Team evaluation report

projects. Special evaluation covers a period ending 4/82 and is based on surveys of users of project services. The services offered by A.I.D.'s Department of Information Utilization (DIU) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Library (NAL) provide a cost-effective means for disseminating agricultural information. The project is organized around three main services -- Technical Inquiry Service (TIS), AID-UPDATE and AID-COPY, and Special Support Services by the NAL. Based on 45 responses to a survey of 220 possible users, it was found that 64% used TIS more than six times per year and 86% considered the quality of TIS excellent. Users indicated that DIU needs to develop a guide to its agricultural information services as well as a formal system for sharing this information. Analysis of 35 responses to a survey of 200 possible users found that 71% used AID-UPDATE services regularly and that 90% were very satisfied; 95% were very satisfied with AID-COPY. It is recommended that AID-UPDATE and AID-COPY be adequately supported to ensure expansion of service and more precise targeting of users and that an evaluation be conducted in 3 years. Special Support Services provided by the NAL have been very valuable and should be sustained. The evaluator recommends and DIU agrees that the NAL and AGRICOLA, a comprehensive agricultural data base, be the hub of an A.I.D. agricultural information network. DIU should also ensure that data bases produced under A.I.D. projects are compatible with AGRICOLA and should seek adequate forward funding for the project. It is also recommended that: a full-time project manager be hired; priority be given first to Missions and AID/W, then to contractors, other project implementors, the Peace Corps, PVO's, and LDC institutions; the issue of user funding be further studied; a simple feedback form for users be developed and that the resulting data be reported regularly; and that an information specialist participate in designing project evaluation procedures.