The document outlines IFAD's key commitments under IFAD IX to: 1) Raise the level of compliance for baseline surveys in project first years and use RIMS for management. 2) Present methodologies and new impact indicators to the EB by 2013 for measuring poverty reduction and impacts. 3) Pursue partnerships for impact evaluations and build internal capacity for conducting and managing them. 4) Conduct approximately 30 impact surveys during IFAD IX using mixed methods including RCTs depending on opportunities. 5) Strengthen national M&E systems through training of project staff, partners and engagement of experts in design and supervision.

1. Delivering M&E commitments under IFAD IX
Marzia Perilli, M&E Consultant, Statistics and Studies for Development Division, SKM
Thomas Elhaut, Director, Statistics and Studies for Development Division, SKM

2. IFAD IX Key Commitments (1)
Raise the level of compliance with the
requirement for projects to have a baseline
survey by the end of their first year of
implementation
How?
RIMS +
Management to do more (J.Linn)

3. IFAD IX Key Commitments (2)
Present an information paper to the EB on the
methodologies IFAD will employ in carrying out
impact assessments and in measuring the new
impact-level indicators introduced in the RMF
2013-2015
How?

4. How?
Issues Paper and EB Information paper
• Poverty definition
• Methods and issues
• Work system Project M&E
• Adequate funding
IFPRI Methodology
New impact-level indicators
• Household asset ownership index
• Level of child malnutrition
• Length of hungry season
&
• 90 million people reached (Project M&E)
• 80 million people moved out of poverty (IFPRI Methodology)

5. IFAD IX Key Commitments (3)
Actively pursue partnerships with institutions
specialized in impact evaluation, and mobilize
resources to develop adequate internal capacity
to conduct/manage impact evaluation work.
How?

6. How?
• IFPRI
• 3IE: agricultural project evaluations
• USAID, IFAD, FAO, WFP, WB, BMGF, … DFID, JPAL
- Informal network
- Learning agenda (scaling up framework), common
indicators (composite indicator) and methods
- Peer review
- Country focus: Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania (?)
• Regional division partners
IFPRI
USAID,IFAD,FAO,WFP,WB,BMGF…DFID,JPAL
3iE Regional division
IFPRI partners

7. IFAD IX Key Commitments (4)
Conduct, synthesize and report on approximately
30 impact surveys over the IFAD9 period.
3 to 6 of these will use RCTs or other similarly
rigorous methodology, depending on cost-sharing
opportunities, and interest and availability of
institutions specialized in impact evaluation to
support this work.
How?

8. How?
• Mixed methods (quantitative + qualitative)
• By project type 1
IFAD Project Types
Agricultural Development
2 Irrigation
3 Livestock
• ASAP (ECD) 4
5
Rural Development
Credit and Financial Services
6 Fisheries
7 Marketing/Storage/Processing
8 Research/Extension/Training

9. IFAD IX Key Commitments (5)
National monitoring and evaluation systems
Strengthen national M&E systems by enhancing the
capacity of project management staff and
implementing partners, particularly at start-up and
early project implementation through the
systematic engagement of M&E experts during
design and supervision missions.
HOW?

10. HOW?
• Improved M&E Design in country programmes (QA)
• Linking to statistical capacity in country
• Training
Training
- Impact task force (ITF)
- Induction training
- Staff training programme
SSD TO SUPPORT AND FACILITATE!

11. Six “theory of change” pitfalls to
avoid
Stanford Social Innovation Review
“Learning organizations carefully specify their assumptions, regularly reflect
on whether those assumptions are bearing out, and consider what new
assumptions they might test to further improve impact.
One simple but powerful mechanism to accomplish this is to create a “learning
agenda”—a simple list of assumptions and hypotheses that your organization
can test at some frequency.
A learning agenda can help ensure that your organization’s theory of change is
constantly revisited”
http://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/six_theory_of_change_pitfalls_to_avoid

12. Convergence of learning agendas
(draft 2012)
Bangladesh
Tanzania
Ethiopia
Rwanda
(2007)
(2011)
Ghana
(2012)
(2007)
(2008)
(2007)
India
Mali
FtF Learning Agenda IFAD's Thematic KM priorities
Improved agricultural productivity Agricultural production (adoption and
x x x x X
1 farm management)
Improved research and development Improved agricultural technologies and
X x x x x x x
2 effective production services
Expanded markets, value chains and Inclusive chains, from input supply
increased investment through marketing, processing and x x x x x X
3 retailing
Improved nutrition and dietary quality
4
Improved gender integration and
X x
5 women's empowerment
Improved resilience of vulnerable
x x x X
6 populations
Natural resources management - land,
X x x
7 1 water, energy and biodiversity
Climate change adaptation and
X x x
8 1 mitigation
A full range of inclusive financial
x x x x x x X
9 3 services
Rural enterprise development, with
X x x x x x
10 3 non-farm employment opportunities
Technical and vocational skills
development, especially for young x x x x X
11 1 farmers and other rural entrepreneurs
Support to rural producer organizations
x x x
12 6 and across all themes