1. Combining satellite imagery with traditional evaluation techniques
Date:
Monday 4th February, 12:30 to 14:00
Speakers:
Mr Hansdeep Khaira - IFAD, Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE), Evaluation Officer
Since 2016, Mr Khaira has led evaluations in Georgia, Kenya, Guyana and Sri Lanka and has pioneered the use of geo-spatial analysis in IFAD's Independent Office of Evaluation. Prior to IOE, he worked in IFAD's Programme Management Department on monitoring, evaluation and performance analysis of development projects. His work experience covers over 35 developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Near East and North Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr. Khaira has an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Mr Giancarlo Pini – UN-WFP (IFAD-WFP Climate Analysis Partnership) – Remote Sensing and Climate Data Analyst
Mr Giancarlo Pini has joined UN-WFP in 2013 as remote sensing and climate analysis expert. He works in the VAM Unit and he is now coordinating the IFAD-WFP Joint Climate Analysis Partnership. Prior to WFP, he has worked in the MARS-Unit of EU-JRC, IBIMET (Italian NRC), WMO and Italian Cooperation. He has over 15-year experience in research and development projects in sub-Saharan Africa. His work is mostly focused on the analysis of multi temporal EO and climate data-sets and modelling supporting food security analysis and decision making.
Mr Dustin Gilbreath - The Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Deputy Research Director
Mr Gilbreath is a researcher with a strong background in evaluation, (quasi-)experimental methods, survey research, research design, and a substantive knowledge of the South Caucasus, and of issues such as think tanks, and transparency. He is experienced in advocacy, fundraising and #wonkcomms. He has published (among others) in the Washington Post, Eurasianet, New Eastern Europe, and Liberali (a Georgian publication) and some of his academic work is published in Caucasus Survey.
Description
The speakers discuss lessons from the integration of analysis of satellite imagery into the recent impact evaluation of the IFAD’s Agricultural Support Project in Georgia. The project (2010 to 2015) had the main objective to increase the assets and incomes of the rural poor through commercial agricultural and rural enterprises. As part of its activities, the project provided loans to agro-enterprises and undertook the rehabilitation of small-scale infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, bridges and a drinking water scheme.
The impact evaluation deployed two innovative approaches: (1) genetic matching method for matching the treatment with the comparison group, and, (2) time-series satellite imagery for comparing the change in vegetation cover between treatment and comparison group farm plots before and after the rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes. The findings from the use of these techniques were triangulated with findings from traditional evaluation methods such as impact surveys, interviews, and, focus groups.
This method of analysis proved to be particularly effective when assessing the impact of the interventions in hard-to-reach areas in Ossetia.
Introduction: Mr Anders Henriksson – DEVCO, Head of Task Force Knowledge, Performance and Results
The video recording of the conference is available below: