SHELTER SECTOR PLANNING

Evaluation covers the period from 9/78 to 8/80. No methodology is specified. A shelter sector assessment which collected and analyzed data describing the existing shelter situation is almost done. Unfortunately, delayed input deliveries have slowed output achievement. GON institutional support has not been provided as planned, and the U.S. contractor"s Nigerian counterpart was only recently assigned to the project. In addition, only one USAID technical assistant has joined the project, and resulting delays in technical studies of national housing policy formulation have limited Niger"s Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP) to statements of long-range goals. USAID/Niger has limited its technical assistance by coordinating it with GON"s delivery schedule in order to avoid working without MPWU"s institutional support. In a reorganization of the Ministry of Public Works and Urbanization (MPWU), the personnel involved in the project"s design and early implementation were changed, and a supervisory layer restricting access to MPWU"s decision-makers was added. Recommendations include a two-year project extension and redefinition of the project"s scope and technical assistance requirements to account for policy and planning activities resulting from the FYDP. GON efforts should be made to assign counterpart staff and provide individuals for training. The Ministry of Plan and MPWU should redefine their roles to ensure that MPWU functions as planners rather than implementors. Direct beneficiaries are shelter sector and planning authorities. Indirect beneficiaries are low- and middle-income urban families. One month after this evaluation, GON representatives responded to the recommendations by assigning a second full-time and two part-time Nigerian counterparts to the project team, as well as a full-time secretary. A new implementation schedule will also be completed in two months. Evaluation is attached to a progress report (PD-AAG-147-A1).