Expanding the use of impact assessment and evaluation in agricultural research and development

Abstract The rationale behind conducting impact assessment studies is the expectation that the findings will be used to bring about improvements in policies and programs and thereby contribute to economic and social betterment. This paper addresses a number of issues related to why impact assessments and other kinds of evaluations are not always utilized in this way. Any particular impact assessment falls along a continuum between academic research at one extreme and utilization-focused evaluation at the other. We argue that impact assessment studies may enjoy greater use by decision makers if they are managed as evaluations conducted towards the utilization-focused end of the continuum. Several factors that influence the use of evaluations are discussed. These include the type of potential use and intended users; the nature of decision-making; factors over and above information that affect how decisions are made; and the various decision levels where evaluations may be used. Direct, indirect and symbolic uses of evaluations are also discussed. Six trends within the professional evaluation community that tend to enhance the use of evaluation are described. Finally, we offer some practical suggestions for enhancing the usefulness and use of impact assessments and other evaluations within the agricultural research and development community.