Village reforestation

The final evaluation was conducted by a 5-person GRM-USAID/M team of specialists in forestry, sociology, and management and was based on site visits and interviews. The project has produced the magnitude of outputs called for in the logical framework and validated that most project assumptions are attainable. A number of project activities succeeded very well and those that did not contributed to policy change and to the design of forestry technologies and approaches likely to be adopted by farmers. Villagers are showing more interest in and awareness of environmental improvement as, on a significant scale, they are enjoying material benefits from the earliest plantings and no longer require an extension push for more reforestation. In addition, the project"s institution-building efforts made significant progress in training field agents in the diagnoses and designs of agroforestry and soil conservation measures. These very positive findings were offset, however, by the team"s conclusion that the project failed to live up to its potential for improved planning at the institutional level. Project implementation was judged deficient with regard to training activities and the development of a useful information system. Since wise use and management of natural resources remains of great concern for Mali, and particuarly for its Fifth Region, it was strongly recommended to extend the project for 3 years under more dynamic leadership. The evaluators noted the following lessons: (1) technical constraints on the project appear to be the least important (i.e., there are means of accomplishing the project"s objectives; (2) a greater technology adoption rate by farmers can be achieved through hands-on training and group site visits to successful activities within and without Mali; and (3) locally controlled management of natural resources is feasible when farmers" interests are well-defined and more responsibilities are given to them. An action decision to prepare a Project Paper supplement for a 3_year extension is included. (Author abstract, modified)