OEF/FOV HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

This joint evaluation covers the period 1/79 to 11/79 and is based on interviews with project and Government of Costa Rica (GOCR) officials, and with women trainees. The Overseas Education Fund of the League of Women Voters (OEF) is assisting FOV to implement the project. Implementing personnel have proven competent and the project is progressing well. A total of 181 poor women have received motivation/adaptation training in GOCR and private-sector employment and housing projects. This figure is lower than planned, due to the in-depth involvement of the initial 49 trainees in the Leon XIII housing project, an involvement which led to the establishment of a day care center, an industrial workshop, and cooperatives, and to the enrollment of 44 trainees in vocational training programs. Currently, there are more GOCR requests for training than FOV can handle. Whether the target figure of 1,525 trainees can be reached depends on whether FOV is able to recruit a sufficient number of volunteer trainers and research aides. Project staff have developed extensive training materials for volunteer trainers and 10 manuals for trainees, as well as bi-monthly bulletins on project activities, and evaluations of each training program. A resource center has been established. It contains high-quality materials on volunteers, training, development, and women in Costa Rica, as well as a catalogue of resource materials. Relations with GOCR and private-sector agencies are being solidified. The latter are becoming more aware of the need for women"s programs. Trainees have affirmed the value of their training in achieving project objectives, and the project has given evidence of being replicable in other urban areas of Latin America. Ten project-specific recommendations are made, including the need to determine whether to include vocational training in the program, and to develop plans to obtain local funding for FOV in the future. Phase three of the project is ready to be implemented.