PROFIT was chosen as the subject of an impact assessment because the donor, USAID, saw the potential to draw out learnings applicable to other USAID market system development programmes. This impact evaluation also provides learning regarding how impact evaluation techniques must be adapted to MSD programmes.
Main findings:
- Changes in intervention over time invalidated the quantitative findings for the cotton sector part of the evaluation.
- However the evaluators found evidence suggesting positive outcomes and impacts for smallholder participants in the project's beef and retail activities. The beef sector findings demonstrated improvements in animal health.
- The evaluators also noted the success of the input sales agent network model.
Intervention description
PROFIT‘s activities aim to strengthen connections within selected value chains (retail of agricultural inputs, cotton, beef) to increase the provision of inputs and services to farmers with the objective of improving productive output and quality, thereby increasing enterprise and household incomes.
Evidence methodology
- The impact assessment used a mixed-method (quantitative plus qualitative) approach. The quantitative part of the impact assessment included a baseline survey of programme clients and non-clients and a follow-up survey of the same individuals two years later. It also used a field assessment of farmer involvement with PROFIT.
- Qualitative research consisted of in-depth key informant interviews and focus group discussions with selected value chain actors as part of both the baseline and the follow-up research. The analysis tested specific hypotheses (derived from theories of change) about the outcomes and impacts of project activities.
Useful for:
Interventions focusing on the commercial input industry; raising awareness of the difficulties in evaluating complex interventions.