Initial evaluation : agricultural marketing development project, 660-0098

Initial evaluation, which precedes the arrival of the TA team, covers the period 6/84-2/86 is based on site visits and discussions with personnel from USAID/Z, the Office des Routes, and other recipient organizations. Implementation has begun in a timely fashion, despite a delay in establishing the Project Management and Monitoring Unit (PMMU). USAID/Z has arranged for the procurement of commodities and short-term TA and has begun to work on a number of project components, particularly water transport. Good office space has been located and renovated for the PMMU. The project has shown that design should be an on-going activity in projects such as this, given its experimental nature and the changing governmental and private sector environment. Also, special provisions such as short-term TA and equipment must be built into the project in order to develop a capacity in host country research institutions to participate in monitoring and evaluation. On the negative side, liaison between USAID/Z staff responsible for projects in the Bandundu area (for instance, with the complementary Area Food and Market Development project - 6600102) could be strengthened. Lessons learned are that: (1) the use of Mission implementation is a sure way of maintaining design momentum, especially where the Mission must rely on outside services, but should be resisted as first priority in the period before contractor arrival must be given to obtaining TA and commodities; and (2) the time necessary to field the TA team could be reduced in some cases if, as suggested in A.I.D. Handbook 3, the design team drafted a PIO/T and the project officer were involved in preparing the PP and PIO/T. Recommendations for project management and USAID/Z and/or PMMU follow-up are reflected in action decisions (see abstract for PD-AAT-424); recommendations offered for PMMU guidance - once it is established - can be found in the body of the report.