VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD 10/77 TO 3/80 AND IS BASED ON SVI AND MISSION REPORTS AND ONSITE EXPERIENCE. INPUTS WERE AS SCHEDULED EXCEPT FOR THE LATE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST AID/W CHECK WHICH DELAYED CONSTRUCTION AND LED TO A THREE-MONTH PROJECT EXTENSION. SVI PROVIDED COUNTERPART FUNDING IN EXCESS OF PLANNED LEVELS; COVERED A SHORTFALL IN CONSTRUCTION FUNDS DUE TO A RISE IN LOCAL COSTS; AND ALSO OBTAINED OTHER DONOR FUNDS. OUTPUTS WERE AS PLANNED IN REGARD TO BOTH NUMBER AND QUALITY. THESE WERE: (1) CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW BUILDINGS TO HOUSE MECHANICS AND CARPENTER WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING OFFICES, WAREHOUSE, AND SANITARY FACILITIES; (2) INSTALLATION OF NEW MACHINERY EQUIPMENT (MECHANICAL TOOLS) FOR TRAINING PURPOSES; (3) 13 NEW TRAINED INSTRUCTORS (EIGHT FROM ABROAD); (4) AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS OF SHOP INSTRUCTION; AND (5) AN IMPROVED CURRICULUM AND TEACHING PLAN, INCLUDING A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF YEARS REQUIRED FOR COURSE COMPLETION FROM FOUR TO THREE. ENROLLMENT ROSE FROM 156 IN 1977 TO 296 IN 1980. OVERALL CAPACITY IS 320. SVI INCOME AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE NOW ADEQUATE FOR EXPENSES AND PROJECTED TRAINING NEEDS. ALTHOUGH SVI DID NOT PREPARE, AS TARGETED, A PLAN TO ATTRACT POOR STUDENTS, SVI STUDENTS ARE IN FACT THE POOR AND UNEDUCATED. MOST CANNOT PAY THE MINIMAL TUITION OF $4 A MONTH (20% DO NOT PAY AT ALL) AND 63% HAVE TO WORK WHILE STUDYING. ONLY 50% HAVE COMPLETED PRIMARY SCHOOL. SVI OFFERS FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT TO 37 GRADUATES, 12 OF WHOM HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED DURING THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT. ACCORDING TO AN SVI FOLLOW-ON STUDY, 90% OF GRADUATES (WHOSE AVERAGE NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM 20 TO 100 IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS) ARE WORKING IN FIELDS FOR WHICH THEY WERE TRAINED AND ARE IN GREAT DEMAND BY THE LOCAL INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, LARGELY DUE TO PARAGUAY"S RECENT ECONOMIC GROWTH. THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THE PLANNED MAGNITUDE OF PROJECT GOAL OF HELPING THE POOR TO IMPROVE THEIR ECONOMIC LOT HAS BEEN ATTAINED.