South-East Rangelands Development Project (SERP)

Background Information

Dr. Robert Shank, Agriculture Field Officer

UNDP-Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia

Historical Development

The South-East Rangelands Development Project was established as a part of the Third National Livestock Development Project (TLDP) which also included the Southern rangelands (SORDU) and the Afar rangelands (ARP). SERP has been 80% financed by a loan from the African Development Bank with 20% counterpart funds from the Government of Ethiopia totaling $39.63 million to be used over a period of 6 years starting in 1989. The primary goals of the project were to develop programs for delivery of animal health, rangeland management and livestock water resources to the region.

The project has made considerable recent progress toward the projected goals despite civil turmoil and high administrative turnover. Overall 75% of the target goals have been reached with 70% of the budget spent. Twenty five development centers have been constructed and staffed in 8 of the 9 zones. Covering an area of 245,000 square kilometers, the project delivered veterinary drugs and services, constructed roads and ponds, established women’s groups and explored improvements in rangeland resources.

With the following 5 technical sections

-Animal health and production

-Land use and rangeland management

-Extension training and Institutional development

-Infrastructures and water resources development

-Livestock marketing survey and development

the program has been oriented with a bottom-up approach of allowing the community to formulate its needs. To date, SERP is the most prevalent government organization in the remote areas with the most recognition by the pastoral community.

Present status of the project

As of the June 1996 review 75% of the project targets have been reached but 70% of the budget remained. The Ethiopian government share which was to cover local salaries and wages of project staff had only expended 20% of budget. Recent capital purchases of vehicles, motorbikes and heavy machinery will expend 80% of the African Development Bank budgeted funds. A representative of the Prime Minister's office recently came to the SERP office headquarters to plan for closure of the project. The project administrator and the Ethiopian Somali National regional administration appealed to the representative to allow continuation of the project into 1996 with non-utilized funds during which time a search will be made for an alternative funding and/or orderly adsorption of the project into appropriate line ministries.

SERP has an impressive array of technical trained staff. With 18 veterinarians, 8 M.Sc. holders and 49 B.Sc. holders from a total staff of 927, the organization covers the rangelands with a variety of expertise. While accused of being top-heavy, many staff are now taking up positions in the development centers which were recently completed. In addition the administrative services section of over 500 employees appears overly large except that over 200 are guards in this highly insecure region. In actuality, only 90 of the 500 are administrators, secretaries and clerk/typists.

Although the program was completely disrupted for the first 2 years and bidding procedures stalled procurements for another 2 years, SERP has an extensive line of logistical equipment. About 100 light vehicles are operational including 4 mobile vet clinics. Forty four motorcycles will soon arrive to complement the 25 already in use. Heavy machinery which is used for road and pond construction includes 3 bulldozers, 3 graders, 4 dump trucks and 2 water tankers. Farm machinery include 3 tractors, plows, discs, and a hay baler. Computers, GIS equipment, 21 communication radios and a reference herbarium containing 4063 specimens compliment the project.

Although SERP operations have been impeded by numerous factors, it is the primary and sole organization recognized by the community. Continued civil unrest was aggravated by the war with Somalia and the change of government in Ethiopia with accompanying regionalization. Activities associated with returnee/refugee movements created population and livestock pressures on the rangeland ecology while not enabling SERP to address even the basic needs of the agro-pastoralists. The area is quite rugged and remote with few and extremely rough roads, no public communications and no facilities for contacting the nomadic culture. Because of the insecurity, the development of appropriate input technologies and basic infrastructure services was neglected. There have been 6 project directors and the current regional president is the 5th. Never-the-less during recent peace and reconciliation meetings, SERP was acknowledged to be the main presence of the government in the communities.

This was apparent when the consultant visited one of the closest development centers, Aw Bare (Teferi Ber) (See Figure 1). The newly constructed center consisted of a 200 square meter compound consisting of a services center, 4 staff and 2 servant quarters, independent water and electric supply and an animal treatment/ demonstration areas. The services center consisted of Extension offices, veterinary clinic and drug sales store as-well-as a general agriculture sales store. The 17 staff members consisted of

Animal health/production

- 2 veterinary scouts

- 4 animal health assistants

- 1 vaccinator

Extension/institutional development

- 1 extension officer

- 3 development agents (including 1 woman for programs)

Livestock Marketing

- 1 marketing surveyor

Administration/maintenance

- 1 driver

- 4 guards

Nearby the town and the development center, a 1/2 hectare fruit orchard and tree nursery had been established. At the important livestock marketing town of Lafi Issa, a 100 X 70 meter stone-fenced marketing compound was constructed by SERP using donated labor by the community. Previously large numbers of cattle offered for sale to exporting merchants were crowding the streets, causing disturbances and creating a health hazard in the town. Sales at the past week market consisted of 36 cattle selling for 1300-1400 Birr and 37 sheep/goats at 75-100 Birr. Also a satellite vet clinic was present with a morning record of having treated 20 sheep and 3 head of cattle. On-farm trials of crop varieties, husbandry innovations and women's vegetable gardens were scattered throughout the communities (Figure 1). It can easily be concluded that even in this remote and rough terrain with poor roads, SERP is giving vital development services to the family, to the crop farmer and to the livestock of the pastoralist community.

In summary the basic strengths of the SERP organization that should be conserved are

a.the well trained and largely Somali staff, the 25 development centers and the supporting vehicles/equipment of the present SERP organization which is capable of continued service delivery to the agro-pastoral culture.

b.the widespread coverage of the SERP organization with the bottom-up approach is appreciated by the community and would enable SERP to continue reaching the remote areas with consumer designed/consumer friendly development programs.

c.the solution to the problems and the potentials for development of the livestock holders, the rangelands ecology and the women’s groups are already identified by the SERP organization.

d.the entry points for the delivery of programs in animal health, production and marketing, rangeland management, and women’s concerns have already been established by SERP.

e.the monitoring of ever-changing conditions of animal epidemiology, of rangeland water and grazing availability and of marketing mechanisms by SERP which is already operational.

f.the ongoing construction of infrastructural developments by SERP and is accompanied by sociological and ecological impact considerations along with the engineering components to ensure against civil disruption.

g.the experience and capacity of the SERP organization which enables community development through programs involving voluntary work, food/cash for work or employment generation.

Long-term prospects for continuation/adsorption of SERP

A number of organizations were involved with SERP in the delivery of aid and services to the Somali National Regional State. The UNHCR has been involved with SERP in several areas impacted by returnee/refugees but is not anticipating additional support at this time. SCF-UK had a 2-year program in cooperation with SERP to deliver animal drugs, collect data on animal disease epidemiology and train para-vets but will turn its resources to support the type of private veterinary drug businesses which ICRC has found successful in Somalia. Oxfam (UK) has cooperated in distribution of seeds and the study of important rangeland plant species but is not expected to make further commitments at this time. The UNDP programme 4, the European Union 1997 programme of food/cash-for-work and several donor agencies are potential short-term sources of funding but adsorption into the line ministries is probably the best long-term solution if substantial direct donor funding does not materialise.

Currently the national government is organizing budgetary allocations of the regional line ministries along prescribed functional structures with subject specialty being secondary. Therefore, of the main departments of the regional bureaus of agriculture, i.e. research, extension and regulatory, the extension department, with emphasis on the SG2000 approach to crop husbandry, is the strongest division in the 4 highland regions of Ethiopia. However for the lowland pastoral regions, the animal health and husbandry section of extension should take precedence. Regions or for that matter zones which are primarily pastoral or agro-pastoral should develop their own agenda around the predominantly livestock economy with crop production given an proportionate budget.

Oromia Region is currently developing animal husbandry packages for both the highlands as well as the lowlands recognizing the economic importance of its livestock sector. After studying the successes and failures of the SORDU project design, conversion to a zonal ministry was rejected. Also SORDU was found to possess among its staff specialized skills for handling factors critical to pastoral culture such as not only drilling water wells but also strategic placing of water points; not only treating diseased animals but also delivery of animal health programs in remote areas; and unlike the highland areas with developed markets SORDU itself was the main market for the pastoralists. For this reason, it is being proposed that in the former Borena SORDU should become the Bureau of Agriculture and be strengthened in whatever field cropping divisions are needed. In fact, Region 4 is now studying the possibility of including the lowland areas of Arsi, Bale and Shewa into multiple SORDU-type structures. It is even being considered that a macro-level policy be formulated to include the delivery of social services such as health within the structure of a SORDU type organization since the urban centers are lacking and contact with pastoralists is most frequently made through the SORDU staff.

In the case of Oromia region, former staff of the SORDU project could be adsorbed into the appropriate line ministry but still remain as programme staff which means that those concerned with road construction could become members of the road department and those working in well drilling/pond construction could become members of the water department. Instead of relying on project funds however, former SORDU staff are now covered on the line budget at standardized salaries. This could conceivably result in the loss of seniority status and concurrent salary reductions but would bring long-term security to the program.

With the above listed strengths of the SERP organization, and in the absence of significant external donor support, it is recommended that SERP explore the possibility of a satisfactory merger with the Bureau of Agriculture and other appropriate line ministries. This would allow maintenance of vital SERP services, would boost the credibility of the Bureau of Agriculture and would facilitate continuation of contact with the community.

The following are the recommendations of the consultant for the present continuation of SERP while pursuing potential donors and a final decision on a possible merger with the line ministries:

1)Continue the current restructuring of SERP with emphasis on moving those staff to Development Centers who are responsible for Livestock Production, Animal Health and Land Use/Rangeland Management. It may also be possible to combine some units within divisions especially at the branch level. Other staff involved in Veterinary Research, Livestock Marketing and administration may need to remain centrally located while crops and extension personnel will ultimately need to merge with current staff in the BOA wherever their services are needed. Infrastructure personnel should continue as-is, pending differentiation of what additional construction and services are needed in agriculture development and which are better transferred to respective water and road ministries;

2)While the budget for SERP has seemed large, it has been primarily due to capital expenditures. Operations and maintenance expenditures which are quite lower could be further minimized during an interim period. The following has been the operations/maintenance budget for the last 6 months of 1996 and could be further modified for the interim period:

Birr

a. Extension and Institutional Development1,386,845

(workshops, training, field days, seeds, tools, micro-projects)

b. Animal health and Production1,413,516

(drugs, para-vet training, workshops)

c. Land use/range management1,891,443

(nurseries and demo plots, journal publications, seeds and tools)

d. Livestock marketing 254,533

(market surveying, workshops)

e. Infrastructure development1,222,653

(vehicle and equipment maintenance)

f. Management and administration3,067,717

(vehicle maintenance and office expenses including

the Addis Ababa office)

TOTAL (6 months)9,236,707

3)Stretch the remaining ADB moneys, reported to be 70,000,000 Birr, to last as long as 1 year. Re-organize each departmental expense budget to accommodate the availability and restrictions of the remaining funds so that no department is completely cut out or inactive;

4)Hold new capital investment to a minimum but include the completion of already undertaken, committed developments or those considered necessary for delivery of services to critically needy areas/communities. Infrastructure projects that were planned, have not yet been undertaken and may have to be delayed include:-

a. Development Centers at

-Kelafo, Mustahil and Ferfer in the Ogaden branch

-Bohho and Dhun in the Hararghe branch

a. 12 Water ponds at a cost of 20,000 birr each

b. 20 Shallow wells at a cost of 6,600 birr each

c. 150 km of RR 10 and 100 km of RR 30 roads

d. Seed cleaning/bank, Fuel storage/station and car sheds

e. 25 pond rehabilitations

However surveying assistance for gully arresting, small ponds and birka construction would incur minimal cost while providing needed community services.

5)Begin cooperating with other line ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. Responsibilities for flood recession, armyworm control or other emergencies can be divided or shared cooperatively. SERP cooperation with the BOA should not overlap on crop production and theirs should not overlap on animal health/production.

Possible sources of funding SERP during the transition period

1. UNDP's 4th Country Programme

A number of individual project or sector funds could be available to supplement/compliment SERP’s role in the Ethiopian Somali National Regional State either on an ongoing or an interim basis. First is the UNDP 4th country programme for strengthening agriculture extension. As mentioned before this is already operational in Oromia Region with the former SORDU programme. It is recommended that the planning/programme 4 director for the Ethiopian Somali National Regional State consult with Dr. Daniel of the Oromia region as to how this project transformation was accomplished. It may not mean that an identical transformation is necessary but that one adapted to role and existing structure of SERP in the Somali region could be created.

Since the region is sparsely populated but poorly interconnected communication wise, it may be that Development Center facilities could be shared with other United Nations and donor-sponsored programmes such as health and education. The excellent relationship SERP has with the community would be helpful in bringing integrated services to remote areas where independent facilities may not be needed.

2. The European Union Food/cash-for-work programme in 1997

Most any community development project involving indigenous labor could be financed by food/cash for work. SERP, having already catalogued “screened community development requests”, could involve with local administrations to organize FFW/CFW projects especially adapted to the agro-pastoral community. SERP expertise in surveying, water use and sociological impact assessment could be instrumental in community improvement. Projects would not only include traditional soil/water conservation activities like gully arresting and terracing but could include community well/birka construction, water harvesting/spreading, soil/grass bund construction, tree nursery/fuelwood/orchard plantations, public health/sanitation facilities, road improvement or even school/recreational sport facility construction. Cash given to the participants could be pooled to purchase needed inputs of the project since it would ultimately benefit the participants.

3. Donor supported development programs

(a) SCF/ICRC animal health and private drug business

ICRC has funded the development of private veterinary drug dealership and para-vet treatment of prevalent livestock diseases in Somalia in order to provide disbursed drug availability and treatment in light of the disrupted infrastructure currently prevalent. It is apparent that with low equity loans, private dealerships have been successful in providing drugs at lower costs, though also at questionable quality. Also para-vet services are more mobile than those provided by organizations. It is felt that if the same services were available in this country as well, then the quality of drugs and services would improve since there would be little incentive to alter or sell contraband across the border.