Range management improvement project

Evaluation covered the period 1981-10/85, with emphasis on the period following a 1/84 project redesign; no methodology is noted. With TA from Utah State University (USU), the project helped notably in creating a GOM range management capability, even though the redesign - a wise decision - increased neither the project"s resources nor its length. Major successes have been development of the Plant Materials Center (PMC) as a viable institution capable of distributing seeds and shrubs to the various sites (its privatization is urged) and the institutional upgrading of DE/SP by training - by project end 11 Moroccans will have received U.S. M.S. training, and 80 person-months of short-term U.S. and in-country training will have been provided for DE/SP. Problems have included: (1) a lack of integration of sociological research with range management and extension; (2) limited economic research and extension-oriented TA (due in part to centralization of the TA team in Rabat); and (3) interpersonal and bureaucratic relationships among GOM staff which hindered activities at some sites. Inadequate attention was given to developing local level beneficiary organizations. Two institutional limitations constrain DE/SP development: (1) land management is not a GOM priority, in part due to DE/SP"s institutional youth and relatively less powerful position within the bureaucracy; and (2) the role of DE/SP - whether the DE/SP is responsible for research and extension or only for management - is unclear. It is recommended that the DE/SP (1) be upgraded from a service to a division level and (2) concentrate on addressing land use and range management questions, leaving research and extension activities to other agencies so as to avoid spreading its resources too thinly. The project should be terminated as planned, but A.I.D. should continue its involvement in the extensive livestock sector with DE/SP as the lead agency. Several lessons were noted by USAID/M. (1) A Chief of Party should not assume critical technical responsibilities when overburdened with administrative cares. (2) A major redesign can turn a project around, but may come too late to make up for all the time lost. (3) The PCV"s assigned to the project were eventually hired by USU to serve as junior technicians on the project - an innovative and cost-effective move, although GOM staff had difficulty adjusting to the volunteers" expanded role.