The Effects of Policy Development and Organizational Structure on the Performance of Range Livestock Development Projects in Africa

Abstract

Range professionals are frequently involved in the arrangement of range development projects, both domestically and internationally. '!he success record of such projects has been uneven, particularly for projects in developing nations. The objective of this study was to provide range specialists a better understanding of potential management obstacles and barriers to success. This is accomplished through an examination of the management of three AID-funded pastoral development projects in Africa: the Tanzanian Masai Livestock and Range Management Project, the Somali Central Rangelands Development Project, and the Lesotho Lard Conservation and Range Development Project. The study examined the effects of two important aspects of project management, organizational structure and goal and strategy development, on project performance. Findings indicated two major themes: project performance is improved by actions that 1) increase flexibility and 2) result in appropriate strategies. Flexibility was increased by support from politically powerful institutions (e.g., powerful ministries, donors, etc.), ability to modify internal structures and external linkages to other organizations during implementation, ability to modify strategy during implementation, devolution of operational decision-making to field levels, allowing field staff control over the resources needed to implement their activities, and participation in decision-making by pastoralists. Appropriate strategies are those having a high congruence with the interests of key actors (i. e., donors, national ministries, local administrators, pastoralists) , with pastoral household goals and extant production strategies, with the resources and capabilities locally available, and with inten1al structures and external linkages