REGIONAL REMOTE SENSING(EASTERN AFRICAN)

EVALUATION WAS COMPILED THROUGH EXAMINATION OF PROJECT PAPER AND RELEVANT FILES AND INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REGIONAL REMOTE SENSING FACILITY. NO TRAINING COURSES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED AT THE FACILITY, AND PLANS FOR CONVENING THE FIRST COURSE HAVE BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL 1/79. WHILE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS IN ARRIVAL OF US TECHNICIANS AND EQUIPMENT ARE MAJOR MITIGATING FACTORS,THE EVALUATORS FELT THAT A TRAINING PROGRAM COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND AT LEAST SOME TRAINING UNDERTAKEN, SINCE TRAINING IS THE PRINCIPAL PROJECT ACTIVITY. AN EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-QUALIFIED REMOTE SENSING SPECIALIST/LABORATORY TECHNICIAN WAS RECRUITED, HOWEVER, AND PROGRESS WAS MADE TOWARD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PHOTO LABORATORY AND STOCKING OF THE REFERENCE LIBRARY. IT IS NOTED THAT FAILURE OF THE REGIONAL MAPPING CENTER TO ATTRACT WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FROM ITS MEMBERSHIP HAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE WILLINGNESS OF OTHER DONOR COUNTRIES TO IMPLEMENT THEIR ASSISTANCE PLEDGES. EVALUATORS FEEL THAT MULTI-DONOR PARTICIPATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AND EXPANDED, AND SUGGEST THAT THE PERIODIC MEETINGS OF THE CENTER"S TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL BE OPENED TO A WIDER RANGE OF DONOR AND POTENTIAL DONOR PARTICIPATION. IT WAS LEARNED THAT PROCUREMENT AND RECRUITMENT REQUIRE A LONGER LAG-TIME THAN PLANNED IN THIS PROJECT. IT WAS ALSO LEARNED THAT PLANS FOR TRAINING SHOULD BEGIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE FIRST COURSE CAN BE CONDUCTED AS SOON AS SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT ARE IN PLACE. TRAINING PLANS SHOULD INCLUDE SELECTION OF ONE OR TWO TEST SITES ON THE BASIS OF DIVERSE GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY, AND GEOMORPHOLOGY; EASY ACCESS TO THE CLASSROOM; AND OTHER RESOURCE CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO THE STUDENTS" BACKGROUND AND VOCATIONAL NEEDS. LOCAL INSTRUCTORS SHOULD BE OBTAINED WHO KNOW THE LOCAL GEOLOGY AND OTHER NATURAL AGRICULTURAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE AREA. THESE ON-SITE LECTURES SHOULD BE ORGANIZED AROUND LANDSAT IMAGERY