New Release of Project Performance Assessment in Jordan- Yarmouk Agricultural Resources Development Project
"Starting in 2011 and as a result of the 2010 Peer Review of IFAD's Office of Evaluation and Evaluation Function, IOE has changed its approach to project evaluations by introducing two new products, namely the project completion report validation and the project performance assessment.
IOE has just released the first project performance assessments, carried out in Jordan and Viet Nam. The link to the Jordan assessment report is available below and on the IOE sub-site (www.ifad.org/evaluation<http://www.ifad.org/evaluation>).
brief summary of project performance assessment findings
direct link: Executive summary<http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/public_html/eksyst/doc/prj/region/pn/jordan/yarmouk.htm> | Full document<http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/public_html/eksyst/doc/prj/region/pn/jordan/yamouk.pdf>
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Yarmouk Agricultural Resources Development Project
The objective of the Yarmouk Agricultural Resources Development Project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was to improve the food security and income levels of target farmers by arresting degradation and restoring soil fertility for sustainable use of land and water resources. According to the project performance assessment, the project succeeded to promote farmers' own investments in agricultural land development with visible results on land productivity. The income-generating activities also impacted positively on household income, livelihoods diversification and expansion of agricultural businesses. These constituted an opportunity for enhancing the role of women, including in decision making in the household.
The performance of the project was less positive in terms of off-farm soil and water conservation and the disbursement of agricultural loans was below targets. The financial sustainability of micro and small enterprises is also at risk due to the high exposure to market-related risks. The assessment recommends to develop a coherent programme of agricultural market development aimed at promoting the participation of smallholders as well as small processors in urban food markets, clarify institutional responsibilities for maintenance of off-farm infrastructure, and undertake a review of the pilot surveys of IFAD Results and Impact Management System."
