Food and Agriculture Organization

Extract

A report on the activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the United Nations expanded program of technical assistance for 1953–1954 stated that the funds available to FAO under the program fell from $6,049,000 in 1953 to $5,536,000 in 1954, and that the decision to increase the working capital and reserve fund of the technical assistance program had had the effect of lessening current available funds. While certain projects planned for 1953–1954 had had to be reduced in scope or postponed because of financial limitations and changes in world conditions, the quality and efficiency of FAO's technical assistance activities had improved, the report stated. Virtually no unspent balance of technical assistance funds had remained at the end of 1953, and it was unlikely that there would be any unspent balance at the end of 1954; in itself, the report stated, this was an indication that more activities desired by governments could be undertaken, were adequate resources available. In planning its 1954 program, FAO had continued its practice, endorsed by the Technical Assistance Board, of preparing country programs at the country level, in consultation with the governments concerned, and the system had been further developed in planning the 1955 program. The FAO technical staff, it was reported, had played a large role in the field of program evaluation, as well as planning and supervision.