NATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY AND PLANNING

PROJECT INTENDED TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAILAND"S FOURTH FIVE-YEAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN BY FINANCING TECHNICAL ADVISORS, PARTICIPANT TRAINING AND RESEARCH PROJECTS. AT THE TIME OF THIS EVALUATION, SIX OF THE 39 PARTICIPANTS SELECTED FOR TRAINING HAD COMPLETED THEIR WORK AND RETURNED TO THAILAND, 17 WERE UNDERGOING TRAINING AND 16 WERE AWAITING DEPARTURE FROM THAILAND. THIS COMPONENT WAS PROCEEDING AS PLANNED. NINE RESEARCH PROJECTS WERE INITIATED SHORTLY BEFORE THIS REPORT AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THOSE PROJECTS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AT TIME OF EVALUATION. THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. UNDER THE PROJECT AGREEMENT, THE THAI GOVERNMENT WAS TO CONTRACT THE ADVISORY TECHNICIANS. THE FIRST TECHNICIAN WAS TO HAVE BEEN IN PLACE IN JANUARY 1973. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PLANS AND AGREEMENT ON HOW RECRUITING SHOULD BE HANDLED, THE GOT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECRUIT ANY TECHNICIANS. THE FIRST TECHNICIAN WAS CONTRACTED IN JUNE 1974 BY AID. THIS ADVISOR WAS ALREADY ON BOARD THROUGH A UN CONTRACT AND AID MERELY CONTINUED HIS SERVICES. THE NET RESULT IS THAT ONLY 69 MAN MONTHS OF SERVICES OUT OF A TOTAL OF 146 ANTICIPATED COULD POSSIBLY BE IMPLEMENTED DURING PROJECT DURATION. AT TIME OF EVALUATION, THERE WAS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT THE GOT HAD IMPROVED ITS CAPABILITY FOR CONTRACTING TECHNICIANS. THIS REPORT THEREFORE RECOMMENDS THAT USAID/THAILAND RE-EVALUATE THE CAPABILITY OF THE THAI GOVERNMENT TO RECRUIT CONTRACT TECHNICIANS AND DEFINE THE MECHANICS OF A WORKABLE METHOD OF RECRUITMENT FOR ITS PENDING TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS PROJECT. THIS CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN THIS FUTURE PROJECT"S GRANT AGREEMENT.