Mid-project evaluation : agronomic institute

Mid-term special evaluation covers the period 4/80-6/83 and is based on document review, interviews with project and related personnel, and site visits. Implementation is on or ahead of schedule, justifying a proposed 5-year extension. U.S. training of IAV third cycle (Master's) students, most of them destined to become IAV faculty members, has generally proceeded smoothly. To date, 131 individuals (vs. a target of 70) have been sent for training and 16 have already received their degrees. The number of IAV faculty participants has totaled 70 (vs. 65 targeted), 54 at the Ph.D., 16 at the Master's level; they are returning at the expected rate. One faculty member was trained to direct the National Agricultural Library (formerly, the Documentation Center). A key IAV priority is to establish direct linkages between its new departments and equivalents at many U.S. centers, not just at the University of Minnesota (UOM), the contractor. In pursuit of this end, IAV wishes to offer future faculty trainees a 3-year training package in preparation for reception of the doctorate from IAV. Trainees would follow individual programs developed with counterpart U.S. departments, not the usual U.S. Ph.D. programs. Although this approach might jeopardize both the willingness of U.S. schools to send advisors to supervise dissertation research at IAV and the credibility of the IAV doctorate, it is more in conformity than the present system with A.I.D. policy and worth pursuing. The evaluation team also agreed with IAV that postdoctoral visits to the United States should be limited to 6-8 weeks to avoid prolonged absences from IAV. In other areas, IAV's institutional development could be furthered by even greater stress on IAV outreach, and generally good project management could be strengthened by improved communications among IAV, UOM, and A.I.D., with IAV adopting a more active managerial role. The project, with modifications encompassed in 60 recommendations, could serve as a model for similar training/institution building projects.