Unclassified SAID/Nouakchott Vegetable Production
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
-------,----- Unclassified CLASSIFICATION PROJECT EVALUATION SUMMARY (PES) - PART I Report -----Symbol U-447 1. PROJECT TITLE 2. PROJECT NUMBER ~~ MISSION/AIDIW OFFICE 682-0204 SAID/Nouakchott 4. eVALUATION NUMBER (enter the number meintsl_ned ~Y the Vegetable Production reporting unit 8.g., Country or AIDIW Admlnlstrlltlve COde, Flsca' Veer, Serial No. beginning with No. 1 each FV) FY 81-01 ~ REGULAR EVALUATION o SPECIAL EVALUATION 5. KEY PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION OATES 6. ESTIMATED PROJECT 7. PERIOD COVERED BY EVAl.UATION FUNDING A. First B. Final Co Flnel From (month/yr.) 5/78 PRO.AG or Obligation Input A. Toul S2,720,000 Equivalent expected Delivery To (month/yr.) 4/81 B. u.s. $2,370,000 FY-1.B FYB..2... FY8...3- ~:~?~ t:valuetlon 23 'z\n1"'; 1 1 OR 1 8. ACTION DECISIONS APPROVEO BY MISSION OR AID/W OFFICE DIRECTOR A. Lla1: decilioneend/ex unrelolved lauel; cite thOU Itllml needing further study. 9. NAME OF C. OATE ACTION OFFiCeR (NOTE: MIllion dllcillona which antlci~ta A10/W or raglonal offIce IICtlon .hould TO BE ReSPONSIBLE I, COMpLETEO Jl)IICHy tYpe of document, a.a., al"llram, SPAR, PIO,whlch will PreNnt detailed requnt.) FOR ACTION Extend proJect by 19 months, l.e., through July, 1983, to obtain results from an additional grow ing season which will provide more data and empirical evidence required to draw conclusions, to reinforce the demonstration aspects of the project and to initiate steps for institutional ization. This decision will require that the following actions be taken: 1. Amend the Project Paper. USAIDi PDE 6/30/81 J. Amend the Project Agreement. and RD 10/21/82. 3. Amend the PIO/T. bivisions 11/~/81 4. Amend the contract for technical services AID/W Con- , -,, with Frederickson, Kamine and Associates. r-racting OffcJf 12/24/82. 5. Organize and begin implementation of ~IRM, USAID/RIl>, participant training program. ~ID/W and !7/81 '- 9/81 ~ontractor I ...~.. -,, 9. INVENTORV OF DOCUMENTS TO BE REVISED peR ABOVE DECISIONS 10. ALTERNATIVE DECISIONS ON FUi'':-',E OF PROJECT Implementation Plan G Project PIpe, C a.a., Cpl Network EJ Other (Specify) I A. 0 Continue Prolect Without Changf' ~ Assista~~.e[J Change Project Desi;n and/or Flnenciel Plan WPiOIT Technical ~ Contract Change ImplementatiOn Plan D t..o;lCal F ramllWork GJ pIO/C O Other (Specify) [i] Project Agreement W1'10/1' Discontinue Project 11. PROJECT OFFICER AND HOST COUNTRV OR OTHER RANKING PARTICIPANTS AS APPROPRIATE (Nem.. and Titl••) James Hughes, Project Manager, USAID Anthony Wirtz, Chief of Rural Dev. Div.,USAID Bruno Quebedoux, COP, Frederickson,Kamine & Ass A. La~ Hamadi, Director of Agriculture, GIRM Thlam Youssef, Chlef of Veg. Production, GI&~ 25 June 1981 AID 1330.15 (3-78) • -2- PES - PART II 13. Summary. Despite the delay in fielding a technical advisory team, the Vegetable Production project has been eval uated as being on target in its progress toward achieving the proposed purpose and outputs, with the exception of the parti cipant training and institutionalization aspect. Overall pros pects for achieving the project purpose and contributing to the sector goal are regarded as good~ In negotiating the final contract, only two year's funding for the three-year scope of work was provided. Inflation and underestimation of the original T.A. costs were factors in this situation. It is recommended that the project be extended by 19 months in order to achieve the full purpose of the project as envis ioned in the PP. This will require provision of additional funds to the contract to fully finance the three-year scope of service, plus additional advisory services not originally envisioned. This change will require a revision of the PP, submission of the PP to AID/W for approval, and amending the PIO/T and contract. Further information on the relationship of project design to pro ject execution is contained in section B of the evaluation syn thesis which follows. 14. Evaluation Methodology. This evaluation was conducted to measure the progress of project activities against stated pur pose and outputs in the PP and to make appropriate recommenda tions on each aspect of implementation procedures. Data for the evaluation was collected from field visits to project sites . in the three regions of the country affected by the project. Additional information was obtained from documents and reports supplied by the contractor, USAID and the GIRM. The study design was based on PPC/E/PES guidelines for project evaluation and followed the outline of the evaluation synthesis which is attached. Key individuals contacted and a list of project sites visited are listed in Annex A. 15. External Factors. No major changes have occurred in the project setting since the initia~ project design was approved. Assumptions made at the time of project design were determined to still be valid. 16. Inputs. As originally designed, the project requires the financing of the third year of technical services to achieve its designed purpose. Additional tech services not envisioned in the original design are required as well, so that the full benefits of the project as designed may be realized. These inputs include the services of an additional agronomist/ horticulturalist (12 months - possibly to be supplied by Peace Corps), and a water management specialist (12 months). -3- Related increases in the quantity of commodities available to the project will also be required (see Section D of the Evaluation Synthesis). 17. Outputs. Four major outputs were designed: (1) data collection to test the feasibility of vegetable production, (2) establishment of pilot demonstration and field trial areas to carry out agronomic research, (3) analysis of the nutritional impact of proj ect interventions and the training of loc:~l popu lations in vegetable preparation, and (4) training of GI~~ personnel in vegetable production technologies. Assessment indicates that satisfactory progress is being made in the pro duction of all outputs with the exception of the training com ponent. Despite the noted progress, analysis also indicates that the objective of training 3,000 families in food preparation techniques is overly ambitions, given the allotted technical assistance. It is recommended that this output be scaled down to 1,500 families. 18. Puryose. "To determine the feasibility of expanded vegetable product~on among sedentary rural groups in the 3rd, 5th and 6th regions of Mauritania through an applied research and vegetable crop demonstration program". EOPS conditions include: (1) a body of data collected and analyzed concerning vegetable production in Mauritania, (2) 3,000 farmers instructed in improved production, seed preservation and marketing methods, (3) 3,000 families trained in optimum food preparation techniques. The development of research methodologies. is regarded as well advanced. These methodologies are now being utlized to begin the process of collecting the required agronomic, nutritional and economic data. At least 600 farm families are participating di rectly in vegetable garden demonstration activities, although a considerably fewer number, between 200 and 300, have been involved in food preparation demonstrations. Informal on-the-job training has taken place for some nine host country participants, but little progress has been made in the preparation of formal trai ning programs for the participants. The EOPS conditions are still regarded as good indicators of the status which the proj ec." will achieve at its completion (with the exception of the pre viously discussed food preparation demonstration) provided that a third year of contract technical assistance is supplied to th2 project. 19. Goal. "To promote the development and welfare of the rura}" population in Mauritania by increasing small farmer income, fooe productivity and contributing to family food security." Proper analysis of progress toward this goal will require further data collection in the field, which is now in progress. -4- 20. Beneficiaries. It is expected that with a four-year technical assistance effort, this project is capable of reaching 3,000 small farm families who may benefit from improved nutrition, a reduction in underemploYment and an increase in income. Since this project is research oriented, these potential benefits remain hypothetical and will be verified by analyzing data col lected over the life of the project by the contract technical assistance team and associated Peace Corps Volunteers. 21. Unplanned Effects. Project activities have had the effect of stimulating production of vegetables to a greater degree than had been anticipated. In many areas, demonstration plots have promoted the development of satellite garden areas not directly under the tutelage of the project. This outcome is regarded as nutritionally and economically beneficial to the local populatior involved. However, the long-term viability of this production activity has not yet been thoroughly analyzed. 22. Lessons Learned. The evidence collected for this evaluation indicates that the project is moving toward the achievement of its designed purpose. Howeyer, the inability to synchronize the 1 arrival of key inputs (Peace Corps Volunteers, technical assista~ce i team and commodities) created a situation which ultimately incre ased costs and led to misunderstandings between various groups i::..· 1 volved in project implementation. Most of the delay was beyond 1 the direct control of project management (discussion with the 1 host country government regarding the rights and privileges of Americans working in Mauritania retarded contract execution for many months). It is apparent, however, that the ultimate interests of the project would have been served by attempting to reschedule the entire implementation effort until all parties were capable of arriving simultaneously in Mauritania. This situation is discussed further in Section B of the evaluation synthesis. ---~..-._--- ~_.- -------_._-~------ -5- EVALUATION SYNTHESIS A. ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES IN PROJECT SETTING 1. Economic Situation and Governmental Priorities During the years 1970-1978, encompassing the period of project design in 1976, the Mauritanian economy was stagnant, having experienced less than 2% real growth since 1970.