Simplified pairwise ranking for prioritisation of agricultural development intervention in Masisi, Democratic Republic of Congo

ABSTRACT

Development Cooperation initiatives face complex real-world decision-making problems. The present action research investigates the use of Simplified Pairwise Ranking in a case study related to the identification of priority agricultural development interventions in the Collectivity of Katoyi, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The study identifies roads building, technical training and follow-up, and improved varieties’ introduction as the first three priority interventions. The dissertation about the applied methodology against the existing criticism provides information on how simplified pairwise ranking can be a useful and scientifically sound technique for eliciting discussion among a multidisciplinary group and for prioritising alternatives in agricultural development.

KEYWORDS:

• Participatory approach
• pairwise comparison
• consensus
• agricultural development
• group priority
• Goma
• Democratic Republic of Congo

Acknowledgements

The framework for this study is provided by a three-year EU-funded project called ARDST “Appui au retour de refugiés et déplacés par le biais de la sécurisation de terres en Diocèse de Goma”, led by Caritas Development Goma NGO. The project started in February 2016 and ended in June 2019. The ARDST project (No. 360149 of ICSP — Instrument contributing to stability and peace) is part of the EU strategy for peace seeking and keeping in the African Great Lakes region and contributes to the implementation of the Protocol on the Property Rights of Returnee signed at the International Conference of Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on 30 November 2006. For this reason, would like to acknowledge the fundamental role of the whole ARDST project team during the action research and the role of Chiara Mazzocchi and Federica Monaco in the internal review of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 All quotes not specifically referenced to a specific interview have been collected from SPWR group discussion, Goma, 2018, and may be taken as group quotes.

2 Statement by M. Vulambo Kalissa, Chef de division DPDD-NK (Division du Plan de Développement Durable du Comité Provincial du Nord Kivu, [email protected]), extracted from the interview held in Goma on 21 February 2018 and conducted by the Author in the framework of the ARDST project.

3 Statement by M. Murairi Janvier, president of ASSODIP asbl (Association pour le developpement des initiatives paysannes, [email protected]), extracted from the interview held in Goma on 31 July 2018 and conducted by the Author and Gatti in the framework of the ARDST project.

4 Statement by Jean Baptiste Musantamana, FOPAC Nord Kivu/AJAC RDCongo (Association des Journalistes Agricoles), extracted from the interview held in Goma on 9 August 2018 and conducted by Author and Gatti in the framework of the ARDST project.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by European Commission — Instrument contributing to stability and peace: [Grant No. 360149].

Notes on contributors

Pietro De Marinis

Pietro De Marinis. After concluding a Master in Agri-environmental Science at the University of Milan, he works for the Department of Agri-Environmental Science in Senegal and Palestine in the framework of International Aid programs. Since 2013, he has been president of Dévelo LC association which is active in the field of Global Citizenship Education and Agricultural Sustainable Development. In 2019, he concluded a PhD in agricultural economics by specialising in analysis of the agricultural sector and impact evaluation of agricultural development interventions with special focus on the area of the Goma Diocese in Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Guido Sali

Guido Sali. After working for 11 years as a researcher, he has been full professor in Agricultural Economics at the Department of Agri-environmental Science of the University of Milan since 2016. He is delegated by the University’s rector for supervising the activities in International Aid for development of the agri-food sector and he leads and manages several research activities and operational collaborations in African countries such as Senegal, Palestine, Niger, Burkina Faso, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.