M&E and ICKM Working Groups Discuss Strategies for Documenting the impact of APPSA in implementing countries

The Working Groups on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Information, Communication and Knowledge Management (ICKM) under the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA), hosted a joint workshop from the 27th to the 31st of March 2023, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The main purpose for this workshop was to devise means of documenting the project’s overall impact in the two implementing countries, Angola and Lesotho. The event was coordinated by the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and brought together M&E and ICKM experts from Angola and the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.

APPSA is a six-year World Bank funded initiate currently being implemented by Angola and Lesotho with regional coordination by CCARDESA. Angola is establishing the Regional Centre of Leadership (RCoL) in Cassava and Cassava-based farming systems whereas Lesotho is focusing on Horticulture and Horticulture-based farming systems. Both M&E and ICKM play a pivotal role in documenting the project’s impact within the implementing countries, guided by the APPSA global results framework. The need for continuous and consistent documentation of APPSA’s immediate and long-term impact was emphasized during the project Mid-Term Review (MTR) led by the World Bank in November 2022.

Participants of the workshop underlined the importance of M&E and ICKM work hand-in-hand throughout the documentation process including data collection, reporting and final delivery of key messages to targeted audiences. Both groups are to complement each other in conducting tailored surveys, focus group discussions and interviews as well as data analysis for proper identification and documentation of impact.

APPSA is currently implementing 43 collaborative Research and Development (R&D) sub-projects led by Scientists from Angola and Lesotho with the expectation to have significant impact by increasing availability and access of improved technologies at country and regional levels (spillover effects). APPSA is also strengthening research systems of participating countries through short and long-term trainings and improving research infrastructure in implementing countries. The workshop was also attended by counterparts from Environmental and Social Safeguards and Finance.