Dr. Al Bavon, Professor of Public Administration at the Clinton School of Public Service, recently traveled to Rwanda to lead a critical training initiative for Bridge2Rwanda (B2R), a nonprofit partner of the Clinton School’s Impact Center.
Bavon spent five days on the ground in Kigali training B2R Fellows on data collection methods necessary for a large-scale evaluation of the organization’s agricultural programs. The trip underscores the Impact Center’s commitment to providing high-level evaluation services to organizations making a difference globally.
Bridge2Rwanda works to improve the livelihoods of small and medium-scale farmers through conservation agriculture and “Foundations for Farming” principles. The organization recruits recent university graduates as Fellows, who are then assigned to villages across Rwanda to train farmers in sustainable techniques.
The Clinton School Impact Center is currently conducting a comprehensive evaluation of this program to determine its effectiveness.
“The project with B2R represents a full-circle moment for the Clinton School,” said Dr. Nichola Driver, Assistant Dean of Impact and Executive Director of the Clinton School Impact Center. “Our work with them began 16 years ago, when we sent a student to work with them on an International Public Service Project. We are honored to serve this organization again as their evaluation team.”
Ensuring Data Integrity
Because the B2R Fellows are responsible for collecting the primary data from farmers in the field, ensuring they possess strong research skills is vital for the evaluation’s success. Bavon’s mission was to train nearly 100 B2R Fellows on vital skills including interviewing techniques, survey administration, consent, and data reliability.
“The training was superb in my estimation,” Bavon said. “We gave them a full-blown overview of what an evaluation project is. We walked them through how they can conduct the surveys so the data will be truly reflective of what the farmers want to say.”
Bavon, who was joined by University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences graduate student Lily Hunt, used role-playing exercises to help the Fellows practice interviewing farmers.
“We paired the Fellows up, and one played the role of the farmer, and another the role of the interviewer. Then they reversed roles,” Bavon said. “We reported back to Bridge2Rwanda and discussed the issues that came up during the training. B2R and the Clinton School Impact Center team were making changes to the survey in real time as the training was going on. It was a very useful exercise.”
Making a Measurable Impact
The Clinton School Impact Center, in partnership with the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, is evaluating the adoption of B2R’s farming practices across Rwanda along with the broader economic impact on the region.
“Long-term, this project seeks to increase sustainable agricultural production, decrease soil erosion, improve food security, and reduce poverty amongst farmers throughout the country,” said Evanna Ojeda, a Research Associate with the Clinton School Impact Center. “We will also assess the program’s impact on Fellows’ knowledge and confidence in training farmers, professional development, and career readiness in the agricultural sector.”
Driver emphasized that sending a faculty member to lead the training in person was essential for data quality and relationship building.
“We need to make sure the team on the ground in Rwanda is very prepared to administer surveys,” Driver said. “At the Clinton School, we really emphasize the importance of strong community engagement for all projects. Working face-to-face with the organizations whenever possible makes for a smoother project and more credible findings.”
A Two-Way Learning Experience with Continued Collaboration
For Bavon, the trip offered valuable cultural insights that he plans to bring back to his classroom in Little Rock. He noted the profound role faith plays in the culture and the daily operations of Bridge2Rwanda.
“As researchers, we always think we are the experts. Once we get into the field, you learn some insights that you never in a million years could have imagined until people bring them up,” Bavon said. “Working with the Fellows and highlighting things about the culture of Rwanda and the farmers was a very eye-opening and rewarding experience. This is also another tool in my toolbox of experiences that I can share with my students that will help them become better researchers and evaluators.”
The collaboration has been well-received by Bridge2Rwanda, who praised Professor Bavon’s training efforts.
“Together, we’re strengthening how we collect data, learn from the field, and ultimately support farmers even better across Rwanda,” B2R said.
The B2R project will continue into late 2026. According to Driver, the Impact Center plans to send a Clinton School student to Kigali this coming summer along with a student from the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences to conduct qualitative focus groups to explore the stories of farmers who have adopted conservation agriculture practices in Rwanda, further deepening the school’s engagement with the region.