Evaluation of RCA and COMECAMPO Project

Background

The Norwegian Development Fund (DF) has been present in Central America since 1978. As of 1995 DF has been promoting regional networks involving its project counterparts or partners around the world. At this time DF is in the process of carrying out an evaluation to try to determine the impact and reach of its regional funding initiatives in the framework of the Red de Cooperación Alternativa (RCA) made up of organizations that have been counterparts in Central America.

Two years ago, a specific project, known as COMECAMPO (Commercializing in the Countryside) was added to the RCA networking process and biannual training seminars. COMECAMPO has been a regional project resulting from the RCA networking structure. The project is meant to strengthen marketing efforts of farmer organizations who are either direct or indirect beneficiaries of DF.

This project has tried to unify or bring together the marketing initiatives of the various farmer organizations which are trying to position themselves in the marketplace, whether these are national and international markets, conventional or Fair Trade and organic niche markets.

Purpose/objective

The general objective of the evaluation is to try to determine the institutional and administrative sustainability of the RCA network by analyzing the principal impacts it has had as well as the challenges it faces in a participatory manner.

The specific objectives of this study were to:
• Analyze the administrative and organizational structure of the RCA;
• Understand the level of motivation of the RCA partners as far as South - South cooperation is concerned;
• Determine the impact of the RCA on or in the partner organizations as well as the target beneficiary organizations of the various projects;
• Analyze the COMECAMPO project, producing a document which includes expected results which are (objectively and reasonably) attainable during the current project period;
• Determine the principal challenges currently facing the RCA;
• Recommend principal actions to be taken by RCA members; and
• Give concrete recommendations to DF concerning the RCA and its future.

Methodology

The methodology which has been used to obtain most of the information has been of a participatory nature, this being done mostly via interviews and group meetings or workshops where both RCA counterpart organizations as well as representatives of the grassroots beneficiary groups have been able to provide their opinions about their experiences as members of the RCA, about regional exchanges and training processes as well as about the COMECAMPO project.

The parameters which have been employed during the evaluation are based on the expected results coming from the Logical Framework for the project which has justified DF funding of both RCA and the COMECAMPO project.

The evaluation has been carried out as a combined effort between two consultants, both working for Earth Tropical Agriculture University in Costa Rica. The consultants have extensive experience with rural cooperative agribusinesses, and both have experience in the development of commercial enterprises run by small farmers in the region.

Key findings

• Institutional Development: Deficiencies in the strategic plan were identified, mainly related to the lack of properly determining qualitative and quantitative advances for the proposed results and indicators.
• Improve / increase participation in the decision-making process for all members of the RCA Network and new candidates, such as the grassroots producers and/or consumer organizations in each country.
• The RCA network should search for a regional bank that can facilitate transactions and reduce costs for the organizations. (Ex: BAC or other regional bank with lower transaction costs).
• The coordination of RCA must be in the hands of an organization that is economically solvent. This is to say an organization that has sufficient counterpart funds, and is not overwhelmed by the constant worry of fundraising.
• Consolidate national level networks by bringing in more groups, around the themes of Marketing, Food Security, and Institutional Development. Organizations would have full (voice and vote) participation in these national assemblies.
• RCA-COMECAMPO should study mechanisms for formation of alliances with other organizations and networks which would allow for greater participation and impact at the national and regional levels. This would be focused on creating a greater voice for grassroots producer groups in these alliances.
• Develop a communication protocol for communication between the RCA membership and between the RCA network and Counterpart organizations such as DF.
• Concentrate on searching for solid partners which might be willing to co-finance the existing or future initiatives of the RCA network.
• Implement a system of collective reporting for local, regional coordinators as well as for DF, as a way of fomenting a policy of transparency which will increase confidence at all levels within the network structure.
• Visits and exchanges: These have been evaluated very positively by all participants. It is suggested that in the future these visits and exchanges be focused more on the concrete learning needs of the visitors.

Recommendations

• The training events that have been carried out could be improved by providing some type of academic accreditation by a well-known institution in the country where the internships or courses are being carried out.
• The organization which will administer the web site must be in charge of making it "move" and keeping it moving so that it can become the communication and exchange instrument which the network requires. This web page should ideally be administered by the Regional Coordinator.
• Exchanges should be designed within a strategic learning management framework, and these should be more in the style of internships rather than visits, with a determined period of time which will better assure true learning.
• Study the different legal options which would facilitate combined commercial activity between the different organizations in the various countries such as providing services, commercialization, and administration of donated or loaned funds. It would be important to search for strategic partners who would have presence regionally, such as ACICAFOC, RELACC, and FINCA etc.

Recommendations for COMECAMPO in particular
• CIPRES should be the natural entity in RCA to coordinate the COMECAMPO project, given its solid institutional nature and its experience in commercialization.
• Elaborate a study characterizing the markets for agricultural goods at national and regional levels, including the installed institutional structures, focusing principally on Fair Trade and alternative commercialization systems and initiatives. These should emphasize opportunities for small farm family production units.
• Identify and prioritize products and initiatives that have a high viability or probability of success, both productively and commercially to be given priority in application of the second phase of COMECAMPO. Examples: Post harvest fund in Nicaragua, mobile beneficios in Honduras as well as increasing production, and post harvest quality control of coconut, citrus, exotic fruit, banana and cacao in Costa Rica.
• As a network, be ready to identify and take advantages of opportunities that may arise both at national and regional levels when ratification of Free Trade agreement between US and Central America and Dominican Republic occurs.
• There is need for an effective and agile and accessible system that permits monitoring and systematization of the details of the various COMECAMPO projects throughout the three countries.
• Because DF funds are limited for RCA and COMECAMPO, options should be considered to leverage these limited DF funds in efforts to attract other donors and regional commercialization initiatives, such as "Cooperativa sin Fronteras". It is suggested that a combined working meeting be arranged between these various initiatives, to share experiences and possible points of convergence and complementation with COMECAMPO and DF. This would allow the groups to carry out larger projects and more ambitious objectives.
• Take advantage of the existing networks of relationships of each organization, to help form a larger and more solid commercial network. (Ex: relationship APPTA-FLO-Coop sin Fronteras).
• Study the feasibility of implementing a model similar to the very successful farmers markets in Costa Rica to the realities of Nicaragua and Honduras. Also, this line of action can be used to create and strengthen small private initiatives and also to better coordinate with government institutions.
• Revise DF initiatives searching for possible duplication in the areas of small farmer commerce in the region. DF should support one initiative and concentrate resources in such a way that a clear message is communicated as far as institutional commitment to small farmer marketing efforts and food security in the region.

Comments from the organisation

Any evaluation is produced within a very limited framework with regards to the composition of the evaluation team, its time available, its access to information and how it analyses the information received. Furthermore, any social reality can be analysed and presented in many different ways, among which an evaluation represents only one. Hence while this evaluation report may be useful as a tool for general learning, it has limited value as a source of information about the particular projects and partners in question. We urge any reader do consult the partners involved or Development Fund before applying this information in a way that may affect the partners and the project.