On 15 January 2014, the Independent Office of Evaluation organized a national round-table workshop for the Senegal country programme evaluation (CPE) in Dakar, in coordination with the Government of Senegal and the West and Central Africa Division of IFAD. The workshop was held to emphasize the key lessons emerging from the CPE; provide inputs for the preparation of the evaluation's agreement at completion point; and discuss and reflect on the main issues for the forthcoming Senegal COSOP.

The event was attended by close to 90 participants, including representatives from the government agencies, provincial authorities, project staff, international development organizations, local NGOs, research organizations, federations of farmers' organizations and the private sector. The IFAD delegation included directors of the Policy and Technical Advisory Division (PTA) and the West and Central Africa Division (WCA); the Officer-in-Charge, IOE; the lead evaluator for the Senegal CPE; as well as other staff members from both IOE and WCA.

Prior to the workshop, on 13-14 January 2014 the IFAD delegation visited sites and met with the beneficiaries of the IFAD-funded Projet d'appui aux filières agricoles (PAFA) in Kaolack. This also offered the IFAD delegation an opportunity to directly hold discussions with beneficiaries and their groups, project staff, district-level government authorities and others, as well as see the project activities on the ground.