A synthesis of 25 impact evaluations

This paper, written by Henk van den Berg, analyses 25 impact evaluations of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs based on the Farmer Field School approach. The paper argues that due to there being no agreed conceptual framework for measuring the impact of these programs and because of variations in focus, approach, methodology and robustness a review such as this was necessary to assess the viablity and effectiveness of these kind of programs.

Excerpt

"This synthesis presents a review of twenty-five available impact studies on the IPM Farmer Field School. To be included in this review, the study was required to describe the methods used and to present sufficient results to support its conclusions. The characteristics and findings of each study are presented in a standard format summary sheet. The summary sheets are annexed.

The report starts with a general discussion of methodological aspects of impact assessment. It then provides a summary overview of the results of the twenty-five data sources, from FAO and other agencies and organizations, followed by a discussion of these results." (van den Berg, 2004)

Contents

  • Methodological aspects of impact evaluation   5
  • Efforts to develop a conceptual framework   5
  • Defining impact   5
  • Who defines impact  7
  • Measuring impact   7
  • Results of the case studies   10
  • Indonesia   10
  • Elsewhere in Asia   11
  • Other Regions   13
  • Discussion   14
  • Immediate impact   14
  • Developmental impact  15
  • The added value of multiple perspectives  16
  • The issue of cost   17
  • Conclusions  18
  • Recommendations   19

Sources

van den Berg, H. (2004). A synthesis of 25 impact evaluations, Global IPM Facility. Retrieved from: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/006/ad487e/ad487e00.pdf