CapSha supports 8 African researchers to strengthen impact evaluation skills

Photo Credit: IRRI Education

Eight researchers and development professionals from six African countries took part in a five-day workshop on impact evaluation and causal inference with support from the CGIAR Capacity Sharing Accelerator (CapSha).

The workshop was held from 13 to 17 July 2026 at the International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, India. It brought together 18 participants from Africa, Asia, and North America.

The eight participants supported by CapSha came from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They represented agricultural research organizations, universities, and international development institutions.

The workshop focused on methods used to assess whether development programmes and interventions are producing their intended results.

Participants were introduced to randomized controlled trials, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and cost-effectiveness analysis. They also explored the role of research design, theories of change, and causal inference in generating evidence for policy and programme decisions.

The course combined theoretical sessions with practical exercises using the R programming language. According to participant feedback collected by IRRI, the format helped make technically demanding concepts more accessible to people with different levels of experience.

Several participants said the workshop increased their confidence in selecting and applying impact evaluation methods. Others noted that it changed how they understood the importance of research design and theories of change in producing reliable findings.

One participant described the course as “the most useful course” they had taken recently and said it was directly relevant to their work. Another said the combination of theory and practical application helped expand their understanding of methods that can inform policymaking.

CapSha’s support formed part of a broader collaboration with IRRI Education and partners to connect African researchers and practitioners with relevant training opportunities.

The workshop was led by Dr Patrick Ward of the University of Florida and Dr Valerian Pede of IRRI, with Dr Vikram Patil of IRRI also serving as a resource person.

This work is carried out with support from the CGIAR Capacity Sharing Accelerator (CapSha). We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/

1Introduction

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