Resources for village production and income

PES covers the period 8/80-9/83 and is based on a special evaluation (PD-AAP-023). Despite delays in start-up (12 months) and in installation of the TRDB centralized computer records/accounting system (expected in 1/84) funded by the World Bank, achievement in manufacture and TRDB placement of food processing and farm equipment is only slightly behind schedule and individual units are proving more socially and economically acceptable than expected. Mills (maize, sugar, oil) and ox cart production have been particularly profitable. Most TRDB institutional development activities are near target. Although training has generally been well-handled, it appears that some important needs were missed and some programs not adequately designed. The large number (19) of senior TRDB personnel being trained overseas has handicapped operations and is expected to cause reentry congestion, but will have positive long-run effects. TA planned for TRDB"s planning and research functions was diverted to accounting and management improvements, leaving a need for more direction in the aforementioned areas. Delayed completion of the new TRDB building has kept personnel in extremely inadequate offices. A 3/83 reduction in support (from $45 to $15 million) and project length (from 1987 to 12/84) - due to AID/W policy changes and not a reflection on project progress - created internal operating problems and lowered TRDB morale. Then, GOT default on earlier development loans caused USAID/W to deobligate all funds, as required by the Foreign Assistance Act, further damaging morale and intergovernmental relations. Key recommendations are to extend project through 9/86 and reobligate funds (provided the GOT can solve its financial problems). Failure to do so will jeopardize progress made to date and could leave TRDB in a worse position operationally and financially than it was at the start. Among the lessons learned are that output expectations should be precisely defined and that A.I.D. and implementing agencies (especially banks) should have less direct involvement in handling imported goods.