Monitoring and evaluation support for soil health programs, India

• Aug 14, 2025
• 1 min

MSC provided strategic monitoring and evaluation (M&E) support to strengthen the Soil Health Card (SHC) program, India’s flagship initiative to promote sustainable agricultural practices through evidence-based soil management. The objective was to generate actionable insights on the reach, adoption, and effectiveness of SHCs across diverse agroclimatic zones.

MSC developed a comprehensive results framework and designed a dynamic results tracker to monitor key performance indicators. We implemented concurrent evaluations in 54 districts across 18 states, using a mixed-methods approach to assess awareness, availability, and use of SHCs among farmers.

The evaluation included a large-scale quantitative survey of 11,300 farmers, complemented by qualitative interviews from frontline extension workers, government officials, and implementing partners. This allowed for a comprehensive understanding of ground-level implementation challenges, farmer behavior, and systemic enablers and barriers.

The insights generated led to a series of targeted policy and program-based recommendations, many of which were integrated into subsequent iterations of the SHC program. These changes improved last-mile delivery, increased SHC adoption, and enhanced farmer awareness on soil health and nutrient management.

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.