Elias Damtew, ILRI

Innovation Platform Training Workshop, ILRI, Addis Ababa, 4 September 2014

• Objective: at the end of this session participants will be able to:

Capture basic concepts in IP monitoring and evaluation

Comprehend why it is important to monitor and evaluate IPs

Contribute to fine-tuning of AR IP monitoring and evaluation framework

Identify IP TG members championing the M&E work at the research sites

Monitoring and Evaluation Definitions & concepts

Innovation platforms for scaling SLM Handbook (2013)

Monitoring refers to a continuous process of systematic collection and analysis of data on specific Indicators in order to generate information on progress and achievement of a given objective.

It tries to track if there are discrepancies between planned and actual results and contextual changes, corrective action can be taken.

Monitoring is a more frequent form of reflection.

Monitoring must form the basis for evaluation and changes on the way activities are executed

Evaluation is a periodic exercise that attempts to assess the relevance, performance, and success of ongoing processes and completed events.

Evaluation is a more complete, cumulative, and thorough process and a less frequent form of reflection.

It usually takes place at certain points in time—e.g. mid‐term and summative evaluations—and leads to more fundamental decisions.

Monitoring & Evaluation concepts in the brave new world of IPs

InnovationplatformsforscalingSLMHandbook(2013)

In the context of innovation platforms, monitoring aims to assess the functioning and effectiveness of IPs to improve policy and practice, develop capacity and improve links among actors.

The information it gathers can be used to improve the management of the platform and its activities, change policies, and promote larger scale changes.

These changes occur at various scales—farm, community, market, watershed, policy, research, etc.—and with diverse actors.

The monitoring system seeks to document and value these changes

Innovation platform evaluation involves assessing a longer journey of the IP to see if the IP has indeed facilitated the delivery intended outputs and outcomes that was initially planned.

It is an aggregate result of series of information collected through the monitoring process that will help us determine if it was worth investing on IPs.

Rationale

Despite the potential of innovation platforms, Attributing impact can be difficult because often the problems

- Complex - Hard to measure results - benefits may be unforeseen or take time to develop

ILRI’s experience - Innovation platforms can be complex and challeng-ing so effective monitoring is critical to ensure that they function effectively and achieve their intended purposes.

There is a recognized need to develop participatory, accessible anduser-friendly tools that can be used to better monitor and evaluateIPs.

Essential to monitor and evaluate the role that these platforms play inenhancing;

-communication,coordination, informationand knowledge sharing

- facilitate the delivery of outputsand outcomes

Monitoring and evaluation is, therefore an integral component of the innovation platform formation, functioning and outcomes

Key steps in IP Monitoring and Evaluation

ESTABLISHING

• Engage stakeholders; Capacity building; Understanding how to monitor and learn from platform activities and outcomes; Definition of scope at monitoring; Decision on feedback mechanism

SITUATION REVIEW & PROCESS SELECTION

• Identify key processes, Indicators and tools; Study baseline data; Data processing and management

IMPLEMENTING A SUSTAINABLE M&E

SYSTEM

• Backstopping and coaching and learning by doing on how to use the tools

REFLECTION ON FINDINGS

• What did we observe and learn; What part of our methodology work and what did not?; To whom do we communicate our findings; What are our recommendations?

ACTIONS

• make recommendations; Present ideas for change or adjustment in IP strategies and procedures; Publish proposed changes

Performance Indicators and tools

An Indicator is something that helps you understand where you are, which way you are going and how far you are from where you want to be.

A good indicator provides a pointer to corrective action, that is, alerts you to a problem before it gets too bad and helps you recognize what needs to be done to fix the problem.

Help determine the success or failure of the intervention in relation to the intended goal and normally are measurable.

Indicators are useful for measuring changes or trends over a period of time

It is mostly a challenge to have a rule of thumbs on the number of performance indicators

There is a shared conviction among M&E professionals the fewer the number of the indicators, the better.

Roles and responsibilitiesActors Roles

ILRI/IP team - leading formulation of IP functions, performance indicators and measurements and plans for

implementation of IP M&E activities

- Strengthen M&E capacity of local partners and supervision/participation in Data collection,

analysis/synthesis and feedback to IPs;

- Customize and adapt the IP M&E plans

- project level reporting of IP activities

Woreda IP TG members - Data collection and reflection of M&E data to IP members;

- validate formulation of IP functions, performance indicators and measurements

- Provide data and information on progress against selected indicators and participate in reviews of

progresses

M&E champions - Lead the M&E work at site level and act as a contact person;

- Data collection, data entry and simple data analysis; presenting back results to the IP members;

- follow and report adaptive measures taken to both ILRI IP team and IP members

- Support IP M&E capacity strengthening initiatives

- Provide analytical support in the preparation of IP performance reports

- Backstop kebele IP champions in monitoring of IP activities (data collection on “Activity Report”

and “Most significant change stories”

IFPRI - To work with Africa RISING IP team to align IP M&E with the overall project level M&E work

Literatures and previous ILRI experience show IP activities and processes can be monitored and evaluated at three performance levels

(a) IP formation, (b) IP functioning and (c) IP outcomes.

None of the indicators are prescriptive!

Performance indicators for different IP dimensionsDimensions of

IP performance

Performance Indicators and domains of change Frequency of

monitoring

IP establishment Twelve IP establishment processes at strategic and operational levels are implemented and

processes documented

Once at the initial stage

of IP formation

Common objectives (problems) around sustainable intensification are being identified, IP

member roles are defined ‘and appropriate structures are put in place (technical committees,

innovation clusters etc.)

At the establishment and

if new objectives or

issues emerge

Representativeness/inclusiveness of the IP

- ‘IP members represent a balanced group of public, private and civil society actors’

- ‘IP members are fairly representing the community structure, not just conventional actors

and champions’]

At the establishment and

After each major planed

activity

IP functioning Frequency of participation of IP actors (institutions and individuals) After each major planed

activity

Actor perceptions of the formation, functioning and outcomes of IPs and of their role in it every year starting from

establishment of IPs

Changes in the knowledge and skills of the stakeholders after trainings in relation to identified

needs

After every training

activity

held at IP level

Changes in nature and intensity interactions among the IP actors and/or their organizations as a

result of their participation in the IP

At the formation

of the IP and at the end

of each year

IP outcome Four domains of change for MSCS-Enhanced capacity-Enhanced technology development, dissemination, management and information-Increased investment in agriculture and nutrition activities from/with AR IPs -Increased resilience of vulnerable households

Every year (At the end of

IP cycle)

Project partners Ethiopia

Local partners Ethiopia Academic institutions:

Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities; Maichew Agricultural College

Regional research organizations:

Amhara Regional Agricultrural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute

Federal research organizations:

Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute

Offices of Agriculture:

Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana (Oromia)

Agricultural Transformation Agency

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation

africa-rising.net

Thank You