REPORT OF REVIEW TEAM EVALUATING THE FOOD WASTE/SANITATION COST-BENEFIT METHODOLOGY PROJECT; GUATEMALA

THE PROJECT WAS ORIGNINALLY DESIGNED TO EVALUATE, IN QUANTITATIVE TERMS, THE EFFECT OF IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AND IMPROVED NUTRITION ON: (1)THE PREVALENCE OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISEASES; AND (2)THE EXTENT OF INTESTINAL MALABSORPTION ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONDITIONS AND THE RESULTANT AMOUNT OF COST OF FOOD WASTAGE DUE TO MALABSORPTION. THE EVALUATORS BELIEVE THAT THE THREE HYPOTHESES ESTABLISHED FOR TESTING THE PROJECT ARE SIGNIFICANT AND REMAIN REASONABLE. BOTH THE UNVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND THE INSTITUTE OF NUTRITION OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND PANAMA ARE UNQUESTIONABLY COMPETENT INSTITUTIONALLY IN THE AREAS OF INVESTIGATION. IN GENERAL, THE PERSONNEL AT THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND DEDICATED. TWO OF THE THREE EVALUATORS BELIEVE THAT WHILE FURTHER DATA COLLECTION CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED IN TERMS OF EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION TO PROJECT OBJECTIVES, FURTHER ANALYSIS OF PRESENT DATA CAN SUBSTANTIALLY SHARPEN THE FINDING IN RELATION TO PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT HYPOTHESES TO SERVE AS THE SUBJECT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. THE DISSENTING OPINION OF THE THIRD EVALUATOR ON THIS AND OTHER STATEMENTS IN THE EVALUATION IS AN ANNEX TO THE EVALUATION.