Human resources development assistance

Emphasis will also be given to policy reform seminars and to strategies for reducing training costs. AID/W will have overall project management responsibility. In all, 6,991 people - 50% of whom will be from the private sector and 35% of whom will be women - will receive technical or academic training under the project. About half will be trained in-country, another 29% elsewhere in Africa, and only 21% in the United States - U.S. training will include 16 Ph.D."s, 180 M.S."s, 35 undergraduate degrees, and short courses for 1,320 persons. Some of this training will be aimed at strengthening African higher education institutions - through training of faculty and administrators, faculty exchanges, and joint programs with U.S. schools. The project will also create a computerized data bank on selected African postsecondary institutions. The project will sponsor three kinds of seminars on a regional basis: U.S. Chamber of Commerce programs to build private sector leadership; training in policy reform; and women in development seminars. The project will take a number of steps to tighten management of the training programs and reduce costs (relative to predecessor projects): in-country and third-country training will be stressed, as will the use of historically black colleges and universities for U.S. training; an information management system will be created to provide data on all bilateral, regional, and centrally funded training activities in Africa; TA will be provided to help Missions and AID/W develop plans and training strategies and to help Missions install S&T"s Training Cost Analysis System. In all, 26 countries will participate in bilateral project activities; another 6 may participate in regional activities or for special training requirements. Countries served by the Sahel Human Resources Development (SHRD) III Project are not included. Amendment of 2/88 authorizes participation of the eight Sahelian countries, due to the establishment of the Development Fund for Africa, which resulted in termination of SHRD III. The total expected number of trainees is now 10,015. The project will also complete some activities planned for SHRD III, including a directory of Francophone training facilities. (PD-BBL-584)