Mid-term evaluation of the natural resource management support project

The evaluation covers the period 8/87- 2/90. The project has succeeded in attracting the Missions' attention to A.I.D.'s Plan for Supporting Natural Resources Management, which was initiated by Congressional mandate. It has increased the overall level of natural resource management activities in the Africa region, and accelerated natural resources programming in Missions. TA provided by the project to the Missions and PVO's has generally been highly valued. Less positively, however, Missions have evaluated many products of the project as being of mixed quality and overall not very useful. While the contractor has performed credibly and professionally, problems have occurred due to a lack of biodiversity expertise, a lack of gender analysis with regard to natural resource activities (as well as a shortage of women professionals on the team), and time constraints on collecting information outside the specific focus or from host government personnel. Moreover, a number of the Missions have felt that many of the project's activities (e.g., the Sahel subregional and other assessments, action programs, and action plans) were not based on problem assessments and are of little relevance or use.