Completion evaluation¹

Introduction

Following the closing of the Tafilalet and Dadès Rural Development Project (PDRT), a completion evaluation mission from the Office of Evaluation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) visited Morocco from 11 September to 12 October 2005. The evaluation report elaborates upon the major findings of the mission. A final workshop was held in Morocco in February 2006 to discuss the recommendations and prepare the groundwork for the agreement at completion point.

Located in North Africa, Morocco is home to 30.6 million people, 43% of whom live in rural areas. The population growth rate has been declining for the past ten years and currently stands at 1.6% per annum. The infant mortality rate has fallen in the past decade but remains very high at 47.9/1 000 (2004), reaching 56.7/1 000 in rural areas. More than 12 million people, or 42% of the population, are illiterate. During the period 1998-2002, average growth rates for GNP and inflation were 1.67% and 1.75% respectively, compared to averages of 4.06% and 5.14% during the years 1990-1997. Average income per capita is USD 1 310, placing Morocco among the world's low to middle-income countries. According to estimates of the High Commission for Planning of the Government of Morocco, the poverty rate declined from 16.5% in 1994 to 14.2% in 2004 (national average). However, the poverty rate in rural areas increased from 23% to 25%. This relatively high rate of poverty is reflected in a 23.6% stunting rate among children in rural areas.

The PDRT was approved by IFAD's Executive Board on 20 April 1994 and entered into effect on 27 March 1995 as a single project financed by two separate loans (IFAD MA 356 and 357). The loans, provided directly to the implementing agencies, the Regional Authorities for Agricultural Development (ORMVAs) of Tafilalet and of Ouarzazate with a sovereign guarantee, closed in 2004 and 2005 respectively. ²Total project cost was USD 52.5 million, financed by IFAD (USD 22.3 million), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (USD 7 million), the OPEC Fund for International Development (USD 5.6 million), the Government of Morocco (contribution of USD 15.8 million) and the beneficiaries (contribution of USD 1.5 million in the form of labour). The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) was the cooperating institution and responsible for project supervision. The project was implemented by the Tafilalet and Ouarzazate ORMVAs, represented in the field by the agricultural development centres (CMVs). The Ouarzazate ORMVA received funding from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) for support to irrigation water users' association (AUEAs), but KfW was not a direct partner of IFAD, IsDB nor OPEC.

The approach followed in this evaluation is in line with the methodology defined by IFAD, which employs three main criteria and a rating system. The criteria are as follows: i) the project's impact on poverty reduction; ii) project performance as measured by relevance of objectives, effectiveness of implementation and efficiency of achievements; and iii) performance of project partners. The mission consulted numerous technical and socioeconomic documents as well as general documentation and scientific publications relating to the project's areas of intervention. During the mission, interviews were conducted with many institutional actors at the central, regional and local levels involved in project oversight and/or implementation, as well as with a sample of beneficiaries in both project regions. The evaluation mission also benefited from the results of a rural survey conducted by OE in August 2005 in both project regions. This survey covered 17 grassroots organisations purposively selected to represent the different types of cooperatives and associations formed or supported by the project and 274 households sampled randomly, including households in and outside the project to better guide the evaluation on impact attribution.

Project design

The Tafilalet and Dades Rural Development Project (PDRT) is aligned with the new policy introduced by the Moroccan Government following the structural adjustment programme of 1984, and with IFAD's strategy for Morocco, both of which set a number of priorities. The PDRT was formulated in this context of a shared vision of priorities for agricultural and rural development in May and June 1993, and a preliminary evaluation took place in December 1993. From the outset, the project programme included several complementary components intended to: i) improve agricultural production by means of small and medium-sized waterworks in valleys and oases; ii) improve livestock systems, both intensive (in irrigated zones) and extensive (in pastoral zones); iii) protect natural resources and check degradation; iv) reinforce basic infrastructure and social facilities in rural areas; and v) develop institutions and local organizations.

Covering the contiguous Tafilalet and Dadès regions, the project area is located in southeast Morocco along the southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and is part of the pre-Saharan region. The project area measures 90 300 km2 (12.7% of the national territory), of which 80 500 km2 is in Tafilalet and 9 800 km2 is in Dadès. In the Tafilalet ORMVA region the PDRT covers the Province of Errachidia and the Bni Tadjit Cercle (an administrative division within the Province of Figuig) and, in the Ouarzazate ORMVA region, the Dadès Valley to the northeast of the Province of Ouarzazate, which is part of the Upper Draa watershed. The climate is continental and arid. Precipitation ranges from 70 mm in the extreme south, at Erfoud, to 290 mm in the extreme north, at Imichil. These climatic conditions preclude the practice of rainfed agriculture and necessitate the use of irrigation.

The rural population in the project area was estimated at 732 000 in 1993, or some 92 420 families. At the time of project formulation, more than half of the farmer and herder families in the project area were estimated to be living below the poverty line (according to World Bank studies), then set at USD 225. The project was to benefit: i) 42 500 small farmers in poor areas in the irrigated sector, with high population density (through improved water and land management); ii) 30 000 inhabitants of isolated mountainous areas (through road works); iii) 14 000 inhabitants of disadvantaged villages (through improved access to drinking water); iv) 7 720 small herders and 120 D'man sheep herders and breeders; v) 1 260 women farmers and 9 600 women and young people (by means of raising of goats and sheep, including D'man sheep, and literacy and other training through the development of outreach centres).

The project implementation period was marked by a difficult economic juncture, particularly in 1998 when GNP grew very slowly (1.67%) compared to the prior period (annual growth of 4.06% in 1990-1997), and by a long succession of dry years that placed important constraints on certain project actions (fallow periods, fodder crops). The adverse effects of drought on the agricultural sector made themselves felt in particular during the period 1998-2000. This, combined with the cumulative effect of emigration by young people, has deprived the area of manpower for maintaining traditional irrigation infrastructure. In addition, the project's start-up coincided with a new phase in the country's political life, characterized by an accelerated political liberalization beginning in the second half of the 1990s. In parallel, the participatory approach emerged as an incontrovertible instrument to ensure locally managed sustainable development. In terms of economic context, new prospects for development are opening up in Tafilalet and Dades, mainly thanks to the promotion of tourism and filmmaking.

No major changes were made to the project design, the general orientation nor to the components. Minor changes were introduced during project implementation in response to practical field issues, donor requirements and recommendations by support missions.

Implementation status

Following a delay in the loan closing date of more than two years, the project's achievement rates are generally good, and in some cases exceed the component targets set. In Tafilalet, seven floodwater perimeters were rehabilitated (9 170 ha), 72 pumping stations were created or rehabilitated, and approximately 55 km of khettaras ³were treated. This corresponds to virtually 100% of the target. In Dades, the achievement rate was 34% for rehabilitation of séguias [irrigation canals]; completion is planned for end-2006. The delay is attributable to the requirement that beneficiaries make good on their financial contribution (2.5%) prior to commencing work. The project created 24 irrigation water users' associations (AUEAs) and 06 federations of AUEAs in Tafilalet and 86 AUEAs in Dades (100% of target); the AUEAs were set up before the work began. In Dades, work to develop infrastructure is close to complete, and has resulted in 16 water supply systems of the 17 projected (the remaining one is now under way), construction of close to 12 km of dikes to protect waterways and rehabilitation of a 15 km stretch of the Toundoute-Iminoulaoune roadway. Since projections overestimated this roadway by 4 km, a balance of close to DH 3.3 million remains under the OPEC loan.

The project created 16 pastoral cooperatives (100% of target), placed 110 200 ha of rangeland in fallow (67% of adjusted target) and planted 4 600 ha of fodder crops (71% of target). Seven herder cooperatives were organized to improve D'man sheep stock in Dades, bringing together 166 herders with 8 140 head of sheep; 98 breeders joined the National Association for Sheep and Goat Raising (ANOC) and 9 169 head were selected (141% of target). In Tafilalet, five new cooperatives for D'man were created and six were strengthened, bringing together 611 herders with 15 095 head of sheep; 66 breeders joined ANOC and 8 296 animals were selected (415% of target). The achievement rate for work to stabilize sand dunes using cross-ruling by palm branches is 444% of the original programme target and 99% of the adjusted target; for the installation of fibre-cement sheeting it is 85%.

In Tafilalet, 29 women's cooperatives were set up (242% of target) for D'man sheep breeding, with 1 330 members having received 2 660 sheep on subsidized credit. In Dades, under the goat milk programme, extension and equipment provided to the Skoura station enabled it to double its production capacity, equipment provided for a cheese dairy enabled processing of 250 l/day and a women's cooperative with 68 members was set up. In Tafilalet, 113 women's centres (CAFs) were equipped compared to the target of 29, and 14 female monitors were trained. In Dades, a women's section was set up within the ORMVAO outreach division, and 13 CAFs were rehabilitated and equipped compared to the target of 4. Actions planned with respect to institution-building for both Offices are generally complete overall (equipping of CMVs, vehicles, computers and training). The number of awareness-raising and training sessions for farmers and women exceeded targets set for both Offices and covered all priority sub-sectors.

Project performance

Relevance of objectives. The project is aligned with the National Irrigation Programme, the new agricultural policy guidelines favouring bour [rainfed cropping] areas introduced in 1988, the Five-Year Plan for 2000-2004 (assigning priority to mountains, oases and border areas) and the 2020 Rural Development Strategy, the National Date Palm Plan, and the National Rangeland Improvement Plan. The project was also consistent with the poverty reduction strategy adopted by IFAD following a programming mission to Morocco in 1983 ⁴.The project objectives to improve living conditions (providing access to drinking water, building roads to open up isolated areas) are highly relevant in an area with basic infrastructure indicators among the lowest in the country, representing a major handicap for economic and social development and rural poverty reduction.

In view of IFAD's specific mandate, several weaknesses can be identified in terms of overall project formulation: i) the generic description of the target group; ii) the large number of actions to be carried out (equivalent to two or three typical IFAD projects) without any clear identification of synergies and linkages between components or any concrete means of realizing such synergies; iii) the virtually omnipresent role of public institutions, even in non-traditional areas typical of private enterprises); iv) the choice of the rangeland and extensive herding approach, drawn from another IFAD project in the eastern region without the benefit of sufficient experience with implementation; and v) rather optimistic assumptions about the ability of project personnel to adopt a participatory approach from the outset without supplementary donor support and interventions (e.g. budget funding for specialized training).

Effectiveness. Despite the difficulties encountered during implementation and at the ten-year point, the project achieved most of its objectives. Among the strengths identified are the following: i) an increase in yields for particular crops (olives, apples and cereals); ii) structures built to divert floodwater and revive palm plantations (4 000 ha), and in some cases an intensification of cropping and grazing; iii) the khettara treatment programme, which enabled drainwater volumes to be stabilized; iv) improved access to drinking water through household connections in certain communes; v) generally satisfactory results on sheep breed improvements.

Areas of weakness include: i) under the rangeland development component, achievements below target and a low percentage of areas where fallow periods were adhered to (24%); ii) under the goat milk programme, oversized or unused equipment and selected goat production well below target; iii) geographical targeting that was not always well planned and led to dispersion of actions over a large area with little complementarity or synergy. The project's definition of the target group can only be considered imprecise.

Efficiency. Efficiency was examined by comparing unit costs (per ha or per person) with benchmarks set by other similar programmes or interventions in Morocco and the Maghreb. In some cases, costs are compared to benefits. The project posted good performance in some areas and was weaker in others. Among the positive aspects are good performance with respect to irrigation and drinking water, training for women, rangeland improvement, sand dune stabilization and agricultural extension. These positive results were achieved mainly thanks to the technical expertise of personnel from the project and selected enterprises.

Among weaker areas are milk and cheese production under the goat milk programme, treatment of specific khettaras, new land development, certain D'man breed selection efforts and attention to certain technical and economic studies. There are shared elements in these experiences, as follows: i) actions with impaired technical/financial feasibility not fully covered during formulation, and ii) actions that extended beyond the Offices' mandate (selection, product processing, marketing) such that implementing agencies did not enjoy a comparative advantage.

Impact on rural poverty

Due to the lack of specific monitoring and evaluation for the project actions, the evaluation team derived its conclusions through triangulation among several sources such as documentation, the OE quantitative and qualitative rural survey, direct observations, and field discussions.

Through its various components, the project has led to an improvement in material and financial household resources. According to the survey results, project beneficiaries are more likely than the control group to report an improvement (and, conversely, less likely to report a reduction) in income-generating opportunities and the availability of animal feed and water for irrigation (with some exceptions in the case of Tafilalet), which are essential elements in household living conditions. Time not spent on repairing khettaras and carrying water can be applied towards income-generating activities, education and care of the household and its members.

The project has had an impact on human resources, in terms of technical skills, health, management and others. For instance, enrolment rates rose in the commune of Iminoulaoune after the road was built (30% for boys and 2% for girls before the road, compared to 73% and 35% respectively after the road), the school absenteeism rate dropped for girls with the introduction of drinking water supply, health and hygiene improved markedly with drinking water supply, more than 11 000 women acquired know-how in animal and craft production, marketing and microproject management, and more than 8 000 became literate. The project had a significant impact on extension (more in terms of change than in terms of the proportion of the population having benefited). Farmers are better informed, working in partnership with the administration and adopting techniques to improve production.

Social capital. The project's approach to implementation has made it possible to strengthen: i) the remarkable, if still incipient, development of associations and cooperatives, favouring participation and ownership of local development by beneficiaries and their representative institutions; ii) inter-organizational solidarity and exchanges; iii) the development of professional organizations partnering with the administration for local development (the decisive role of pastoral cooperatives in barley distribution during dry years); iv) the creation of a forum for dialogue and voicing of grievances, competition for farmers and herders, and emancipation for rural women.

The project's impact on household food security can be measured through estimated household spending. According to the survey, a comparison of the pre- and post-project situation shows that spending increased for 52% of households, remained unchanged for 34% and decreased for 13%. In addition, according to conversations with beneficiary women, the project led to a marked improvement in nutrition in their families as products for self-consumption (meat, eggs and vegetables) became more available.

Although no precise technical studies of environmental impact are available, certain project actions have had a perceptible impact. Examples include flood protection for farmland in areas with soil constraints, reductions in solid waste in waterways and in reservoir siltage, and technical and cultural heritage protection (valleys, oases, khettaras). The survey data suggest somewhat mitigated results for rangeland and a less pronounced reduction in soil fertility for project users, although most respondents report a continued decline in soil fertility.

Impact on institutions. Within the two Offices, the project has clearly had an impact on officers' operating capacity through improvements in mobility, skills and technical resources. Working methods and approaches were conceptualized, formalized and improved, particularly in the areas of agricultural extension, rangeland development and organizations of farmers and herders. By strengthening the Women's Division (SAF) of the ORMVA for Tafilalet and by creating the SAF in the ORMVA for Ouarzazate, the project unquestionably lent momentum to the existing strategy to develop extension activities to benefit women. In addition, actions to develop literacy and income-generating activities for women have improved economic and social conditions markedly for women in the project area.

The PDRT in Dades has set a precedent for change in one practice that is still widespread, whereby design and implementation rely exclusively on the engineer and beneficiary opinions are relegated to second place. The AUEAs are beginning to take part in validating the design of actions affecting them, and in monitoring the results. This kind of grass-roots participation has in some cases enabled changes to be made to projects to adapt them to beneficiaries' needs and priorities.

Gender. Awareness among rural women in the project area concerning their social and economic circumstances is just beginning to develop, and thus far is present only among the officers of livestock raising cooperatives and members of local associations (contacts with banks and the Professional Dissemination and Organization Division to request information directly, etc.). On the other hand, some cooperatives and associations set up to promote women continue to be directed almost exclusively by men (Ferkla Association to develop women's work); these men appear to cite, to justify the creation of women's organizations, the decline of activity by women in farming operations following several dry years, as well as unemployment among the few educated women in villages.

The sustainability of the impact mentioned above remains contingent on future developments in the socioeconomic and sociopolitical environment (economic growth, strengthening of the democratic process, development choices and strategies), on the capacity for action and adaptation on the part of local actors and on steps taken by the administration to build upon results. Among the indicators of sustainability are the partnership approach pursued by both offices with associations and cooperatives, which should improve the sustainability of project achievements and ownership by local actors directly concerned, as well as the sound financial position for all irrigation and drinking water users' associations visited (although expenditures only rarely include depreciation of equipment owned by the Office). Risk factors include: i) the fragility of pastoral cooperatives, which are still largely dependent upon technical, financial, material and human resources provided by the administration; ii) the limitations of cooperatives as associations initiated by the Offices under the PDRT; these are often small artisanal enterprises that are increasingly faced with competition and market realities and subject to a number of constraints; iii) the nature of the close outreach methods practised by the Offices under the PDRT, which require significant human and material resources that may be lacking at the project's end and/or upon the departure of experienced technicians under the new voluntary retirement programme offered to government officials.

Innovation and replicability. The concept of participatory development for irrigation infrastructure ought to have been a major innovation, procedurally speaking. It must be acknowledged, however, that in most cases participation has been confined to financing and maintenance (as established in the project design). Nevertheless, in Dades a new phenomenon has arisen. The AUEAs have begun to take part in validating the design of actions affecting them and monitoring outcomes. The encouraging results of Office/AUEA partnerships under the PDRT led the Hydro-Agricultural Division of MADRPM to choose Ouarzazate to organize a national seminar on the participatory approach to irrigation (2004). In implementing the drinking water component, the ORMVA of Ouarzazate opted for water supply through household connections, whereas the vision in the 1990s (and the original project design) called for supply by public hydrant. Thanks to the PDRT and its actions in 29 douars to extend access to all households, including the poorest, this option was ultimately selected at the provincial level. Household connections have changed the way homes operate and saved time for women by alleviating their workload.

Overall impact assessment. Despite a complicated project design, a rather large number of components and a vast intervention area, the project objectives have largely been achieved, particularly in terms of physical goals. Innovative approaches and methodologies were introduced by the Offices in both regions where the project was active. Beneficiaries made a direct contribution to the success of many actions under the various project components. Nevertheless, the project's achievements remain vulnerable for all components. A rapid exit by public agencies and the lack of a strategic vision for comprehensive sustainable development in these disadvantaged regions constitute serious risks to the sustainability of the actions and innovations introduced by the PDRT in Dades and Tafilalet.

Perormance of the partners

In the case of IFAD, the project was well aligned with development guidelines and concerns for the project area. However, some weaknesses and imprecision were found in the definition of the target group and the project seemed to lack spatial integration of the components, of which there were a large number. IFAD carried out a number of monitoring and support missions during implementation to offset the inadequate technical and methodological oversight provided by AFESD. These missions were of good quality from an analytical point of view, and they stepped up activities and improved project implementation overall.

The cooperating institution, AFESD, conducted a very limited number of supervision missions. In spite of this limited contribution, ORMVAs were reporting to the evaluation mission their satisfaction with AFESD responsiveness in terms of financial management. In selected cases, however, budget overruns were authorised that necessitated verifications and corrections within IFAD. Also, project supervision by AFESD was limited to physical and financial aspects, which is inadequate for a project of this scale. Given the insufficient input to approaches and methodology, physical programmes could not always be linked to objectives in an integrated way in time and space.

Due to their internal organisation and resource availability, the other co-financiers (OPEC, IsDB) were involved in the physical and financial monitoring mainly to the component that they were directly financing (separate progress reports and monitoring missions), relying on supervision by AFESD. There were contacts between these donors and implementing agencies but a more limited support to project implementation and strategy.

The Government. Performance by ORMVAs can be considered satisfactory overall, as evidenced by the physical goals achieved, disbursement rates and relevance of most components carried out. This demonstrates that both ORMVAs possess sound competencies for managing major projects (in particular, hydro-agricultural projects), including under direct contracts with an external donor. The survey indicates that the beneficiaries have an overall positive assessment of the degree of attention paid to them by project officials, with some points of dissension on the part of pastoral cooperatives in Tafilalet and AUEAs in Dades. Nevertheless, a number of weaknesses interfered with efforts made by the Offices, particularly with respect to spatial integration of actions, partnerships with other public institutions, and monitoring and evaluation.

The support provided by the ministries having responsibility for ORMVAs (Agriculture and Finance) contributed to the positive results. The procedures requiring submission to the Hydro-Agricultural Development Division (DAHA) before commencing studies and works ensured supplementary control, particularly in terms of technical specifications in contractual documents. In the case of other central divisions at the MADRPM (having responsibility for animals, plants and outreach), contacts and exchanges of information with PDRT were much less frequent, so that the project did not enjoy sufficient support, nor were the project results disseminated in other regions of the country.

Performance by the various partnerships forged under the PDRT was uneven. The agreements entered into by the Offices with the Provincial Office for Support Services (DPEN), and the Provincial Office for Youth and Sport (DJPS) did not generate a collaborative dynamic, and the provincial offices did not significantly improve the operation of centres renovated and equipped under the project. In short, the partnership among sectoral public agencies present in the region remains tenuous, which does not favour complementarity and harmonization among sectors (tourism and agriculture, for instance, or drinking water user associations and the National Water Office). Also, beyond the joint hosting of the start-up workshop and a few visits, there is little coordination between the two Offices although they are managing the same project with the same approach and encountering the same kinds of problems. 

The importance of the partnership between the ORMVAs and grassroots associations is better understood by project staff, as it is nowadays in Morocco overall. This shift is still fragile, however, with an unequal partnership, with technical issues and resources on one side and on the other only goodwill. Partner associations must benefit from specific support over time, and partnership with populations must not mean an abrupt disengagement by the State and its agencies in the short term, but rather a different kind of engagement, involving adapted financing and learning mechanisms that will lead to a gradual transfer of responsibility.

The overall partnership among co-financiers was characterised by the little harmonization of the programmes financed by the various donors or of implementation and monitoring procedures. To all intents and purposes there are three separate projects in terms of financing, planning, implementation, procedures and monitoring. For instance, no benefit was drawn from the IsDB's presence in Morocco to coordinate monitoring and support activities: no joint mission or workshop took place to discuss implementation issues.

Overall assessment and conclusions

Over the past ten years, the PDRT has played a very important role in the economic and social development of Tafilalet and Dades, thanks to a varied programme of action that has enabled the project to make an effective contribution to poverty reduction. The priority assigned to developing basic infrastructure and equipment is justified both by the strategic importance of this component to consolidate economic and social development and by the deficient infrastructure in both project regions, which cover a vast expanse of land. In this sense, the waterworks component, in which two thirds of the investment was made, has led to the installation and rehabilitation of hydraulic infrastructure on a large scale which is crucial to support human activity in pre-Saharan areas under serious threat of cyclical drought.

The PDRT's actions to promote rural women have made a very positive and necessary contribution to strengthening the current evolution of the social fabric in these regions. Outreach by the Offices has undoubtedly helped raise the technical skills of farmers in both regions. Such outreach must however be seen in the context of Morocco's agricultural policy, which increasingly favours a reduced role for the State and corresponding increase in the role of the professions.

The project was implemented under a participatory approach. In some cases, however, the two ORMVAs appear to have interpreted this in a utilitarian and reductive way that identified beneficiary contributions to sharing costs with the State and maintaining equipment and infrastructure. Important exceptions emerge from the experience of the ORMVA of Ouarzazate and can represent the basis for further interventions.

The construction of rural infrastructure and the exploitation of agricultural land have long been priorities for the ORMVAs in view of the imperatives of increasing agricultural production and creating income sources for rural populations. New development needs are currently being felt in both regions. They have to do primarily with: i) protecting the sustainability of fragile ecosystems and a precious heritage of landscapes and technical structures (valleys under development, oases, khettaras) that bear witness to the rural populations' ingeniousness and ability to adapt to a difficult environment; ii) promoting rural populations and combating the poverty and exclusion that place economic and social development in these regions in jeopardy.

The challenges to be faced in meeting these emerging needs include the typical constraints of arid regions where natural resources do not support unlimited intensification and development of agricultural production. Hence the imperative of diversifying income sources, particularly for poor families, so that they may overcome the obstacles of depleted soil and drought, a structural reality in the project area. New prospects are opening up for economic and social development in Tafilalet and Dades, through promotion of the tourism and film industries. Tourism is being developed particularly in the province of Ouarzazate. The area possesses a number of assets for the cinema and has built a reputation as one of the world's premier film locations, with very competitive production costs (30% to 40% below those of the United States and Europe).

Based on the foregoing, some recommendations can be made to underpin actions by the Offices in the two project regions and strengthen IFAD's partnership with Morocco for effective poverty reduction and rural development. Given the nature of this review as a completion evaluation, three strategic rather than operational thrusts are in order:

Developing a strategic vision for integrated and sustainable regional development

• Poverty reduction needs to be embedded in a more comprehensive regional multisector development strategy. This would include greater coordination and consensus-building among the various development partners in these regions. Public authorities will still have to play a key role in the organization and support to the development process by mobilizing resources (above all, financing) and skills required. This recommendation is addressed to the ministerial, regional and provincial authorities and departments, with IFAD's support.
• The oasis landscape in the largest sense (including mountainous valleys) should be set again as a matter of primary concern for rural development projects in the area, not only as a pre-condition for subsistence but also as a precious collective cultural heritage with potential for economic diversification (including eco-tourism) that could be developed profitably and beneficially. This recommendation is addressed in particular to the ORMVAs and MADRPM.
• Elaborate a strategy to ensure the maintenance of infrastructural investments. To this end, the gradual transfer of irrigation system management to AUEAs should be accompanied by support for their activities (redeployment of ORMVA staff to strengthen units of AUEAs, training for AUEAs and upgrading for technicians in their new role as advisers to AUEAs). This recommendation is addressed to the ORMVAs and MADRPM.
• Pastoral development in arid regions represents a difficult task which needs considerable human and material resources, as well as a strategy of intervention based on integrated approaches (geographical and sectoral), and in-depth and updated knowledge of dynamics in the pastoral zones. A rigorous assessment should be undertaken of the cooperatives created in the framework of PDRT and PDPEO, in order to draw lessons from the two important experiences. This recommendation is addressed to the ORMVAs and MADRPM.

Partnership

• The ORMVAs need to update their operating approaches and modalities to perform a mission that is complex, yet stimulating and motivating. Finding motivated and skilled human resources (beyond agricultural techniques) is a challenge that must be met. It should also be noted that the implementation of a sustainable regional development strategy that integrates and adds value to the agricultural potential requires the involvement of institutions and competencies outside agriculture. This recommendation is addressed to provinces and the concerned ministerial departments.
• The two ORMVAs have been capable of starting up partnership dynamics for project implementation with the population, the public institutions, State and local associations. This creates opportunities for local development managed by local actors. Selected experiences should be analysed in-depth, through a research-development programme involving the ORMVAs and research institutions in order to draw relevant lessons. This is particularly the case of ORMVA/AUEA partnerships for maintaining, protecting and enhancing the infrastructure installed. This recommendation is addressed to DAHA and educational and research establishments.
• Better coordination is needed among donors, perhaps in the form of a shared agenda for support and supervision (for example common supervision/support missions, co-financed by the various donors). Any donor presence in the country offers an advantage that should be used for dialogue with local agencies and authorities. This recommendation is addressed to the donors and the implementation agencies.

Project formulation and targeting and means of verifying achievements

• Simplify project formulation through a more selective definition of components and better targeting of project activities, both geographically and based on the needs of the poor. Consolidate the dynamics of promoting poor populations by undertaking more integrated projects with better coordination of actions from the outset. Women's associations offer good opportunities for training and advancement of rural women and need to be strengthened. A study might be conducted to identify opportunities for income-generating activities by women (including upgrading the quality of their products to be competitive in selected niches) and ways of supporting them. This recommendation is addressed to both the ORMVAs and their specialized partners (the Ministry of Agriculture, ORMVAs, IFAD).
• Set up a results-based monitoring and evaluation system that can document impact (changes in household welfare) based on a simple logical framework. In addition, documentation, knowledge management and communication of field experiences and achievements should be reinforced. New information and communication technologies are an effective means of capitalizing upon and exchanging such experiences with other actors nationally and internationally, and should primarily be developed within the ORMVAs by the appropriate divisions, possibly with some external facilitation and support by donors. This recommendation is addressed to the ORMVAs and MADRPM.

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1/ Composed of Messrs A. Abaab, agricultural economist and Mission Leader, A. Abdelguerfi, agricultural pastoralist, M. Daoudi, rural engineering specialist and Mrs K. Rivière, agronomist.  A wrap-up meeting was held on 12 October 2005 at the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries (MADRPM).  Mr F. Felloni, Evaluation Officer (IFAD's Office of Evaluation) participated at the beginning and the end of the mission. In addition to interviews with officials at MADRPM in Rabat, which took place from 12 to 14 September 2005, the mission visited the field from 15 September to 8 October 2005. Prior to the mission, an Approach Paper was prepared and submitted to stakeholders (May 2005), a reconnaissance mission (June 2005) was conducted by Mr Felloni, and a rural survey was carried out in both project regions (August 2005) under the direction of Mr M. Mahdi (ENA-Meknès). The evaluation team would like to thank the Moroccan technical offices at the central and regional levels for their support to the mission.

2/Specifically, 19 May 2004 for loan MA 357 and 31 October 2005 for loan 356.

 3/Khettaras are traditional underground drains built to capture groundwater and provide water for irrigation.

4/ The project area (belonging to the pre-Saharan region, where agriculture is entirely dependent on irrigation) is also indicated as a geographical priority for IFAD in the country strategy document (COSOP) of 1999.