| General Information |
Project/Program |
Project |
| Project Name |
Democratic Initiatives Project |
| Duration |
1992-1997 |
| Donor |
USAID |
| Implementiong Organization |
USAID |
| Sector and/or Subsector Classification |
Public Administration, Law, and Justice |
| Region |
Cambodia |
| Financing |
$15 million |
| Analytical Information |
Stakeholders |
USAID; The Asia Foundation; The National Dsmoaratia Inetitute (NDI); the Interna- tional Republiaan Xnetituts (IRI); Asian-American Free Labor Institute (AAFLI); |
| Cross-cutting Issue |
Environment |
|
| Gender |
|
| Impact Analysis |
While noting the limitations of the immediate impact of legal programming on democracy in Cambodia, this evaluation supports the breadth of the effort, and believes it should continue, and expand into certain areas. The Foundation and USAID should make high level representations to the Cambodian authorities at the appropriate, but early, time to ensure official authorization for the program, and so that a clear, non-competitive relationship is established with the French-oriented legal education system. |
| Effectiveness |
Ownership/Partnership |
Evaluation |
The institution of the National Assembly is potentially vital to the functioning of the state and to the development of pluralism and then, eventually, democracy. Although it may be a very long time before it develops the capacity to perform its designated role in the halance of state power, it is important that it be strengthened adrninistratively and that the institution be built that can in future meet its constitutional requirements. This is a program that will require patience and continuous commitment. |
| Rating |
3/5 |
| Policy Coherence/Harmonization |
Evaluation |
Many were educated in France and are of an older generation, but still influ- - encial in determining the policy directions of government in lin- guistic and cultural terms. These is also a remarkable group of individuals who indeed provide the backbone for many foreign assistance programs. |
| Rating |
2/5 |
| Evaluation Framework |
Evaluation |
This evaluation is designed to assist USAI~/Cambodiain considering the future directionu and institutional relationships of the Democ:racy initiative^^ Project. The period s:Lnce project initiation is too short to allow any substantive evaluation of the subprojects or activities of each of the four g~rantees, although the! evaluator attempted to visit or meet with as many of the principal institutio:ns,staff, and technical. asuistance personnel as possible. |
| Rating |
3/5 |
| Alignment/Composition of Finance |
Evaluation |
The Democratic Initiatives Project, begun in 1992, is funded at$15.0millionuntilitsterminationin1997. Itislikelythat a new project or an extension will be proposed that will continue theprogram. Theconcernoverdemocraticinstitutionsisnot, however, limited to this project. Much of the PVO Co-financing project (#442-0112,$50 million over seven yearn, 1993-2000) is concerned with the development of pluralistic institutions, which in effect is a more realistic explication of the democratic principles. |
| Rating |
2/5 |
| Other Remarks |
Expectations of progress toward democracy must be tempered by the reality of the context in which programming takes place. Although this was recognized in Cambodia, it is often intentionally ignored to adhere to the AID'S often inflated expectations. |
