Impact of participant training on the attainment of development goals : analysis of two sectors

THE CONCLUSION TO THIS WAS AFFIRMATIVE AND TOOK THE FORM OF A PROTOTYPE METHODOLOGY FOR CARRYING OUT SUCH ASSESSMENTS. THIS REPORT IS OF THE METHODS AND PROCEDURES DESIGNED FOR FUTURE FIELD ASSESSMENTS. TWO SECTORS (AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING) WERE EXAMINED, AND THE SUBSTANTIVE FINDINGS FOR EACH ARE PRESENTED HERE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THE REAL OBJECTIVE OF THESE FINDINGS WAS METHODOLOGICAL, NOT SUBSTANTIVE. THAT THE PARTICIPANTS IN THESE TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THEIR COUNTRIES' DEVELOPMENT IS NOT SURPRISING, AND IT IS THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS IN BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD, THAT THE USAID PARTICIPANT TRAINING EFFORT HAS BEEN A VERY PRODUCTIVE FORM OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. RATHER, WHAT IS NEW IN THIS STUDY IS THE SPECIFICITY OF THE DEFINITION OF IMPACT AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF SPECIFIC LINKAGES TO TRAINING.