How can evaluators assess whether comparative advantage is not only identified, but effectively used to inform strategic choices?
The CGIAR Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES) Evaluation Function has published a new Methods Note, Comparative Advantage and Application to CGIAR Program Evaluation, by Amy Jersild and Matthew Armstrong.
The publication builds on the Independent Science for Development Council’s (ISDC) 2022 Technical Note, Identifying and Using CGIAR’s Comparative Advantage, which introduced a systematic approach to comparative advantage (CA) analysis within CGIAR. The ISDC work explored how CA can help CGIAR identify where its capabilities can make the greatest contribution, while informing specialization, partnerships, and the allocation of scarce resources.
The new Evaluation Function Methods Note takes the next step: from conducting CA analysis to evaluating how that analysis has been applied and used in practice.
It introduces four evaluative lenses—evidence base; values and legitimacy; decision utility; and dynamic adaptation—and a practical five-step approach for integrating CA into CGIAR program evaluations. A checklist and evaluative rubric further support evaluators in assessing the quality, transparency, and use of CA reasoning.
Together, the two publications provide complementary resources: the ISDC Technical Note supports the identification and application of comparative advantage, while the new IAES Methods Note provides a framework for independently evaluating how CA reasoning informs CGIAR’s roles, partnerships, resource allocation, and program performance.
By connecting economic reasoning with evaluative practice, the new Methods Note aims to strengthen accountability and learning, while supporting continued reflection on where CGIAR should lead, co-deliver, adapt, or exit to maximize its contribution to research-for-development impact.
Explore the new IAES Methods Note.
