Appraisal of CAP (Conservation Agriculture Programme) II and an end review of CAP I

The Reversing Food Insecurity and Environmental Degradation in Zambia through Conservation Agriculture programme also called Conservation Agriculture Programme (CAP I) is a second generation programme to expand the adoption of Conservation Farming/Conservation Agriculture (CF/CA) by building on progress made between 1996 and 2006. CAP is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) through the Norwegian Embassy in Lusaka, and implemented by the Conservation Farming Unit (CFU), an affiliate of the Zambian National Farmers Union (ZNFU). The Programme commenced in 2006 and is due for completion by December 2011, with a Mid Term Review effectuated in August 2009.

Based on an agreement with the Norwegian Embassy the contractual period for CAP I has been shortened to four years and CFU has been invited to submit a new proposal to the Embassy outlining a new and final phase of support to conservation agriculture in Zambia (CAP Phase II or CAP II).

This assignment had the dual purpose of appraising the proposed CAP II and carrying out an end review of CAP I. The team looked into whether CAP I successfully had implemented its outputs and reached its objective. The team furthermore documented key lessons learned from CAP I. The assessment of CAP I provided guidance to the Norwegian Embassy in relation to the process regarding Norwegian support to CAP II. In the appraisal of CAP II the team provided substantiated advice on changes and improvement to the program document.