Information gathered via literature review, interview, and personal observation was used to examine the effectiveness of animation rurale programs in Senegal and Niger, French West Africa. Identifiable animation rurale assumptions tested as applicable to Senegal and Niger were: nationwide development programs at the grass roots level can be ordained/directed by the central government; traditional societies are amenable to evolution toward modern economic/political institutions; the socialist is more efficient than the capitalist mode of development; education of the masses and socioeconomic structures providing equal distribution are complementary; participation in modern economic/political structures can be the very basis for training people to operate in these structures; and educational programs are most effective when they are integrated into other development programs. Based on the study's conclusions, the following hypotheses were formulated re: the pre-conditions necessary for comprehensive rural development program implementation: a comprehensive education program for national development must be an integral part of national policy; administration of the national government must be decentralized enough to allow local education programs sufficient control; the government must have sufficient financial resources to invest in long-term programs; the national government must be politically/ideologically stable enough to afford opposition; there must be an infrastructure of communication and transportation links; village workers must be given incentives to stay in the village and act as liaisons between traditional and modern practices. (JC)