RURAL RADIO EDUCATION

ONSITE EVALUATION NOTES THAT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION WAS DELAYED TWO YEARS DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMELY CONTRACTING OF TECHNICAL ADVISORS AND THE INCLUSION OF A ONE-YEAR PRE-TESTING PHASE. THE INCORPORATION OF THIS PHASE, DURING WHICH VARIOUS RADIO PROGRAMS WERE TESTED, REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL PLANS, BUT WAS CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO INSURE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY OF THE PROGRAM. ANOTHER CHANGE HAS BEEN THE EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THE THIRD GRADE. THIS INCREASED THE PROJECT WORKLOAD FROM 3 GRADES TO 4. PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE A FULLY EQUIPPED AND OPERATING RADIO STATION, 21 TECHNICAL AND 8 ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL TRAINED, 495 COURSES OF STUDY FOR GRADES 3-4 TRANSCRIBED ON TAPES AND 8 WORKBOOKS FOR THE SAME GRADES WRITTEN, REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED IN A TOTAL OF 6400 COPIES. ADEQUATE EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS ARE ALSO BEING DEVELOPED TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF LISTENER INTEREST AND DEGREE OF LEARNING. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN WELL INSTITUTIONALIZED WITHIN THE TELEDUCATION DEPT OF THE MOW WHERE THE CAPABILITY IS BEING DEVELOPED TO CONDUCT THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVELY. IT WAS LEARNED THAT PROJECT DESIGNERS SHOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITH HOST COUNTRY COUNTERPARTS AT THE PROJECT PAPER PREPARATION STAGE. IF POSSIBLE, PP"S SHOULD BE PREPARED JOINTLY AND THE FINAL PAPER TRANSLATED INTO HOST COUNTRY LANGUAGE. IT WAS ALSO LEARNED THAT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULES INCORPORATED IN THE PP"S SHOULD CONSIDER REALISTICALLY THE TIME REQUIRED FOR FOREIGN CONSULTANTS TO ACTUALLY BEGIN WORK UNDER THE PROJECT. ACCOUNT SHOULD BE TAKEN OF SUCH FACTORS AS THE NATURE OF THE TECHNICAL SKILLS REQUIRED, LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS, TYPE OF CONTRACTING PROCEDURES REQUIRED AND THE LIKELY AVAILABILITY OF CANDIDATES UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.