LATIN AMERICAN - CARIBBEAN PLANNING NETWORK

IICA OPERATES IN 24 LA COUNTRIES BUT WILL SELECT TARGET CNTRIES AMONG THESE TO TEST THE NETWORK. ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE ASSESSMT OF PLANNING & POLICY NEEDS TRNG MTRLS DEVEL,SELECTN & TESTING OF PLANNING METHODOLOGIES IN TARGET CNTRIES & SPECIFIC PLANNING ASSISTANCE TO SOME OF THE LEAST DVLPD CNTRIES. PROJ OPERATES IN 2 PHASES. IN PHASE 1(2 YRS),CONTRACTED US "COOPERATOR" INSTITS WILL ASSIST IICA IN ASSESSING CAPACITIES,CONSTRAINTS & NEEDED IMPRVMTS IN ARSPPA IN LA & CARIBBEAN CNTRIES. ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: QUESTIONNAIRES FOR GENERAL & DETAILED ANALYSIS OF CAPABILS OF PLANNING & RELATED INSTITS & THEIR PERSONNEL; WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS BETWEEN IICA,COOPERATORS,TAB,LA BUREAUS" & COUNTRY PERSONNEL TO EXAMINE RESULTS OF ANALYSES & TO PLAN PHASE 2; DESIGN TRNG MTRLS & IN-SRVC & PARTICIPANT TRNG COURSES & ADDITN"L WORKSHOPS; METHODOLOGY DEVEL FOR ARSPPA ACTIVITIES. PHASE 2(1 YR) ACTIVITIES INVOLVE IMPLMNTATN OF TRNG COURSES,SEMINARS,WORKSHOPS DESIGNED & PREPARED IN PHASE 1 AND PROVISION FOR IN-DEPTH OR SHORT-TERM ASSISTNC AS NECESSARY TO CNTRIES PERFORMING SPECIFIC ARSPPA ACTIVITIES. DURING PHASE 2,TAB & IICA WILL ALSO SEEK TO STABILIZE COORDINATION & MGMT OF THE ARSPPA NETWORK. FOR THE FINAL 2 YRS OF PROJ,AID WILL SUPPORT INSTITUTLZTN PROCESS WITHIN IICA UNTIL ARSPPA ACTIVITIES CAN BE SUPPORT FROM RSORCS OF CNTRIES RECEIVNG IICA ASSISTNC. FUNDING FOR PROJ YRS 4,5 IS CONTINGENT ON EVAL PHASE 1. ARSPPA TRNG ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJ WILL BE INITIATED DURING PROJECT"S 3RD YR & WILL INCLUDE PREP OF TRNG MTRLS,IN-SERVICE TRNG COURSES IN CENTRAL AMERICA WITH 30 SCHOLARSHIPS,AN LA TRNG COURSE DESIGNED & CONDUCTED BY COOPERATOR US UNIVERSITIES WITH 10 SCHOLARSHIPS & INTER-COUNTRY WORKSHOPS TO EXCHANGE ARSPPA INFO. IICA HAS PRIMARY MGMT & COORDINATION RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ARSPPA NETWORK ACTIVITY,BACKSTOPPED BY COOPERATOR INSTITUTIONS & TAB. PRIMARY BENEFICAIARIES WILL BE TRND PERSONNEL. PAF of 8/25/80 approves an unfunded six-month extension of the cooperative agreements with Iowa State University and Michigan State University, and $300,000 for a two-year extension of the Inter-american Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IICA) contract. These extensions will permit work on phase II of the project to begin. In this phase, the IICA will develop training materials, hold seminars and workshops, provide technical assistance to member countries, and assist in project management. The universities will continue to help IICA develop training materials until alloted funds are spent.