The current practice of impact evaluation in agricultural research organizations in Eastern
and Central Africa often entails isolated quantitative studies that are not linked to research
management. We propose a theory-based, qualitative approach to strengthen the capacity of
research organizations to reflect upon the process of agricultural innovation and to manage
programs so as to obtain greater development impact. Impact pathway analysis provides a
holistic view of the change processes that can be linked to a research program. The design of
an impact pathway is kept open for revision, and is expected to evolve over time as knowledge
is gained about agricultural innovation processes. Impact pathway analysis can accommodate
the views of different stakeholders and it can incorporate information drawn from a variety of
sources and methods.
Keywords: Impact assessment; Pathway analysis; Agricultural research; East Africa