The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) has carried out a performance evaluation of the Market Infrastructure, Value Addition and Rural Finance Support Programme (MIVARF). The programme was implemented in the United Republic of Tanzania between 2011 and 2020.

MIVARF was an ambitious programme co-financed by IFAD and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The design was complex, with each institution leveraging its individual strengths. AfDB financed hard infrastructure, while IFAD financed the capacity building of financial and community institutions and brought in its ability to target smallholders and rural poor. This ambition led to a dispersed approach to programme activities, especially with regard to capacity building. The evaluation therefore recommends a more concentrated geographic focus for future programmes.

The evaluation also recommends that the project apply a differentiated approach to targeting when multiple types of target groups are present. In addition, future programmes should undertake a thorough assessment of existing institutional capacity and willingness to implement complex interventions.