Since 1996, IFPRI has carried out a variety of activities aimed at assessing the impact of its policy research, capacity strengthening, and communication programs. The objectives of impact assessment include:

• Showing how IFPRI’s work contributes to its mission of reducing hunger and poverty in developing countries;
• Assuring accountability;
• Enhancing research credibility, quality, effectiveness, and relevance; and
• Promoting strategic thinking and fostering a culture of impact awareness in a learning organization.

IFPRI’s impact assessment work has focused on the Institute’s country-level policy influence, specific research themes (e.g., economy-wide modeling, microfinance), attribution and other methodological issues, and lessons learned. IFPRI has relied on two vehicles to institutionalize impact assessment into the organizational culture: periodic focus group interviews with senior research staff to solicit narratives on research outcomes, influences, and impacts; and, on a pilot basis through the HarvestPlus program, ex ante impact assessment.

On November 10 (8:00am to 5:30pm), IFPRI’s impact assessment team invites you to attend a one-day stocktaking workshop at IFPRI to explore how well we have achieved the above objectives and whether we need to refocus our activities, approaches, and priorities in the future. IFPRI staff and outside experts will make presentations, and there will be substantial time available for input from all participants. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Vickie Lee (ext. 5669) atv.lee@cgiar.org.