Integral rural development II, OPG

PES covers the period 8/80-9/82 and is based on an attached special evaluation (XD-AAM-970-A). The continuing deterioration of the Costa Rican economy combined with inadequate political support from the Government of Costa Rica (GOCR) led to a reduction in GOCR administrative and technical personnel and less travel to project sites. Even a GOCR change in executive responsibility from the Central Bank of Costa Rica to the Ministry of Agriculture had little impact on project implementation. A.I.D. therefore revised the logframe and reprogrammed funds to allow Accion Internacional Tecnica (AITEC) - the project implementor - to procure additional vehicles and hire more field personnel, a strategy which increased acceptance of the AITEC rural development methodology within target communities. However, the GOCR"s failure to provide infrastructure and services made it necessary to abandon the planned integral rural development strategy in favor of assistance to specific agricultural production, diversification, and marketing projects. AITEC field staff have coordinated technical assistance, training, and the preparation of special studies. The project, assisting at least five subprojects in five of its six geographic areas (37 subcontracts in all), has met or exceeded most targets in the revised logframe. Control mechanisms and an evaluation system were never established by the GOCR, but an AITEC survey revealed that the annual incomes of 360 project participants increased above the targeted 15% and employment was generated for 200 persons (60,000 person/days). Training and technical assistance were provided to 907 small and medium farmers and 54 entrepreneurs. The projects" successful stimulation of production has created a need for more training in marketing, management, and accounting. Lessons learned are: planning to overcome possible lack of host government support should begin as soon as possible; and, even with adequate host government support, it is desirable (yet costly) to provide a high level of field supervision, especially when involving small farmers in agricultural projects.