Norwegian Support to Bunda College of Agriculture - Phase II

This report is an evaluation of NORAD's support to Bunda College of Agriculture, University of Malawi to the tune of NOK 35 million for the period 2001-2004. Results were assessed in five output areas: (a) organisational restructuring; (b) financial and administrative management; (c) revenue generation; (d) improved priority teaching facilities; and (e) improved teaching and research capacity. Notable achievements included the preparation of a strategic plan for the College; the commercialisation of Bunda Farm; the resuscitation of the Bunda Journal of Agriculture, Environmental Science and Technology; installation of a local area network and a new software package for accounting purposes; rehabilitation of buildings; provision of equipment and improvement of library services; and upgrading of professional staff qualifications through a large number of scholarships at MSc and PhD levels. Among the shortfalls were the failure to transform Bunda College into a fully-fledged university; the continued undercapitalisation of Bunda Farm; no monitoring and evaluation system installed to ascertain the effectiveness of new systems and procedures; no policy formulated on consultancies, including overheads to be paid to the College; and limited outreach to the ultimate beneficiaries of agricultural research, i.e. the farmers. With respect to the next phase, it was recommended that more attention be given to outreach activities; that sustainability concerns be taken more seriously; and that a lean and simple management structure be established to avoid top-heavy, multi-layered arrangements which would increase transaction costs.