SMALL FARMER TECHNOLOGY - PES OF 11/80

Evaluation covers the period 4/1/77-9/30/80 and is based on a review of project files, a special evaluation done by Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), and the project coordinator"s final report (PD-AAG-334-C1, G1). The project purpose remains valid but outputs are not on target. The training component is behind schedule due to organizational changes in the implementing agency, and the research and development component has been transferred to the rural technologies project (522015700). The other two components -- the farm plan (FP) group and capital investment fund -- have made steady progress. FP"s have been developed for 264 group farms (14 above the planned 250) but not for the planned 150 individual farmers, who are reluctant to become participants. FP"s have formed the basis for credit requests to finance permanent crops, livestock, and machinery. After a long delay in disbursing the funds, $2.3 million has been lent (about $1,200 each per 6,000 participating families), 80% of which has been repaid. Funds have gone to less than 50% of the farm groups, since the assumption that 250 farm groups could absorb $8 million in credit was invalid. The number of campesinos trained in agricultural mechanization and farm management (544) has exceeded projections, but only 20 of the planned 100 extensionists have been trained. The project design, which was over-ambitious and made faulty assumptions, has been the project"s main weakness. A key lesson is that inter-institutional agreements to assign personnel from several organizations to one project will undermine the project manager"s authority and jeopardize project success. One institution only should have absolute legal authority for project management. Other lessons are that the project"s work plan should be made part of the regional work plan and that better use can be made of capital investment if farmer groups are preselected. It is advised that DAI"s recommendations be implemented and that the training program for public agricultural sector personnel be revised.