NIAMEY DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - FIRST ANNUAL EVALUATION - SYNTHESIS REPORT

THE FOUR-MAN EVALUATION TEAM CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS WITH BENEFICIARIES AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS IN THE THREE PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS. IN ADDITION, MEETINGS WERE HELD IN THE CAPITAL WITH OFFICIALS FROM RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. PROJECT CONSISTED OF 10 PROGRAMS, EACH IMPLEMENTED BY A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THESE INCLUDED: PLUVIAL AGRICULTURE (SERVICE AGRICOLE), CREDIT AND COOPERATIVE (UNCC), SOIL CONSERVATION/FORESTRY (EAUX ET FORET), LIVESTOCK (SERVICE DE L"ELEVAGE), LITERACY (SERVICE DE L"ALPHABETISATION), RADIO-CLUB (ASSOCIATION NATIONALE DES RADIO-CLUBS, SMALL IRRIGATION (GENIE RURAL), STUDIES PROGRAM (PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT), PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT (COTEDEP/PROJECT PERSONNEL), COMPREHENSIVE AREA PLANNING (PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT). IN SLIGHTLY OVER ONE YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, OVER ONE-HALF OF THE TARGETTED OBJECTIVES WERE ACHIEVED. THE EVALUATION TEAM REACHED 4 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT: (1) A NUMBER OF THE PROJECT COMPONENTS DID NOT UNDERGO ADEQUATE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC TESTING; (2) MANY OF THE COMPONENTS SEEMED TO REPRESENT A "SHOPPING LIST" OF GOVERNMENT AGENCY DEMANDS RATHER THAN ACTIVITIES ESSENTIAL TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT; (3) COORDINATING THE ACTIVITIES AMONG THE MANY PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES PRESENTED DIFFICULTIES; AND (4) THE ACTIVITIES WERE EXTENDED OVER TOO WIDE A GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR THE NUMBER OF STAFF AVAILABLE. TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS THE EVALUATION TEAM SUGGESTS THAT PROJECT ACTIVITIES BE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SPECIFIC, RESTRICTED ZONES. IN ADDITION. TO BETTER TEST THE SOUNDNESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS, THE PROJECT"S DATA COLLECTION CAPABILITIES SHOULD BE IMPROVED. THIS EVALUATION REPORT ALSO PROVIDES MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC PROJECT PROBLEMS (AGRICULTURAL PACKAGES, INPUTS, TRAINING PROGRAMS, CREDIT SYSTEMS, COOPERATIVES, GRINDING MILL INSTALLATION, TREE PLANTING, SOIL CONSERVATION, CHICKEN RAISING, AND GOAT AND CATTLE FATTENING) AND OFFERS RECOMMENDTIONS.