IFPRI Kenya Launches the IDEA Series to Foster Knowledge Exchange

On November 18, 2024, the IFPRI Kenya office proudly launched the first session of the IFPRI Development Economics Africa (IDEA) Seminar Series at the ILRI Nairobi Campus. This is part of seminar series under the CGIAR Initiatives on National Polices and Strategies (NPS).

This new initiative aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts in macro and micro development economics, creating a platform for vibrant discussions on pressing economic issues.

The event brought together a diverse group of over 40 in-person participants and 56 virtual attendees, representing government institutions, NGOs, international organizations, universities, private entities, and development partners. This mix of participants has the potential to amplify the seminar’s impact on both academic and policy fronts.

The session featured Daniel Rodriguez, who presented a study titled “Assessors influence results: Evidence on enumerator effects and educational impact evaluations.”  His research highlighted a critical yet underexplored issue in education assessments: the impact of enumerator effects on survey and academic evaluation data. Rodriguez utilized data from a phone-based mathematics assessment and parental survey conducted in Kenya, with enumerators randomized to students to study these effects. The findings highlighted the significant influence of enumerator behavior on both academic assessments and surveys, revealing that inconsistent practices could lead to erroneous conclusions in impact evaluations. The research also provided actionable recommendations, such as randomizing enumerators at the student level and improving training to minimize bias.

The IDEAS Series has set a strong foundation with this successful launch, promising to be a critical platform for advancing development economics through interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based dialogue.

Authors:

Hailemariam Ayalew, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Faith Kimaiyo, Research Officer, IFPRI

Naureen Karachiwalla, Research Fellow, IFPRI

This work is part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS). CGIAR launched NPS with national and international partners to build policy coherence, respond to policy demands and crises, and integrate policy tools at national and subnational levels in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CGIAR centers participating in NPS are The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Potato Center (CIP), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and WorldFish. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund.