Institutional Learning and Change Initiative

URL:

http://www.alineplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ALINe_online_survey_report.pdf

Keywords:

agriculture; ALINe; Evaluation; Impact; Learning; M&E; Monitoring; network

Abstract:

During 2009, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Keystone Accountability, with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are considering the potential design of an Agriculture Learning and Impacts Network (ALINe). This report presents the findings of the ALINe online consultation survey that was designed and conducted to test some of the key assumptions behind the emerging ALINe Theory of Change (ToC). It identifies key priorities and challenges in current M&E (monitoring and evaluation) practice in agriculture. The results of the survey, which included 171 complete and 100 partial responses from experts in M&E and agriculture, indicate that: Beneficiary accountability and empowerment are regarded as the two weakest functions of current M&E practice, whereas the ability to meet donor accountability is considered the strongest feature. Most respondents indicate that the contribution of M&E to project improvement, strategy and policy level clarification and its ability to generate wider lessons for the field is substantive, but can certainly be improved. M&E of agricultural projects is considered weak. Aspects of M&E that are viewed as particularly inadequate include the capacity of implementing agencies, incentives to invest resources in M&E within those agencies and in the wider field. The top rated suggestion on how to improve current M&E practice is the need to engage better with farmers and local partners. Improvement of initial project planning is also highly rated as was the need for capacity development of non M&E managers and M&E practitioners. A majority of respondents would like to see more sharing of good practice and networking. Lobbying donors and allocating more resources for quality M&E are also called for, but emphasis is placed on donors to focus on M&E approaches that favour a multi-stakeholder perspective and which are designed to support learning for projects and beneficiaries, not just accountability to donors. Opinions are divided on the need for new tools and models, but in line with preferred M&E approaches there is an appetite for learning how to choose and use tools and methods that are sensitive to context, support multi-stakeholder perspectives and use new technologies intelligently. In this overall context donors are seen as key to changing M&E practice, along with agencies and government. Finally, the majority of respondents suggests that ALINe should not specifically focus on agriculture. These results, which will be examined more closely during the planning phase, suggest that there is indeed a potential for an Agriculture Learning and Impacts Network that can support: - Approaches that balance the demands of upstream accountability, to donors, with downstream accountability, to project beneficiaries - Efforts to raise the profile of M&E and explore incentives for generating more investment in M&E - Capacity development efforts around organisational learning and the intelligent use of methods and tools appropriate to the specific needs and contexts within agriculture - Opportunities for stakeholders that lack access to organised networks and forums to learn from each other As part of the examination of the potential role of ALINe, a report on the wider landscape of M&E in agriculture is being prepared. This will bring together the results of this study and the results of desk-based research, exploring potential gaps in the field and the mechanisms that are needed to fill these.