Evaluation of the
United Cambodian Community
Development Foundation
Vocational Training
Program in
Kampot, Cambodia
By Margaret Bishop
May 2000
The evaluation report was conducted under the auspices of the United States Agency for International
Development. The evaluation was conducted by the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund and War
Victims Fund Contract (CRN-C-00-98-0037-00). The opinions expressed are those of the author and do
not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development or
Professional Resources Group International, Inc.
Additional information or copies of this report can be obtained by contacting
The Displaced Children and Orphans Fund & War Victims Fund
North Tower, Suite 405
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 789-1500
iii
CONTENTS
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... ix
Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 1
Observations ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Vocational Training Program ..................................................................................................... 3
UCCDF’s Institutional Capacity ................................................................................................ 6
Relationship between UCCDF and Veterans International ........................................................ 8
Other ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Strengths and Weaknesses of the UCCDF Vocational Program....................................................... 11
Evaluation ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 15
APPENDICES
Appendix A Scope of Work .................................................................................................. A-1
Appendix B Individuals Interviewed .................................................................................... B-1
Appendix C Testimonials of Beneficiaries ........................................................................... C-1

v
ACRONYMS
DANIDA Danish International Development Agency
HCN host country national
LICADHO Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights
LWVF Leahy War Victims Fund
NGO nongovernmental organization
UCC United Cambodian Community
UCCDF United Cambodian Community Development Foundation
USAID U.S. Agency for International Development
VI Veterans International
Map goes here.
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The evaluation of the United Cambodian Community Development Foundation (UCCDF)
Vocational Training Program on the Kampot campus found a well-designed, well-implemented,
remarkably successful program. The competency-based training program builds technical skills
through a combination of classroom-based theoretical and practical training, internships, start-up
assistance (financed by leveraged funding), and follow-up.
During a week in Kampot Province, Cambodia, in early May 2000, the consultant observed the
program; interviewed graduates, staff, provincial government officials, and representatives of
other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the province; and reviewed documents.
(Country Director Larrie Warren of Veterans International [VI] was also interviewed in Phnom
Penh. UCCDF receives its grant from the Leahy War Victims Fund [LWVF] through the U.S.
Agency for International Development [USAID] as a subgrantee to VI.) The consultant
conducted 48 interviews, 21 of which were with graduates of the program. Thirteen of the
interviews were conducted in rural areas, at the graduates’ respective businesses. During the
observation period, the consultant also visited UCCDF’s Chamcar Bei agricultural research and
training site.
The UCCDF vocational training program relies on a number of educational components.
Classroom training is devoted to practice (approximately 75 percent) and theory (25 percent).
Training staff use feedback from follow-up with graduates to refine and enhance the technical
training, adding new skills such as gas welding that have proven important to the success of
graduates. Although technical training forms the basis of the program, UCCDF also provides
business, literacy, and numeracy training; health education; HIV/AIDS awareness; and human
rights education. Literacy, numeracy, and health-related training are delivered by contract
instructors. Human rights education is provided by an NGO, Cambodian League for the
Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), specializing in the subject. Graduates
who were interviewed repeatedly praised UCCDF’s training for building confidence as well as
technical and business skills. Several graduates cited the internship as vital to their later success.
Although the consultant noted a high degree of success among the graduates who were visited,
UCCDF has been unable to research the future need for additional graduates by sector and
geographical area. The consultant is concerned that the program’s strong success could result in
oversaturation of the market for some vocations in some areas. UCCDF would need additional
resources to conduct such a study.
UCCDF has a hierarchical structure. The current Country Director, an American, started the
program in Cambodia in 1992 and has been running it since then. Four senior staff members are
Cambodian-Americans (one of whom also joined the program at the beginning) who possess
strong technical skills and knowledge. The remaining permanent staff members are local Khmer,
some of whom are graduates of the program. The organization has five advisory committees with
each staff member sitting on at least one committee. The Country Director and Deputy Director
each sit on only one committee. Decisions are made by the Country Director and the Deputy
Director; decision making is primarily in the hands of the Country Director, however. Outsiders
very closely (and almost exclusively) associate the program with the Country Director. One
observer even stated, “UCC equals Linda.”
The consultant finds the closeness of the association risky; other staff members may eventually
feel unrecognized and unappreciated because of it. The perception also may jeopardize the
sustainability of the organization if an unplanned departure or incapacity takes the current
Country Director away from the program. Outsiders, including donors and professional
colleagues, may assume that UCCDF will be either incomplete or incompetent in the director’s
absence. Staff members expressed confidence in the ability of the Deputy Director to manage the
program and the organization (except fundraising, which was cited as a concern by several staff
members). That confidence has been largely untested, however; the Country Director, citing
various reasons that prevent her from taking time off, rarely leaves the project for more than a
few days at a time. To fully develop senior staff, UCCDF must provide more opportunities for
the Deputy Director to demonstrate responsibility and exercise authority.
Another serious concern for the program is the relationship between the Country Directors of
UCCDF and VI, which can be described as strained at best. Both parties admit the strain. VI’s
director has openly expressed his willingness to improve the relationship. UCCDF’s Country
Director initially stated her unwillingness but later said she would make an effort, with the help
of a third-party mediator. Senior staff also mentioned the strained relationship, leading the
consultant to believe that it may be starting to take a toll on leadership within the organization.
Country Director Linda McKinney remains passionate about the program, and as a result, she has
been successful in seeking diversified funding for the project. The County Director has expressed
an interest in increasing her fundraising activity but is severely limited by other demands on her
time and by the somewhat isolated location of her office in Kampot. In-country funding is
limited, and substantial overseas funding is nearly impossible to solicit from Kampot. Greater
diversification of funding is critical, though, to the long-term sustainability of UCCDF as an
organization and to its training program.
Tardy delivery of standard reports and documents is another problem. The consultant
experienced the tardiness firsthand, and VI also reported the problem.
Finally, the consultant observed three safety hazards at the Kampot feed mill: the absence of belt
guards on two feed mill machines, the lack of hearing protection despite the high noise level in
the feed mill, and the lack of eye protection. Such hazards put operators at risk for additional
permanent disabilities.
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-3
On the basis of the above observations, the consultant makes the following recommendations,
which address program development, organizational structure, administrative matters,
collaboration, and safety:
• UCCDF should conduct a formal assessment of job market needs and saturation by sector
and geographic area to prevent oversaturation. The assessment should identify an additional
sector that is appropriate for female participants in particular, as there are currently few
formal vocational opportunities for women; especially women with diabilities.
• A formal written staff development plan should be developed to ensure continued
professional growth of each member and to strengthen the institutional capacity of the
organization as a whole. A new position, Director of Financial Resource Development,
should be created and, ideally, filled by Ms. McKinney, the current Country Director. The
new position would enable Ms. McKinney to pursue greater fund-raising opportunities,
particularly outside of Asia. The Director of Financial Resource Development should report
to UCCDF’s Board of Directors. The Deputy Director should be promoted to Country
Director and also report to UCCDF’s Board of Directors, with additional reporting
responsibility to VI on all activities funded by LWVF and USAID. Other senior staff
members should be evaluated as candidates to succeed the Deputy Director.
• Measures should be taken to ensure completion of administrative tasks and submission of
reports on a timely basis.
• UCCDF should join and actively participate in the coordinating group of NGOs that work
with persons with disabilities. The collaboration would allow UCCDF to access additional
information from other NGOs in Cambodia and to share its experience and success with
NGOs in other geographic areas.
• Noted safety hazards should be corrected immediately by making and attaching belt guards,
providing industrial-grade hearing and eye protection, and enforcing the use of protective
equipment while the feed mill is in operation.
METHODOLOGY
The consultant collected information for the evaluation primarily through observation, review of
key documents and reports, and interviews with current students, graduates, UCCDF’s Country
Director, staff members, provincial government officials, representatives of other international
NGOs operating in the province, and the Country Director of VI (UCCDF receives its LWVF￾USAID funding as a subgrantee under USAID grantee VI).
Although the consultant conducted interviews with VI’s Country Director in Phnom Penh, all
other interviews were conducted in the field. During a week in Kampot Province, the consultant
visited the UCCDF Kampot campus, the UCCDF Chamcar Bei agricultural research and training
site, and a number of graduates’ rural business sites. (Because the Kampot campus is the focus of
this evaluation, the consultant will not report in any detail on the Chamcar Bei site [which was
very impressive].)
Approximately 50 individuals were interviewed, including 21 graduates. Most interviews were
conducted individually, without UCCDF Country Director Linda McKinney. On one occasion,
an interview with international NGO representatives was cut short when the director came to the
interview site and sat at a neighboring table. When possible, interviews were conducted in
English without an interpreter. When an interpreter was needed, a member of UCCDF’s teaching
staff usually filled the role. On rare occasions (including a meeting with provincial government
officials), UCCDF senior management staff interpreted.
Most graduates who were interviewed lived well outside Kampot town, but generally near
important highways or in good-sized towns. Recent rains made less-traveled roads in the area
impassable, thereby preventing interviews with graduates in more remote areas.
The consultant also reviewed numerous internal reports and documents, policies, and procedures
provided by VI directly or by UCCDF, including annual work plans, quarterly reports, the draft
of the 1999 annual report, student intake forms, curricula for technical training, course exams,
business start-up summary charts, an organizational chart, job descriptions, and local staff
personnel policies. UCCDF’s first quarter 2000 report was not available for review (the
consultant was told it had not been compiled). As dictated by the Terms of Reference (Appendix
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
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A)—and because a formal independent audit of UCCDF’s financial reporting is scheduled to
take place by the end of June 2000—the consultant focused on programmatic impact rather than
financial reporting.
Final analysis of all notes and documents was made in Phnom Penh following the field visit.
3
OBSERVATIONS
Vocational Training Program
Having designed and implemented a comprehensive vocational training program that goes
beyond simply transferring technical skills, UCCDF consistently delivers quantifiable and
qualitative benefits to program beneficiaries.
The curriculum incorporates business, numeracy, and literacy training to build students’ abilities
to start and maintain small businesses in an environment where employment opportunities are
rare. UCCDF also provides basic health education, limited health care services or referrals,
HIV/AIDS awareness, and human rights education. UCCDF provides health-related services and
human rights education either by contracting with local instructors and health professionals or by
coordinating with nearby NGOs that conduct such training. (Human rights classes, for example,
are generally provided by a French-Cambodian NGO, LICADHO).
UCCDF’s technical training is competency based, thereby ensuring a high level of skill among
graduates. All students are tested regularly on both theory and practice, with practice generally
accounting for 75 percent of the coursework and examinations.
By setting high standards for personal behavior in its classrooms and residential facilities,
UCCDF also promotes cooperation, harmony, mutual respect, and support—qualities that have
been lacking in Cambodia’s recent history.
Another important and somewhat unusual aspect of UCCDF’s training program is the internship
that each student must complete before graduation. In the last six to eight weeks of training,
students are placed with local businesses as interns. The internship allows students to learn about
customer service and how to price their services, as well as to practice their new technical skills.
Graduates praised UCCDF’s internship program for building their confidence and self-esteem.
Of the graduates who were interviewed, those who accepted UCCDF interns in their own
businesses also praised the internship program for providing opportunities for the student and the
business owner. Because not all students are living at the UCCDF residential site during their
internships, UCCDF provides modest financial support for them at that time.
Using leveraged funds from the Trickle Up Foundation, UCCDF also provides start-up
assistance to new graduates. Depending on the sector they have chosen to work in, the graduates
receive tools, livestock, and/or cash. Assistance is provided in two installments.
Finally, UCCDF conducts follow-up visits to most, if not all, graduates. Follow-up serves a
number of useful purposes and should be maintained as an integral part of the program even
though the benefits are difficult to quantify. The visits allow UCCDF staff to collect and compile
quantitative data on the program’s success. At the same time, the follow-up allows staff members
to assess which aspects of the training curricula are most effective and which training needs are
not being met (particularly as technology in the marketplace changes), to provide technical
assistance when graduates encounter small problems or unfamiliar situations, and to continue the
camaraderie and collegial relationship among staff members, students, and graduates. In many
cases, such ongoing contact has enabled UCCDF to place student interns in graduates’
businesses.
Resource limitations prevent UCCDF from conducting all its follow-up directly. To follow up
graduates from distant provinces, UCCDF sometimes depends on other NGOs working in those
provinces. Even though UCCDF appears to have the cooperation of other NGOs, non-UCCDF
staff are less likely to be able to provide additional technical advice to graduates in need, and the
quality and quantity of feedback to UCCDF’s training staff on unmet training needs could be
reduced.
Overall, the well-rounded nature of the UCCDF vocational training ensures that the students will
graduate with the best possible chance of starting a small private business with confidence,
managing it well, and remaining healthy in order to support themselves and their families for the
long term.
Although the consultant requested the opportunity to interview graduates who had not started or
continued a business, UCCDF was not able to arrange that. In fact, according to UCCDF follow￾up records, there are very few individuals who have graduated, started an enterprise, and ceased
to operate the business after a minimum of six months. (Because of the large number of
graduates relative to UCCDF follow-up staff and the distant locations of an increasing number of
graduates, UCCDF cannot realistically maintain accurate records beyond six months to a year
after graduation.) Of 609 graduates from cycles 1 through 12 (cycle 13 is still in follow-up), 32
(5 percent) did not start businesses. Of the 577 graduates who started businesses, only 2
graduates did not operate them after at least six months. In some cases, the graduate found other
opportunities. (One graduate became a teacher because he was one of the few villagers who
could read and write, and another graduate changed to selling coconuts but still made use of the
business knowledge gained from UCCDF’s programs.) In some cases, ill health caused graduates
to discontinue their businesses. Under certain circumstances, discontinuations should not be
considered negative. In fact, compared to the vocational training programs around the world that
the consultant has been familiar with, UCCDF has a much higher graduate success rate than
most.
A large percentage of the graduates and students who were interviewed reported that they were
referred to UCCDF by earlier graduates of the program. Graduates repeatedly stated that the
training they received through UCCDF has enabled them to make measurable differences in their
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-5
lives: having regular income for the first time, building or buying a new or larger home, buying
bicycles to send their children to school, providing employment for other members of the
community. Not one graduate who was interviewed cited a more difficult life after graduation.
Provincial officials also praised the effectiveness of UCCDF’s program in helping participants
make positive changes in their life—particularly in their ability to financially support themselves
and their families. Other NGO representatives described masses of amputee beggars in local
markets before and during the program’s earliest days, but they have said they no longer see such
sights. Those individuals credit UCCDF’s vocational training with significantly improving the
situation. (See Appendix C for specific testimonials and quotes from interviewees.)
An additional strength is the organization’s attention to refining or enhancing the training
program as UCCDF identifies new or changed market demands within its current sectors. For
example, UCCDF has added gas welding to the small engine repair course on the basis of an
observed need for the skill among the graduates. Another example is the addition of color TV
repair and CD player repair to the electronics course because a greater number of people in the
marketplace have acquired such equipment (and such equipment is more frequently in need of
repair if it is acquired secondhand). Continued refinement and updating of training will remain
important.
UCCDF calculates the cost of the Kampot campus vocational training program in the 1998
calendar year to range (in U.S. currency) from a low of $769 per beneficiary for students in
electronics repair to a high of $1,222 per beneficiary for students in small engine repair. For
1999, costs ranged from $860 for students in electronics repair to $1,205 for students in small
engine repair. Those figures include costs associated with adult education (health, literacy,
numeracy), personnel (instructors, benefits, health care, taxes), student residential services
(housing, food), training supplies, and student expenses (transportation, health care), as well as a
percentage of the Country Director’s and Deputy Director’s salaries, local staff costs, and office
expenses. If program benefits extend beyond the direct beneficiaries (i.e., graduates) to family
members supported by the graduates’ income, costs per beneficiary drop. Those costs range from
$154 (for electronics repair students) to $244 (for small engine repair students) for 1998.
Comparable figures for 1999 range from $172 to $241 respectively. (The calculations assume an
average of four additional indirect beneficiaries for each direct beneficiary.)
One of the consultant’s programmatic concerns is the potential for oversaturating a given market
with UCCDF graduates. UCCDF is aware of the possibility but has been unable to systematically
study the issue because of limited financial and human resources. UCCDF has partially
addressed the concern by more frequently training individuals from more distant provinces
where fewer individuals have already been trained. In Kampot Province, however, UCCDF
should study and quantify the need for additional graduates in small engine repair, particularly in
those areas that are already well served by UCCDF’s program.
A second area of concern is the limited options for female students. UCCDF offers training in
three sectors: small engine repair, electronics, and small animal husbandry (poultry and pigs).
Although female students are not restricted from any of the sectors, small engine repair and
electronics do not appear to be readily open to women for societal or cultural reasons. Ideally,
the consultant would like to see UCCDF provide training in at least one additional sector that is
particularly appropriate for female target beneficiaries. UCCDF would need to conduct research
to determine the most appropriate sector for filling a market demand and being socially and
culturally accessible to women.
UCCDF’s Institutional Capacity
UCCDF’s Country Director, an American, has been head of the project since it began in 1992.
She remains passionate about the program, the organization, and the beneficiaries. Senior staff
members include four Cambodian-Americans, one of whom (a Senior Small Engine Repair
Instructor) has also been with the project since its beginning. All remaining permanent
employees and most contractors are from the local Khmer population. The Cambodian￾Americans have brought not only a strong desire to help their fellow countrymen and women but
also technology from more developed countries (including but not limited to the United States
and some Asian countries). Several junior staff members are graduates of UCCDF’s training
program. They are valuable staff members who provide incomparable motivation for UCCDF
students. They often engage in formal and informal counseling with students who are facing
difficulties, drawing on their experience as persons with disabilities and as former program
participants to encourage students. UCCDF has a deeply committed and enthusiastic staff. Two
Cambodian-American senior staff members, Mr. Sine Saphran and Mr. San Chhaysidhy, also
show particularly strong leadership ability. Because of his positive and mature influence, Mr.
Saphran has been called “father” by staff and students.
County Director Linda McKinney and Mr.Saphran, who have worked with the project since its
start, have done an excellent job of designing, implementing, and refining the project, with help
from more recently engaged staff. Those two individuals also possess the “institutional memory”
of the organization. Because UCCDF has a very small U.S. home office, in-country staff
members have been largely responsible for the organization’s success.
UCCDF in Cambodia has a typical hierarchical structure (see Appendix C for its organizational
chart), plus five staff advisory committees: Instruction, Finance, Personnel Policies, Student
Discipline, and Feed Mill. Each member of the UCCDF staff, including the cook and guards,
serves on at least one committee. UCCDF’s Country Director and Deputy Director sit on only
the Finance Committee. Committees discuss issues, opportunities, and problems within their
functional area and make recommendations to UCCDF’s Country Director and Deputy Director
for final decisions. UCCDF’s organizational structure allows a greater degree of representational
management than a standard hierarchical organizational structure.
Despite UCCDF’s experienced and highly motivated staff, the organization’s institutional
capacity needs to be strengthened. The Country Director is deeply involved in the ongoing
operations of the organization and has been since the beginning. It was not apparent to the
consultant, however, whether the Deputy Director, a Cambodian-American who brought NGO
management experience from Rhode Island, makes any day-to-day operating decisions himself;
it did not seem likely that he makes any long-range strategic decisions within the organization,
either. Staff expressed confidence in the Deputy Director’s ability to run the program and the
organization in the absence of the Country Director, with the possible exception of fundraising (a
concern expressed by several individuals). Those circumstances haven’t been substantially
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-7
tested, though. The consultant is not totally confident that the Deputy Director is ready to assume
complete responsibility for management of the program and organization. In an organized
transition, the Country Director would mentor the Deputy Director while the latter assumes
greater authority and responsibility. It is the consultant’s belief, as well as USAID’s mandate,
that NGOs should, where possible, develop the ability of host country nationals (HCNs)
(including returning HCNs) to manage and sustain programs. Upon offering further skill
development and capacity building, to senior staff, UCCDF will have a number of individuals
capable of running UCCDF.
Because of the Country Director’s long-term presence, strong ongoing involvement, and high
profile in the community, many individuals outside UCCDF relate the organization and the
program to the Country Director rather than to the underlying staff. When a dynamic and
energetic individual plays a key role in an organization over time, such an association is
common. While such associations may seem harmless, they deflect well-deserved credit from the
contributions of other staff members. Morale may be undermined if staff members begin to feel
unappreciated or unrecognized. If outsiders view the organization and a particular individual as
inseparable, they may view the organization as incomplete or incompetent if that individual is no
longer part of the organization. Most well-managed private sector enterprises and well-run
NGOs, as well as many governments, groom an “heir apparent,” deliberately giving more
responsibility, authority, and public exposure to the successor as a contingency plan, if not a
primary strategy, for sustainability.
A separate problem for UCCDF—and one which appears to be common—is tardiness in
reporting and in other administrative tasks. As of May 10, 2000, the consultant was unable to
review the first quarter 2000 report because it had not been compiled. When the consultant
requested standard administrative and managerial documents such as an organizational chart, a
policy manual, and job descriptions, she was told the Country Director needed time to gather
them. In fact, the organizational chart was requested three times and provided six days after the
initial request. VI also experienced delays in receiving routine, regularly scheduled reports, as
well as repeated and lengthy delays in the scheduling of a required financial audit. Justification
for the delays ranged from a broken printer (and the need to copy reports to a diskette in order to
print from another computer) to unresponsiveness on the part of outside consulting companies in
scheduling the audit.
While senior staff seemed to be involved in (but not necessarily responsible for) day-to-day
management, none seemed very involved in fund-raising activities despite the Country Director’s
efforts to build and diversify UCCDF’s funding. Several key staff members cited that
uninvolvement as their main concern about sustainability of the organization if the Country
Director were to leave. Given the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with
potential donors over long periods of time, UCCDF is already late in involving the Deputy
Director in fund-raising activities.
In its effort to stretch finite resources, UCCDF has engaged the services of many volunteers over
the course of the project in Kampot. Volunteers have assisted with varied activities, including
teaching English, conducting seminars, providing manual labor, and sharing technical assistance
and guidance. Volunteers have contributed a few hours to a few months. Because UCCDF has no
formal volunteer program, supervision varies from case to case. Volunteer activity appears to be
a relatively small part of UCCDF’s provision of services. Although volunteer activity should not
be discounted, it should not receive significant resources to manage or develop it, either, given
the demands on management resources.
UCCDF’s stated mission is as follows:
[To use] its local network to expand other NGOs’ services and [make] other
organizations’ work easier. Not to be the largest NGO but to package techniques and
learning for other NGOs (e.g. the Chamcar Bei research and training site). To do more to
“affect import substitution” because most Kampot and Phnom Penh food is currently
imported. This would be realized through promotion of UCCDF seedlings, through
research, training, and marketing strategies. Lastly, to implement programs that have
building client self-confidence and self-esteem at their core.
Although the specific activities mentioned as components of UCCDF’s mission have merit, the
organization should have a more focused mission statement that articulates its values or guiding
principles and its overall goal.
In discussing future plans, UCCDF’s Country Director and Deputy Director listed several
specific activities directly related to the Kampot Vocational Training Program that include but
are not limited to
• Implementation of internal financial tracking systems for improved financial control
• Continued diversification of funding sources
• Pursuit of contracts with the demobilization program and DANIDA’s coastal
management program
• Addition of new sectors in Kampot campus program
Progress has been made in some areas and not in others. UCCDF has begun implementation of
improved financial controls with the short-term hire of a controller in preparation for the
upcoming audit. UCCDF’s Country Director has also regularly and successfully pursued new
donors, but she has been severely constrained by the time demands of other job responsibilities
and by geographic isolation from major funding sources. Formal written plans need to be
developed for the other activities mentioned above.
Relationship between UCCDF and Veterans International
Although LWVF finances the majority of UCCDF’s work and expenses, funding is channeled
through USAID to VI. UCCDF is in turn a USAID subgrantee of VI for this project. As a result,
UCCDF is in a subordinate reporting relationship to VI. It is the consultant’s understanding,
based on conversations with USAID representatives, that current and future LWVF-USAID
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-9
funding will only be channeled to UCCDF through VI in a subgrantee relationship—not directly
from USAID to UCCDF.
The relationship between UCCDF and VI is a major concern to the consultant. Country Directors
Larrie Warren and Linda McKinney admit that the relationship between their organizations is
troubled. Mr. Warren has expressed a strong desire to build a more congenial professional
relationship, and written communication from Mr. Warren to Ms. McKinney that was reviewed
by the consultant displayed a professional attitude. When interviewed by the consultant, Ms.
McKinney clearly stated her unwillingness to improve the relationship and cited various reasons
to justify her attitude. She later rescinded that position and said she is willing to try to work
through the differences between herself and Mr. Warren to forge a more positive working
relationship.
Though UCCDF senior staff reported no significant difficulties in their more limited interaction
with Mr. Warren, one individual expressed the need for a third-party mediator during any future
direct communication between Ms. McKinney and Mr. Warren. That individual also voiced an
unprompted defense of Ms. McKinney’s attitude concerning the difficulties in the relationship.
Those declarations indicate to the consultant that Ms. McKinney’s attitude and behavior as far as
the UCCDF–VI relationship is concerned are beginning to influence UCCDF staff members’
perception of the situation between the two Country Directors. It is uncertain whether the staff
will always distinguish between the Country Directors and their organizations. The situation
causes ongoing tension, provides a negative example for the staff rather than a role model, and
risks further tainting the relationship between UCCDF and VI staff. The relationship needs to be
improved substantially or discontinued. Given UCCDF’s subgrantee relationship to VI, severing
the directors’ working relationship could jeopardize a continuation of LWVF-USAID funding
for UCCDF and for that reason is not considered a viable option by the consultant. The
consultant believes that with willingness on both sides and initial mediation by a third party
skilled in conflict resolution, the County Directors can mend and rebuild their relationship to a
workable one.
Other
When visiting the UCCDF feed mill at Kampot Province, the consultant observed three dangers
to employees. Two machines in the feed mill have machine belts (similar to fan belts) with no
guards to protect employees if a belt breaks and flies off the machine. The situation needs to be
corrected immediately by manufacturing a metal cover to fit over the belt. (UCCDF’s Country
Director agreed to promptly correct the hazard.) Another problem is that operators do not wear
hearing protection of any sort despite a high level of noise from the machines. Operators should
be provided with industrial-quality hearing protection and required to wear it whenever a
machine is in operation. Similarly, no eye protection is worn, thereby leaving machine operators
susceptible to flying debris from feed mill inputs or broken parts. Injuries from such dangers
could permanently disable an operator or someone in the immediate vicinity of the operating
machine. A flying belt can be fatal. Hearing loss occurs gradually over repeated exposure to even
moderately high levels of noise, and it occurs without notice. Hearing loss of that nature is
irreversible and not overcome by hearing aids.
The consultant did not observe any mechanical problems with project vehicles, but several senior
staff members spoke of frequent breakdowns or malfunctions. They attributed the problem to
rough roads, which cause heavy wear and tear on vehicles.
A group meets regularly in Phnom Penh to coordinate the NGOs that work with persons with
disabilities. UCCDF does not participate in the group. UCCDF’s Country Director cited the time
required to travel to and participate in the meeting as the deterrent. Nonetheless, the consultant
believes that a senior UCCDF staff member should participate regularly in the group’s meetings
and activities. (The Country Director does not need to represent UCCDF; subordinate staff
members are competent to participate.) As participants in the coordinating groups, UCCDF staff
members would have greater contact with geographically diverse NGOs and would learn from
those NGOs—while getting the public exposure necessary to help combat the perception that
“UCC equals Linda.” In the interest of helping persons with disabilities in Cambodia, UCCDF
should be sharing its experience and success with others in the field. UCCDF’s Country Director
or Deputy Director travels to Phnom Penh approximately three to four times a month. Those
regular trips, particularly by the Deputy Director, could be scheduled to accommodate the
coordinating group’s meetings.
11
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE UCCDF
VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM
Strengths
Programmatic Organizational
• Comprehensive approach (i.e., training in
technical skills, business, literacy,
numeracy, health, HIV/AIDS, human
rights, and behavioral standards of good
conduct for community living)
• Competency-based training, including
internship, follow-up, continuing education
seminars
• Fostering of self-confidence among
students and mutual respect between
students and staff
• Evolving curriculum that incorporates
improvements as they are recognized or
available
• Leveraging of LWVF-USAID funding to
secure money from other sources in order
to enhance the primary program
• Deeply committed staff
• Highly experienced staff, including
UCCDF graduates
• Functioning staff committees that help
implement team approach to program and
site management
• Respect from the community, government,
other NGOs, and graduates
• Enthusiastic Country Director
• Select Khmer teaching staff with
exceptionally strong leadership ability and
influence
Weaknesses
Programmatic Organizational
• Lack of research to assess market
saturation for currently taught skills or to
quantify potential for new sectors; lack of
resources to fund such research in future
• Limited sector and skill options for female
students
• Difficulty in providing direct follow-up to
students from remote provinces
• Nonparticipation in a coordinating group
for NGOs that work with persons with
disabilities
• Lack of safety procedures, equipment, and
guards at the feed mill
• Frequent vehicle mechanical problems
• Uncooperative relationship between
Country Directors at VI and UCCDF
• No evidence of willingness by UCCDF
Country Director to improve relationship
with VI Country Director, thereby
suggesting need for a mediator
• Closeness of the association between the
organization and the director (i.e., “UCC
equals Linda”)
• Underuse of Deputy Director’s experience
and leadership skills
• Lack of knowledge, experience, and
confidence in fundraising among Khmer
senior staff
• Tendency by top UCCDF managerial staff
to personalize common operational
difficulties and standard managerial or
oversight questions and requests as
patronizing or offensive (e.g., unanswered
e-mails are assumed received but ignored
rather than considered potentially
undelivered; questioning the life of the
project beyond the current Country
Director is taken as a personal affront)
• Country Director’s apparent inability to
take time off away from the project (e.g.,
vacation or home leave)
• Delays in delivering administrative reports
and documents (including on-file
documents)
13
EVALUATION
The programmatic aspects of the UCCDF Vocational Training Program in Kampot Province,
Cambodia, are generally well designed and well implemented. The staff is deeply committed and
brings valuable and appropriate technical skills and experience to the project. The program
enjoys a positive reputation inside and outside UCCDF.
Organizationally, UCCDF has a hierarchical structure with a very strong Country Director at the
top. Authority and decision making are exercised primarily by the Country Director. Although
two instructional staff members exhibit strong leadership qualities in addition to teaching
abilities, the Deputy Director should be provided with more opportunities to take responsibility,
exercise authority, and demonstrate and build leadership and management abilities. It is the
consultant’s understanding that during the past several months, the Deputy Director has been
taking greater responsibility for key aspects of the UCCDF’s day-to-day operations (e.g.,
financial management). The trend needs to continue. Although the program enjoys a positive
reputation among outsiders, it is too closely associated with the Country Director rather than the
staff or the organization as a whole.
UCCDF, as a subgrantee of VI, is in a subordinate position to it. The relationship between the
Country Directors of the two organizations is strained to the point where, the consultant believes,
permanent damage to UCCDF staff is possible. VI Country Director Larrie Warren has
expressed a desire to improve the relationship. UCCDF Country Director Linda McKinney
initially expressed her unwillingness to do so. However, in a follow-up meeting in Phnom Penh,
Ms. McKinney acknowledged that it is important to address the nature of the working
relationship between the two Country Directors and agreed to talk through the problems with Mr.
Warren and a mediator.
Tardiness in reporting is a problem for UCCDF. Although UCCDF’s Country Director readily
produced justifications, the consultant maintains that much of the tardiness is inappropriate.
Finally, three serious safety hazards at the UCCDF Kampot feed mill were noted: lack of belt
guards on equipment and lack of hearing and eye protection for equipment operators. The safety
hazards should be corrected immediately to prevent injury to staff. UCCDF’s Country Director
and Deputy Director indicated that they will rectify the situations promptly.

15
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations are categorized as programmatic or organizational. The latter are more
pressing and critical to the long-term sustainability of UCCDF.
Programmatic Issues
The consultant advises UCCDF to conduct a study of market needs by geographic area and of
saturation by sector to ensure that it does not train too many individuals in one skill sector or
geographic area. The study should also include a quantifiable assessment of opportunities for
new sectors, particularly those suitable to female participants. Because current resources have
been already assigned, UCCDF should seek other funding for such a study.
Organizational Issues
UCCDF should address two key organizational issues: (1) improving the working relationship
between UCCDF’s Country Director Linda McKinney and VI’s Country Director Larrie Warren
and (2) building the long-term sustainability of the NGO through diversified fundraising and
increased staff development.
The relationship between the Country Directors of UCCDF and VI has declined to the point that
only face-to-face talks will enable them to resolve their differences. Meeting with a skilled third￾party mediator may be the most effective way to clear up past misunderstandings or frustrations
and move forward. The consultant recommends that the two parties make the effort.
For UCCDF to survive in the long term, it must broaden and diversify its major sources of
funding and strengthen its institutional capacity by further developing management capabilities
of senior staff. To aid staff development and the Country Director’s interest in expanding and
diversifying fundraising, the consultant proposes a change in the roles and responsibilities of top
management.
First, the current Country Director would be moved into the newly created position of Director of
Financial Resource Development. The move would allow Ms. McKinney to draw on her
demonstrated skill in fundraising and her established network of supporters, and to dedicate the
necessary time and effort to diversifying UCCDF’s sources of funding. The move would also
lessen UCCDF’s dependence on LWVF-USAID funding, which will eventually cease. Because
in-country funding is limited and out-of-country fundraising is nearly impossible from Kampot,
the change would allow Ms. McKinney to seek funding from abroad. The Director of Financial
Resource Development should report to UCCDF’s Board of Directors.
Second, promoting the current Deputy Director to the position of Country Director would not
only reward a key staff member for performance but also provide him with an even greater
opportunity to develop professionally while Ms. McKinney is active within the organization and
available for mentoring. Ms. McKinney could continue to maintain a position on select advisory
committees, but authority and decision making should transfer fully to the new Country Director.
In-country representational duties should transfer to the new Country Director while out-of￾country representational responsibility would follow Ms. McKinney to her new position.
Although responsibility for fundraising would be held by the Director of Financial Resource
Development, a formal plan should be devised to involve the new Country Director in in-country
fund-raising activities in order to build his experience in that area. The Country Director should
report directly to UCCDF’s Board of Directors, with reporting responsibility to LWVF-USAID
through VI on all LWVF-USAID-funded activities.
The final proposed change would be to select a successor Deputy Director from the current
senior staff on the basis of performance appraisals and demonstrated skills and potential. As with
the Deputy Director’s promotion, this move rewards hardworking staff and provides
opportunities for further professional development. Additional training should be provided as
necessary (e.g., in financial management).
Professional development activities for other staff members will vary and should be designed
according to individual performance evaluations. Such activities may include enhancement of
technical knowledge and skills. The Country Director and the Deputy Director should draw up a
formal plan with a specific time line for implementation.
The consultant believes that the proposed staff changes provide a “win-win” solution to a
number of the critical organizational issues facing UCCDF. The recommendation allows Ms.
McKinney to focus on an important area in which she excels and has expressed interest. It
increases the chances for long-term sustainability of the organization by substantially improving
opportunities for fundraising and funding diversification. It rewards staff for dedication and hard
work through promotion and provides new opportunities for professional development, thereby
strengthening the institutional capacity of the organization as a whole. The consultant
recommends that UCCDF begin implementation of the proposed changes within six months.
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-17
Other Issues
UCCDF should begin participating in the Phnom Penh–based coordination group for NGOs that
work with persons with disabilities. Participation in that group should be the responsibility of the
current Deputy Director; the opportunity will broaden his public exposure and give him greater
experience in representing UCCDF.
Finally, the noted safety hazards in the Kampot feed mill must be corrected without delay.
B-1
APPENDIX A: SCOPE OF WORK
According to the Terms of Reference established by LWVF, the consultant was required to focus
on three areas in the UCCDF evaluation.
I. Assessment of the UCCDF vocational training program on the Kampot campus for persons
with disabilities
A. Status of graduates
1. Employment situation (e.g., Are they working? Are they employed in the field they
were trained in?)
2. Postprogram circumstances (tangible and intangible) (Are they economically better
off?)
B. Program costs (including per beneficiary costs)
C. Development and refinement of leadership skills
D. Other relationships (business partnerships, marriages, referrals)
E. Prospects for increased training
F. Adequacy and value of follow-up
II. Assessment of UCCDF’s institutional capacity
A. Strengths and weaknesses
B. Role and supervision of volunteers
C. Future plans
D. Vision of the organization
E. Organization’s future after the current Country Director
III. Definition and assessment of the relationship between UCCDF and VI
A. Suggestions to improve relationship
B. Structure for an effective working relationship
Under the Terms of Reference, the consultant will provide a debriefing to USAID, VI Country
Director Larrie Warren, and UCCDF Country Director Linda McKinney in Phnom Penh before
departing Cambodia. The consultant will also submit a formal written report to Rob Horvath of
LWVF in Washington, DC. LWVF will submit a final written report to USAID.
The evaluation was conducted during the first two weeks of May 2000. During that time, the
consultant traveled to Kampot Province to observe the program, meet with current students and
others familiar with the program, and interview program graduates.
B-1
APPENDIX B: INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED*
UCCDF Staff
Ms. Linda McKinney, Country Director
Mr. Sovanna K. Sip (“Chem”), Deputy Director
Mr. Leang Kirirath, Administrative Services
Mr. Sine Saphran, Senior Small Engine Repair Instructor
Mr. Chuon Sareth, Junior Small Engine Repair Instructor
Mr. Chhieng Vanny, Senior Electronics Instructor
Ms. Say Saroeun, Junior Electronics Instructor
Mr. Keo Sovanndy, Senior Livestock Instructor
Mr. Um Sarin, Marketing Manager
Mr. San Chhaysidhy (“Chay”), Business Support Manager
Mr. Kao Chreung, Follow-up
Dr. Lao Chantha, Consulting Physician and Family Health Instructor
Mr. Chap Chham, Literacy and Mathematics Contract Instructor
Mr. Yin Sokhon, UCCDF Feed Mill
Mr. Bonika San (“BK”), Chamcar Bei Site Manager
VI Staff
Mr. Larrie Warren, Country Director, Veterans International
Graduates (Individually, at Their Place of Business)
Mr. Tea Sokkhien, Small Engine Repair (1st cycle)
Mr. Phuong Pha, Small Engine Repair (2nd cycle)
Mr. Prak Beth, Small Engine Repair (3rd cycle)
Mr. Sveysevay Setha, Small Engine Repair (6th cycle)
Mr. Chea Sampo, Small Engine Repair (4th cycle)
Ms. Mahuoy, Poultry Raising (7th cycle)
* All individuals are UCCDF staff members unless otherwise noted.
Mr. Sosokhom, Small Engine Repair (2nd cycle)
Mr. Mak Nhorn, Small Engine Repair (3rd cycle)
Mr. Simphang, Electronics Repair (7th cycle)
Mr. Heng Phoc Hai, Small Engine Repair (3rd cycle)
Graduates (in Panel Discussion at the Kampot Campus)
Ms. Keo Vankea, Poultry Raising (12th cycle) (also interviewed individually)
Ms. Yem Yutheara Vorleak, Poultry Raising (6th cycle) (also interviewed individually)
Ms. Touch Phally, Poultry Raising (12th cycle) (also interviewed individually)
Mr. Kunk Ny, Poultry Raising (3rd cycle)
Mr. Nget Pich, Small Engine Repair (2nd cycle)
Mr. Nhet Noeurn, Small Engine Repair (8th cycle)
Mr. Tuon Vichea, Small Engine Repair (6th cycle)
Mr. Seng Chry, Poultry Raising (3rd cycle)
Mr. Nop Hen, Small Engine Repair (1st cycle)
Mr. Phou Samut, Small Engine Repair (2nd cycle)
Mr. Heng Sry, Small Engine Repair (2nd cycle)
Students (in Brief Introductory Discussions at the Kampot
Campus)
All students in class on May 1, 2000 (two absent because of illness)
Government Officials
Mr. H. E. Chhim, First Vice Governor, Kampot Province
Mr. Duong Sarann, Deputy Chief, Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Veterans, and Youth
(MOSALVY), Kampot Province
Mr. Em Sovanny, Representative, Kampong Bay District, Kampot Province
Mr. Ly Po, MOSALVA, Kampot Province
Interns
Mr. They Vuthy, Professor of Agribusiness, Prek Liep Institute, Phnom Penh, and participant in
internship for agricultural professionals
Mr. So Setha, Professor of Agribusiness, Prek Liep Institute, and participant in internship for
agricultural professionals
Evaluation of the Training Program in Kampot, Cambodia
B-3
NGO Representatives
Mr. Sinoun, Officer Manager, MEMISA (a Dutch health education NGO)
Mr. Tepnaroath Soseng, Investigation Specialist, LICADHO Human Rights NGO (teaches
UCCDF class on human rights)
Ms. Martina Berg Schneider and colleague, GTZ
D-1
APPENDIX C: TESTIMONIALS OF BENEFICIARIES
“Before, my family had nothing to eat. They are 60 percent better now”—Mr. Tea Sokhien, 1st
cycle Small Engine Repair graduate, amputee
“I used to be a wood carrier, earning only a small amount of money. Some days there was no
work, and I could only work in the dry season. I had to work in the Khmer Rouge area. I studied
small engine repair with UCCDF. After working and saving money, I bought my own house. I
would not have been able to buy a house without my training from UCC”—Mr. Sveysevay
Setha, 6th cycle Small Engine Repair graduate, amputee (Mr. Setha has a successful small
engine repair shop and stocks spare parts. His wife sells gasoline and engine oil at the shop.)
Before attending UCCDF, Mr. Chea Sampo only knew how to repair bicycles. As a 4th cycle
Small Engine Repair graduate, Mr. Sampo now repairs bicycles, motorbikes, and rice mill
engines. He first started working in 1995 but had to move his shop in 1999. He has a new
location about 25 kilometers from Kampot town. He also built a house. Mr. Sampo says, “I think
better and know business better because of my training at UCC.” Mr. Sampo also says, “Before
the internship, I knew how to make repairs but not do business. After the internship, I was
confident to start a business in my own shop.” Mr. Sampo learned about UCCDF from a relative
who had graduated from the program.
Ms. Mahuoy is permanently disabled from cerebral palsy. She heard about UCCDF when she
was looking for work. A 7th cycle Poultry Raising graduate, Ms. Mahuoy reported, “Before
UCCDF, people looked down on me because I am handicapped. They thought I am crazy. Now I
feel good about myself. Before UCCDF, I baked cakes and sold a few. I had to depend upon my
sister to survive. Now I can solve most of my problems myself.” Ms. Mahuoy currently has 13
hens, 1 rooster, and 95 chickens. While at UCCDF, she also learned to give medicine to animals
and now earns additional money by vaccinating animals for others.
Mr. Sosokhom is a 2nd cycle Small Engine Repair graduate. He was a soldier before he lost his
leg. “Before UCC, I didn’t know how to work except with my gun, so after I [became an
amputee] my mind was very confused. My friends and family didn’t help me. I just stayed at
home.” He reported being very happy when he heard about UCCDF because “my life could
change.” Mr. Sosokhom now repairs bicycles, water pumps, generators, motor bikes, and gas and
diesel engines—“everything except cars.” He is married and has seven children between the ages
of 6 and 16. “It would have been very hard to send my children to school without UCCDF’s
training.” Mr. Sosokhom was also able to save money to buy an air pump for his business and a
black and white television.
Mr. Mak Nhorn taught Khmer literature in school, but he was forced to retire when he stepped
on a mine along the road. When Mr. Nhorn became an amputee, the school principal said Mr.
Nhorn “lost his ability to do his job.” He couldn’t support his family after retiring, and he “felt
hopeless, disappointed.” After UCCDF training, Mr. Nhorn “no longer felt shameful or afraid,”
but like “a man” again. When people in the community have problems, they come to Mr. Nhorn
for solutions. He is a 3rd cycle Small Engine Repair graduate and owns two repair shops and
employs four other men: three of his sons and one nonfamily member.
Mr. Simphang, a 7th cycle Electronics Repair graduate, repaired watches before coming to
UCCDF. Polio has disabled him in both legs. Before UCC training Mr. Simphang “had a bad
attitude. But at UCCDF, teachers guided him not to gamble.” A neighbor added that Mr.
Simphang is “now a different man than before UCC.” Mr. Simphang says that “UCC helped my
spirit.” In the two years since graduation, he has built a large house.
Mr. Phou Samut, a 2nd cycle Small Engine Repair graduate, said that before UCCDF’s training
he was dependent on a pension, but it was so small his family couldn’t live with any comfort.
Since his UCCDF training, Mr. Samut has opened his own business and earns income every day.
He has been able to build a better house for his wife, his four children, and himself. Mr. Samut
says, “Before UCC, I could usually send my children to school but had no money to provide
their meals at school. If the children don’t have a bicycle, they won’t go to school because it is
too far. But now, they have bikes and go to school.”