AWARD Tracer Study: Outcomes for African Women in Agricultural Research

213 survey responses from 836 eligible Fellows trace the impact of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development program. The mixed-methods study, conducted between July and September 2025 across nine countries, assessed career progression, leadership, and scientific productivity. Data was collected by Ethel Sibanda via Harvard Dataverse in 2026 for the EVITA evaluation commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Use Cases

• Analyze career progression and employability outcomes for women scientists based on survey data.
• Study the influence of program fellows on organizational gender and social inclusion policies.
• Assess barriers and enablers to systemic change in agricultural research and development.
• Evaluate scientific productivity gains, such as publication output and mentoring, among program participants.

Strengths

• Mixed-methods design integrating surveys, interviews, and focus groups for triangulation.
• Theory-based evaluation grounded in contribution analysis and a Theory of Change framework.
• Includes a comparator group of peers without AWARD support for comparative analysis.

Limitations

• Relies on self-reported data, which may introduce bias.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Organizational and system-level effects were reported as more constrained than individual outcomes.

Provenance

Source

Harvard Dataverse, author Ethel Sibanda.

Collection Method

Online surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, desk review, and comparator study.

Time Range

Fieldwork conducted July–September 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-27 14:35:44

Geography

Nine priority countries in Africa.