Implementing Rural Development Projects

This book deals with problems frequently encoun-tered by agencies, managers, and technicians who try to implement large-scale development projects. Specifically, it focuses on the implementation problems associated with projects sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) and the World Bank in developing countries. Some historical background on how implementation problems became a focus of concern is presented below. Development assistance on a significant scale started with Marshall Plan aid to reconstruct Western Europe following World War II. [1] In that case, the donor (the United States) asked not to be part of the process that determined how the money was to be spent. Instead, the United States asked the West European countries to establish their own priorities for assistance (which they did after a considerable amount of inter-country negotiation).

This book deals with problems frequently encoun-tered by agencies, managers, and technicians who try to implement large-scale development projects. Specifically, it focuses on the implementation problems associated with projects sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) and the World Bank in developing countries. Some historical background on how implementation problems became a focus of concern is presented below. Development assistance on a significant scale started with Marshall Plan aid to reconstruct Western Europe following World War II. [1] In that case, the donor (the United States) asked not to be part of the process that determined how the money was to be spent. Instead, the United States asked the West European countries to establish their own priorities for assistance (which they did after a considerable amount of inter-country negotiation).

The book presents a comprehensive picture of the rural development programmes in chronological order since first five year plan to the eighth five year plan. Attempt has been made to present the temporal dimensions of policies and objectives being adopted, extended and/or modified after reviewing the needs of identified target area and/or target groups. Also analyses the trend of rural development programmes being implemented in the region with their changing philosophy and composition from Community Development Programme (CDP), Small Farmers Development Agencies (SFDA) to Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). The third part gives first hand information on the basis of village and household questionnaires especially developed for the purpose, not only have helped in evaluating the impact of various rural development programmes but also in assessing the participation of beneficiaries and that of the implementing agencies.

This volume provides information on what can be done to increase the well-being and productivity of the small farmer in the Third World, focusing on design and implementation of rural development projects in the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru.