Ex-post Evaluation

1. Outline of the Project

Country:

Zambia

Project Title:

The Project for Upgrading Mwekera Aquaculture Station

Issue/Sector:

Fisheries

Cooperation Scheme:

Grant aid

Division in Charge:

Grant Aid Management Department

Total Cost:

530 million yen

Period of Cooperation

(E/N): FY 1996

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fishery

Supporting Organization in Japan:

Related Cooperation:

Mini Project for the Aquaculture Development

1-1 Background of the Project

Zambia is blessed by inland waters such as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Zambezi, and affordable freshwater fish such as the Tilapia fish are an important source of protein for Zambia’s citizens. Although an increase in aquaculture production was expected, due to the slump in production under the law regulating captive fish, Zambia’s aquaculture industry had low production and a low technical level. Accordingly, it was essential that public organizations provide seeds and develop and disseminate technique.

With this background, the government of Zambia established a long-term development plan in the agricultural sector. Based on this development plan, the fisheries plan called on the Mwekera Aquaculture Station to play a central role in disseminating aquaculture in Zambia. For the three years from FY 1994, the JICA mini-project for the aquaculture development plan was implemented, intending to transfer technique such as seed production technique. However, facilities such as those for water supply and drainage were structurally defective and not able to function properly due to deterioration. In order to ensure that the facilities were operated properly and efficiently, the government of Zambia requested Grant Aid aiming to upgrade the laboratories.

1-2 Project Overview

By donating equipment and renovating the research buildings, the project aimed to improve the facility of Mwekera Aquaculture Station (currently the National Aquaculture Research and Development Center, hereafter National Aquaculture Center) to produce seeds and to enhance its research function through restoring the water supply and drainage functions of the culture ponds. It was anticipated that this would strengthen the National Aquaculture Center’s dissemination activities, resulting in technique being transferred to other aquaculture stations in Zambia and also boost Zambia’s aquaculture production.

(1) Overall Goal
1) The National Aquaculture Center’s aquaculture dissemination and research activities is strengthened.
2) Seed production at Zambia’s aquaculture stations is increased.
3) aquacultural production in Zambia is increased.

(2) Project Purpose
The National Aquaculture Center’s seed production and research functions are improved.

(3) Outputs
1) The water supply and drainage functions of the culture ponds are restored.
2) Buildings and equipment for research are updated.

(4) Inputs

Japanese Side:

530 million yen

Zambian Side:

Land and Facilities

2. Evaluation Team

Members of Evaluation Team

Planning of survey: JICA Zambia Office Post evaluation: Lawrence Mukaka, CDM Bernard Chisanga, CDM

Period of Evaluation

March 16, 2003 – March 31, 2003

March 16, 2003 – March 31, 2003

3. Results of Evaluation

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact
During the four years after the completion of the project,, the National Aquaculture Center was not able to give seminars on aquaculture and provide training on research development results to external participants due to budgetary and staffing restraints. However, for about three months from December 2003, the National Aquaculture Center implemented a full-scale seminar and training for aquaculture concerned staff in Zambia for the first time.
There is no statistical data indicating aquaculture production in Zambia, therefore it is not possible to analyze the project’s impact in quantitative terms. However, several aid organizations and NGOs such as the U. S. Peace Corps have continued to conduct aquaculture projects since the latter half of the 1990s. Taking these factors into consideration, in all likelihood aquaculture production in Zambia has increased in some parts.

(2) Sustainability
According to reports by the experts dispatched to the National Aquaculture Center, the capacity operating rate of the restored experimental ponds had almost reached 100% by FY 2001, and the donated lab equipment was being used in experiments to improve aquaculture technology. One such experiment was started in FY 2001, and the study confirmed that ongoing, systematic experiments are being conducted. After the project was completed, five aquaculture technologies were established, including the Tilapia integrated aquaculture technology planned in the Basic Design Report (1996).
There were extreme fluctuations in the number of seeds produced by the National Aquaculture Center after the project was completed—in FY 2001. The Center only produced 50,400 seeds, less than a tenth of the production in 1994.

<Fluctuations in National Aquaculture Center’s Seed Production>

(Source: Basic Design Report (1996) and materials from the National Aquaculture Center)

As for the financial aspect, the reorganization of the main implementing organization, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fishery--had a great influence on the project’s sustainability. With this background, as part of the program to realign the economic structure, the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fishery to which the National Aquaculture Center belongs was actually disbanded. Thereby, the National Aquaculture Center was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation’s Department of Research Technician Services, and the Center’s original role in popularizing aquaculture was split off to the Department of Dissemination Services. In addition, while the government’s plan for “Investment in the Agricultural Sector” (1996-2001) prioritized the dissemination sector in allocating the budget, the budget allocated to the research sector was cut correspondingly. As a result, the National Aquaculture Center’s activities were severely restricted. In terms of organizational structure, the National Aquaculture Center’s staff numbers show that the research staff increased by two and made a four-person team after 2000. The staff in charge of dissemination and training decreased from two in 1998-1999 to one, and the administrative staff, lab assistants and facility management staff fell widely from 27 in 1997 to only nine. After the project was completed, the budget has been fluctuating from 2,112,759 kwacha (1 kwacha = 0. 025 Japanese yen, March 31, 2003) to 5,300,000 kwacha but this is still less than a tenth of the FY 1994 budget.

<Fluctuations in National Aquaculture Center’s Staff Numbers>

(Source: National Aquaculture Center)

<Fluctuations in National Aquaculture Center’s Budget)>(Unit: kwacha)

In terms of donated equipments, with the exception of the spare parts for the specimen blender that could not be obtained, they are all maintained in good condition. However, it will be difficult to update the equipment in the future due to limited budget.

3-2 Factors that Promoted the Realization of Effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
The implementation of local domestic training by the JICA follow-up aid led to the launch of the National Aquaculture Center’s full-scale dissemination and training activities.

3-3 Factors that Impeded the Realization of Effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
The direct factor that prevented the Center from moving ahead with its dissemination and training activities was that a budget for the operation of the National Aquaculture Center was not secured.. While the government’s plan for “Investment in the Agricultural Sector” (1996-2001) prioritized the dissemination sector, the budget allocated to the research sector was cut correspondingly. As a result, the National Aquaculture Center’s activities were severely restricted.

3-4 Conclusion

The National Aquaculture Center’s facilities were renovated and their research on aquaculture technology has continued, but the Center’s operating budget has fallen drastically due to the reorganization in line with the national program to realign the economic structure. The Center’s full-fledged training work has only just started with a follow-up by JICA, and it will take some time to find that the impact —the expansion of aquaculture production in Zambia —has been achieved.

3-5 Recommendations

If the National Aquaculture Center were able to apply the profits from fish seeds to part of its own operating expenses, it would be likely to contribute not only to the improvement of the Center’s sustainability, but also to the establishment of the training program. Such a fund management system has been under review since around 1995, but it has not yet been adopted. It is required for the related organizations to work positively for the early realization of this system.

3-6 Lessons Learned

N/A

3-7 Follow-Up Situation

For the purpose of effective utilization of the equipment provided in the project and training in relation to frame study planning with the restored experimental ponds, one JICA long-term expert specialized in aquaculture proliferation and cultivationt was dispatched for three years from September 1999. In addition, In-country Training was held for three months from December 2002 to promote the dissemination of the aquaculture developed in the National Aquaculture Center.