| General Information |
Project/Program |
Project |
| Project Name |
The Research Cooperation for Livestock based Sustainable Farming Systems in the Lower Mekong Basin |
| Duration |
First Phase: 2001-2003; Second Phase: 2004-2007 |
| Donor |
Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) |
| Implementiong Organization |
11 universities and research institutions |
| Sector and/or Subsector Classification |
Agriculture |
| Region |
Lower Mekong Region |
| Financing |
First Phase: 19.5 million USD; Second Phase: 32.5 million USD |
| Analytical Information |
Stakeholders |
Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Phnom Penh, University of Tropical Agriculture (UTA, later remaned Center for Livestock and Agriculture, CelAgrid), National Univeristy of Laos (NUOL), National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Khon Kaen Univeristy (KKU), Chiang Mai Univeristy (CMU), Prince of Songka University (PSU), Suranaree University, Nakhon Ratchasima, Univeristy of Agriculture and Foresty (UAF), Can Tho Univeristy (CTU), An Giang University, Hue University of Agricultrue and Forestry (HUAF), National Institute of Animal Husbandry (NIAH) |
| Cross-cutting Issue |
Environment |
Since the project aimed to constribute to environment friendly farming system, the project is consedered highly environmental. |
| Gender |
It seems that gender issue have been integrated in the project design stage, and the project also have benn evaluated in terms of gender as the report says "impact of the project is considered to have positive impact on the employment in terms of gender." |
| Impact Analysis |
The Sida evaluation report evaluted the impact of the project as following. "The impact of MEKARN operations on the research agendas of involved institutions is profound, moving the main orientation from commercial farming systems and practices towards the problems of smallholder farmers, poverty alleviation and sustainable, environment friendly farming systems. The impact on national research agendas, and on farming practice, regulations and credit availability for livestock production is more diffifult to assess at a broader scale, although the impact on poor farmers in the region is assessed as high. MEKARN has had quite good impact on the employment of graduated students, and in terms of gender.
For the part of relevant of the project, the Sida evaluation report states that the relevant of the MEKARN programme is assessed as high in a regional perspective, and in a poverty alleviation perspective. It is also high in terms of environment, food safety and poverty alleviation, particularly as regards as a more efficient use of locally available feed resource. |
| Effectiveness |
Ownership/Partnership |
Evaluation |
The Sida evaluation report states that all participants and researchers awarded grants was participatory. |
| Rating |
4/5 |
| Policy Coherence/Harmonization |
Evaluation |
No mention regarding Policy Coherence and Harmonization |
| Rating |
N.A. |
| Evaluation Framework |
Evaluation |
Evaluation of the report have mainly conducted through site visits and interviews. During the visits the evaluators carry out in-depth interveiws with key persons at Universities as well as with a sample of researcher's who been awarded grants from the research fund, as well as with some MSc and PhD students. Also, literatures were also used for evaluation. |
| Rating |
3/5 |
| Alignment/Composition of Finance |
Evaluation |
The Sida evaluation report regard the sustainability of the project above average. One concerns rised in the evaluation report is about position of trained MSc and PhDs. The programme itself will only remain sustainable if staff trained within the programme continues to hold key positions in relation to the main programme objectives also after a termination of the foreign support. Another concern may be that the extension service so far seems to be too little involved in the dissemination of results to farmers, and that therefore too much responsibility for a sustained success in the strive for poverty alleviation is placed on very few persons. |
| Rating |
3/5 |
| Other Remarks |
MEKARN development objectives are to contribute to poverty alleviation, and to improve the livelihood of poor farmers. In order to meet its development objectives, MEKARN has programme objectives in terms of capacity building and research. Cooperation takes form in MSc training, in PhD training and in networking, the latter comprising both workshops and research funding. |
