University Linkages

Mid-term PES covers the period 9/80-3/83 and consists of a facesheet attached to a special evaluation (XD-AAN-921-A). Action decisions are that the implementing agency established by the project, the Foreign Relations Coordination Unit of Egypt"s Supreme Council of Universities: (1) hire or assign sufficient full-time staff to complete the project on schedule; (2) adopt and monitor closely the award and implementation schedule proposed by USAID/E (which should also monitor the schedule closely); (3) review, select, and approve the first maxi-linkage proposals and have the Project Joint Executive Board consider such proposals on a regular quarterly basis; (4) follow recommendations of the U.S. TA team to standardize procedures and quality expectations for all committees receiving proposals and awarding grants, to improve the timeliness of the process of deciding on proposals and of notifying their proposers of the results, and to improve accounting and research tracking procedures and the guidelines for universities on project requirements and expectations. It is also noted that in the fourth quarter of FY 83, USAID/E, in cooperation with the Government of Egypt (GOE) and in line with the findings of the special evaluation and the project"s unrealistic time frame, deobligated $l0 million in project funds. When the project is ready to expend funds more rapidly, USAID/E and the GOE will determine whether or not to reobligate the funds.