Rome, 10 May 2024 – Open and informal conversations allow to capture the essence of individuals and truly hear their voices. Two remote participatory video evaluation pilots (PVEs) in Brazil and Peru revealed this finding, showcasing how the use of video interviews for communication materials hold exciting possibilities that add value to traditional evaluations. The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) recently published the PVEs in the context of its new Toolbox to evaluate knowledge management (KM) practices, which was developed as part of the corporate-level evaluation on KM in IFAD.

IOE developed the PVE methodology as a way to find innovative approaches that enhance the impact of IFAD’s programmes, and include the voices of local and indigenous communities. The eight interviews with IFAD beneficiaries provided crucial feedback on the value added by the Fund’s projects, the challenges encountered, and potential ideas for improvement. By providing a genuine opportunity for gather authentic feedback, the PVEs helped to address under representation and remote access, gain a deeper understanding of beneficiary needs and successes, and ensure that local voices were captured.

In addition to the PVEs, IOE’s new Toolbox also features two other innovative resources, namely the mapping of knowledge sharing and dissemination, and the tracking of KM practices across different transformative levels.

The mapping of selected signature solutions, championed by IFAD, that have improved the life of rural people helps to understand how knowledge-specific approaches and innovations have moved through IFAD’s work. In particular, the resource identifies the mechanisms that enabled effective replication of signature solutions in countries across the global portfolio, shedding light on how IFAD shares and scales up its solutions.

The ten selected signature solutions are small scale irrigation, homestead gardens, gender action learning system, learning routes, seeds certification, new ruralities, experience capitalization, farmer field school, leasehold forestry, and public-private producer partnerships.

It emerges that IFAD has effectively championed these ten signature solutions, which have been promoted and developed by the organization. The knowledge generated has ensured tailored interventions that address specific needs of rural communities and maximize positive outcomes. The solutions have been applied transversally across various regions, allowing for cross-context learning and adaptation, showcasing their versatility and effectiveness in diverse rural landscapes. Scaling up is facilitated through active engagement of stakeholders in knowledge-sharing activities such as interviews, talks, and community platforms, which amplify reach and replicability.

The third component of IOE’s KM Toolbox is the tracking of KM practices across different transformative levels. The rubric evaluates the immediacy, medium-term, and long-term outcomes of IFAD’s KM practices in terms of transformation on a country-by-country basis, through 20 case studies from across the planet. The case studies recorded and assessed the factors which influenced the effectiveness and transformational nature of KM practices, including internal KM frameworks, staff capacities and incentives, IFAD's country presence, partnerships, and government capacity.

The exercise reaffirmed that a coherent country-level KM strategy motivates implementing partners to concentrate more on institutional learning. It also highlighted that strategic selection and monitoring of KM products helps to ensure impact, replicability and innovation; that KM planning and professionalizing can enhance quality and effectiveness in documenting practices and lessons; and that recording knowledge and lessons allows for adaptive management and flexible implementation, as well as supporting future programme development. In line with the other resources of the Toolbox, the Rubric also confirmed, once again, that the richness of local knowledge requires appropriate tools for cross-learning and knowledge-sharing mechanisms.            

For further information, please contact Dr Alexander Voccia [here]

• To access the complete IOE KM Toolbox, please click here.
• To access the dedicated PVE playlist, please click here.

• To access the brochure ‘More than a journey | 20 years of independence, please click here.
• To access Fabrizio Felloni’s interview on the evolution of independence of IOE, please click here.