SMALL FARMER CROPPING SYSTEMS.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT CONCLUDED THAT THE PROJECT IS OUTSTANDING IN ITS ORGANIZATION, CONCEPTUAL ORIENTATION AND STAFF COMPETENCE. REVIEWS IN COOPERATING CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES REVEALED VARYING LEVELS OF PROGRESS AND EVALUATIONS CONCLUDE GOAL ACHIEVEMENT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE. THIS EVALUATION PERFORMED DURING A 2-WEEK PERIOD AND RESPONDS TO THE FOLLOWING SCOPE OF WORK: 1. REVIEW OF ALTERNATE CROPPING SYSTEMS DEVELOPED BY THE PROJECT INCLUDING THEIR POTENTIAL APPLICABILITY TO SMALL FARMERS; 2. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE OF CATIE"S ROLE IN ASSISTING NATIONAL RESEARCH AGENCIES INCLUDING QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF CATIE"S TECHNICIANS, COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION, DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONDUCT OF FIELD TRIALS; 3. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS BY CATIE AND THE CENTRAL AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS FOR CROPPING RESEARCH; 4. INSPECTION OF FIELD TRIALS IN EACH COOPERATING CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRY TO DETERMINE ADEQUACY OF EXPERIMENT DESIGNS AND VALIDITY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS; 5. IDENTIFICATION OF THE DEGREE OF USE OF RESEARCH METHOD AND INFORMATION AMONG THE CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES; 6. REVIEW OF PUBLISHED EVALUATIONS, AND; 7. REVIEW OF CATIE"S SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT AND ITS INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY TO IMPROVE/INCREASE SUPPORT. PROJECT WAS SLOW IN ADDING STAFF DURING EARLY 1976 DUE TO SHORTAGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL AT CATIE. ALL THE DATA FOR 1976 ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE BIOMETICIAN AND AWAIT COMPUTER FACILITIES FOR STORAGE. A MAJOR SYSTEMS SEMINAR IS PLANNED FOR 1977 BUT PROJECT GOALS AND SYSTEMS RECOMMENDATION FORMAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFOREHAND. PROJECT HAS LED CATIE INTO REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND FORCED INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES WITHIN CATIE TO SUPPORT REGIONAL EFFORTS THAT ARE PRODUCTION RESEARCH ORIENTED. EIGHTEEN RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SUMMARIZED IN PART II OF THE NARRATIVE REPORT.