Evaluation of RIPAT
The objective of RIPAT (Rural Initiative for Participatory Agricultural Transformation) was to reduce poverty, hungry and undernutrition among smallholder farmers by improving agriculture and animal husbandry through the application of the principle of help to self-help. Since the launch of the first RIPAT project in 2006, the ROCKWOOL Foundation worked closely with the Tanzanian NGO RECODA to develop RIPAT further and implement the programme through a series of projects. These projects can be divided into three project-concepts; RIPAT Start, RIPAT Spreading and RIPAT for Peace.
The process of developing, implementing and refining the RIPAT concept involved three major evaluations, which followed the three RIPAT concepts.
2010-11: Evaluation of RIPAT Start
The first RIPAT Start project was launched in 2006; two further projects were started in 2008, and one more in 2009. The first evaluation of RIPAT took place in 2010-11, with the aim of documenting the impact of the project. This evaluation also studied the spreading of agricultural technologies, crop varieties and farmer groups, as well as the quality, effectiveness and relevance of the approach.
2013-14: Evaluation of RIPAT Dissemination
In 2012 the Rockwool Foundation and RECODA launched two 1-year pilot projects, with the objective of developing and trialling resource-saving project concepts. The aim of the first pilot project was to test whether it would be possible to implement a low-cost RIPAT Start project with a one-year implementation period. The second was a trial of the RIPAT Spreading concept. The evaluation was to assess how and to what extent the cost-saving elements in the one-year project models would promote the dissemination of technologies and farmer groups.
2014: Evaluation of RIPAT for Peace
The field work was carried out in 2014 and was aimed at collecting, analysing and presenting information on important matters concerning the conditions of life and the peace situation in the project area. The information collected in the opening phase of the project will be used as a basis for comparisons later in the implementation process in order to be able to evaluate the impact of the project.
