The impact of irrigation on improved productivity and market value for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana led by Professor Charles Amoatey from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). The effect climate change is having on livelihoods and food security is of great concern to many nations. In Ghana, high levels of poverty in the northern parts of the country are due in part to lower rainfall during its single rainy season. This project measures the socio-economic impact of Ghana’s government policy initiative dubbed “One Village One Damn” (1V1D) implemented in Northern Ghana since 2017. The results provide evidence on the most effective ways to ensure that national-scale investments in dams serving small-scale farming communities yield the greatest benefits for rural families.
This study builds evidence for selecting, designing and implementing policy to support small-scale farmers in Ghana. It aligns with Feed the Future and USAID efforts in Ghana with its focus on the northern region and on increasing productivity in arable crops and livestock as a means to reduce poverty and promote improved nutrition.
The Government of Ghana is not only interested in knowing the effects of the 1V1D initiative on target groups but also the mechanisms behind how and why the policies work or fail for possible scale-up or cancellation. Since 2017, the Government of Ghana has focused on 33 priority projects guided by the National Policy Plan and 17 flagship programs. The Ghana Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, which assumes an oversight responsibility on the implementation of 1V1D, has developed a results framework to guide their delivery. The Ministry also undertakes a rapid assessment of the programs to guide cabinet decisions.
GIMPA has supported the Ministry in its oversight role since 2017, including the development of the National M&E Policy and the development of the Results Framework. This 1V1D evaluation expands this collaboration to include the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives which directly oversees the delivery of 1V1D. With the support of the Minister of M&E, evidence from this study will improve the delivery of 1V1D and many other government flagship programs.
