The office of International Programs has over the last 4 years developed a close collaborative working relationship with USAID/Africa Bureau's Office of Sustainable Development, Division of Productive Sector Growth and Environment (AFR/SD/PSGE) and the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Services/International Cooperation Division (FAS/ICD). The Office of International Programs has eight cooperative agreements with USDA/FAS/ICD involving long and short-term adjunct faculty members.

       The current and past activities include:

 1.    Policy Analysis, Research and Technical Support (PARTS) Project (1993-1997)

UMES is providing technical assistance in the planning, management, evaluation and monitoring of agricultural research activities under the PARTS Project; and advising the Africa Bureau (both A.I.D./Washington and USAID Missions) on technology development and transfer issues of strategic importance to the region. UMES currently has two long-term Visiting Professors assigned to USAID/PSGE in Washington,D.C.

 2.    Africa Emergency Locust/Grasshopper Assistance (AELGA) Project (1993-December 1997)

UMES is assisting the Africa Bureau's Office of Operation and New Initiatives, Technical Project Program Implementation Branch (AFR/ONI/TPPI) in implementing the goals and objectives of the Africa Emergence Locust/Grasshopper Assistance (AELGA) project. UMES currently has two long-term Visiting Professors and one Administrative Officer assigned to USAID/PSGE in Washington, D.C.

 3.     Initiative for Southern Africa (ISA) Project (1993-December 1995)

UMES provided one long-term advisor and five short-term advisors to help develop the concept paper for ISA. The concept paper outlined plans for promoting regional economic cooperation and defined an elaboration of a strategy for US Governments initiative for the Southern African Region. The strategies developled in the concept paper led to the creation of a new USAID Southern Africa Regional Office in Botswana.

 4.    Transition to Democracy (TTD) Project (January 1994-March 1995)

UMES provided short-term assistance to USAID to:

(i)    Facilitate the development of a consensus within USAID regarding acceptable strategies for promoting civil society and democratic institutions in rural areas of Africa;

(ii)   Contribute to the development of a Project Identification Document (PID) and Project Paper (PP) for the TTD; and

(iii)   Prepare issue papers to address local government and local organization issues as required by the PID and PD review processes.

5.     Agribusiness Activities in Sub-Saharan Africa (June 1995-September 1997)

UMES is providing technical assistance to USAID to develop concept papers for indigenization of Agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa. A UMES faculty member has served as a consultant to develop a model for stimulating Indigenous Agribusiness Development in Zimbabwe and Namibia. UMES collaborated with Africare in developing the concept paper for Namibia.  Another UMES Professor) with the Department of Business and Economics, served as a Consultant on a Small Business Development Workshop in Malawi (February/March 1997).

6.     Environmental Policy Project (July 1995-July 1997)

UMES is providing Administrative Support to the Global Bureau's Office of Enviromental and Natural Resources to develop and maintain date base managment systems. A long-term Administrative Assistant has been assigned to USAID, Washington, DC.

7.     Strategy Development, Implementation and Assessment for Support to the Development of African NGOs (July 1995-July 1997)

UMES is providing technical and professional support in the design and implementation of programs to the Office of Development Planning in the Africa Bureau of USAID to assist with the formation and implementation of African Bureau's policy and guidance on local participation in Agricultural and Natural Resource Management through PVOs/NGOs. UMES has assigned a long-term Visiting Professor to USAID in Washington, DC.

8.     Socio-Economic Research Plan and Commercialization of Agricultural Technology (November       1995-September 1997)

UMES is providing technical assistance to increase human resource capacity of Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and Egerton University in horticultural marketing and policy analysis research to improve the welfare of the rural community. The short-term as well as the long-term objectives to this activity are complimentary to USAID's plan to strengthen socio-economic research trust in Kenya.

9.     Initiative for Southern Africa II (April 1996-December 1997)

UMES specialists are providing services to assess the governmental, technological and other constraints that inhibit information sharing in the agriculture/natural resource management sector in Southern Africa and making recommendations on how to improve information sharing systems in the Southern African Region.

10.   Greater Horn of Africa Initiative (GHAI) (January 1996-September 1997)

UMES is providing Technical Assistance Support for anaylsis related to food security activities and issues in the Greater Horn Region. This particular activity is related to the provision of assistance to the GHAI Long-Term Food Security and Transitions Working Groups and to REDSO/ESA in planning and carrying out the GHAI Mission Directors Conference.