ON - FARM WATER MANAGEMENT

EVALUATION TEAM INTERVIEWED PARTICIPATING FARMERS AS WELL AS GOP, AID, AND OFWM PERSONNEL. IN PREPARATION FOR THIS EVALUATION, THE MISSION CONDUCTED IN-DEPTH STUDIES ON 2 MAJOR PROJECT COMPONENTS -- WATERCOURSE IMPROVEMENTS AND PRECISION LAND LEVELING. SLOW PROJECT START-UP AND PERSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS RESULTED IN POSTPONEMENT OF THE SECOND INSTALLMENT ($15 MIL) OF THE $22 MILLION PROJECT LOAN. ALSO, APPLICATION OF SECTION 669 OF THE US ASSISTANCE ACT (NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION) PROHIBITED THE MISSION FROM OBLIGATING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR A REDESIGNED OFWM PROJECT. HOWEVER, THE GOP AND MISSION AGREED (6/79) TO EXTEND THE TERMINAL DATE BY 1 YR. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE (SCS) ADVISORS SHOULD FOCUS THEIR FUTURE EFFORTS ON COMPLETING FIELD TEAM MANUALS AND TRAINING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROJECT WAS FURTHER DISRUPTED WITH THE BURNING OF THE US EMBASSY AND SUBSEQUENT EVACUATION OF US EMPLOYEES. IN 3/80, 2 SCS ADVISORS RETURNED. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS HAVE CONTINUED. PROJECT COSTS ARE HIGH AND THE PRECISION LAND LEVELING (PLL) COMPONENT HAS NOT BEEN WELL RECEIVED BY FARMERS. INCLUSION OF VERY SMALL FARMERS IN THIS PROJECT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THEIR INABILITY TO OBTAIN CREDIT AND BECAUSE TRACTORS WERE NOT PROVIDED. EVALUATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROJECT BENEFICIARIES BE CHANGED TO "RURAL POOR" WHICH WOULD INCLUDE VILLAGE ARTISANS, LABORERS, HAULERS, AND OTHERS. HOWEVER, THE MISSION BELIEVES THAT THE CHANGE WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROJECT GOAL OF INCREASING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND IMPROVING INCOMES OF LOW-INCOME FARMERS. PROJECT EXPERIENCE DEMONSTRATED THE NEED FOR WELL-THOUGHT OUT AND CAREFULLY ARTICULATED PLANS IN SELECTING TARGET GROUPS AND ASSIGNING RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE VARIOUS GOP UNITS INVOLVED IN OFWM ACTIVITIES. OVERALL, THE AUTHORS CONSIDER THE PROJECT TO BE A SUCCESS. A VIABLE OFWM ORGANIZATION--WITH TRAINING SCHOOLS AND MUCH SOUGHT AFTER FIELD SERVICES--HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. PES FACESHEET LISTS THE ABOVE, PLUS SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.