The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) completed a joint evaluation on agriculture and rural development (ARD) in Africa, in December 2009.

On 16 July 2007 in Tunis, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the overall framework of cooperation within this evaluation, as well as governance and management arrangements, financial matters, procurement of services and disclosure of documents.
The main strategic goals of the joint evaluation were to:

• contribute to enhancing the relevance of AfDB and IFAD policies and operations in ARD in Africa
• improve their operational performance

This forward-looking joint evaluation did accordingly adopt the following objectives:

• determine the relevance of IFAD and AfDB policies and operations in ARD in Africa, in the light of current and emerging ARD issues affecting the continent
• assess the performance and impact of AfDB and IFAD policies and operations in ARD in Africa
• evaluate the strategic partnerships between IFAD and AfDB and with other prominent ARD actors in the continent
• understand the proximate causes of AfDB and IFAD relevance and performance in ARD, and develop recommendations to enhance their effectiveness and partnerships network

The evaluation benefited from the cooperation of three senior independent advisers who provided strategic and technical support to AfDB and IFAD, and assessed and confirmed the independence and quality of the joint evaluation.

Furthermore, specific communication activities provided information about key events and documents that were produced and shared with different stakeholders. The evaluation was completed by the end of 2009 upon delivery of the final joint evaluation report.