Project closeout report : GEMAH institutional strengthening

The project surpassed targets for the number of training courses offered and persons trained by wide margins (54% and 39% respectively); the expanded membership goal was also met. GEMAH also made substantial progress towards achieving economic self-sustainability. GEMAH"s annual income has increased from $23,000 in 1984 to over $350,000, and additional income is expected to be generated by recently initiated training programs for small and micro businesses. Financial reviews project only minor deficits for 1988-1989 and full sustainability by 1990. GEMAH succeeded in expanding and diversifying its program with 29 new course offerings, compared with a targeted 12 courses. Of these, 14 were developed in-house, and 15 were obtained from Mexico, Brazil, or Panama. GEMAH has also met project goals to establish: in-plant training and consulting services, formal linkages with private sector training institutions in other countries, and a management library and a magazine for GEMAH members. TA from the American Management Association was costly, representing 60% of the total A.I.D. investment in the project. Nonetheless, this TA was a key factor in providing high-quality, marketable training programs and in the project"s rapid start-up. The high level of salaries for GEMAH"s executive and instructional personnel was also questioned but proved justifiable in terms of the quality of project outputs. The evaluation notes that projects of this kind should normally run 4 years rather than, as in the present case, 3 years.