Industrial management program

Special evaluation covers the period 9/82-6/85 and is based on document review and interviews with project, Government of Egypt, and USAID/E personnel. The program was generally successful in providing training opportunities to public company and public institution employees. Tailored training courses in economics and business management, industrial project operation and implementation, and environmental protection were provided to 458 persons; approximately 75 percent of the eligible companies from almost all industrial sectors enrolled employees in the tailored program. Trainees' course evaluations and self-assessments indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the program. In addition to the tailored program, the American University of Cairo (AUC) identified 18 standard courses in its curriculum which responded to training needs which had been revealed in a survey of industrial firms. Approximately 450 trainees have enrolled in the AUC courses. Although the program has successfully increased the skills of individual trainees, it has not yet been possible to assess the on-the-job impacts of the training or the willingness of senior management to allow trainees to use their new skills. Also, to ensure impacts at the company level, a critical mass would have to be developed within the firm. The latter has been partially constrained by the General Organization for Industry's desire to maximize the number of firms participating in the program. It is recommended that the project be extended, but modified to: include training for private sector employees; institute closer coordination with related projects; employ a sector focus when selecting participant companies; familiarize senior managers with the range of available assistance to industry; and expand existing reporting systems to include follow-up assessments. The Near East abstract (on which this abstract is based) notes that USAID/E has decided not to extend the program, but rather to focus on assistance to private industry.