SOUTHERN AFRICA ACADEMIC AND SKILLS TRAINING PROJECT

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 9/30/77 TO 5/31/79, AND WAS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH 56 PARTICIPANT TRAINING CANDIDATES WHO HAD RETURNED FROM OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND THE US. THE GOB PROVIDED PARTICIPANT TRAINING CANDIDATES ON A TIMELY BASIS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE CANDIDATES HAD RELATIVELY LOW LEVELS OF SKILLS IN MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND ENGLISH. A TOTAL OF $1,313,000 HAS BEEN OBLIGATED FOR PARTICIPANT AND DEVELOPMENT TRAINING. AS OF 5/79, 79 PARTICIPANTS RETURNED FROM TRAINING, 55 WERE OUT-OF-COUNTRY, AND 33 WERE SCHEDULED TO DEPART IN 9/79. ALL BUT ONE OF THE RETURNED PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, AND MORE THAN 90% ARE EMPLOYED IN THEIR FIELD OF TRAINING. ACCORDING TO THE PARTICIPANTS QUESTIONED, THEFOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TRAINING PROGRAM SHOULD BE MADE: (1) EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDIES SPECIFIC TO BOTSWANA SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE COURSEWORK; (2) ADMINISTRATIVE AND TEACHING COURSES SHOULD BE ADDED; (3) THE GOB "PARENT" INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE RETURNED PARTICIPANTS AS TRAINERS; AND (4) PROVISION OF SHORT-TERM TRAINING SHOULD BE REVIEWED, SINCE ONLY THOSE RECEIVING LONGER-TERM TRAINING WERE GIVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROMOTIONS UPON THEIR RETURN. TRAINING WAS PROVIDED PRIMARILY IN AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, ENGINEERING/MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGIES, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PLANNING AND EDUCATION. OVERALL, THE PROJECT PROVED TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE. FOR A PROJECT OF THIS TYPE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THE HOST-COUNTRY MUST CLEARLY IDENTIFY ITS PRIORTIY NEEDS, AND MUST ASSIGN A SINGLE COORDINATING OFFICE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. PROGRESS REPORT (DOCID B6900083005301) IS ATTACHED.