Member's Documents
Rural Development Programme Phase II
Published by: Independent Office of Evaluation, International Fund for Agricultural Development
RDP II was undertaken between 2015 and 2022. It aimed to improve basic infrastructure and services in rural areas and strengthen market linkages for smallholder farming households.
The evaluation found that the project contributed to improved community-driven rural social services such as water supply systems, health and education facilities and community centres, delivered through community development grants using a community-driven development (CDD) approach. While not fully institutionalized, the approach contributed to notable recognition of community-based institutions such as Ward Development Committees in community-based planning. Future CDD interventions should consider contextual challenges such as capacity and remoteness to ensure effective implementation.
During implementation, agribusiness partnerships between smallholders and agribusinesses played a pivotal role in enhancing smallholders access to markets and building commercial relations between the two parties. However, these gains declined in time due to critical programming gaps, such as inadequate governance mechanisms, capacity-building and inclusion mechanisms.
For the future, the report’s recommendations include tailoring targeting for diverse communities, particularly in geographically diverse contexts and ensuring clearer criteria and approaches for implementing inclusive agribusiness partnership interventions.
