Evaluation Approach: Impact Evaluation of Community Groundwater Irrigation Sector Project in Nepal

Abstract

The study has four specific objectives. First, the study will review the performance of the project using relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, likely impact, and sustainability based on document reviews, analysis of available data, and interviews with key stakeholders. This would entail revalidation of EIRR computed at project completion. Second, it will undertake a rapid diagnostic review of literature on impact of groundwater irrigation and determine a set of pragmatic indicators for project impact evaluation. This would include both intermediate and final outcomes (or impact). Intermediate outcomes are likely to be cover cropping intensity, crop yields, marketable surplus, and increase in household income due to irrigation. Likewise, the final impact would entail assessment of project impact on food availability and nutrition, affordability for children’s education, physical environment in the community, and level of household wealth accumulation due to access to groundwater irrigation. These indicators could be adopted by ADB in future irrigation project designs. Third, the study will analyze household survey data to evaluate project impact using quantitative techniques. Findings from the analysis will be of significant importance in determining actual attribution of the project in addressing poverty reduction mission of ADB in project areas. Fourth, the study will provide a set of lessons and offer recommendations for future project design in similar development interventions in developing member countries.