In close cooperation with the Government of Zambia and IFAD's East and Southern Africa Division (ESA), the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) organized a national round-table workshop for the Zambia country programme evaluation (CPE) in Lusaka, on 24 April 2014.

The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss with multiple stakeholders the main findings and recommendations from the evaluation; reflect on the main aspects and priority areas for the future results-based country strategic opportunities programme (COSOP) for Zambia; and supply inputs for the preparation of the evaluation's agreement at completion point. 

The Zambia CPE national round-table workshop was attended by close to 70 participants, including the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock and other high representatives from the Government of ¿Zambia. The workshop was also attended by representatives of local embassies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, farmers' organizations, private sector, research institutions and project/programme managers.

The IFAD delegation included the IOE Officer-in-Charge, the Senior Operations Advisor of IFAD's Programme Management Division, representing IFAD's Associate Vice-President, ESA's Regional Economist representing the division's Director, as well as the Country Programme Director and the Country Programme Officer.

Prior to the workshop, on 22-23 April 2014, the IFAD delegation visited several sites and met with beneficiaries of two IFAD-funded projects: Smallholder Livestock Investment Project (SLIP) and the Smallholder Productivity Promotion Programme (SAPP) in the Southern Province. This offered the IFAD delegation an opportunity to directly hold discussions with the beneficiaries and their groups, project staff, district-level government authorities and others, as well as see the project activities in action on the ground.