Burkina Faso Overview

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In this Image A photo taken during a family planning study in Burkina Faso conducted in partnership with Development Media International (DMI). © 2022 IPA / DMI

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Research Findings

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Identifying and Addressing Barriers to Low Adoption of Agricultural Inputs in Burkina Faso

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Despite the availability of new agricultural technologies, which may increase yields and household income, few farmers in the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa are using improved seeds and fertilizer. This study in Burkina Faso tested different ways of organizing the market for inputs and examined how adoption of a fertilizer application technique called microdosing spreads from farmer to farmer. Preliminary results suggest that subsidies alone were not effective in increasing take-up, but that a soft commitment—where people committed to buying inputs at the time when they had cash in hand—significantly increased adoption of inputs, at no additional cost to providers.

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Results also suggest that targeting based on social network characteristics affects patterns of diffusion, particularly in cases where women are excluded from social networks. Impacts on productivity are still forthcoming. 

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Improving Political Engagement through First-Hand Experience with Municipal Councils in Burkina Faso

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In theory, local government meetings provide important opportunities for citizens to be directly involved in decisions about important services that affect their daily lives. In practice, citizens can be disengaged from local governments, either because they are uninformed or because they do not believe their involvement is welcome or effective.

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Researchers are working with Innovations for Poverty Action and the government of Burkina Faso to evaluate whether receiving a personal invitation to attend a municipal council meeting affects both citizens’ attitudes towards local governments and local officials’ decisions and participation in the meeting.

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The Impact of a Family Planning Mass Media Campaign in Burkina Faso

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Mass media reaches a large and growing share of the population in developing countries, but can it be used to tackle poverty and change behaviors? IPA partnered with researchers and Development Media International to evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of an intensive, two-and-a-half-year mass media radio campaign in Burkina Faso that promoted family planning and modern contraception use.

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The campaign led to a 6-percentage point increase in the modern contraceptive prevalence rate, largely by reducing misconceptions about potential side effects. The impact on contraception translated into a 10 percent reduction in births and an increase in women’s self-assessed health and well-being. Researchers estimate that the nationwide campaign scale-up led to 225,000 additional women using modern contraception, at a cost of US$7.7 per additional user.

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In this image:The IPA Burkina Faso team welcomes Shana Warren (center), IPA Research Scientist for Path-to-Scale Research, for an office visit. © 2022 IPA
Burkina Faso

Our Team

Burkina Faso

Our Team

Country Director, Francophone West Africa

Maud Amon-Tanoh

Maud Akissi Amon-Tanoh is IPA’s Country Director for Francophone West Africa, where she oversees research, operations, partnerships, and policy engagement in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali.

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Country Director, Francophone West Africa

Maud Amon-Tanoh

Maud Akissi Amon-Tanoh is IPA’s Country Director for Francophone West Africa, where she oversees research, operations, partnerships, and policy engagement in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali.

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Associate Director, Policy and Right-Fit Evidence

Marlene Kuadjovi

Marlene is IPA's Associate Director for Policy and Right-Fit Evidence (RFE) for Francophone West Africa, covering Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali.

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