Health institutions improvement 122(d)

colleges and universities to provide TA to development programs, particularly health programs, in Africa. PES covers the period 1/79-4/83 and is based on document review and interviews with faculty, staff, and students at the grantee institutions. Progress in establishing institutional capacity has been slower than anticipated. All four institutions have faced leadership changes and reorganization which, while generally positive, have delayed strengthening of the grantees" abilities to provide advisory services. Nevertheless, three contracts or grants for work overseas have been awarded to the grantee institutions. A.I.D. has not provided adequate program guidance to accompany other inputs. The project requires more time and money; A.I.D. must strengthen its monitoring and begin to utilize the grantee institutions" technical resources in health programs if the project is to achieve its strengthening objectives. Project experience shows that management of institutional strengthening grants requires greater time and attention than that of other grants. It is suggested that the Bureau of Science and Technology, based on its experience with strengthening grants and the worldwide applicability of its projects, is better suited than any of the geographic Bureaus to implement grants of this type. Action decisions call for: (1) a funded grant extension; (2) allocation of additional personnel and funds to the supervision and support of the grantee institutions; (3) quarterly meetings of the institutions in preparation for formal or informal union into a consortium; (4) periodic review of the status of the institutions" requests for decisions; (5) investigation of the possibilities of technical information exchange and of (6) the formation of a consortium for pooling capabilities; (7) use of grantee technical experts on A.I.D. assignments; (8) opportunities for nondegree training; (9) integration of international health courses into curricula at the grantee institutions; and (10) a project audit.