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From
Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service
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Published on
24.03.25
We spoke with Cristiano Rossignoli from WorldFish and who is based in Florence and Mooghdo Mahzab from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Dhaka to explore their insights from their participation at the Asian Evaluation Week (AEW) 2024, their work, and their perspectives on CGIAR’s evaluation systems. They highlighted the importance of strengthening Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact Assessment (MELIA) processes and shared how evaluations can better align with strategic objectives, inform policy, and foster collaboration across CGIAR centers and country programs. While the lead of CGIAR’s Evaluation Function, Svetlana Negroustoueva, was unable to attend in person, she contributed remotely.
What We’ve Learned
- Strengthening MELIA: MELIA should be integrated into project design to align objectives with measurable outcomes. Early collaboration between MELIA teams and program managers is crucial.
- Country-Level Evaluations: Evaluations at the country level help ensure CGIAR programs are cohesive, responsive to national priorities, and aligned with strategic goals.
- AI and Evaluation: AI and machine learning present opportunities for improved evaluations but require high-quality data inputs and attention to environmental costs.
- Collaboration Across Centers: Cross-center learning sessions can enhance MELIA systems, promoting collective effectiveness and broader application of evaluation insights.
- Recommendations: Evaluations should focus on aligning research with national priorities and include practical examples and workshops to improve understanding and application.