USAID Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM)
Cross-sectoral expertise for complex development problems
INRM provides USAID with demand-driven technical assistance for cross-sectoral environmental and natural resource management issues.
Across the U.S. Government, USAID is a leader in using evidence. Supporting USAID’s efforts to expand evidence-based programming as a foundation for effective development, one of INRM’s main tasks is to assist USAID’s Operating Units with the use of evidence to support integrated ENRM programming. For example, using evidence and knowledge to strengthen gender equality and social inclusion is a core focus of INRM, which is reflected across all its activities and buy-ins. INRM deploys a combination of methods for evidence generation and synthesis, aiming to improve the utility of knowledge products to inform future programming decisions.
See below for some related updates from INRM and resources from across USAID that explore the use of evidence to support the achievement of development objectives.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a safe and fruitful new year!
In this digest:
INRM’s current evidence work
- Applying systematic approaches to fill evidence gaps for artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Colombia
- Adapting analytical solutions to efficiently gather evidence on economic well-being in Madagascar
- Using a combination of methods to investigate impacts of COVID-19 on USAID environment programming
- Using evidence to test hypotheses about the effectiveness of participatory natural resources management strategic approaches
Additional USAID resources on evidence
INRM's current evidence work
Applying systematic approaches to fill evidence gaps for artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Colombia
Evidence methods: Systematic evidence synthesis and systems mapping
Under the Mining Horizon activity, INRM is collaborating with USAID/Colombia and the Government of Colombia to develop a research and learning agenda for artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the country. Using tools from evidence synthesis and systems mapping, this effort will explore impacts on the environment and the well-being and economic prospects of local communities engaged in ASGM. As part of the research and learning agenda, INRM will surface and refine critical learning questions and identify knowledge gaps to guide future integrated ASGM programming for Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular, early engagements with stakeholders have highlighted potential areas of interest around linking ASGM, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation as well as opportunities to promote gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) as areas to explore in the ASGM research and learning agenda.
To learn more about this INRM activity, contact Ioana Bouvier, ibouvier@usaid.gov
Adapting analytical solutions to efficiently gather evidence on economic well-being in Madagascar
Evidence methods: Machine learning
Traditional approaches to measuring economic well-being tend to be time-consuming, expensive, or subject to significant bias, making them ill-suited in the context of integrated programs. To overcome these challenges for the baseline of the USAID/Madagascar TSIRO Alliance activity, INRM applied machine learning techniques to a recent USAID expenditure survey to identify a shortlist of questions that are highly predictive of poverty. The findings of the TSIRO Baseline Survey cover six categories: (1) demographics and background characteristics; (2) livelihoods; (3) agriculture; (4) food security and health; (5) natural resources and energy use; and (6) gender and empowerment. Using these techniques allowed INRM to drastically reduce the time required to collect data, which in turn reduced overall costs and the time burden on survey respondents.
To learn more about this activity and the baseline report findings, contact: Ramy Razafindralambo rrazafindralambo@usaid.gov
To learn more about the machine learning approach, contact: Mike Duthie MDuthie@INRMproject.com
Using a combination of methods to investigate impacts of COVID-19 on USAID environment programming
Evidence methods: Systematic evidence synthesis, text mining, and key informant interviews
What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on USAID environment programs? How can USAID adapt and inform future programming? INRM is working with USAID’s Natural Climate Solutions team to explore these questions. The process paid special attention to uncovering GESI-related impacts and USAID’s responses. For example, during the pandemic, USAID’s SCIOA project was alerted to the fact that an Indigenous women’s organization was unable to convene because of lockdown restrictions. By providing the members with phones, internet credit, and computers, their first assembly took place in February 2021, bringing together 80 women from nine Amazonian states. As the pandemic’s impacts are still unfolding, this work is continuing with additional phases of research, leading to a collaborative event to be held in early 2022.
To learn more about this activity, contact: Daniel Abrahams dabrahams@usaid.gov or Gregory Kohler gkohler@usaid.gov
Using evidence to test hypotheses about the effectiveness of participatory natural resources management strategic approaches
Evidence methods: Systematic evidence review
Participatory natural resources management (PNRM) can play an important part in USAID programming. However, many programs fall short or fail because of political constraints or flaws in implementing PNRM. INRM recently conducted a systematic evidence review to identify how and why PNRM is likely to succeed or fail. The evidence review included a specific analysis of the representation of women and marginalized groups within the evidence base. This review will be available in early 2022.
To learn more about this activity, contact: Kyle Rearick, krearick@usaid.gov
Additional USAID resources on evidence
USAID Draft Evidence Framework
Based on USAID’s policies and a review of common evidence frameworks, this evidence framework aims to articulate USAID’s approach to building and using evidence for programmatic and strategic decision-making.
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Strengthening Evidence-Based Development
With the release of the Evaluation Policy in 2011, USAID made an ambitious commitment to building an evaluation practice that values good planning and design, independent judgment, high-quality methods, and evidence-based findings for what is and is not working in USAID programs. This document shares insights from a review of five years of evaluation practice at USAID.
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Evidence in Action
Evidence in Action walks practitioners through steps to apply evidence and an evidence-based approach to the design and implementation of strategic approaches for biodiversity conservation in the USAID context. This comprehensive resource is composed of four units including a series of thematic examples.
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Advancing Gender and the Environment
A ten-year partnership between IUCN and USAID, Advancing Gender and the Environment (AGENT) has produced over 60 publications and webinar resources that provide information and evidence tailored for advocacy, procurement influence, policy support, and project integration across sectors.
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Get involved
Buying in to INRM is flexible and straightforward, and Bureaus, Missions, and Operating Units can move from the ideation stage of an activity to implementation in as little as three months.
For more information on how INRM can support cross-sectoral work at your Bureau, Mission, or Operating Unit, please contact COR Ioana Bouvier at ibouvier@usaid.gov and/or ACOR Olaf Zerbock at ozerbock@usaid.gov.
Thanks, and have a great month!
Ioana Bouvier, Contracting Officer Representative, USAID INRM
Credits:
1) Aerial view of gold mining in Colombia, photo by USAID/Colombia 2) Kailas, Nepal. Photo by Jason Houston for USAID. 3) Community forest mapping, Zambia. Photo by Stephanie Fenner. 4) Gold miner formalization program. Photo by USAID/Colombia. 5) Farmers showing improved technology, Madagascar. Photo by Jennifer Hyman. 6) Manejo y Conservación community organization Guatemala. Photo by Jason Houston. 7) Community conservation enterprise, Nepal. Photo by Jason Houston. 8) Collecting field data using GPS receivers, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by OSFAC.