25 September 2024 - The Independent Evaluation Department convened a webinar on Thursday, September 25, 2025 to discuss the findings of its comprehensive evaluation of Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) operations from 2014 to 2022. The event brought together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from across IsDB to reflect on the evaluation of results, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing the impact of ARD projects.

The session opened with remarks from Br. Idrissa Dia, Director, Economic and Social Infrastructure Department, who emphasized the alignment of the evaluation with the bank’s strategic priorities and the importance of implementing recommendations. Br. Elmoiz Ismail Mahmoud presented key findings, highlighting the relevance of ARD projects, their contributions to food security and water access, and the need for stronger community engagement, technical assistance, and monitoring systems.

Panelists Brs. Ougfaly Badji, Bashirullah Najimi, and Mustafa Yagci provided in-depth perspectives on project design, sustainability, and the role of agriculture in poverty reduction. They stressed the importance of programmatic approaches, climate-smart agriculture, regional cooperation, and innovation.

The interactive Q&A session addressed procurement challenges, sustainability, data gaps, and the integration of ARD and water policies. Participants shared practical experiences and called for more flexible, context-sensitive solutions and enhanced cooperation among member countries.

The event concluded with a commitment to translate insights into actionable strategies, ensuring that future ARD interventions are more effective, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of member countries. The IEvD Director Br. Mohameden Sidiya, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to all participants for their valuable contributions and called for forward to continued collaboration in advancing agricultural and rural development. The sessions were attended by more than 40 staff from both HQ and Regional Hubs.

For more details, the presentation is available here: IEvD ARD Presentation in EvalTalk Webinar.pptx