I’m an agricultural and development economist and policy expert with advanced training and vast experience in economics, policy and governance matters. My specialization relates to applying economics, policy and institutional analytics to conceptualize, design, and implement research at the intersection of economics, sociology, and political science to study problems of innovation, policy, and institutions in the agri-food and agro-industrial sectors, with a focus on strengthening value chains, markets systems, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. For the past 25 years, I have extensively engaged in development analytics and practice, providing technical support to programs of various organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Development Organization (FCDO), Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Gatsby Trust Africa, and Farm Africa. The projects involved anticipatory impact and feasibility studies, mid/end term assessments and evaluations, and policy/strategy analysis for agro-industrial value chains and market systems development across Africa. My work over the past 15 years has included several research, design, evaluation, impact assessment, adaptation, and learning assignments, including an internal thematic (formative) evaluation of FAO’s global program on food loss and waste, systematic review and evidence synthesis of game-changing ideas from the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) 2021 across 14 African countries and the impact of AGRA’s policy, advocacy and state capacity building work in Africa to build evidence for AGRA’s new strategy food systems transformation; final performance evaluation of the USAID Kenya Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) Program; and, midterm evaluation of projects implemented by grantees of Farm Africa’s Maendeleo Agricultural Enterprise Fund (MAEF) across five value chains in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Currently, I am providing subject matter expertise to the CGIAR Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES), including reviews of the CGIAR 2025-2030 Research proposals for the Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) and evaluation of the CGIAR global research portfolios.
I’m fluent in English, Kiswahili and Luo, and understand basic French. I hold a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University (USA), an MPA/International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University (USA), and an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics and B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Nairobi (Kenya).
Kenya
Hezekiah Agwara
OGIVES LTD
Posted on 15/01/2025
Dear EvalForward Members,
I would like to extend my gratitude for your valuable contributions to the discussion on "Evaluating Scaling Efforts: Measuring What Matters." Your insights and diverse perspectives have been instrumental in enriching our understanding of effective evaluation approaches for scaling efforts.
The richness in depth and range of experience reaffirms the complex nature of scaling and why it is so challenging to evaluate. We embrace this challenge in developing the method note on how to assess scaling activities in the CGIAR.
This discussion concludes for now, but there will be future opportunities to exchange ideas and knowledge. We anticipate having a fair draft of the note in mid-late February, when we will share early insights for further engagement. A summary of the discussion will soon be available on the platform in three languages: English, French, and Spanish.
Please stay connected for updates on upcoming events and further opportunities to engage.
Kenya
Hezekiah Agwara
OGIVES LTD
Posted on 09/12/2024
Dear Serdar, Monica and Mike:
Thank you for your very insightful contributions.
Our focus is on the how to evaluate efforts to scale agricultural research for development (AR4D) innovations, specifically methods that lend themselves to assessing processes and performance.
Serdar: Great examples and information on criteria for evaluating success. You alluded to the importance of context-sensitive evaluations, any specific approaches FAO has used to achieve this? What indicators of sustainability of scaling efforts should one look for?
Monica: Thank you for the example of CIFOR's project. I read your reflections from a project design perspective, has the project been evaluated? A couple of questions. What should an evaluator look for while assessing participatory processes, multi-stakeholder collaborations? Could you please elaborate on the specific mechanisms and metrics that were established to track progress? Would the existence of story of change and implementation pathways be useful indicators for the scaling process?
Mike: Yes, innovation scaling is complex. I'm curious about your perspectives on the complexities inherent in scaling initiatives, please share some details. How should an evaluator treat such complexities in a timebound evaluation exercise? What kind of information should we gather to evaluate such complexities? Should we even attempt to evaluate the kind of complex systems that drive scaling for impact?
Your ideas are greatly appreciated.