Managed Input Delivery/Agricultural Services I

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 9/76-9/79, BUT SUMMARIZES THE FINDINGS OF A JOINT AID/USAID/GOG EVALUATION, CONDUCTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS, PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS, AND REVIEWS OF PROJECT DOCUMENTATION, FOR THE PERIOD 9/76-6/79. JOINT EVALUATION TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDED OFFICIALS OF USAID AND THE GOG, A SOCIOLOGIST, AND AN AID AGRICULTURALIST. GRANT AND LOAN FUNDS WERE TO BE PROVIDED SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEREBY COORDINATING THE DELIVERY OF ELEMENTS FUNDED UNDER EACH AGREEMENT. DUE TO THE ACUTE NATURE OF CIRCUMSTANCES EXTERNAL TO THE PROJECT, HOWEVER, SATISFACTION OF CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO DISBURSEMENT OF LOAN FUNDS OCCURED 20 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST OBLIGATION OF GRANT FUNDS. HENCE, THE PROJECT LOST THE DESIRED SIMULTANEITY OF LOAN AND GRANT ELEMENTS. IN TURN, THE PROJECT FAILED TO DELIVER AGRICULTURAL INPUTS SUCH AS FERTILIZER, SEEDS, CREDIT, AND TECHNICAL SERVICES TO SMALL FARMERS AS PLANNED. PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE ACTUAL ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE DESCRIBED IN THE JOINT EVALUATION BUT ARE NOT SUMMARIZED HERE. INCORPORATING LESSONS LEARNED INTO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, THE JOINT EVALUATION TEAM CALLS FOR A REVISION OF THE PROJECT PAPER, FINANCIAL PLAN, LOGFRAME, PROJECT AGREEMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, REDESIGNING THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS PROJECT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES CAUSING THE FAILURE OF PLANNED OUTPUTS. THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONCENTRATION OF THE PROJECT WILL BE FOCUSED MORE SHARPLY, THE GOAL STATEMENT CLARIFIED; THE EMPHASIS OF THE PROJECT SHIFTED FROM INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO AGRICULTURAL INPUT DELIVERY; AND BASELINE DATA COLLECTED TO MEASURE THE PROJECT"S IMPACT ON THE SMALL FARMER. AN INTERNAL EVALUATION SYSTEM SHOULD ALSO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT, AS SHOULD AN EXPANDED MARKETING COMPONENT. SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROVIDING APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF AGRICULTURAL INPUTS TO MEET THE SMALL FARMER"S PRODUCTION NEEDS.