Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) African Agriculture Development Advocacy Portfolio (AADAP) Evaluation

Over the past nine years, the BMGF has made significant investments in advocacy for African agricultural development without any formal, comprehensive evaluation to measure the effectiveness and impact of these investments. Universalia was contracted by the BMGF to conduct an evaluation of the AADAP, focusing on the advocacy activities of four of its grantees (Oxfam, Action Aid, Trust Africa and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa or AGRA), specifically their effectiveness in moving the needle on smallholder and female-friendly governmental budgets and policies in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries as well as at the continental level. Based on the foundation’s Theory of Influence, the evaluation used contribution analysis and episode studies to investigate the changes in African agricultural financing and policies during the period under review, the extent to which grantees’ tactics have contributed to these observed changes, and the combination of grantees, tactics and levels of engagement which offered the greatest influence over agricultural policies and budgets in Africa. Data collection methods included an in-depth review of BMGF, grantee and sub-grantee documents and data, literature on advocacy and African agriculture, the monitoring of media coverage of grantees and key issues, and interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, conducted virtually as well via field missions to Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Additionally, interviews were conducted through attendance at the 14th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform event held in April 2018 in Libreville, Gabon. The evaluation concluded with a webinar for grantees and a Seattle learning lunch event for the foundation’s global policy and advocacy team.