Project assistance completion report : Maseno South enterprise development (OPG)-615-0226

(WEI) to support self-sustaining development as part of a multi-donor Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP) in Maseno South Diocese of Western Kenya. Despite some notable achievements and the efforts of WEI and the Maseno South Diocese to implement recommendations of an 8/84 evaluation, the A.I.D. project (USAID/K was not advised in detail about what was accomplished in the project through the activities of other donors) was only a partial success. Positively, the project developed a series of local-language educational materials on food production, water, and income generation; established 150 community development groups (10 over target); and trained 11 development assistants (4 over target). The latter have worked effectively with the community groups, helping them to carry out successful income generation projects. However, the training of the assistants was delayed until the final year, the assistants have complained to USAID/K that they were not being used to capacity, and there is no evidence that the Diocese took responsibility for paying the assistants" salaries at project end. Further, no loans were made from the revolving fund during the project (although the loan program is now being reorganized), and there is need to implement the system to evaluate IRDP and to tighten IRDP"s management system. The project failed to achieve a key purpose - to demonstrate that the Episcopal Church in Kenya is an effective instrument for administering loan funds. A major problem was poor management. The bishop, while well-intentioned, made many unilateral decisions and rarely consulted with others; as a result, project management was ineffective at the community level. In addition, WEI did not have a local project manager in place (originally USAID/K did not think it necessary, and later the bishop opposed it); periodic visits from WEI"s Boston headquarters proved insufficient. There was also high turnover among senior and middle management personnel. A.I.D. should insist at the design stage on in-country project management of projects such as this. This would ensure the presence of what this project lacked - the spending of project funds in a timely manner, the preparation and forwarding to the Mission and the PVO"s home office of meaningful and accurate reports, and a rapid and effective solution to emerging problems.