Range management improvement project

The evaluation covered the period 1981-1986. Implementation during the first 3 project years was plagued by interpersonal conflicts among the TA staff. In early 1984, key staff members were replaced and the project was redesigned, resulting in marked improvement. By project completion, significant contributions had been made toward strengthening DE/SP"s institutional capacity. The Service is now capable of planning, designing, and implementing investment projects and its budget increased by 300% between 1986 and 1988. The project provided M.S. training to 11 DE/SP staff members, along with more than 80 person-months of short-term training, including a very successful 6-month, hands-on U.S. program of range management and extension training for 23 DE/SP staff. Substantial agronomic and livestock research was conducted, although its long-term value will depend on follow-through by DE/SP staff. A plant materials center was created to produce forage seeds for reseeding operations and the Moroccan staff were fully able to operate the facility by the end of the project. The project was less successful in strengthening the DE/SP"s capacity to conduct sociological research and was never fully able to integrate sociological and technical research into a comprehensive package. The project also greatly increased the awareness of government officials and livestock owners of the need for action to halt rangeland degradation. Despite the project"s general success, the Mission decided against implementing a follow-on due to: (1) the Government of Morocco"s (GOM) lack of both commitment to, and a long-term strategy for, rangeland improvement and control, and (2) the absence of local-level institutional mechanisms to prevent overgrazing, destructive cultivation, and degradation. Further USAID/M efforts were seen as futile unless the GOM took the lead in addressing these problems. Several lessons were learned. (1) Without local mechanisms to reduce grazing pressure on collective lands, efforts to improve animal health and genetic quality or to establish and regenerate pastures will be futile. (2) The difficulty of incorporating sociological concerns into development projects is a major reason for the failure of extensive livestock projects, especially in Africa. (3) An administrative chief of party (COP) is needed for complex projects, since the COP will normally become too burdened with project administration to effectively carry out technical responsibilities. (4) A range management project should provide short-term benefits to producers, e.g., by focusing on improved animal husbandry techniques. It should also explicitly address broad policy issues affecting livestock development.