LIVES Project Jimma Zone Familiarization Workshop Report,


1. Introduction

Context of the Training:LIVES Zonal familiarization workshop was held in Jimma Zone from February 12 to 13, 2013. The training was held at Jimma Central Hotel. Participants were drawn from Zone Administration, Office of Agriculture, Livestock Agency, Women and Children and farmers and district Administrators, Livestock Agency and Office of Agriculture heads from the three target districts ( SekaChekorsa, Kersa and Dedo) of LIVES were participated. A total of 36 participants were involved in the familiarization workshop. Of the 36 participants 5 were female.

The close collaboration and continuous consultation between ILRI, IWMI, Regional Steering Committee and Jimma Zone Administration and Office of Agriculture have contributed a lot for the successful delivery of the familiarization workshop.

Facilitators: The familiarization workshop was facilitated by three staff members of LIVES. The facilitators were highly supported by a steering committee member of LIVES, the Livestock and Irrigation Experts drawn from Jimma Zone and the three LIVES districts.

The entire facilitation work was done on the basis of the training programme jointly planned by LIVES staff drawn from ILRI and IWMI.

This two day familiarization workshop was facilitated by Nigatu Alemayehu, Fanos Mekonne and Ephrem Tesema from LIVES. In the first day workshop, Nigatu Alemayehu presented the part on “Introduction to LIVES” and “Crop and Livestock Interventions in LIVES”, while Fanos Mekonen and Ephrem Tesema presented the parts on “Knowledge Management, Capacity Development, Research and Promotion in LIVES” and “Zonal Baseline and Diagnostic Summary and Potential Interventions (identified potentials, opportunities and interventions)” respectively. LIVES office manager facilitated logistics, transportation, the finance and constantly responded requests and telephone calls from the facilitation team. Hadgu Tasew, the LIVES driver supported the team by actively involved in registering participants, handling per-diem payments, booking accommodations for steering committee member etc. Thanks are also due to AtoSeyoumEtana Jimma Zone Vice administrator and Head of OoA for making the opening and closing speech of the workshop. AtoNegesuDebere, Fruit and vegetable process owner from Jimma Zone OoAactively involved in giving guidance and advice for the LIVES team and also for his active involvement in the group discussion along with the Livestock and Irrigated agriculture process owners from the three LIVES districts.

Venue: The workshop was held at Jimma Central Hotel Conference hall. The training hall was conducive for participatory training with sufficient space for group work and necessary visual aids for group discussion and presentation. The Central Jimma Hotel Manager AtoAbrahm and the staff of the hotel supported our efforts by creating a suitable place for the trainees and facilitators. Many thanks to all of them!

2. Programme

Workshop Objectives: By the end of the training, trainees will be able to:

  • Understand the objectives and targets of LIVES Project
  • Clearly state the value chain visioning for Jimma Zone on the basis of the selected commodities
  • Analyze Value Chain actors, input suppliers, knowledge, capacity building needs and the required linkage among the various value chain actors to reach at the envisioned Value Chain goals
  • Analyze existing potentials, constraints and possible intervention to properly develop value chains for poultry, small ruminants, honey and vegetables
  • Address gender and environmental issues while developing value chains for livestock and irrigated agriculture mainly vegetables.
  • Familiarize themselves with the role of public and private entities across major nodes in the value chain which mainly include input supply and service provisioning, production and marketing sphere.
  • Identify immediate intervention activities and the necessary preparations needed from various stakeholders involved in the value chain development.

Outline of the Programme: The training session which took place from February 11 to 12,2013 followed the following order of presentation.

Day 1

  • Introduction to LIVES
  • Crop and livestock interventions in LIVES
  • Knowledge Management, Capacity Development, Research and Promotion in LIVES
  • Presentation- Zonal Baseline and Diagnostic Summary and potential interventions (identified potentials, opportunities and interventions) from the baseline survey, diagnostic zonal report and inception workshop)

Group Work: I

1. Visioning of the livestock commodity value chain development in the zone; visioning is done for each livestock commodity

2. Identifying capacity and knowledge required by value chain actors and service providers

3. Identifying linkage creation groups, individual and institutional value chain actors

Group Work II

1. Visioning of the irrigation commodity value chain development in the zone: visioning will be done for irrigated vegetables, fruits and fodder crops

2. Identifying capacity and knowledge required by value chain actors and service providers

3. Identifying linkage creation groups, individual and institutional value chain actors

Day 2:

  • Livestock group reports on the identified interventions, capacity, knowledge and linkages required for each value chain actor and service provider
  • Irrigation group reports on the identified interventions, capacity, knowledge and linkages required for each value chain actor and service provider
  • Way forward- Prioritizing interventions and activities for year 1 by commodity in terms of value chain development, capacity development, KM, promotion and documentation- for irrigation
  • Way forward continues- Prioritizing interventions and activities for year 1 by commodity in terms of value chain development, capacity development, Knowledge Management, promotion and documentation- for livestock
  • Way forward Interaction of the livestock and irrigated crops value chain development with emphasis on gender and environment

Training Resources:

  1. Value Chain Mapping Table for poultry, small ruminants, honey and vegetable (prepared by the facilitation team)
  2. Workshop programme

Creation of a Learning Environment: The training facilitators maintained the style of participatory facilitation methods that includes debriefing with question and answer, group work and presentation, booze group and presentation, involving energizer, booze group with questions participant reflections and the use of visual materials during facilitation (demonstration of pictures). Evaluation of the workshop at its final day enabled us to get feedback from participants.

Group Work: Workshop participants divided into two Livestock and irrigated agriculture groups. The division was made on the basis of profession/specialization where model farmers, zonal and district staff were divided into two groups. The steering committee member, women and children affairs representatives involved in one of the groups according to their preferences. The LIVES team also divided into two to give backstopping for the group work facilitators. The group facilitation was led by two process owners from Kersa and SekaChekorsa districts on Livestock and Irrigated agriculture respectively. The facilitators used flip chart to jot down ideas of the discussion on the basis of the chart that contains slots on input supply, input services, production, financial services, transportation services, postharvest handling, research and extension and marketing. Participants raised ideas on knowledge, capacity and linkage for each value chain nodes. On the beginning of the discussion, participants stated their value chain visions for each commodity by putting figures that reflect the present level of productivity as well as the envisioned one at the end of the project life. This bench mark visioning of the value chain targets recur throughout the group discussion.

Group Presentations and Discussions: Group work facilitators presented the results of the group work in plenary which were followed by question and answer, suggestion and reflections from participants. The Livestock group presentation was presented by AtoGosayeDeribe from Kersa District Livestock Agency while the irrigated vegetable group work was presented by Ato Samuel Assefa from SekaChekorsaOffice of Agriculture (Irrigation process owner). Participants raised a number of issues on both livestock and irrigated agriculture which help generate supplementary ideas that enriched the group work results. Four booze groups raised 2 questions each which were actually supplemented by reflections and suggestions from the entire participants. The facilitation team will present details on the results of the group work both for livestock and irrigated crops.

Way Forward: Participants divided into four groups and work on potential interventions of LIVES for the coming one year. Each group proposed interventions along with the four commodities selected in Jimma Zone. The LIVES team jot down the proposed interventions for further discussion and refinement. In addition, participants also divided into two groups (Farmer group and Expert group) and worked on possible intervention that would enable to mainstream gender and environment in the LIVES project. Group representatives presented the results of the two groups in plenary.

Follow Up: Participants asked the reason for the time that has been elapsed since the PIP and baseline without getting and information on the progress and status of the project. They also stated on the need to get a clear picture on the project management, budgeting and logistics that are needed at district levels. The LIVES team responded for the questions stating clearly the need to go step by step for the interest of involving the multiple stakeholders and partners of LIVES which will also contributed for the successful implementation of the project on the long run. Finally, participants advised on the importance of delivering information on the upcoming progresses timely so that they could actively contribute their share of the tasks.

Workshop Evaluation: At the final stage of the workshop, the knowledge management expert presented a pictorial work shop evaluation form on a flipchart. Participants were told to raise one interesting and one uncomfortable aspect from the two day workshop facilitation. As a result, most of the ideas given by the participants were dominated by positive assessments. Time management, participatory nature of the facilitation and interaction of participants with facilitators were positively appreciated. The time management and the involvement of Livestock Agency, Office of Agriculture, Women and children Affairs Office and farmers created a good opportunity for major partners related to the value chain of selected commodities. In the other hand, it was stated that it was in the interest of participants if lunch was served in the workshop venue. In addition participants suggested that it would be much more beneficial if all development agents and extension staff could be able to attend the familiarization workshop. The participation of IMX would also be of importance for future intervention endeavour.

Closing: The workshop was officially closed by AtoSeyouEtana, Jimma Zone Vice Administrator and Head of the Office Agriculture. In his closing remark, AtoSeyoum emphasized that the success of the project mainly depend on the commitment and ownership feeling to the project that needs to be demonstrated by farmers, experts and stakeholders of the project. He asked for the firm stand of experts at zonal and district level to work with commitment to pullout the smallholder farmers from disadvantageous position into a successful player and actor in the agricultural value chains.

Jimma Zone LIVES project Familiarization Workshop Programme

Day 1 : Facilitator ______
Time / Item / Responsible/Presenter
8:30-9:00 / Registration / LIVES staff
9:00-9:10 / Welcome speech / Steering committee rep.
9:10-9:20 / Opening speech / Zonal administrator
General Overview of the LIVES Project
9:20-09:40 / Introduction to LIVES / LIVES senior staff or Reg. rep.
09:40-09:50 / Q&A / LIVES team
09:50-10:20 / Crop and livestock interventions in LIVES / LIVES team
10:20-10:30 / Q&A / LIVES team
10:30-11:00 / Group picture and Coffee break / LIVES staff
11:00-11:20 / Knowledge Mgt., Capacity Dev, research and promotion in LIVES / LIVES team
11:20-11:30 / Discussion (Q & A) / LIVES team
Zooming in to the zone
11:30-12:00 / Presentation- Zonal Baseline and Diagnostic Summary and potential interventions (identified potentials, opportunities and interventions)
*Source: from the baseline survey, diagnostic zonal report and inception workshop) / LIVES team
12:00-13:30 / Lunch break / Participants
13:30-13:50 / Discussion on baseline (Q&A) / LIVES team
13:50-17:00 / Group work – 4 main activities will be carried out
Group 1- Livestock / 1.Visioning of the livestock commodity value chain development in the zone; visioning is done for each livestock commodity
2.Reviewing the presented intervention
*Sources: zonal diagnostic report, inception workshop)
3.identifying capacity and knowledge required by value chain actors and service providers
*source: LIVES PIP document on list of value chain actors and service providers
4.Identifying linkage creation
*source: the PIP document for list of actors and service providers for each commodity / Participants- Steering committee rep./ LIVES team will facilitate
Group 2 / 1.Visioning of the irrigation commodity value chain development in the zone: visioning will be done for irrigated vegetables, fruits and fodder crops
2.Reviewing the presented intervention
*Sources: zonal diagnostic report, inception workshop)
3.identifying capacity and knowledge required by value chain actors and service providers
*source: LIVES PIP document on list of value chain actors and service providers
4.Identifying linkage creation
*source: the PIP document for list of actors and service providers for each commodity / Participants- Steering committee rep./ LIVES team will facilitate
15:00-15:30 / Coffee break / LIVES staff
Day 2 : Facilitator ______
8:30-10:30 / Group work continues / Participants
10:30-11:00 / Coffee break / LIVES staff
11:00-11:40 / Livestock group reports back the identified interventions, capacity, knowledge and linkages required for each value chain actor and service provider / Participants
11:40-12:10 / Discussion on livestock group reports / Participants
12:10-13:30 / Lunch break / Participants
13:30-14:10 / Irrigation group reports back the identified interventions, capacity, knowledge and linkages required for each value chain actor and service provider / Participants
14:10-14:40 / Discussion on irrigation group report / Participants
14:40-15:40 / Way forward-Prioritizing interventions and activities for year 1 by commodity in terms of value chain development, capacity development, KM, promotion and documentation- for irrigation / LIVES team
15:40-16:10 / Coffee break / LIVES staff
16:10-17:30 / Way forward continues-Prioritizing interventions and activities for year 1 by commodity in terms of value chain development, capacity development, KM, promotion and documentation- for livestock
Way forward Interaction of the livestock and irrigated crops value chain development with emphasis on gender and environment / LIVES team
17:30-17:40 / Closing remarks / Zonal administrator, Woreda administrators, Steering committee rep.

List of Workshop Participants

No / Name / Gender / Organization / District/Zone / Telephone
1. / GelayeMamo / Female
2. / GossaGebremedihin / Male / Livestock Agency / Dedo / 0917833318
3. / Sultan Muleta / “ / Irrigation / Dedo / 0932443080
4. / AbiyTadesse / “ / Irrigation / Kersa / 0917832914
5. / AwolAbatemam / “ / OoA / SekaChekorsa / 0912107855
6. / NegaAbamecha / “ / Administration / 0917807307
7. / Samuel Assefa / “ / OoA / SekaChekorsa / 0910807307
8. / Mohamed ZeinHassen / “ / Livestock Agency / 0913433995
9. / Amin Dilbi / “ / Farmer / 0917808065
10 / Shemsu Ahmed / “ / OoA / V. Manager / 0917414524
11. / Aba Jebel Aba Gidi / “ / Farmer / 0913799670
12. / WorkuBelachew / “ / Farmer / 0917001692
13. / Aba Faris Aba Gero / “ / Farmer / 0917497727
14. / Hailu Duressa / “ / Farmer / 0917026454
15. / Aba Jihad Aba Bulgu / “ / Farmer / 0917339640
16. / Temesgen Minamo / “ / Zone L. Agency Dep. Head / Jimma Zone / 0917832888
17. / TakeleAdugna / “ / V. Administrator / Kersa / 0911010278
18. / GosayeDeribe / “ / Livestock Agency Head / Kersa / 0917806599
19. / Mohamed Amin Aba Gero / “ / OoA
20. / Borri Ahmed / “ / Farmer
21. / Abadula Aba Fogi / “ / Farmer
22. / Zakir Aba Gojam / “ / Farmer
23. / Aba Jihad Aba Dura / “ / Farmer
24. / Nuredin Aba Gidi / “ / Farmer
25. / Tigist Bayu / Female / Women Affairs Office / Dedo
26. / MestawetFeyisa / “ / Zone Women and Children / Jimma / 0917531673
27. / FejiJemal / Male / Zone / Head Office / 0917821302
28. / NegesuDebere / “ / Jimma Zone OoA / Processors / 0911968697/0471112256
29. / Tijani Mohamed / “ / OoA Administrator / Kersa / 0917821593/0471130003
30. / Anisa Mohamed / “ / Women & Children Head / Kersa / 0911053554
31. / Jihad Aba Fita / “
32. / ZeharaJemal / Female / Farmer
33. / Gidi Aba Fogi / Male
34. / MuktarKedir / “
35. / AbiyTadesse / “
36. / Tigist Bayu / Female / Women Affairs Office / Dedo / 0913093675
37. / AtoSajudingAbdurham / Male
38. / Nigatu Alemayeh
39. / Fanos Mekonnen / Female
40. / Ephrem Tesema / Male