Learning from AgResults

AgResults learning takes two forms:

  1. Learning generated from the experience of AgResults in designing and implementing projects;
  2. Learning generated from the External Evaluator in its independent ongoing review of AgResults projects.

Since 2013, AgResults has developed a variety of knowledge products, which can be found in the Learning Library below. The library is searchable by keyword and by a specific AgResults project, using the "All Tags" drop-down box.

RECENT PRODUCTS:

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Learning Library

pdf Lessons Learned Article: The Post-Project PVA Maize Market in Zambia Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Zambia PVA Maize 321 downloads

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AgResults Lessons Learned_Zambia Post-Project PVA Maize Market.pdf

From 2014-2018, the AgResults Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project tried to tackle Vitamin A deficiency by increasing the awareness around and consumption of biofortified, pro-Vitamin A (PVA) maize. This Lessons Learned article explores the post-project PVA maize market in Zambia, looking at changes in PVA maize seed production, public and private sector demand, and broader shifts in consumption patterns.

pdf Design Brief #5: Verification and Project Management Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 876 downloads

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AgResults Design Brief 5_Verification and Project Management.pdf

Design Brief #5: Verification and Project Management

This brief, the fifth and final in the series, provides an overview of the fifth phase of AgResults’ approach to Pay-for-Results prize competition design. It explains how program designers can develop a thorough verification plan to evaluate competitors’ results and determine prize payments. It also summarizes the activities involved in project management of a prize competition.

pdf Design Brief #4: Right-Sizing Prizes Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 882 downloads

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AgResults Design Brief 4_Right-Sizing Prizes.pdf

Design Brief #4: Right-Sizing Prizes

This brief, the fourth in a series of five, provides an overview of the fourth phase of AgResults’ approach to Pay-for-Results prize competition design. It explains how program designers can determine the size of the prize purse to effectively drive participation and innovation without overpaying for results.

pdf Design Brief #3: Structuring Prizes Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 944 downloads

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AgResults Design Brief 3_Structuring Prizes.pdf

Design Brief #3: Structuring Prizes

This brief, the third in a series of five, provides an overview of the third phase of AgResults’ approach to Pay-for-Results prize competition design. It explains how program designers can create the set of parameters and rules that determines who competes, how to win the prize(s), and the implementation timeline.

pdf Design Brief #2: Analyzing Feasibility Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 987 downloads

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AgResults Design Brief 2_Analyzing Feasibility.pdf

Design Brief #2: Analyzing Feasibility

This brief, the second in a series of five, provides an overview of the second phase of AgResults’ approach to Pay-for-Results prize competition design. It explains how program designers conduct deeper research on relevant market systems to articulate a Theory of Change for the competition and to reasonably estimate the project’s impacts.

pdf Design Brief #1: Concept Sourcing Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 924 downloads

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AgResults Design Brief 1_Concept Sourcing.pdf

Design Brief #1: Concept Sourcing

The first in a series of five, this brief provides an overview of concept sourcing, the first phase of AgResults’ Pay-for-Results prize competition design process. It shows how program designers begin the process by brainstorming and assessing potential development challenges to see if a prize competition is best suited to address the identified problem.

pdf Summary of Evaluator Findings and Lessons from AgResults Prize Competitions: 2013-2020 Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Uganda Legumes, Zambia PVA Maize 721 downloads

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Summary of Evaluator Findings and Lessons from AgResults Prize Competitions 2013-2020.pdf

Summary of Evaluator Findings and Lessons from AgResults Prize Competitions: 2013-2020

This report by External Evaluator Abt Associates summarizes independent evaluation findings from competitions in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia and offers guidance for future prize sponsors. It provides evidence that Pay-for-Results (PfR) competitions can spur development of markets for technologies benefitting smallholder farmers. It also offers guidance on how to determine whether PfR is an appropriate design option and how to maximize farmer benefits.

pdf Impactful Design: AgResults' Pay-for-Results Prize Competition Toolkit Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Indonesia Aquaculture, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 2485 downloads

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Impactful Design - AgResults Pay-for-Results Prize Competition Toolkit.pdf

Impactful Design: AgResults' Pay-for-Results Prize Competition Toolkit

This toolkit is a practical guide for agricultural development practitioners who are interested in using Pay-for-Results prize competitions to stimulate new markets for agricultural technologies and engage the private sector for scale-up. It draws upon the experience of AgResults, which has designed and implemented prize competitions around the world since 2013.

pdf Evaluation Close-Out Assessment: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Zambia PVA Maize 792 downloads

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2020 12 29 Zambia close out assessment.pdf

This assessment by External Evaluator Abt Associates, updated in December 2020, found that the AgResults project played a role in creating a niche market for PVA maize, although with limited development impact because the market involved mostly better-off smallholder farmers and urban consumers. Findings suggested that the market would likely be sustained in the short to medium term.

pdf Evaluator Lessons Learned #6: Zambia Biofortified Maize Evaluation Findings Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Zambia PVA Maize 420 downloads

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Evaluator Lessons Learned 6_ Zambia PVA Maize Evaluation Findings_Dec 2020.pdf

Evaluator Lessons Learned #6: Zambia Biofortified Maize Evaluation Findings

This brief summarizes the close-out assessment of the Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project. External Evaluator Abt Associates found that the competition helped develop a niche market for Pro-Vitamin A maize, although Vitamin A-deficient populations were a small portion of those who consumed the maize. The brief underscores the importance of directly targeting intended beneficiaries in project design.

pdf Takeaways from Seven Years of Using Prize Competitions to Transform Markets Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), FMD Vaccine, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Tanzania Dairy, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 1172 downloads

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AgResults Takeaways from Seven Years of Using Prize Competitions to Transform Markets.pdf

Since 2013, AgResults has been designing and implementing agricultural prize competitions to encourage the private sector to "solve" a market failure and work toward a defined goal to receive a monetary award. In this cross-cutting learning document, AgResults presents 12 key takeaways based on its experience with prize concept design and sourcing; launch and marketing; and running a prize competition.

pdf Can Pull Mechanisms Achieve Agriculture Development Objectives? Evidence from AgResults External Evaluation Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Uganda Legumes, Zambia PVA Maize 715 downloads

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AgResults External Evaluation Presentation_February 2020.pdf

This DFID Chief Economist Seminar Series presentation from February 2020 summarizes External Evaluator Abt Associates' findings about the use of “pull mechanisms” or “prize competitions” to develop markets that provide innovative agricultural technologies to smallholder farmers. Findings suggest that pull mechanisms can create markets as long as the binding constraints inhibiting market development are within the manageable interest of the companies competing for the prize.

pdf Final Report: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Zambia PVA Maize 1463 downloads

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AgResults Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project_Final Report.pdf

Final Report: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project

In Zambia, approximately 31% of children and 21% of women are affected by Vitamin A deficiency. The Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project (2014-2018) used a Pay-for-Results (PfR) prize structure to incentivize commercial millers to source, produce, and market Pro-Vitamin A (PVA) maize meal and boost consumer demand to increase PVA maize consumption. Although the project closed early due to the lack of market response and ongoing enabling environment challenges, it still resulted in rich learning around what works and does not work when designign and implementing PfR prize competitions.

document AgResults Toolkit Prize Concept Review Framework Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Brucellosis (Global), Kenya Storage, Nigeria Aflasafe, Uganda Legumes, Vietnam Emissions, Zambia PVA Maize 750 downloads

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AgResults Toolkit_PrizeConceptReviewFramework.pptx

AgResults Toolkit Prize Concept Review Framework

The AgResults Prize Concept Review Framework assesses concepts for validity as a prize competition. The framework comprises four key questions on the (a) market failure, (b) missions impact, (c) prize design, and (d) enabling environment. 

pdf Adaptive Design in Zambia: Lessons from the Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Zambia PVA Maize 874 downloads

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AgResults LL1_Zambia Redesign_Sept2017.pdf

Adaptive Design in Zambia: Lessons from the Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project

This Lessons Learned article analyzes initial project design decisions and the adaptation that followed as part of the AgResults Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project. As challenges emerged - including a disconnect between supply and demand, variations in government policy, and an unrealistic incentive structure - the project had to adjust to get into a better position to achieve its objectives and sales goals.

pdf Evaluation Baseline Report: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Zambia PVA Maize 968 downloads

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Baseline Report AgResults Zambia 2016 04 04 Redacted.pdf

Evaluation Baseline Report: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project

The baseline report for the Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project evaluation uses data from 212 interviews of maize market actors (including smallholders, rural non-farming residents, retailers, and millers), as well as 1,013 interviews with urban shoppers. It presents findings about market actors’ and consumers’ awareness, production, purchase, and consumption of pro-Vitamin A maize.

pdf Evaluation Design: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project Popular

In Learning Library Tagged in Evaluator, Zambia PVA Maize 1006 downloads

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Evaluation Design AgResults Zambia 2015 07 13 redacted.pdf

Evaluation Design: Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project

The evaluation design for the Zambia Biofortified Maize Challenge Project presents how evaluators will assess whether the project motivates industrial maize millers to invest in and drive expansion of the pro-Vitamin A maize market. The report presents the structure-conduct-performance framework, pre-post comparison design, and data collection methods (qualitative interviews; quantitative survey of low-income urban consumers).