Call for Submissions
Best Practices &
To learn more about the Best
Practices and Innovations (BPI)
Initiative, please visit: www.
interaction.org/best-practices-
innovations.
If you have any questions,
please contact:
Laia Grino
Senior Research Associate
lgrino@interaction.org
or
Brian Greenberg
Director of Sustainable
Development
bgreenberg@interaction.org
www.InterAction.org
1400 16th Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036
202-667-8227
Innovations (BPI) Initiative
Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods
W
ith support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Inter-
Action has launched its Best Practices & Innovations (BPI) Initiative, which in its first
phase will focus on agriculture and rural livelihoods. The purpose of the initiative is to
promote information sharing on effective program approaches, and to improve practice stan-
dards by boosting the efficiency and impacts of field programs. With millions affected by the
food, fuel and financial crises, and development programs feeling the constraints of a scarce re-
source environment, identifying and learning from “what works” has never been more crucial.
Organizations are invited to submit information on interventions that have succeeded in im-
proving food security, reducing poverty, increasing resilience and/or improving productivity.
Interventions in a wide number of program areas are eligible, from climate change adaptation
to pest and disease management, to value chain development.
Key Dates
A more comprehensive list of program areas can be found on
the initiative’s Submission Form. November 20, 2009
A Selection Committee of experts in agricultural development Deadline for
Submissions
will review all submissions to identify best practices and promis-
January 23, 2010
ing innovations. All submitted interventions will be featured on
Best Practices &
InterAction’s online map of NGO food security and agriculture Promising Innovations
projects. Those receiving “best practice” and “promising innova- Selected
tion” designations will also be featured in InterAction’s flagship February 2010
monthly publication, Monday Developments. In addtion, best Best Practice and
Innovations Awards
practice and innovations programs will be invited to present Announced
their technical approaches at a workshop in early 2010.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete the BPI initiative Submission Form—available on InterAction’s
website—and submit it to Laia Grino at lgrino@interaction.org. The deadline for submissions
is November 20, 2009.
What is a best practice? What is an innovation?
A best practice is an approach or technique that has led to tangible and demonstrable
improvements in people’s lives in multiple settings, is sustainable and can be replicated
or adapted. An innovation is an approach or technique new to its context or setting that
shows the potential to address a serious development challenge and can therefore lead to
improvements in people’s lives.
Who is eligible to participate?
InterAction member organizations and members of IFAD’s Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Poverty are eligible to
submit interventions for consideration. Submissions must meet the eligibility criteria below.

Eligibility Criteria
Best Practices
• Related to agriculture and rural livelihoods
• Implemented in a developing country
• Evidence of success
• Implemented in more than one setting
Innovations
• Related to agriculture and rural livelihoods
• Implemented in a developing country
• Approach new to its context or setting
• Evidence of potential or success
• Pilot/demonstration projects eligible

How will submissions be evaluated?

Submissions will be evaluated by an eight-person Selection Committee composed of representatives from InterAction
member organizations and non-member experts. Individuals serving on the committee will have expertise in a variety of
areas related to agriculture and rural livelihoods, such as agronomy, high-value horticulture or staple crop production, value
chain and market development, irrigation management, pest management, program evaluation/impact assessment and
gender in agriculture.

What will the evaluation criteria be?

Best practice and innovation submissions will both be evaluated based on evidence documenting the following five criteria:

1. Evidence of effectiveness/success:
How successful or effective has the intervention been in terms of improving food security, reducing poverty, increasing
resilience and/or improving productivity?

2. Efficiency/cost-effectiveness:
How do the intervention’s relative costs compare to the outcomes achieved? Do the costs of implementing the
intervention seem reasonable given the gains?

3. Equitable outcomes for women and men:

Does the intervention enable the participation of and result in equitable benefits for both women and men?

4. Sustainability:
Is the intervention sustainable in the long-term, both financially and environmentally? Are local partners willing and
able to manage and implement the intervention once the project ends?

5. Replicability /Adaptability:
Can the intervention be replicated or adapted in other settings? Has it been replicated or adapted successfully in the past?