INTEGRATED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT - LOAN NO. 1-538-79-24

EVALUATION INCLUDED A REVIEW OF PROJECT RECORDS AND VISITS TO PROJECT SITES, AND COVERS THE PERIOD 9/1/75 - 12/31/78. USAID PROVIDED $8.5 MILLION IN LOAN FUNDS AND UWI IS CONTRIBUTING $4.5 MILLION. THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF 4 COMPONENTS -- ESTABLISHMENT OF A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS FROM LESSER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR KEY PERSONNEL, AND CONSTRUCTING AND EQUIPPING NEW FACILITIES. CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES AT TWO SITES, BARBADOS AND JAMAICA, PROGRESSED WELL; HOWEVER, THE BUILDING PROGRAM IN TRINIDAD IS FAR BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE DELAY WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO BUREAUCRATIC SLOWNESS AND THE FAILURE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (GOTT) TO RESOLVE THE APPARENT OVERLAPPING BETWEEN GOTT AND AID-FINANCED CONSTRUCTION. AUDITORS RECOMMEND THAT RDO/C (REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE - CARIBVEAN) DETERMINE IF THE FUNDING OF VARIOUS UNAPPROVED ARCHITECH AND ENGINEERING SERVICES WAS APPROPRIATE. IF NOT, REFUNDS SHOULD BE OBTAINED. AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN EXCHANGE RATES, AN ESTIMATED $560,000 OF LOAN FUNDS WERE NOT PROGRAMMED. RDO/C AND UWI SHOULD DETERMINE USES FOR THESE FUNDS. BY 3/79, LESS THAN 2 OF THE PLANNED 63 MAN-MONTHS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING HAD BEEN PROVIDED. THIS COMPONENT HAS BEEN HINDERED BY THE LACK OF A TIME-PHASED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. THE AFRO-AMERICAN PROCUREMENT CENTER HAS OVERESTIMATED THE COST FACTOR (250%) FOR FREIGHT AND INSURING OF EQUIPMENT. THE AUDIT SHOWED 10% TO BE MORE REASONABLE. IN ADDITION, RDO/C SHOULD OBTAIN A REFUND FROM UWI FOR $35,000 WORTH OF COMMODITIES WHICH DID NOT MEET SOURCE AND ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE LOAN AGREEMENT. ALSO, MARKING OF COMMODITIES WITH AID SIGNS AND EMBLEMS IS NOT BEING FULLY CARRIED OUT. UWI OFFICIALS WOULD LIKE MARKING REQUIREMENTS REDUCED.