Small decentralized hydropower (NRECA)

PES covers the period 8/79-4/82; no methodology is stated. The evaluation team found that the contractor, the National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association (NRECA), had made significant accomplishments under the project, but also that NRECA staff lack expertise and practical experience in hydropower design, economic analysis, and social evaluation. The team strongly recommended the project"s continuance under NRECA management with improvements in the areas of staff expertise, project reporting, and quality of and equipment for providing technical assistance. The team also recommended that project workshops be expanded and that NRECA: emphasize small sites (except for country and prefeasibility studies); restrict its activities to providing recommendations for research (rather than conducting research); be allowed to use alternative funding and expertise inputs; acknowledge A.I.D."s sponsorship in all proceedings and reports; consider centralized as well as decentralized sites; and devote efforts to educating decisionmakers in order to gain national support for projects. It is further recommended that A.I.D. review the project design to clearly identify its objectives and to develop quantifiable measures of achievement. A detailed external evaluation of the project at the end of its fourth year is proposed.