SOUTHERN AFRICA ACADEMIC AND SKILLS TRAINING PROJECT (REGIONAL)

Evaluation covers the period 11/77-8/80 and is based on questionnaires sent to trainees and a review of USAID files. Training under SADPT is complete, and funding of the few remaining SAAST participants has been tranferred to Project 6450069. Reaction to both projects was enthusiastic. Targets were met with no major problems. Originally, training was to take place in Africa rather than the United States. (The assumption that training institutions in other African countries would be willing and able to absorb qualified Swazis proved erroneous.) A.I.D. made no subsequent attempt to identify qualified African learning centers--something which should be done in the future. Initially, USAID, the Government of Swaziland (GOS) line agencies, and the Department of Establishments and Training worked together to develop annual training plans. However, since 1977/78 USAID has not been directly involved, and the quality of training plans deteriorated. The initial cooperation should be renewed. The number of women trainees was high relative to the number of qualified female secondary school graduates. Thus far, all trainees have returned to jobs appropriate to their level of training. Many reported that they have passed along their newly acquired knowledge to fellow workers. The positions held by the OPEX personnel have been tranferred to Swazis, although not necessarily to direct counterparts. The project demonstrated the importance of carefully developed training plans, of establishing formal procedures in the placement of OPEX technicians, and of developing specific relationships between OPEX personnel and counterparts. It is recommended that USAID and the GOS investigate training opportunities in LDC"s, especially Africa, to assure low-cost and relevant training. A special evaluation is attached (PD-AAI-398-A1).