USAID implemented the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) Initiative, which was a multisector program aimed at increasing the resilience of vulnerable households in the Sahel region who face climatic, conflict-induced, environmental, and economic shocks that adversely affect their livelihoods. The initiative was set up to boost crop and livestock production amongst households in Burkina Faso and Niger as well as strengthen the horizontal and vertical market linkages necessary for farmers to effectively produce and market their crops and livestock, in order to increase their incomes and ensure they have sustainable livelihoods.

CRI conducted a mid-term evaluation of the initiative as part of USAID's Learning Evaluation and Analysis Project (LEAP). The Integrated Investment Appraisal (IIA) methodology was used to conduct the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of the initiative. IIA is a holistic method of CBA that allows for an integrated assessment of an initiative such as RISE from a number of different perspectives. Using the various tools of IIA (financial, economic, stakeholder, sensitivity, and risk analysis), CRI was able to identify and quantify the benefits and impacts of the initiative on the project's beneficiaries (farming households), the sponsor of the initiative (USAID), and other project stakeholders (the Governments of Burkina Faso and Niger).

The results of the evaluation were shared with USAID, allowing them to assess the performance and outcomes of the project given their objectives. The conclusions and recommendations provided by CRI will also help them in designing and implementing further projects similar in nature to the RISE Initiative.