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Prioritizing Rural Investments in Africa: A Hybrid Evaluation Approach Applied to Uganda

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  • Karl Pauw

    (International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA)

  • James Thurlow

    (International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA)

Abstract

Prioritizing public investments requires information on relative returns that is difficult to derive from disparate evaluation studies. This article presents a ‘hybrid’ approach that combines ex post evaluation data with an economywide model for experimenting ex ante with alternative investment portfolios within a consistent, structural framework. The approach is used to evaluate rural investments in Uganda. Agricultural research and extension services are found to be more effective at promoting economic growth and poverty reduction than either rural feeder roads or irrigation infrastructure. This suggests that the government’s recent shift in emphasis from extension services to irrigation may potentially reduce the overall benefits of its agricultural investment plan.

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  • Karl Pauw & James Thurlow, 2015. "Prioritizing Rural Investments in Africa: A Hybrid Evaluation Approach Applied to Uganda," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 27(3), pages 407-424, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:27:y:2015:i:3:p:407-424
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    3. Ragasa, Catherine & Mazunda, John, 2018. "The impact of agricultural extension services in the context of a heavily subsidized input system: The case of Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 25-47.
    4. Danielle Resnick, 2022. "Does Accountability Undermine Service Delivery? The Impact of Devolving Agriculture in Ghana," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(2), pages 1003-1029, April.
    5. Mukashov, A., 2023. "Parameter uncertainty in policy planning models: Using portfolio management methods to choose optimal policies under world market volatility," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 187-202.
    6. Pierre Boulanger & Hasan Dudu & Emanuele Ferrari & Alfredo Mainar Causape & Federica Angelucci & Renata Baborska & Thibault Meilland, 2018. "Allocations budgétaires optimales et options de réformes pour le secteur agricole dans le Plan Sénégal Emergent 2019-2023," JRC Research Reports JRC113242, Joint Research Centre.

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