The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE), in collaboration with the Government of Türkiye and IFAD’s Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia Division, organized a final workshop for the Türkiye Country Strategy and Programme Evaluation (CSPE), as a final step in the evaluation process.

The event took place on 16 April 2024, from 9.00 to 12.30 (Ankara time). It entailed the participation of representatives of the Government, development partners (including from the UN system), civil society organizations, private sector actors, beneficiaries and IFAD senior management and staff.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

• discuss the main findings, recommendations and issues emerging from the CSPE;

• reflect on opportunities and challenges in the IFAD-Government partnership and strategic priorities for IFAD’s next country strategic opportunities programme; and

• provide inputs for the finalization and signing of the evaluation’s Agreement at Completion Point (ACP).

The workshop started with the welcome words of Ms Aynur Yildiz Aydinli, Master of Ceremony. An opening statement was delivered by Dr Ahmet Bağci, Deputy Minister, Ministry in charge of Agriculture, after the introductory statements given by Dr Indran A. Naidoo, IOE Director, and Dr Donal Brown, Associate Vice-President, Programme Management Department, IFAD.

Dr Kouessi Maximin Kodjo, IOE Lead Evaluation Officer, delivered a presentation on the main findings, conclusions and recommendations of the CSPE.

A lively panel discussion then took place, moderated by Dr Kodjo. The panellists included Ms Dina Saleh, Regional Director, Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia Division; Dr Babatunde Ahonsi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye; Dr Osman Yildiz, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Reform; Mr Ibrahim Yüzer, Deputy Director, General Directorate of Forestry; and two representatives of the beneficiaries of the IFAD-supported programme (Ms Nazlı Yurtseven and Mr Erol Akar). This was followed by a lively Q&A session.

Next, Mr Liam F. Chicca, IFAD Country Director for Türkiye, delivered reflections on IFAD’s operations in the country. Ms Saleh then discussed IFAD’s strategic approach in Upper Middle-Income Countries like Türkiye.

Ms Ayniye Şule Özevren, Head of Studies and Projects Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, delivered a statement about the future orientations for the Türkiye Government on the future IFAD strategy in the country.

Concluding the workshop, Dr Naidoo gave a closing statement and Mr Yildiz gave closing remarks.

The workshop material will be made available on this webpage in due course.