3. MethodologyThe fundamental metho

3. Methodology
The fundamental methodology for this type of study is to estimate the differential of ‘Before’ and ‘After’ changes in terms of specified variables (Black & Champion, 1976; Bolminck & Nelson, 1990). Bolminck and Nelson (1990) further suggested that the two groups (with and without programme) must be as far as possible facing similar economic conditions, apart from getting the treatment. Ideally, changes in income or other variables can best be obtained by comparing present income status or other variables with the base-line data from some time immediately prior to the programme commencement (Riddel, 1990).
In this study, the ‘Before-After’ comparison involved establishing the household situation before the involvement of Perda in their village and assessing changes after the involvement of Perda. They therefore represented a ‘with the programme’ group, which was subjected to the Perda’s intervention. On the other hand, a selected numbers of households and key-informants from other villages have been identified, as a ‘without the programme’ group. They were not subjected to Perda’s intervention and known as a control group. A combination of three methods has been used in collecting the primary data; observation, personal interview, and depth interview. The impact survey has been carried out using techniques such as personal interviews,
comprising a set of questionnaires.
3.1 Sampling Procedure
In this study the population elements are the households in the Perda region. A simple random sampling technique was used in the two traditional village; Kampong Kubang Menderong and Kampong Tasek. A total of 140 sample which represents 20% of the total number of households in the two study villages was chosen. To construct a ‘control group’, this study selects another village which has not received the Perda programme but was similar to the first in respect of other factors such as income levels, etc. These two areas; Kampong Air Melintas Besar and Kampong Junjung also represent the rural’s Malay traditional village in the Perda region.
3.2 The Needs for Evaluation Work
Failure to implement the policies and required actions contained in plans, programmes or projects is widely recognized to be one, if not the major, weaknesses of contemporary planning in Third World countries (Seers,1973). If a plan or project does not result in change necessary to achieve desired goals and objectives then it is, in effect, meaningless. Goals and objectives have to be translated into action and it is implementation which provides the crucial mechanism that permits this progression from plan to action and to change in those dimensions of the economic, social and physical environment that are the object of planning activity (Conyers,
1993).
Cheema (1985) states that evaluation is a comparison as well as a test of achievement. It is an attempt to judge what was happened as a result of the policy as compared with that would have happened otherwise if there had been no policy at all or if the policy had taken a different form. The purpose of evaluation, as quoted in Curtis & Watson (1983) is ‘to learn from experience, so that what is planned for the future is better than what went before’. Furthermore, they indicate that evaluation is a complex task and a great many decisions have to be taken about how it should be organized and the type of methodology which is used.
4. The Findings and Discussion
The study carried out on the PERDA region still shows some failures in the agricultural improvement efforts. The deficiency in management and the crops/land suitability factors and the lack of modern production techniques influence the capacity of the agricultural projects and the improvement of the quality and productivity of agriculture. A desire to consolidate small farms into plantations has also failed. The analysis showed the failures in the process of restructuring the scattered villages into a more consolidated settlement and in setting up
the rural growth centres. The effectiveness of the traditional village development approach can be seen through the small and medium scale industries development strategies and other off-farm based economic activities. These activities are capable of offering job opportunities, in a more productive sector. However, non-availability of heavy capital intensive high technology industries, to achieve a wider spatial development distribution, through the trickle-down effect, showed that this strategy is still limited. The key issues and problems in the
traditional villages are related to a high incidence of poverty and lack of basic amenities and infrastructure. These structural compositions are mostly confined to agriculture and traditional settlement areas with a minimum range of retail and service sectors. Therefore the traditional villages in PERDA region could play their role as dormitory settlements, in an integrated settlement system (Rondinelli, 1983) with improvement and rehabilitation programmes in agriculture and livestock, development where appropriate small-scale and cottage industrial sectors of housing and physical and social infrastructural improvements are introduced. In order to strengthen the dormitory functions of the other traditional villages, the efficiency of transportation system and linkages to major development centers should be accorded priority. The improvement of transport facilities and of communications generally in the PERDA region is therefore seen to be an important element in providing the impetus for socio-economic growth.