Results are measured in terms of total direct and indirect beneficiaries in relation to total inputs since the organisation began operations. Annual figures are not appropriate due to the projects’ multi-year durations.

Journalist Kate Eshelby visited a Tree Aid project, ABF (Association Base Fandima), in Burkina Faso with Yacouba Ouedraogo, in 2007. She said he appeared highly competent and passionate about his work. She confirms that the charity is making knowledge more accessible, particularly to women who can increase their influence in society in line with the increased knowledge and income they get. The families she met had 6 to 7 dependants each. She noted during her visit that fuel efficient clay stoves in one village had broken and so were not having the impact at that time that would be expected. Being clay, the stoves should have been able to be re-made and the charity’s management is following up as well as intending to check this has happened generally wherever required during the project evaluation scheduled for the near future.

Evaluating tree-related projects is problematic due to the time-scale involved. For smaller projects, targets are monitored throughout the life of the project. For Trees for Change in Mali, a consultant has been commissioned to perform a mid-term evaluation. For VTE, institutional funds will be used to conduct household surveys on changes to income, family livelihoods and socio-economic status. The charity wants to be able to perform post-project evaluations 6 to 7 years after project support has ended to record the permanent changes. Lessons already learnt are disseminated in the West Africa sub region and can be used as a model for countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Results papers have been presented and discussed at two UN FAO Conferences.