Zaire : final report of the evaluation of the agricultural policy and planning project (660-0119)

Awarded to Chemonics in 1987, the APP contract was conceived essentially as an institution building activity with major emphasis given to human resource development, TA, and primary data collection. In the first 3 years of the project, seven long-term advisors will assist SEP to increase its analytical capabilities in the agricultural sector,. Preliminary data collection emphasizes a series of small scale studies or surveys. Due to the shift of the Government of Zaire (GOZ) and SEP priorities from commodity and regional studies to macroeconomic issues related to the agricultural sector, the evaluation team calls for a revision of the Project Paper, Project Agreement, and the Chemonics contract to more accurately reflect the real needs of the GOZ. Other recommendations include the redefinition of various staffing positions, the development of realistic annual and quarterly work plans, and the enhancement of coordination efforts between USAID/Z, SEP, the Ministries of Planning and Finance, and donors. The data collection component has had only marginal impact due to the almost total lack of new computer hardware and software, and the lack of a data collection advisor. It is recommended that if further delays are anticipated, short-term contracts should be used to meet the immediate data collection need. The evaluation concludes that both USAID/Z and Chemonics have significant opportunities to help the GOZ develop agricultural policy analysis during the next 2 years. The team recommends a thorough review and revision of the project design to respond to the GOZ/SEP perceptions and priorities, and to increase the impact of the project. (Author abstract)