REPORT ON THE EVALUATION OF AFGRAD AND INTERAF PROGRAMS.

JOHNSON AND CLIFFORD S. LIDDLE, DECEMBER 1974. THE EVALUATORS PROVIDED A BACKGROUND ABOUT THE AFRICAN GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (AFGRAD) AND THE INTER-AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (INTERAF) AND ABOUT EFFORTS TO MEET AFRICA"S NEED FOR HIGHLY TRAINED INDIGENOUS PROFESSIONAL MANPOWER. THEY EXAMINED AFRICA"S CHANGING NEEDS FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES: (1) THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1973; (2) THE AFRICAN COUNTRIES THEMSELVES; AND (3) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE SPECIALISTS. FROM THESE PERSPECTIVES IT IS CLEAR THAT SUFFICIENT NEED EXISTS FOR CONTINUATION OF AID-FUNDED GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AFRICA THROUGH 1980. THAT NEED IS MOST ACUTE QUALITATIVELY AND IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL FIELDS. THE KIND OF MANPOWER NEED IS CHANGING AND WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE. FOR ALL COUNTRIES, THE APPROPRIATE STRATEGY FOR DETERMINING COUNTRY-SPECIFIC NEEDS, BOTH IN PRACTICAL TERMS AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1973, IS RELIANCE ON LOCAL DETERMINATION THROUGH EXISTING OR ESTABLISHED LOCAL MECHANISMS WHICH COMBINE EDUCATIONAL AND PLANNING/DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATION. IT IS THROUGH SUCH LOCAL DETERMINATION, RATHER THAN SOME PRIOR LISTING, THAT COUNTRY-SPECIFIC NEEDS MUST BE DERIVED. THE EVALUATORS DISCUSSED FOUR POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR AFGRAD AND INTERAF PROGRAMS: (1) KEEP BOTH PROGRAMS ON THEIR PRESENT GLIDE PATHS OF TERMINATION; (2) KEEP BOTH PROGRAMS AS SEPARATE OPERATIONS AT THE PRESENT INTAKE LEVELS WITH A COMPLETION DATE OF JUNE 1984; (3) WIND DOWN SOME FRACTION OF AFGRAD BY ADDING AN EQUIVALENT GRADUATE COMPONENT TO INTERAF, WITH RETENTION OF THE AFGRAD REMAINDER MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR MONITORED USE IN PREPARATION OF SPECIALIZED TALENT FOR CRITICAL, DEVELOPMENT-RELATED POSITIONS IN AFRICA; AND (4) SHIFT PROGRAMS TO AFRICA AND AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS BY PHASING OUT AFGRAD AND BUILDING UP INTERAF WITH A GRADUATE COMPONENT.