Mauritania, human resources development project (682-0233) : mid-term evaluation

Evaluation covers 8/84-3/89. The project goal and purpose remain valid and respond directly to critical development needs. Specific project objectives also remain valid and should not be altered in any substantial way. The project has been an enormous success in most areas: all participants who were to go to the U.S. are now in U.S. institutions; innovative approaches to third-country training have resulted in placements in Senegal, Tunisia, Mali, and Morocco; successful seminars have been held in Nouakchott and local training courses have been arranged; a unique workshop for all A.I.D.-financed Mauritanian participants was held in California; and the project has been well managed by a capable and culturally sensitive U.S. Project Director fluent in French and Wolof. Project funds have been competently managed and clear records maintained. The Secretary General of the General Confederation of Mauritanian Employers has termed the project "the most important project in Mauritania in terms of its long-term benefits," adding that he found the project"s implementation to be "remarkable" in that "it (a) touches everyone in the country, in and out of government; (b) includes the private sector in more than a token way; and (c) is a practical and carefully drawn package of technical training aimed at the nation"s critical weaknesses in human resources." A testimonial of this quality is a tribute to A.I.D."s success at designing a project which so well targets Mauritania"s needs and to the project management staff who have worked diligently under often difficult conditions to implement the project"s objectives. The enthusiasm of the private sector for this project may in part be due to the fact that the project was designed to spend 20% of its funds on the sector, whereas 28.5% was actually spent to support 77 private sector participants, representing 67.5% of total long-term participants. The cost-effectiveness of this component and its targeted nature have maximized its impact. There are two areas where improvement is needed. The project should make a determined effort to spend some of the remaining funds on training for women. Of the 37 long-term trainees in the U.S., none are women and of the 77 in third-country training, 5 are women. While there are valid cultural, historical and technical reasons for these statistics, A.I.D. nonetheless has an obligation in this area which the project has been unable to fulfill. Secondly, weaknesses in the Directorate of Plan in the Mauritanian government have resulted in less contact with host government officials than would be desired. (Author abstract)