Impact assessment and research priority setting

Impact assessment is a critical component of the research cycle. It provides researchers with valuable lessons on the relevance and appropriateness of their efforts, and guides a redirection of those efforts where needed. It also provides stakeholders with objective documentation of the outcomes of their investments of time, effort, and resources, which are necessary for sustaining those inputs. Impacts are assessed in terms of achieving the over-arching CGIAR goals of poverty alleviation, improving the sustainability of natural resources, and improving food security, including careful attention to gender-related issues such as malnutrition of women in the household, task drudgery, gainful employment, and others.

Two categories of impact data have been documented by ICRISAT. The first is a set of primary data on adoption and impact and related variables generated from formal and informal on-farm surveys. The second is a set of secondary data based on documentation (published and unpublished), review of ICRISAT reports and a survey of scientists in ICRISAT. The implementation of impact studies pursued both successes and lessons learnt. The assessments measured those dimensions most important to the poor, and to the broad mission of the CGIAR. More than thirty studies of adoption and impact have been well-documented.

The impact assessment efforts so far at ICRISAT have clearly documented substantial returns to donor investment in ICRISAT research. In addition, they have improved our understanding of the determinants of technology adoption in different environments. These lessons are being used to refine and target new technologies, significantly improving their chances of adoption.

The activities in Asia include:

• Impact of agricultural research: Post-green revolution evidence from India (Linked with GT CI and AES)
• Natural resource management in agriculture: Methods for assessing economic and environmental impacts (linked with GT- AES)
• Social capital mediated technology uptake and gender impacts (linked with GT CI)
• Impact studies on chickpea genetic improvement research in Asia (linked with GT CI)
• Research priorities and need assessment in south and west Asia published (linked with GT CI, Bt and AES)
• Vision for SAT research to 2015 - Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, challenges, opportunities and threats (linked to GT BT, CI, AES and MG)
• Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in ICRISAT research agenda (Linked with GT BT, CI and AES)

• Impacts of sorghum and millet research in west and central Africa (WCA): A synthesis and lessons learnt (Linked with GT-CI)
• Impact of input shops on technology uptake in WCA: The example of Niger published by IFPRI/ICRISAT (Linked with GT-AES)
• Report published on early adoption of pearl millet varieties in Niger (Linked with GT-CI)
• Data collection on impacts of sorghum and millet varieties in Northern Nigeria completed. (Linked with GT-CI)
• Handbook and training module on farmer participation in priority setting for crop improvement published (Linked with GT-CI)
• Data collection on impacts of soil and water conservation methods in Burkina Faso completed (Linked with GT-AES)
• Testing and promotion of micro-dosing technology - report completed (Linked with GT-AES)
• Early diffusion of African market garden units disseminated in Niger (Linked with GT-AES)

The activities in ESA include:

• Adoption and impact of improved pigeonpea varieties in Tanzania (Linked with GT-CI) Chickpea adoption studies in Ethiopia (Linked with GT-CI)
• Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in ICRISAT Research Agenda
• Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS and gender in the challenge program Water for food project in the Limpopo river basin (Linked with GT CI and AES)
• Addressing HIV/AIDS at the work place
• Small-dose fertilizer options verified and scaled out in Zimbabwe project initiated (Linked with GT-AES)
• Brochures summarizing the availability of new varieties suited to drought prone environments in eastern Africa and in southern Africa disseminated (Linked with GT-CI)
• Junior Farmer Field Schools: Targeting orphaned and vulnerable children (Linked with GT-AES)
• Guidelines for more effective implementation and monitoring of drought relief programs drafted and disseminated (Linked with GT CI and AES)
• Protocol developed for improving the quality of seed destined for relief programs (Linked with GT-CI)

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