Project 3

The Circular Food Systems for Rwanda (CIRF) project is a multi-year initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation and led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in partnership with Resonance, Africa Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), and Rwanda Cleaner Production and Climate Innovation Center (CPCIC). The project advances Rwanda’s transition to a circular food economy by supporting SMEs and shaping enabling policy environments.

The project consists of two core workstreams:

• SME Development Facility: Provides tailored technical and business development support to 20 agri-food SMEs to adopt circular practices.
• Policy & Stakeholder Engagement: Operates a Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) to advance circular economy principles into national policy frameworks.

Cross-cutting efforts focus on Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) and Strategic Communications to inform practice, scale innovation, and build awareness.

I supported Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and strategic learning documentation for the project’s two workstreams. My responsibilities included:

• Tracking technical assistance progress across two cohorts of SMEs (20 in total)
• Synthesizing lessons from market linkage activities and peer learning events
• Led MEL reporting, evaluation activities, and drafting feedback insights from multi-stakeholder platform dialogues
• Conducting outcome harvesting and contribution analysis to evaluate project impact

Key Outputs: Evaluation briefs, learning briefs, knowledge tracking summaries, SME most significant change stories, and presentation decks on lessons learned

Approach

• Outcome Harvesting & Contribution Analysis: Evaluated project effects across SME transformation and policy integration
• Developmental Evaluation: Tracked iterative improvements and course corrections across workstreams
• Participatory MEL: Facilitated feedback collection through surveys, live discussions, and cohort debriefs
• Strategic Knowledge Translation: Synthesized data into policy briefs, impact stories, and partner learning materials

Techniques Used:

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Circularity Diagnostic Tools, SME Circular Product Development Tracking, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Survey Tools (Likert-scale feedback, open-ended MEL reviews), Policy Mapping & Stakeholder Analysis, Event Documentation & Outcome Logs

• Tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite, participatory M&E templates

Stakeholder Communication

• Developed learning briefs on circular food systems reflecting on the SMEs journey and policy dialogues 
• Created and supported learning event presentations 
• Facilitated learning loops among SMEs, government, and financial institutions

Artifacts Produced

• Circularity Assessment Baseline Report, Circular Economy Learning Event Summary Report, Cohort 1 & 2 SME TA Tracking Sheets, Multi-Stakeholder Platform Policy Issue Papers’ Recommendations Relevance and Implementation Report, and Circular Product Development Case Examples

Shared Externally: Learning Brief: 2024 

Outcomes & Impact

• 20 SMEs supported across two cohorts, with 6 SMEs completing full technical assistance by 2024
• Circular products developed: compost, vermicompost, briquettes, cascara, mushroom stew, sweet potato buns, etc.
• 5310 kg of coffee husks converted into energy pellets by Kigasali Coffee Company
• 180 metric tons of compost sold by Next Farm after securing market contracts
• Adoption of ISO 59004 and 59020 circularity standards in Rwanda upon being recommended within the multi-stakeholder platform’s first issue paper
• Integration of circularity into national policies (PSTA5, Climate & Environment Strategy, PSDYE)