LIVES zonal workshops:Summary of processes and outputs from 10 workshops

March 8, 2013

From mid-February to beginning of March, 10 concurrent zonal workshops were organized to familiarize and plan interventions in the zonal towns of LIVES sites. Each zonal team (Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray) set out to mission armed with the LIVES project introduction power points and zonal baseline report summary result.

In these zonal workshops participants from the zone, districts, nearby universities, research centers/ institutes, NGOs and other relevant organizations/ programs attended. Detailed report about each of the workshops is incorporated in the respective zonal reports compiled by the LIVES team. In the meantime, an overall of reflections of the regional teamscaptured during the after action review held at LIVES –HQ on March 8 is summarized as follows.

The review was made by considering six key points:

  • Workshop organization and attendance
  • Workshop program ( Time mgt, visioning)
  • Value chain interventions identification
  • Unique happenings
  • Lessons and implications for LIVES
  • Way forward

Tigray- Drs Berhanu and Gebrehawaria summarized the workshop in Adwa and Adigratas follows;

  1. Workshop organization and attendance were both excellent in Central and Eastern Tigray zones. Steering committee members, zonal administrators and university heads ( Adigrat University and Axum University) took part; also two focal persons from EIAR (one for Livestock and one for Irrigation) joined the workshops
  2. Farmers were very articulate and active participants. They even brought convincing arguments to change the livestock commodity of central Tigray from small ruminant to Honey production.
  3. Both workshops took longer time and participants were working late into the evening to finalize their assignments
  4. Commodity value chain visioning exercise took almost half a day and it proved to be a good strategy to create ownership and motivation. The quantitative part of the visioning is exaggerated in some cases [so much more than what’s planned in the LIVES performance measurement framework].
  5. Gender balance was good. In the case of farmers 50- 50 was attained in both workshops.
  6. Axum and Adigrat universities offered office space for the zonal coordinator.
  7. The zonal representatives and experts indicated that it would be useful if they could have an input on the appointment of zonal coordinator in the two zones
  8. DSA for farmers is half of the experts and it was difficult to justify why farmers get 50% less while they use similar accommodations and restaurants.

Amhara

Kahsay and DrBerhanu summarized the three workshops in Bahir Dar, Gonder and Dessee as follows

  1. All three workshops were organized in weekends as the NRM campaigns in the Amhara region were carried out during the working days and the zonal partners insisted on having the LIVES workshops only in weekends.
  2. Workshop attendance was excellent. Steering committee members, potential LIVES regional staff candidates, farmers, university staff (Bahir Dar, Gonder, Wollo), Koga irrigation scheme staff, and other important stakeholders joined
  3. Value chain interventions by commodity were listed, commented upon and prioritized
  4. There was a tendency that participants understood LIVES as an NGO that comes with money, materials…. Time and again the LIVES team and steering committee made sure that LIVES is understood as a project that is here to facilitate and increase efficiency of the activities already done by the BoA by capacitating the staff through knowledge and skill and in general to support the existing research and development initiatives already in place
  5. Local partners from the zones were requested to organize and communicate with potential partners to be invited for the zonal workshops. However, there was no prior arrangement to address the issue of remuneration for extra services and effort rendered by these facilitators. They received only DSA for the two day workshop just as the other participants.
  6. The zonal town for west Gojjam is Finoteselam. However, the selected districts are very close to Bahir Dar. Where should the zonal coordinator sit is an issue that needs to be addressed. The team however suggested that the zonal coordination office should be in Bahir Dar.

Oromia

Fanos, Nigatu and Ephrem gave summaries of the three workshops in Jimma, Ambo and Mojo.Drs Azage and Fistum gave additional inputs from their observations in Mojo (East Shoawokshop)

  1. Workshop organization went well in all the three. Attendance was excellent in Ambo and Mojo with representatives from all relevant stakeholders. Attendance in Jimma was a bit public sector dominated. Unfortunately, the representation of JimmaUniversity, which is center of excellence for horticultural crop production and their significance work on poultry, as well as the Jimma research center, was not realized.
  2. Deputy zonal administrator and head of office of agriculture of the zones and districts attended all the workshops. Steering committee members of LIVES (AtoTajdhin and Dr Tesfaye interchangeably) made the opening speeches in all the three workshops. Focal persons from MoA joined the Ambo and East Shoa workshops.
  3. Proposed value chain interventions by commodity were presented by LIVES team and participants were asked for their input, comments…. Followed by visioning which created confusion for the first commodity but became clearer for others
  4. Steering committee members and zonal heads of office of agriculture stressed that LIVES is here to work with the BoA and the livestock agency, it is not a separate project and thus experts should own their activities as their own
  5. Gender balance was okay. There were at least two women farmers in all of the events
  6. The zonal town for west shoa is Ambo, which is 50- 90 Kms from the selected districts. The districts selected are closer to Holeta town than Ambo.
  7. Amobo University for west Shoa and Adama University for East Shoa indicated the possibility of allocating office space for LIVES zonal coordinator

SNNPR

Yishak, Dirkgave summaries of the two workshops that were organized in Arbaminch and Yirgalem. Philippe shared his observation in Arbaminch with regard to irrigated agriculture and scheme development. Summaries are;

  1. The GamoGofa workshop had to be finalized only in one day as the participants from the region was in hurry to go back to their regions as they did not report their travel to the regional president. The one in Sidamma was carried out in two days. Attendance was excellent in both workshops. Participants from Arbaminch and HawassaUniverstiy, small scale irrigation scheme development offices and other relevant stakeholders joined
  2. There could be a bit of too much expectation from zonal administrator in GamoGofa. But it could also be because of ownership.
  3. Program went very good. Potential value chain interventions were listed down and agreed upon.
  4. Some experts requested what LIVES is bringing differently from what is already there; from what other programs/projects are doing?
  5. In sidamma, there is huge potential for dairy development, but the districts selected (Arbegona, Bensa and Bona zuria) are off the road about one and half hour away from Awassa. Market linkage issues could be a challenge for LIVES
  6. Focal person from EIAR joined the Yirgalem workshop

Lessons and implications for LIVES

  1. There is a concern on the overall reliability of the baseline data and the targeted figures on the commodity value chain visioning. Working in detail on each vision statement supported by background figures and existing scenarios might give it a good ground.
  2. Some organizations have expressed their interest to provide zonal offices for LIVES zonal coordinator we have to pursue on this
  3. Use of zonal workshop facilitators/organizers took different styles and methods. We need to see how to standardize this issue in other events. Also issues of DSA payment differences (farmer vs expert) and methods of payment need to be resolved.
  4. There are different expectations from experts and zonal people that LIVES is into infrastructure and financial support. We must time and again explain that this is not LIVES mandate
  5. In all of the zonal workshops we lacked the representation of socio-economic professional and also agricultural mechanization professional.
  6. Mode of communication with partners at all levels needs to be clarified ( who needs to communicate with whom) An administrative communication strategy needs to be produced
  7. During the recruitment of the LIVES zonal coordinators, it would be complicated to include the national system into the process. But we could always ask for additional input, for their recommendation
  8. We need to have LIVES focal person at zonal and district levels. To do so, for now, an official letter to the zones will be written and signed by Dr. Azage. Once the steering committee members are fully in place, they will resume their responsibilities

Deliberation on the way forward

  1. The outputs of the zonal workshops will be added to the zonal baseline and diagnostic reports prepared earlier. The possible interventions written on these reports will be replaced by the interventions that were agreed upon during the zonal workshops. However, if there are important interventions that were observed during the baseline but were not mentioned during the zonal workshops, they will also be included. Dirk will provide the format on this
  2. The list of interventions that came out from each of the workshops will also be used for the research planning workshop as an input

Attendees of the after action review were:

  1. Berhanu G/medhin- Chair
  2. Dirk Hoekstra
  3. Azage Tegegne
  4. Philippe Lemperiere
  5. Kahsay Berhe
  6. YishakBaredo
  7. Nigatu Alemayehu
  8. FistumHagos
  9. G/Hawaria G/Egziabher
  10. Ephrem Tessema
  11. Fanos Mekonnen- Secretary

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