Abstract:
The Soil and Water Conservation Project in Arusha Region was implemented in 1989–2000. The
rationale for the project was to address serious land degradation problems around Mount Meru. The
entry points was both technical in terms of developing skills in various land management techniques as
well as how these techniques could be made an integral part of mainstream extension in agriculture,
livestock management and forestry. SCAPA represented an alternative approach to address “land
degradation” and “extension” compared to both previous and contemporary approaches in Tanzania
at that time. The purposes of this post evaluation are to present a historical overview, an assessment of
different aspects of the project and to provide useful conclusions and lessons for the future.
SCAPA was first launched as a small pilot project from 1989–1993, followed by an expansion and
implementation phase from 1994–1996 and 1997–2000 respectively. The budget and the ambitions were
expanded, particularly during the third phase. The first phase included Arumeru district only while
Arusha district was added in the second phase. SCAPA was organised and managed as a semi-autonomous
project first in relation to the Regional Administration and after the decentralisation reform in 1998 also
in relation to the District Administration. The projects had their own budget and account and were in
this sense independent from the local administration. The initial argument for this autonomy was the
fear that local bureaucracy would slow down implementation. SCAPA was however integrated in the
region/districts in that the annual plans and progress reports were presented to the local administration
for co-ordination with their overall development efforts. The local administration also provided the
staff for SCAPA.
