CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

Strategic Guidance for
Ex Post Impact Assessment of
Agricultural Research

SCIENCE COUNCIL - CGIAR

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Science Council Secretariat
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO)
Rome, 2008

The CGIAR Science Council encourages fair use of this material provided proper citation is made.

Correct citation:
Walker T., Maredia M., Kelley T., La Rovere R., Templeton D., Thiele G., and Douthwaite B. 2008. Strategic Guidance for Ex Post Impact Assessment of Agricultural Research. Report prepared for the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment, CGIAR Science Council. Science Council Secretariat: Rome, Italy.

Table of Contents

Contents
Tables and Figures
Boxes
Acronyms
Acknowledgements
Foreword


1. Introducing epIA

Defining the ex post impact assessment of agricultural research
About this guidance document
Limitations
Organization of this document

2. Describing EpIA and Rationalizing a Strategic Approach

A typology of ex post impact assessments in agricultural research
Documenting consequences along the impact pathway
General methodological issues
Attributes and standards of good-practice EpIA
The rationale for an approach that accumulates the results of success stories
Programmatic epIA

3. Conducting EpIA

Selecting the research-related technology or policy for epIA
Estimating adoption of the technology or policy selected for epIA
Arriving at a persuasive counterfactual
Estimating benefits and costs
Presenting results
Assessing poverty impacts

4. Institutionalizing and Managing EpIA

Accountability, learning, and where EpIA fits in to research evaluations
Gestation lags, new initiatives, and epIA
Meeting multiple donor demands for accountability
Building EpIA into project design and funding for EpIA
Who should conduct EpIAs?
The communication and dissemination of EpIA results

5. Summary and Conclusions

6. Bibliography

Annexes


Annex A. Studies That Have ‘Substantially Demonstrated’ Impact
Annex B. Evidence of the Impact on Poverty of Agricultural Research