Special summary -- social analysis assessment : results, proposed guidelines, and constraints

All too often, however, SSA is poorly implemented or used after the fact to justify projects that have already been planned. This paper uses a review of project documentation and case studies to evaluate the current status of SSA within A.I.D., and makes recommendations to improve its usage. SSA is most effective when it offers practical solutions and alternatives to potential problems; key to its effectiveness is recognition of the institutional context and constraints of A.I.D., other donor organizations, and NGO"s. SSA should be viewed as an ongoing process which informs the process of implementation, the author argues, rather than a "crystal ball" that is able to foresee any and all possible problems, as is often the case. In such situations the social scientist often is forced to play the role of catalyst (ensuring that technical colleagues keep in mind how the different pieces of a project fit together) or "gadfly" (goading bureaucrats into taking risks and avoiding their natural predeliction to adhere to established procedures). Comprehensive recommendations are made based on the following key components of SSA design: (1) participants and beneficiaries; (2) sociocultural feasibility and the natural resource base; (3) institutions and organizations; (4) politics and national, regional, and local linkages; (5) indicators and impact; (6) sustainability; and (7) assumptions regarding the nature of the problem and the proposed solutions. For full text of study, see PN-ABD-834; for case studies, see PN-ABD-835.