project and paid with P.L. 480 counterpart. While program administration is good at handling and accounting for imports, problems remain regarding: (1) the amount of sales proceeds made available to the watershed project; (2) delays in paying laborers; and (3) the sale of some imported corn to animal-feed processors. Finally, and most importantly, the socially and technically difficult problem of labor mobilization for the conservation work has not been fully resolved. Different organizing methods have been tried, but none is fully operational. The evaluation includes design recommendations for a FY 1991-95 follow-on project to consolidate all three efforts.