The document summarizes Madagascar's integrated M&E, knowledge management, and communication system called ZARAFIDA. It was established in 2007 using IFAD funds to address challenges of setting up rigorous M&E systems aligned with IFAD and government requirements. The system takes an integrated approach to monitoring project implementation and results, documenting successes. It has generated data showing increased beneficiary productivity and incomes. Other IFAD country programs have shown interest in adapting the system to strengthen M&E and results-based management.

1. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is an
indispensable tool to understand the
progress, results and impact of a project.
Setting up rigorous M&E systems in
projects and country programmes is a major
challenge – made even greater by the need
to align the systems with the requirements of
both IFAD and national governments.
In addition, projects should be able to use
their M&E systems to provide evidence in
support of efforts to scale up successes or
influence policy.
In Madagascar, these challenges were taken
up, using funds from the IFAD Initiative for
Mainstreaming Innovation (IMI) to integrate
M&E, knowledge management and
communication into a seamless system – and
results-based management tool – for the entire
country programme. The system, which was
launched in 2007, is now being replicated in
other countries where IFAD operates.
Initially known as the “Suivi, évaluation
et gestion des savoirs” (SEGS), the system
took an integrated approach to monitoring
the implementation progress of projects,
generating data on results, and identifying,
documenting and highlighting successes of
IFAD project activities in Madagascar. The
system evolved into a more sophisticated
platform known as ZARAFIDA, from the
Malagasy word zara, meaning “shared”, and
FIDA (the French acronym for IFAD). Today
the IFAD country programme support unit in
Madagascar, CAPFIDA, uses the ZARAFIDA
system to conduct in-depth analyses of data
from ongoing and closed projects to facilitate
decision-making at the project and country
programme levels. The platform also enables
IFAD to adapt its reporting to the format
required by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The platform has successfully generated
data about results – as confirmed by
the Country Programme Evaluation for
Seeds of innovation
Innovation Mainstreaming Initiative
January 2015
ZARAFIDA - an integrated approach to M&E
and knowledge management for improved
performance in IFAD country programmes
©IFAD/R.Ramasomanana
Youth training center in Analamanga,
Madagascar
Main source:
Innovation Mainstreaming
Initiative Concept Note (2007)
SEGS Manuals, 2008
SEGS and ZARAFIDA reports,
2007-2012
IFAD AFRICA methodology, 2010
CPE Evaluation, 2012
Country:
Madagascar
Programme Name:
“Improving Madagascar country
programme performance through
a dedicated M&E and knowledge
management system”
Programme dateS:
2007-2009 Phase 1 (SEGS)
2009-present Phase 2
(ZARAFIDA)
IMI FUNDING:
USD 170,000
Project funding:
USD 400,000
Contact:
Benoit Thierry
Country Programme Manager
b.thierry@ifad.org

2. Madagascar conducted in 2013. The
evaluation noted significant “increases in
productivity, income and diversification
among country programme beneficiaries” and
highlighted that “project M&E systems are
generating a wealth of outcome-level data to
support this conclusion.”
In 2012, the Country Programme Manager
for Madagascar transferred to IFAD’s Asia and
the Pacific Region, bringing his knowledge of
the system to the benefit of the Nepal portfolio.
The IFAD Country Programme in Nepal has
now established a country-level M&E system1
to monitor the performance of the ongoing
programme in line with the indicators of
the new Results-Based Country Strategic
Opportunities Programme (RB-COSOP) for
2013-2018. Monitoring at country level has
since enabled the country programme team
to track its targets, identify priority areas that
require improvement or change and even
direct future interventions.
Other IFAD Country Programme
Managers have shown interest in adopting
the system. The Country Programme Officer
for Madagascar was invited to the Comoros,
Kenya and Mozambique to see how the
ZARAFIDA system could be adapted in these
countries. Project staff from the Comoros
have visited CAPFIDA to receive training and
see how they can improve their M&E systems.
In Nigeria, a strong country programme
approach is emerging to streamline and
institutionalize knowledge-sharing approaches
among IFAD programmes. Inspired by the
experiences in Madagascar, the Nigeria
country office is setting up a knowledge-
sharing platform to generate M&E data and
use this information to exchange experiences,
knowledge and lessons.
Results
The IMI pilot project produced some significant
results, as confirmed by the IFAD Country
Programme Evaluation in 2013:2
• The ZARAFIDA platform has promoted
a results-based country programming
approach in Madagascar, a concept that
was still new to IFAD in 2007. Today, all
ongoing IFAD operations in the country
use the ZARAFIDA platform, with a set of
standardized indicators to help compare
results among projects. The platform
enables indicators in the RB-COSOP logical
framework to be cross-referenced with those
of projects, thus facilitating ME, the flow of
information and data analysis.
• The platform is used today as a planning,
management and leadership tool. It enables
project implementation to be steered
towards a common direction, spotlighting
which activities work, which do not work,
and where to focus efforts in the future. The
system allows for implementation issues to
be flagged immediately and is a repository
of potential solutions derived from practical
experiences and joint-thinking exercises
conducted among projects within the
Madagascar country programme.
• The platform houses a knowledge repository
with photos, maps and case studies
identifying successes and failures of project
activities. Besides serving as a basis for
improved project design, the knowledge
generated by and communicated through
the platform contributes to exchange of
experiences between projects, whereby
strengths and lessons of one are brought
to another.
• The platform arranges and stores data
systematically so that data can be analysed
and extracted easily. Data, such as current
disbursement rates and number of project
beneficiaries, are readily available and
constantly updated, enabling staff time to
A value chain linking ME, knowledge and communication
ME KM Com
Generating
new
Knowledge
M
onitorActivities
Evaluate
results-im
pacts
H
arvest–
Analyse-Synthesize
Share
–
D
issem
inate
Sharing-Learning
D
issem
inating
U
pscaling
1 Standard IFAD Monitoring Evaluation System.
2 République de Madagascar, Évaluation du Programme de
pays, Bureau indépendant de l’évaluation Octobre 2013.

3. Main challenges addressed
be used more on analysis, planning and
adopting remedial measures for good
project performance.
• New software is being developed to conduct
cross-analysis of physical and financial
indicators to allow for more realistic planning
in ongoing projects as well those being
designed. Information about physical and
financial progress facilitates current and
future decisions about spending and
resource distribution, which in turn helps
projects achieve results within the
allocated budget.
Background
One of the major challenges faced by IFAD is
to ensure that effective ME systems are set
up for the projects it funds. Project activities
often generate interesting results that have
significant impact, but remain unknown due
to a lack of a proper knowledge management
system. Proper analysis and documentation
of lessons and experience, substantiated by
evidence from ME, is crucial if IFAD is to
achieve its scaling up and policy engagement
objectives. The IMI funded an operation
proposed by the Madagascar country
CHALLENGES
1) Convince the Ministry of Agriculture in
Madagascar to invest in the system
on a cost-sharing basis.
2) Project staff were skeptical as to
whether the extra initial workload
would actually result in more efficient
use of their time.
3) Lack of IT expertise at project level.
4) Slow internet connectivity prevented
the system from functioning optimally;
project units were often unable to
access the system.
SOLUTIONS
The Country Programme Manager and
the Country Programme Officer worked
on raising awareness of the benefits of
the system in the medium to long term.
They showcased a prototype of the
platform at a national knowledge
management event.
The concept of the system slowly
gained traction with project staff thanks
to several capacity-building efforts.
Project staff received technical training
from an IT expert and peer coaching
through exchange visits. In the latter,
project directors and ME officers
brought different strengths and lessons
from one project to another.
The Country Programme Manager and
the Country Programme Officer brought
an IT service provider from the capital
to the project areas to develop the
database and shape the system to their
needs. The IT expert trained the project
ME officers to use the system to its
full capacity.
The IT system was adapted to work in
conditions where internet connectivity
was poor.
The platform was placed on a server
which facilitated the exchange of data
between CAPFIDA and the projects.
BENEFITS
Through gradual funding, the Ministry
of Agriculture ultimately contributed to
financing the system for all projects in
the Madagascar portfolio.
Today, all on-going IFAD operations in
the country use the ZARAFIDA platform.
The automated system generates data
such as current disbursement rates
and number of project beneficiaries.
It is readily available and is continually
updated, enabling staff time to be used
more on analysis, planning and
adopting remedial measures for good
project performance.
Each project unit now benefits from a
standardized database, which can be
tailored to its needs. They have learned
to process data through the system,
which then feeds into the higher country-
level ME system.
Through a file-sharing software, projects
can easily upload data and download
processed information. The system is
now more user-friendly, and updated
information can be instantly accessed.

4. programme to address these challenges. The system is set up in several layers, starting with
an electronic library containing project documents relating to implementation activities, budget
figures and the like. A second layer has results and impact data that are compiled and fed into
a database, organized by key indicators. In a third layer called knowledge management, the
data can be analysed and presented in a user-friendly manner and can be easily extracted to:
carry out analyses or syntheses; produce maps, photographs and graphics; and draft articles
and even case studies presenting the successes or failures of projects presented. At the end of
the process, in the fourth layer, the data are disseminated for a global audience through project
websites and publications, and are used during workshops for policy dialogue, capacity-building
and the design of new projects. A handbook was published providing detailed instructions on
how create the ZARAFIDA system.3
Conclusions
Findings of previous COSOP reviews for Madagascar had revealed that IFAD-funded projects
and their ME systems were often weak and that the one-off trainings provided were
insufficient to improve the ME systems. Each project would attempt to set up an ME system
in line with IFAD loan agreements and add elements to the system each time IFAD had an
additional requirement.
Today, the IFAD country programme in Madagascar is one of the few to have developed
a harmonized system for ME and knowledge management, with instruments and monitoring
activities at the country level.
The introduction of the ZARAFIDA platform in Madagascar helped change the mindsets of
project staff, who now use the platform as a project management tool to monitor activities and
address implementation issues through remedial measures. Project staff and other stakeholders
are more willing to share, discuss and learn from their successes as well as their failures. The
continual coaching and training provided to project staff has contributed to a strong sense
of ownership of the ZARAFIDA platform. The Country Programme Evaluation noted how the
Madagascar experience shows that monitoring at country programme level is feasible in IFAD
and how other country programmes could benefit from this example.
The Innovation Mainstreaming Initiative was approved by IFAD’s Executive Board in December
2004 with complementary contributions from the United Kingdom amounting to GBP 6.6
million (US$12 million). The initiative was conceived to enhance IFAD’s capacity to promote
innovations, which ultimately would have a positive impact on rural poverty. The three main
expected outcomes were to: (i) mainstream the innovations into IFAD operations; (ii) strengthen
learning and sharing of innovations and apply such learning; and (iii) achieve a change in
organizational culture and practices in support of such innovations.
USEFUL LINKS
www.capfida.mg
www.fidafrique.net
http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/
public_html/eksyst/doc/country/
pf/madagascar/madagascar-
cpe2013.pdf
“Nourrir la terre, Nourrir les homes:
La mise en valeur réussie du haut
bassin du Mandrare à Madagascar”,
B. Thierry, B. Shapiro, A. Woldeyes,
H. Ramilison, A. Rakotondratsima
(2008) L’Harmattan
“Nourishing the Land, Nourishing
the People, a Madagascar Success
Story”, B. Thierry, B. Shapiro,
H. Ramilison, A. Rakotondratsima,
A. Woldeyes (2010) CABI
International Fund for
Agricultural Development
Via Paolo di Dono, 44 - 00142 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 54591 - Fax: +39 06 5043463
E-mail: ifad@ifad.org
www.ifad.org
www.ruralpovertyportal.org
ifad-un.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/ifad
instagram.com/ifadnews
www.twitter.com/ifadnews
www.youtube.com/user/ifadTV
3 http://segs-mada.fidafrique.net/
ZARAFIDA integrated approach to KM and ME
Policy
dialogue
Reflections on the focus of rural development are enriched by knowledge,
experience and information at various decision-making levels.
communication
Knowledge
management
Monitoring
evaluation
Information system
Knowledge, experience and information relating to IFAD programme
interventions are disseminated to the various actors in rural development.
Knowledge, experience and information relating to IFAD programme
interventions are systematized and shared.
Management of projects and the IFAD programme is supported by
management and analysis of information linked to their implementation.
Knowledge, experience and information relating to
IFAD programme interventions are organized and managed.