LOW INCOME FARMERS AND SMALL BUSINESS UNITS

Purpose of the grant is to strengthen VSC"s capacity to assist LDC"s in resolving problems affecting small farmers and businesses in rural areas. The evaluation focuses on how VSC"s capability is being utilized and how this capability might be utilized after the grant expires in 5/79. The evaluation is based on findings of an AID review team which held discussions with VSC staff. VSC has continued to develop its institutional capacity. The VSC unit which administers the grants, the Bureau for Economic Research and Development, has retained a high quality staff. VSC has carried out applied research in the college"s 16-county laboratory region in South-Central Virginia and in Ghana. The team was impressed with this integration of domestic and international research. During the period 5/77 to 6/78, only 2 VSC staff members were utilized by AID. AID/W and the AID missions have not been very responsive to VSC"s requests and availability for utilization. VSC, like many other 211(d) recipients, faces the difficulty of maintaining its institutional capacity once the grant has ended, and is undertaking extensive efforts to obtain funds from AID and other agencies. The authors suggest several ways AID might utilize VSC"s capability through short-term contracts and long-term Basic Memorandums of Agreement. Should VSC fail to generate replacement funds, its international activities will be severely curtailed. The report contains several lessons which are applicable to similar institution-strengthening efforts. The idea that institutions will have other resources to continue staff and programs initiated with grant funds frequently has proven unrealistic. Field activities should be fully coordinated with the AID mission. This will facilitate continued utilization of the institution"s capacity after the grant has ended. It would be less demanding of recipient institutions if AID were to concentrate on improving an existing capacity rather than establishing a new one. This is particularly true with minority institutions such as VSC.