1. Activities of the Impact
Assessment Office in SSA:
A Brief Overview
Presentation to the CCER-SSA Panel Members at ICRISAT--Headquarters, India.
November 11, 2013.
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2. Introduction
• Impact Assessment Office (IAO) was established in
January 2011.
• IAO manages impact assessment studies in order
to monitor effects of ICRISAT’s research
investments.
• IAO leads in setting criteria and identifying
research projects for ex-post impact assessment.
• IAO is guided by procedural guidelines and
protocols on implementation of ex-post IA studies.
• IAO strives to ensure that all commissioned impact
studies are credible and of high quality
– Studies are appropriately documented for specific targeted
groups. 2

3. How Does IAO Work?
• Scientists from different programs are
selected as focal points and work closely in
preparing terms of reference for selected
impact studies, including work plan and
budget.
• Ex-post impact studies are led by external
consultants.
– To reduce institutional bias
• Reports are shared with
– research management, donors, policy makers
and the media 3

4. IAO Outputs
• IAO has 3 sets of IA Studies in different stages of
accomplishment
• Set I: 2011-2013
– 8 studies (4 in Asia & 4 in Sub-Saharan Africa)
– Completed in 2013
• Set II: 2013
– 6 studies (4 in Asia & 2 in Sub-Saharan Africa)
– 4 studies to be completed in 2013 and 2 in 2014
• Set III: 2013-2014
– Identification of studies in process
• Impact assessment of Sorghum Macia in Southern Africa
• Impact of Chickpea research in Ethiopia
• Micro dosing impacts in Niger
• Measuring Returns to Research Investment on
ICRISAT Jewels 4

5. Impact Assessment Studies in SSA
(2011-13)
Impact Assessment Studies SSA Region Lead Consultants
Impact of pigeonpea research in Tanzania ESA Prof Tim Dalton
Impact of groundnut research in Malawi ESA Dr Anandajayasekeram
Impact of groundnut research in Nigeria WCA Prof Paul Azama
Impact assessment of fertilizer micro-
dosing in Zimbabwe
ESA Prof Alex Winter-Nelson
Impacts of sorghum research in Mali WCA Prof Melinda Smale
Impact assessment of sorghum variety
development in central Tanzania
ESA Prof Aloyce Kaliba
Impact assessment of fertilizer micro-
dosing in Niger
WCA Prof Saweda Liverpool-Tasie
Impact assessment of sorghum Macia
variety in southern Africa
ESA Prof Jacob Ricker-Gilbert
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6. Improved Pigeonpea Adoption in
Northern Tanzania
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2008 2010 2012
PercentageImprovedAdoption(%)
Year
Total
Kondoa
Karatu
Babati
Arumeru
• Program successful in developing improved varieties that are
adapted to local conditions and in demand by the farmers

7. Impacts on Women’s Empowerment in
Tanzania
Domain Indicator % of Women
Production Decision in purchasing inputs 50
Selection of Pigeonpea variety 37
Resources Ownership of land 30
Responsible for sale of Pigeonpeas 49
Negotiation of prices 46
Amount of Pigeonpeas to save 80
Income Control over use of income 69
Leadership Leadership role in community 19

8. Impact of Fertilizer Microdosing (MD) Research
and Development in semi-arid Zimbabwe
• MD methods have contributed to intensification by
making fertilizer use more affordable by reducing
required quantities and effective in low rainfall regions.
• MD methods have been adopted over a range of cereal
crops, supporting diversification.
• MD methods have contributed to food security by
increasing cereal yields achieved by smallholders in low
rainfall areas.
• By increasing household cereal yield and contributing
to food security MD methods have supported women’s
empowerment within male or joint-headed
households.

9. Estimating Returns to Research
Investments at ICRISAT
• Need to demonstrate that resource
allocation to research represents good
investment in the past 41 years

10. Returns on Investment (ROI) for ICRISAT Jewels
Selected Jewels of ICRISAT
from SSA
Region Period Ex-Ante/
Ex-Post
NPV
(in 2010 US$)
IRR
Fertilizer Microdosing
Zimbabwe 2004-2023 Ex-Post $30,322,586 44.12%
Early Maturing Groundnut
Malawi 1983-2013 Ex-Post $33,457,030 55.29%
Nigeria 1996-2013 Ex-Post $60,739,965 55.73%
Pigeonpea in ESA
Northern
Tanzania
1993-2013 Ex-Post $6,133,530 24.13%
Guinea-Race Sorghum Hybrids Mali 2000 - 2020 Ex-Ante $78,465,100 33.41%
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11. Summary
IA studies and ROI measures are
demonstrating evidence of ICRISAT’s
high impact research programs in SSA.

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