GROSS MORNE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 6/78 TO 12/79, AND IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF THE FINDINGS OF TWO PREVIOUS PROJECT EVALUATIONS, AN INDEPTH STUDY ENTITLED INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN HAITI: SOME PROBLEMS, TWO CASE STUDIES,AND A PROPOSAL AND COMPLETED IN 3/79 BY TWO CONTRACTORS, AND AN INTERNAL REVIEW UNDERTAKEN BY THE PROJECT STAFF, THE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICE (CRS), AND USAID/HAITI IN 12/79. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT, AFTER SUBSTANTIAL REVISION IN EARLY PROJECT YEARS (PD-AAB-004-F1), IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PEASANTS IN THE GROS MARNE AREA TO FORM SMALL GROUPS OF 10 TO 15 MEMBERS CALLED GROUPEMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF POOLING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND INVESTING IN SMALL PROFIT-MAKING ACTIVITIES. THE FINDINGS OF THESE TWO EVALUATIONS INDICATE THAT THE GROUPEMENT IS A CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE MECHANISM FOR ORGANIZING THE HAITIAN PEASANT, ONE WHICH SETS THE STAGE FOR TRULY LOCAL, SELF-MANAGED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. THE EVALUATIONS SHOW THAT THE PROJECT HAS SUCCEEDED IN ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF ORGANIZING THE RURAL PEASANT, INCLUDING THE TRAINING OF 231 VOLUNTEER EXTENSION AGENTS IN AGRICULTURAL, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, CONSTRUCTION, HEALTH, LEGAL, AND ACCOUNTING TECHNIQUES AND IN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES; THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME 128 GROUPEMENTS INVOLVING SOME 1,280 FAMILIES, WHICH ARE SUCCESSFULLY ACTIVE IN A NUMBER OF ENDEAVORS, PRIMARY AMONG WHICH ARE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES; AND THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF GROUPEMENT DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, CRS HAS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A REVOLVING CREDIT FUND FOR USE BY THE MOST ADVANCED GROUPEMENTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE HEALTH COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT HAS EXPERIENCED MAJOR DIFFICULTIES. PHASE II OF THIS PROJECT SHOULD NOW BEGIN AND SHOULD FOCUS ON EXPANDING THE MOVEMENT AND FEDERATING SOME OF THE STRONGER GROUPEMENTS INTO COOPERATIVES. TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR THE PROJECT AND FOR COORDINATING PROJECT EVALUATION PLANNING ARE ALSO INCLUDED.