Lessons learned from the Niamey Department development project

The project began with a 3-year first phase to determine which interventions were likely to be most effective in the rural areas of Niamey Department. This was to have been followed by a 5-year second phase and, if warranted, a third phase. Toward the end of the second phase, it was decided to extend the project by 2 years rather than proceed with the third phase. The total cost of the project is about $15 million in A.I.D. contributions and about $2 million in Government of Niger (GON) contributions (not including salary support for GON cadres). The purpose of this report is to review the experience of the project to draw lessons learned that could be applied to similar projects in Niger and to rural development projects in general. The report is divided into three parts: description of project objectives and activities; assessment of the achievement of project objectives; and discussion of the major lessons learned. The major lessons learned are as follows. (1) An effective small farmer extension program must be based on a sound understanding of local growing conditions and existing farming systems. (2) There is no point in creating self-managed local organizations capable of initiating and implementing development activities unless there are viable development activities to undertake. Where there are very few such activities, a self-sustaining rural development process as exemplified by the existence of self-managed local organizations is not possible and therefore should not be attempted. (3) Integrated rural development projects must be properly phased and have a flexible design. Strong goal oriented management and technical assistance is particularly important for this type of project. (4) Implementing integrated rural development projects through existing government services seriously delays implementation and does not ensure institutional sustainability. (5) The key elements in assuring the institutional and financial sustainability of rural development projects are (a) clear successes and (b) open communications with government institutions long before the end of the project. Even then, under conditions that prevail in Niger sustainability is unlikely. (Author abstract)