Research on access to land, water, and natural resources

Evaluation covered the period 1984-87 and was based on document review and interviews with project personnel. The project is on track, and there are already several indications of positive impact. The implementing agency -- the University of Wisconsin"s Land Tenure Center (LTC) -- has developed into an institution on which A.I.D., host countries, and other can draw. Project research has been solid, and several important services have been provided to USAID"s. S&T"s collegial and intensive project management has contributed to project success. Evaluation findings included the following: (1) the "common themes" framework used by the LTC to synthesize research experiences across different regions and countries has worked well, but the project should take steps to ensure greater participation of regional bureaus in research planning, and increase involvement of African host country personnel in research activities (host country collaboration has been much stronger in Latin America than in Africa); (2) due to financial constraints, there is little incentive for researchers to carry out basic research; (3) the services the LTC provides should more widely publicized, either through contacts with other organizations or by devoting more time to publishing books and articles in scholarly journals; (4) project focus should shift somewhat away from research and toward information dissemination as the project approaches completion; and (5) diversified sources of funding should be found to continue LTC research after project completion. LTC agreed with the findings, but pointed out that fully complying with the spirit of the evaluation would require more financial support. Action decisions include, inter alia, to: hire a technical editor and make fuller use of CDIE for information dissemination; structure future buy-ins to include funding for dissemination; monitor LTC compliance with recommendations to publicize its services; and prepare documentation for a follow-on project. Several vital lessons can be gleaned from this project. First, the "common themes" framework shows much promise and is recommended for other centrally funded projects. Second, close collaboration with the Latin America and Africa Bureaus in project planning and management has played a key role in the successful outcome of project activities. Third, A.I.D. is to be congratulated for its role in developing the LTC, which has become a unique national and international resource; funding levels should be increased and funding sources should be diversified.