GRANT EVALUATION REPORT - UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND (8/28-31/79)

EVALUATION, CONDUCTED BY SPECIALISTS FROM AID/W AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MEETING WITH 18 URI STAFF MEMBERS, COVERS THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE GRANT FROM ITS INCEPTION ON 1969 TO ITS TERMINATION ON 12/31/79. THE PROJECT WAS EXTENDED FOUR TIMES, FROM 5/74 TO 12/79, WITH $1,260,000 IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS. ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL PROJECT OBJECTIVES WERE THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A FISHERIES INFORMATION SERVICE AND THE STRENGTHENING OF LINKAGES TO OTHER LDC FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS. THE EVALUATION TEAM CONCLUDED THAT THE INFORMATION SYSTEM FULLY MEETS PROJECT DESIGN REQUIREMENTS. OVER 1,080 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION WERE ANSWERED IN 1979 ALONE. THERE WAS CONCERN, HOWEVER, FOR THE FATE OF THE SYSTEM AFTER THE TERMINATION OF AID FUNDING, AS THE REGULAR CAMPUS LIBRARIES DO NOT HANDLE SUCH REQUESTS. PROJECT SHORTCOMINGS INCLUDED THE FACT THAT USAID'S DID NOT MAKE GOOD USE OF ICMRD; THAT THE LACK OF A COHERENT AND STABLE US FISHERIES/LAW OF THE SEA POLICY CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS; AND THAT AID'S ATTENTION TURNED TOWARD AQUACULTURE AND AWAY FROM ARTISANAL FISHERIES PROJECTS JUST AS ICMRD'S CAPABILITIES WERE BECOMING ESTABLISHED. THUS, ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN TERMS OF ASSEMBLING A QUALIFIED STAFF, TRAINING US AND FOREIGN PERSONNEL, GENERATING PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS, AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO AID AND LDC'S, THERE IS A DANGER THAT, WITH THE PROJECT END, ICMRD WILL SHIFT ITS FOCUS AWAY FROM THE PROBLEMS OF POOR COUNTRIES AND TOWARD US DOMESTIC PROBLEMS. THE EVALUATION TEAM THEREFORE URGENTLY RECOMMENDED THAT AID CONSIDER MEANS OF CONTINUING SUPPORT TO ICMRD TO ENABLE IT TO KEEP ITS CORE FACULTY AND NECESSARY BACKUP SUPPORT. ALSO RECOMMENDED WERE THE INSTALLATION OF A PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY IN AID/W TO INFORM USAID'S OF AID/W FISHERIES POLICY AND URI RESOURCES, AND AN AID/W REASSESSMENT OF ITS CENTRALLY-FUNDED UNIVERSITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND THEIR EVALUATION.