REVIEW OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS INSTITUTE - AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT

GIVEN THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT AND ITS TRAINING OBJECT, THE CONTRACTOR HAS PRODUCED THE MATERIALS IT CONTRACTED TO PRODUCE AND THESE, WITH SOME MODIFICATION AND FINALIZING, CAN BE ADAPTED AND FIELD TESTED WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS IN ONE OR MORE SELECTED LDC"S. THE OUTPUTS PRODUCED THUS FAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IN A SHORTER TIME FRAME AND FOR LESS COST. PERFORMANCE HAS NOT BEEN FULLY RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY SOUGHT. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT DIFFERENCES IN INTERPRETATION, LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND POOR COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE AID REPRESENTATIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OR THE ASIP STAFF RESULTED IN DELAYS AND A PRODUCT OUTPUT WHICH,IN THE OPINION OF THE EVALUATORS,NEEDS RE-WORKING. THE EVALUATORS BELIEVE THAT AID DID NOT GIVE ADEQUATE AND SUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO THE PROJECT DURING ITS IMPLEMENTATION. PROFESSIONAL STAFFING OF THIS PROJECT WAS WEAK GIVEN THE STATED OBJECTIVES. ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL OUTPUTS OF THE PROJECT, THE SOURCE BOOK OF TRAINING MATERIALS, HAS ELICITED CONSIDERABLE NEGATIVE CRITICISM BY A CROSS-SECTION OF AID OFFICERS, SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS, AND OTHERS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT WORK. GENERALLY, THE CRITICISMS HAVE RELATED TO DEFINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE, MATERIALS ORGANIZATION, SUBSTANCE AND UTILIZATION, ABSENCE OF AID EXPERIENCE, AND HEAVY EMPHASIS ON PLANNING OVER MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION. VERY LITTLE WAS DONE ABOUT MEETING THE CRITICISMS BY EITHER THE CONTRACTOR OR THE AID BACKSTOP. THE EVALUATORS MADE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDING THAT AID CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE PROJECT GOAL AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO BRING THE TRAINING SYSTEM AND MATERIALS TO AT LEAST TWO CAREFULLY SELECTED LDC"S.