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_ _App 12A-1, Chy v 113 CLASSIFICATION (TM 3:43) 9-30-82 PROJECT EVALUATION SUMMARY (PES) - PART I Report Symbol U-447 1.PROJECT TITLE 2.PROJECT NUMBER 3.MISSION/AID/W OFFICE Integrated Rural Development (IRD) Evalua- NA - See Box 1. OAR/BANJUL tion with special reference to Save the '. EVALUATION NUMBER (Enter tho number malntalnod by the Children's (SCF) community-based IRD Project reporting unit e.g., Country or AID/W Administrative Code, (635-0217) Fiscal Year, Serial No. beginnir gwith No. 1 each FY) [0 REGULAR EVALUATION 0 SPECIAL EVALUATION 5. KEY PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION DATES 6. ESTIMATED PROJECT 7. PERIOD COVERED BY EVALUATION A. FIrt B. Final C. Final FUNDING From imonth/yr.) . _- PRO-AG a, Obligation Input A. Total $ To (month/yr. Equivalent Expected Delivery To (month/yr.) _______________________Fy NA FYNA FY B. "RIetviow NA U.S. $ - I~ReviewOat@ of Evaluationvluto B. ACTION DECISIONS APPROVED BY MISSION OR AID/V OFFICE DIRECTOR A. Laz ¢ cllonlII0 't. NAME OF A. List rejcislonso O13.AME O C.DATE ACTION (NOTE: Mission decisions which anticipate AID/W or regional office action should RESPONSIBLEOFFICEBL COPLETETO BE tNmA IfY ypQ of document, e.g., airgram, SPAR, PIOwhlch will present detailed request.) FOR ACTION COMPLETED 1. The Mission is satisfied that the SCF's IRD Project NA NA has met its major objectives. It believes continued assistance to rural development through SCF could result in further improvement of government and village rural development operations by expanding current efforts to wider areas. However, continued strengthening of the rural development program per se is peripheral to CDSS objectives. Therefore, the Mission has decided not to entertain SCF proposals for further bilateral OPG funds. The Mission does not object to SCF's use in-country of funds that do not require Mission involvement, for example, matching grant funds. 2. The Mission recognizes the importance of the role of All Mission NA women, the Tesito-based village development movement, and staff. (Continuing) voluntary agency operations to its assistance program. It will use the findings of this evaluation in conjuncti n with information gathered in other ways to ensure that i s projects, Agricultural Research and Diversification in particular, are sensitive to the role of women and take advantage of PVO resources and village organizations for development. 96INVENTORY OF DOCUMENTS TO BE REVISED PER ABOVE DECISIONS 10. ALTERNATIVE DECiSIONS ON FUTURE None. OF PROJECT ElProject Paper EImplementation' Plon riE eg., CPI Network Other ISpiclty) A. Continue Project Without Change Financial EJ Plan El PIO/T B. Ch rge Project Design and/or El Logical Framework El PIO/C Other ISpecIfy) Change implementation Pln ElProjject Agriiament ElPlO/P C. EjJ Discontinue Project 11. PROJECT OFFICER AND HOST COUNTRY OR OTHER RANKING PARTICIPANTS 12. Mislon/AID/W Office Director Approval AS APPROPRIATE (Name"and Titles) Signsture _ _ i .__ J, Meri Ames .)_ Typed Nama Byron H. ahl Date 1B A~ID 1330 (3.79) : : 1. Project Title and Number Integrated Rural Development Evaluation with special reference to Save the Children Federation's (SCF) Community-based Integrated Rural Development Project (635-0217). 2. Development Problem and Project Description Rural to urban migration is a major development problem for The Gambia. Rural development, the first priority of the Government of The Gambia's (GOTG) Second Five-Year Development Plan, is part of a strategy designed to curb growing urban migration by making life more attractive and profitable for the small farmer. To be effective, this strategy must include the coordinated development of appropriate economic, agricultural and community services. Community development services have existed in The Gambia for over 15 years. However, it was the implementation of the govern ment sponsored "TeSito" (self-help) program in the late '70's that helped define and .trengthen community development in rural areas. In the "TeSito" program villagers, through their Village Development Committees (VDCs) cooperatively assess their needs and then identify and employ local resources which will improve rural living standards with minimal technical and/or financial assistance from GOTG or non-government organizations (NGOs). Community Development Assistants (CDAs) and Home Craft Assistants (HCAs) are GOTG extension agents responsible for providing tech mical assistance and supervision to VDCs implemeuting "TeSito" projects. To enhance the performance of CDAs and HCAs (and, therefore, the TeSito program), SCF has conducted In-Service Training programs for CDAs and HCAs since 1982. It has also funded community-identified projects which are used as training activities for VDCs, CDAs and HCAs. The VDCs learn how to identify, implement and evaluate community development projects while CDAs and HCAs learn how to provide technical assistance and supervision to the VDCs. 3. Purpose of Evaluation The majority of PVOs within AID/The Gambia's portfolio are in volved in rural development activities. However, their approaches vary and for future programming purposes the Mission needs to un derstand which approaches are effective. In order to strengthen its overall assistance program to The Gambia, the Mission decided to review rural development activities in general (especially the roles of women in the community) and evaluate Save the Children Federation's (SCF) Community-based Integrated Rural Development project in particular. 4. Evaluation Methodology An integrated rural development (IRD) evaluation was conducted between August 1 - 31, 1984. Through interviews, documentation review and site visits, a team of evaluators examined GOTG and NGO rural development activities, assessed the socioeconomic status of rural women and conducted a case study evaluation of SCF's project. Phase I Assessment of IRD in The 'ambia (Supervised by Ms. Nancy Torrey, Evaluation Team Leader) A) "TeSito" within GOTG's National Development Plan B) IRD within GOTG departments C) NGO methodologies in IRD D) village participation in IRD Phase II - Assessment of How IRD Programs Address the Roles and Needs Of Rural Women (Supervised by Ms. Fatmatta Sise Chairperson, the Gambia Women's Council) A) traditional roles and responsibilities of Gambian women B) the impact on women of IRD projects designed for the general community and projects specifically for women C) the needs of women that deserve priority consi deration In IRD programming Phase III- Case Study Evaluation of SCF's Approach (Supervised by Tricia Caffrey, SCF/Westport, Connecticut) A) evaluation of SCF project design B) ability to integrate model with other inputs in target area C) appropriateness of model in the context of GOIG rural development goals D) needs of women addressed through project activi ties 5. Findings Phase I - Assessment of IRD in The Gambia A) "TeSito" is a successful technique of village level community development which depends on cooperative inputs (e.g. planning funding, labor, supplies, etc) from villagers. B) Field extension workers in various GOTG Departments work closely with villagers and Village Development Committees (VDCs) but implement rather than design activities. Villages consider projects they initiate on a TeSito basis more appropriate and beneficial than government-designed activities implemented under nationwide rural development programs. C) GOTG and NGO field staff consider program coordination strong at the village level but weak at the District (county) and Division (province) levels. These field workers cite lake of resources and coordination as major constraints to their pro ductivity at the village level. D) Among NGO's in The Gambia, there are many approaches to com munity development. Some NGOs work in conjunction with GOTG extension workers and CDAs while others select and support their own field representatives. Further, many NGO projects focus on increased food production while others aim to strengthen institutional capabilities. E) TeSito projects cannot compete with project activities that offer food-for-work or supplemental feedings. 3.. Phase II - Assessment of How IRD Programs Address the Roles and Needs of Rural Women A) Women's groups, who organize themselves with or without VDC assistance, are actively implementing TeSito pro jects. B) Women consider traditional income generating projects such as tie-dying, soap-making and vegetable gardening as most beneficial. C) Women's groups are growing stronger and demand more sophisticated assistance (such as access to financial, technical and agriculture resources) from GOTG and NGOs. D) Land tenure, financial control and community planning are issues already affected by women's increased participa tion in rural development programs. Phase III - Case Study Evaluation of SCF's CBIRD Approach A) CDAs and HCAs working on the SCF project are meeting their job objectives more rapidly and with greater success than their peers in non-SCF target areas. B) CDAs and VDCs in SCF target areas coordinate most GOTG and NGO communitydevelopment inputs in their villages. C) SCF's operating methodology of in-service and on-the-job training for CDAs, HCAs and VDCs supports GOTG's National Development Plan D) Several SCF-funded projects such as vegetable gardens, poultry and small ruminant raising etc. directly bene fit rural women. 6. Lessons Learned A) NGO's must work with the central VDC in each village. Too fre quently NGO's either create their own specific development com mittees (health, education, agriculture,