APPSA M&E and Communications Working Groups Undertake Data Collection for Project’s Impact Stories in Angola and Lesotho

Working Groups of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&EWG) and Communications (CWG) under the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA) successfully completed a series of field visits to collect relevant data to develop the project’s impact stories in the Republic of Angola and in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. This initiative was conducted from the 24th of September to the 14th of October 2023, targeting APPSA beneficiaries across critical project’s value chains in both countries such as input suppliers, farmers, extension staff and others.

Angola and Lesotho have been implementing APPSA (a six-year World Bank supported programme) since 2019, regionally overseen by the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA). This programme is based on collaborative implementation of Research and Development (R&D) sub-projects aimed at increasing the availability of improved technologies in implementing countries and the entire SADC region.

APPSA beneficiaries shared their perceptions through focus group discussions and key informant interviews.

APPSA is expected to close in January 2025 hence the need to start measuring the effectiveness of project’s activities and the significant change brought about by those activities throughout the implementation period. The exercise including focus group discussions with Farmer field schools (FFS), Farmers’ associations and cooperatives as well as key informant interviews with R&D Scientists, Extension Officers, and large and smallholder farmers.

In Lesotho, the team had focus group discussions and key informant interviews with extension officers and lead farmers from Mohale’s Hoek (Shalane and Mpharane communities) and Siloe. Data collection also targeted APPSA beneficiaries from Maseru (Machache), Leribe (Tale), Roma, Nkoeng and Malaoaneng. Interviewees were APPSA beneficiaries involved in the production of sorghum, beans, maize, and peach trees.

In Angola, the team worked with APPSA beneficiaries in Luanda Province interacting with Scientists, Extension Officers and farmers in Mazozo, Icolo and Bengo Municipalities. In Malanje Province, the team visited Nutrimutolo Farm and Cangandala Agroprocessing Cooperative. Farmer field schools from Bié (Chinguar Municipality), Benguela (Alto Capaca) and Huambo (Chinjenji Municipality) provinces also shared their perception of APPSA’s impact on their livelihoods. Targeted groups in Angola have essentially benefitted from APPSA in the production of cassava, maize, beans, sorghum, and pearl millet.

Currently, the M&EWG and CWG are compiling and editing the collected data to generate content which will be shared as a booklet of APPSA Impact Stories.

M&EWG and CWGs were hosted and supported by local Government authorities in every location visited for data collection.