REPORT; PROJECT EVALUATION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT 237.1; AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC TRAINING AND RESEARCH

WITH FEW MINOR EXCEPTIONS, THE FORMAL TRAINING OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN MET WITH POSITIVE NET RESULTS. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED THE FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATIONAL TRAINING WHICH NOW ENABLES THE STAFF TO UNDERTAKE MEANINGFUL RESEARCH, AND IS, ON BALANCE, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAM. THE EVALUATORS BELIEVE THAT THE ON-THE-JOB RESEARCH AND PLANNING GUIDANCE BY MINNESOTA STAFF RESIDENT IN TUNISIA IS STILL A NEED AND THAT FOREIGN EXPERTS PLAY A USEFUL ROLE. THEY BELIEVE THE OBJECTIVE CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A MORE EFFICIENT MANNER. INITIALLY, NO TUNISIAN COUNTERPARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH THE US STAFF. FOREIGN EXPERTS WORKED DIRECTLY ON AGREED-UPON PROBLEMS OF A MAJOR SUBSECTOR OF TUNISIAN AGRICULTURE. GENERALLY, THE TEAM MEMBERS WERE REGARDED AS EFFECTIVE RESEARCHERS, BUT THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THEIR RESEARCH WAS CONSTRAINED BY LACK OF DATA AND A RESEARCH BASE ON WHICH TO BUILD. UTILIZATION OF THE RESEARCH, WHILE SIGNIFICANT IN SOME INSTANCES, ALSO SUFFERED. THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THIS COMPONENT IS THE CAPACITY FOR RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN CREATED IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, PRIMARILY IN THE BUREAU OF PLAN. THE EFFORTS OF THE PROJECT IN PLANNING HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEGUN TO PAY OFF AS PARTICIPANTS RETURN AND OCCUPY KEY ROLES ON PLANNING COMMITTEES. THE EVALUATORS MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT EXPANDING THE PROGRAM, MAKING MINOR CHANGES IN THE CURRENT PROGRAM, AND APPROVING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PRESENTLY BEING PROPOSED.