How GeoField Advanced Geospatial Impact Evaluation in Agriculture, and Built a Global Community Along the Way

How DevGlobal helped turn a four-year research initiative into a lasting global network for agricultural innovation.

When experts in agriculture, remote sensing, and impact evaluation gathered at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome this June, the event represented the culmination of four years of collaboration to answer a difficult question:

How can Earth observation help make agricultural development programs faster to evaluate, more cost-effective to monitor, and better equipped to respond to climate change?

For DevGlobal, the final GeoField convening was the latest milestone in building a global community that connected researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and technical experts around one shared goal: making geospatial technologies practical for international development.

From Research Project to Global Community

GeoField launched in 2022 with support from the Gates Foundation as a partnership between AidData, Mercy Corps, and DevGlobal.

Each organization brought complementary expertise.

AidData advanced the research and geospatial methodologies underpinning impact evaluation. Mercy Corps contributed implementation experience and monitoring and evaluation expertise from agricultural programs worldwide. DevGlobal designed and managed the communications, operations, and community engagement infrastructure that transformed a technical research project into an active international community of practice.

That work extended well beyond organizing meetings.

Over four years, DevGlobal developed the systems that kept participants connected between convenings through newsletters, webinars, blogs, digital communications, and collaborative events. Researchers testing new satellite methodologies could engage directly with practitioners implementing agricultural programs. Evaluation specialists could compare approaches with Earth observation scientists. Government agencies, donors, NGOs, and academic institutions all found a common forum for exchanging ideas.

The result was a community that crossed disciplines rarely brought together in the same room.

Bringing Global Expertise Together

Building that community required creating opportunities for meaningful collaboration.

GeoField’s first international convening took place in Rome in 2023, followed by a workshop at William & Mary in 2025, sessions in Paris later that year, and a return to Rome in 2026 for the initiative’s final gathering.

Each event expanded participation across the international development ecosystem.

Representatives from FAO, IFAD, universities, research institutions, evaluation firms, technology providers, and implementing organizations came together to examine how geospatial analysis could improve agricultural impact evaluation, climate resilience programming, and evidence-based decision-making.

Between those meetings, the conversation continued online through virtual workshops, publications, and technical discussions that allowed the community to grow well beyond those able to attend in person.

The Infrastructure Behind Collaboration

Successful communities depend on more than compelling research.

They require reliable operations, thoughtful communications, and careful coordination that allow experts to focus on solving problems instead of logistics.

Throughout the GeoField initiative, DevGlobal managed much of that operational foundation.

At the final Rome convening, approximately 75 participants attended in person each day while another 115 unique participants joined virtually. Across three days, 67 speakers and moderators led 20 technical sessions covering applications of remote sensing, impact evaluation methodologies, and agricultural monitoring.

Behind the scenes, DevGlobal staff coordinated hybrid production, managed breakout sessions, worked alongside FAO’s technical teams, and ensured presentations, moderators, and remote speakers moved seamlessly throughout the program.

Those operational details are often invisible to participants but they determine whether knowledge sharing happens effectively.

Building communities of practice requires creating environments where collaboration feels effortless, even when considerable coordination makes it possible.

Turning Research into Practical Applications

DevGlobal’s role extended beyond communications and convening support.

The organization also contributed directly to GeoField’s technical work through applied geospatial research.

During the final convening, Geospatial Practice Area Manager Matt Hallas presented findings from a collaborative evaluation examining whether satellite imagery could identify Sub1 rice—a flood-tolerant rice variety developed to improve resilience in Bangladesh.

Building on research from the International Rice Research Institute and the University of Arizona, the team combined Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and MODIS satellite imagery to test whether Earth observation could distinguish flood-tolerant rice from conventional varieties across agricultural landscapes.

The results illustrated both the promise and current limitations of satellite-based monitoring.

Because the flood-tolerant characteristic only becomes visible under certain environmental conditions—and because available training data remained limited, the analysis showed that satellite imagery alone could not reliably identify the variety across all growing conditions.

Rather than replacing field data, Earth observation proved most valuable when integrated with traditional monitoring approaches.

That type of practical evidence is precisely why communities like GeoField matter. Sharing successful applications is important—but understanding where technologies require complementary methods is equally valuable for advancing the field.

A Lasting Legacy

Although the Gates Foundation grant supporting GeoField has concluded, the initiative’s impact continues.

The relationships formed among researchers, practitioners, donors, and implementing organizations now extend well beyond the original project.

One of GeoField’s most significant contributions is still forthcoming: Geospatial Impact Evaluation in Practice, an open-access textbook co-edited by AidData’s Ariel BenYishay and Kunwar Singh and scheduled for publication by Taylor & Francis later this year.

Drawing on many of the case studies and methodologies presented throughout the initiative, the textbook will provide students and development professionals with practical guidance for applying geospatial methods to real-world development challenges. A French edition, funded by Agence Française de Développement, will further expand access to these resources.

Building What Lasts

Technology alone rarely transforms development practice.

Progress happens when organizations build the relationships, communication channels, and collaborative spaces that allow ideas to move from research into implementation.

Over four years, GeoField demonstrated what that looks like in practice.

For DevGlobal, supporting GeoField reflected a broader approach to international development: combining technical expertise with strategic communications, operational excellence, and partnership building to help complex initiatives achieve lasting impact.

Whether convening global experts, supporting multi-partner research programs, or helping organizations build communities that persist long after grant funding ends, DevGlobal focuses on creating the infrastructure that allows collaboration and innovation to thrive.

If your organization is launching a community of practice, planning a global convening, or looking to connect technical innovation with real-world implementation, DevGlobal can help turn that vision into a sustainable network built for long-term impact.