According to the PCR the design of the project was sound and appropriate in the
context of agricultural development and the way in which it complemented the work of
UNDP and other partners involved with supporting Government's policy for
decentralisation and de-concentration. It was consistent with IFAD's strategy in the
country and built upon the success of other programmes. The PCR also affirms though
that the institutional arrangements were quite complex and the selected project area
was probably too large. The project design separated farmers between those
beneficiaries of the PSP and those beneficiaries of the AIP, which turned out to be an
artificial distinction and made both groups miss some opportunities. In relation to the
Rural Micro-Finance Component, a more realistic assessment of the time needed to set
up the credit delivery system would have allowed greater utilisation of available loan
funds. The targets set for the rural micro-finance component appear unrealistic given
the financial resources provided. The PCR overall assessment therefore appears overoptimistic.