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Ethiopia’sAgriculturalExtensionStrategy

(Draft)

Vision,SystemicBottlenecksandPriorityInterventions

January,2017

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ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... IIIACRONYMSANDABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................................... IXA NOTE FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK ..................................................................................................................... XISECTION 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 11.1. Background.............................................................................................................................................11.2. Purposeandscopeofthestrategydocument..........................................................................................21.3. Approachfollowedforthedevelopmentoftheextensionstrategy..........................................................21.3.1. Policymakers’consultativeworkshopanddirectionsgiven......................................................................31.3.2. Experts’Workshop..................................................................................................................................31.3.3. Fieldassessmentofinnovativeapproachesandgoodpractices...............................................................31.3.4. Synthesisworkshop.................................................................................................................................41.3.5. Preparationofthestrategydocument....................................................................................................41.4. BriefoverviewofagriculturalextensionanditsevolutioninEthiopia......................................................41.5. Strengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats(SWOT)analysisofthecurrentextensionsystem.......5SECTION 2: VISION, MISSION, GOAL AND OBJECTIVE .......................................................................................... 72.1. Vision,Mission,Goal,Objective..............................................................................................................72.2. Intendedoutcomes.................................................................................................................................82.3. Keyguidingprinciples.............................................................................................................................8SECTION 3: PILLARS, SYSTEMIC BOTTLENECKS & CORRESPONDING STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS ........ 103.1 Pillar1:StrengthenFTCsthroughactiveparticipationofcommunityandcapacitybuilding..................103.2 Pillar2:Enhanceagriculturalknowledgeandinformationsystem.........................................................143.3 Pillar3:Enhanceclientorientedandmultiactor’sadvisoryextensionservices......................................213.4 Pillar4:Facilitatemarketlinkageandenhancevaluechainsdevelopment............................................243.5 Pillar5:Gender,youthandnutritionmainstreaming............................................................................273.6 Pillar6:Enhanceenvironmentalmanagementandsustainability..........................................................313.7 Pillar7:Enhanceinstitutionalarrangements,coordinationandlinkagesamongkeyagricultural

developmentpartners...........................................................................................................................343.8 Pillar8:Humanresourcedevelopmentandutilizationforeffectiveextensionservicedelivery..............363.9 Pillar9:Establishstronganddynamicresult-basedmonitoring,evaluationandlearning(RBME&L)for

continuousimprovementofextensionservicesdelivery........................................................................38SECTION 4: IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................... 40SECTION 5: RESULT BASED MONITORING, LEARNING AND EVALUATION (RB-MEL) ..................................... 49REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................. 51

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Executive Summary IntroductionTheGovernment of Ethiopia is highly committed to sustainably increasing agricultural production tomeet thegrowingdemandforfood,industrialrawmaterials,andforeigncurrencyearnings.Inordertorespondthegrowingdemandofdifferentstakeholders,thereisaneedofdynamicandproactiveextensionsystem.Rigorousandvibrantextensionsystemisakeypolicyinstrumentfornecessarybehavioralandattitudinalchangesandcreatingdemandsonnationalagriculturalextensionprograms.Agriculturalextensionhasbeenemphasizedbydevelopmentexpertsas crucial in achieving agricultural development, poverty reduction, and food security. By recognizing this, thegovernmentofEthiopiahasmadegreatefforts to transform theagricultural sectormainlyby strengthening itsextensionservicesaspartofthegeneralagriculturepolicyreform.Inspiteofconsiderableeffortsmadetoimprovethe extension system of the country in the past, the system is not bringing the desired results. Thus, it is ofparamount importance topreparea full-fledgedextension strategywhich takes into consideration thegrowingdemandofagriculturaldevelopmentandthatalsoshowsthefuturedirectionoftheextensionservices.OverviewofEthiopia’sagriculturalextensionsystemSinceresearch-basedagriculturalextensionservicesstartedtobeprovidedtothesurroundingfarmingcommunitiesbythethenAlemayaCollegeofAgriculture(currentlyHaramyaUniversityofAgriculture)in1953,thecountryhasimplemented several agricultural extension systems at different times aimed at supporting rural communities.Under Ethiopia’s current Agriculture Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI) strategy, the extension systemremainsacriticaltool.ThegovernmentofEthiopiafirmlybelievesthataneffectiveandefficientextensionsystemmustplayanimportantroletotransformsmallholdersubsistenceagriculturetocommercialagriculturalproductionsystembyfacilitatingadoptionandutilizationofyield-andquality-increasingagriculturaltechnologies.Ethiopia’sextensionsystemhasgreatpotential tohelpfarmersthroughoutthecountry.Withapproximately21developmentagents(DAs)per10,000farmers,andevenmoreinthehigh-potentialareas,Ethiopiahasoneofthedensestagriculturalextensionsystemsintheworld.TheEthiopianextensionsystemusesFTCs-basedagriculturalextensionapproach,coupledwithfarmergroupssuchasone-in-fiveanddevelopmentunitswhichareconsideredtobeanentrypointforthegrass-rootsextensionservicesandforthebottomupextensionapproach.FTCsassistedbydevelopmentagentsand farmergroupsareexpected togiveawide rangeofagriculturalextensionservicesforward looking and sustainable farmer-owned agricultural extension system. Currently the government hasestablishedclose to12,500FTCswhichare functioningatdifferent levels. Alsoestablishedwere25ATVETs toproducedevelopmentagentsindifferentfieldsofspecializations.Ethiopiahasalsobeenimplementingaparticipatoryextensionsystem(PES)since2010(MoA,2010)followingthecommencementofthefirstGrowthandTransformationPlan(GTP-I).ThePESisamodifiedversionofParticipatoryDemonstrationandTrainingExtensionSystem(PADETES).ThemajorchangesmadeinPESascomparedtoPADETSwere organization of farmers in development groups and social networks. In addition, FTC categorization intowatershedmanagementandfull-packageextensionserviceprovisionthroughimprovedparticipation.AstrategyfortheextensionsystemtoreachitsfullpotentialDespitesucheffortstomaketheextensionsystemeffectiveandefficient,thesystemisnotproducingthedesiredresults.Manyyield-andquality-improvingtechnologieshavebeengeneratedintheagriculturalsector,buttheyarenotreachingsmallholderfarmers.Equallytheagriculturalsector isnotreaching itsfullpotential intermsofattaining food self-sufficiency and reducing poverty. The failure could be attributed, among others, to poorimplementationandinsufficientstrategicinterventionstoovercomesystem-widebottlenecks.Thedevelopmentofthisstrategy–thefirstofitskindfocusingonagriculturalextension–ispremisedonabeliefthat an effective and efficient agricultural extension system can play a vital role to enhance the agricultural

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productivity and production of smallholders through the development of innovative, systematic, and dynamicagricultureextensionservices.Vision,missionandobjectiveoftheextensionsystemVisionforEthiopia’sextensionsystemModernagricultureintegratedwiththerestoftheeconomyandawealthysocietyfreefromfoodinsecurityandpoverty.

MissionofEthiopia’sextensionsystemCreate modern, effective and efficient agricultural extension system through enhanced market-oriented,demand-driven and pluralistic extension services to promote improved technologies, good practices andmethodswhichenablethesocietytoachievefoodsecurityandcreatewealth.

GoalofEthiopia’sextensionsystemContributesignificantlytotheattainmentoffoodandnutritionsecurity,povertyreductionandwealthcreationin the country through adoption and adaptation of improved technologies by delivering market-oriented,demand-drivenandpluralisticextensionservices.

ObjectiveofEthiopia’sextensionsystemTo transformEthiopia’sagriculture through the implementationofpluralisticextension systembyprovidingdemand-drivenandmarket-orientedextensionservices tomale, femaleandyouth farmers,pastoralistsandagropastoralists.

This strategydocument integratesbestpracticesand innovations foreffectivedeliveryof extension services tosmallholder farmers. At the same time, the strategy analyses the systemic bottlenecks that have hindered thesystemfromoperatingmoreeffectively.Aseriesofcomplementaryandstrategicinterventionsareproposedwhichwillenabletheextensionsystemtoachieveitsvision,missionandobjectives.Thestrategywillserveasanumbrellaforallagricultural sectors includingcrops, livestockand fishery,natural resourcemanagementandothercross-cuttingissues.ApproachofstrategydevelopmentThestrategywasdevelopedbasedonconsultativeanditerativeprocessesfacilitatedbyMinistryofAgriculture&NaturalResource(MoANR)andtheEthiopianAgriculturalTransformationAgency(ATA).ThestrategybenefittedfrominputbyexpertsfromtheMoANR,RegionalBureausofAgriculture,ATA,OxfamAmerica,SG2000,SNVandDigitalGreen(DG)whohaveactivelyparticipatedthroughtheprocessstrategydevelopment.Theprocessinvolvedsix,butinterrelatedsteps.ItstartedwithaconsultativeworkshopofthepolicymakersdrawnfromtheFederalandregionalgovernments.Thepolicymakersprovidedahighleveldirectionandroadmap,whichservedasthebasisforthedevelopmentofthestrategydocument.Thiswasfollowedbyaconsultativeworkshopofexpertstodevelopaclearvisionforthelong-termtransformationalextensionstrategyanddevelopmentofaframeworkforassessingthepractices.Afieldassessmentinthefourmajorregionswasthenconductedtolearnmorefromsuccessfulextensionexamplesthatcouldguidethestrategydevelopment.Afinalsynthesisworkshopwasheldtodevelopthe“pillars”ofthestrategy.Validationforapprovalofthestrategywasheldinthepresenceofkey policy makers, extension professionals, scientists, model farmers (including women and youth) andpractitionersfromdifferentorganizationsworkinginagricultureandruraldevelopment.

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KeyprinciplesThekeyprinciplesidentifiedfortheguidingthedevelopmentandimplementationofthestrategydocumentanditsfurther implementation are: (1) Market-oriented and demand driven extension system, (2) Government-ledpluralistic extension service, (3) Participatory andmultiple extensionmethods and approaches, (4) Value chainextension approach, (5) Gender, youth and nutrition mainstreaming, (6) Mainstreaming of sustainableenvironmentalpractices,(7)Locationandagro-ecologiesspecificinterventions,(8)Competentandskilledhumanresources,(9)Specializationanddiversification,(10)Processandresultorientedextensionservices,(11)Inclusiveextensionservices,(12)Collaborationandharmonizationwithotherscomplementaryservices,(13)Scalingout&upofgoodpracticesand(14)Responsibility&accountability.Pillars,bottlenecksandPriorityinterventionsThe strategy has been built around nine pillars. During the synthesis workshops by experts, major systemicbottlenecksineachpillarwerethoroughlyanalyzedandsystemicinterventionswereproposedtobeimplementedoveralongperiodoftimebasedonsetpriorities.Pillar 1. Strengthen FTCs through active participation of community and capacity building: The Ethiopianagriculturalextensionsystem isheavilydependentonFarmerTrainingCenters (FTCs)andtrainedDAsthatgiveextensionsupporttofarmers.FTCsserveasanentrypointforprovidingeffectiveandefficientextensionservices.FTCsshouldalsoserveashubsforknowledgeandinformationsharingandcentersforpromotingbestpractices.Atthe same time, it is important to notice that FTCs are self-sustaining, to ensure both commercial viability anddevelopingsenseofcommunityownership.SuccessfulFTCsshouldbefocusedondevelopingmodernfarmerswhoareabletoharnesspositivechangesinfarmingtechnologywhilealsobeingabletocopewithchangingconditionsandstresses.Todate12,500FTCshavebeenestablishedacrossthecountryinwhichallthemarereportedtobefoundatvaryinglevelsoffunctionalityandcurrentlymostthemarenotcapableofprovidingtheexpectedservicestofarmers.ThesevenkeybottlenecksleadingtoinadequateperformanceofFTCsare:(1)LimitedinvolvementoffarmersinFTCmanagement,(2)InsufficientresourcesforFTCs,(3)MostFTCshavenolong-termplansforsustainability,(4)InadequateincentivestomotivateandretainDAs,(5)LimitedknowledgeandskillofDAs,(6)Limitedtrainingtofarmersand (7) Inadequate incentives formodel farmers for their time to support resourcepoor farmers. Thisstrategyhasdevelopedeightcorrespondingsystemicinterventionstoaddressthesebottlenecksasillustratedinthemaindocument.Pillar 2. Enhance agricultural knowledge and information systems: Properly documenting and managingknowledgeandinformationenabletoreachsmallholderfarmersandotherpractitionersinatimelymannerandthis consequently increase agricultural production and productivity and addressing food insecurity. Successfulagricultural knowledge and information management requires strong institutions, infrastructure, facilities andskilled human resources to generate, capture, store and disseminate tailored made services to all farmingcommunities.The five systemic bottlenecks undermining the effectiveness of Ethiopia’s agricultural knowledgemanagementsystem are: (1) Poor utilization of ICT-based extension services, (2) Limited access to improve agriculturalknowledge,informationandtechnologies,(3)Limitedagriculturalknowledgeandinformationbaseforurbanandperi-urbancommunities,(4)Inadequateconsiderationtofarmersneedsandprioritiesinresearchagendasettingand extension package development, and (5) Limited access to knowledge and information on agricultural riskmanagement.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedsevensystemicinterventionstoaddresstheidentifiedbottlenecks.Pillar3.Enhanceclientorientedandmultiactor’sadvisoryextensionservices:Aneffectiveagriculturalextensionsystemneedstouseabroadrangeofactorstoprovideinclusive,market-orientedanddemanddrivenextensionservices to improve the livelihoodsof different social categoriesof smallholders (male, female and youth) that

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requiresspecifictechnicaldomainsand innovativesolutionstooptimumbenefits forfarmers.Servicesprovidedunderthecurrentextensionsystemoftenfailtobesufficientlydiverse,client-orientedormarket-oriented,althoughthesearecurrentlyshowingsomeimprovements.Thethreesystemicbottlenecksthatappeartopreventamorefarmer-orientedtailoringofservicedeliveryare:(1)Limitedinvolvementofdifferentstakeholdersintheprovisionofextensionadvisoryservices,(2)Lowcooperationand collaboration between public and NGOs in extension services provision and (3) Poor involvement ofcooperativesandotherprivate-sectors/agro-processingcompanies/inextensionservicedelivery.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedfoursystemicinterventionstoaddressthebottlenecks.Pillar4. Facilitatemarket linkageandenhancevalue chainsdevelopment: Currentextension services typicallyfocus on promotion of improved technologies and good agricultural practices to increase production andproductivity of farmerswithout givingdue consideration to value addition andmarketing.However, increasingproductiondoesnotnecessarilyrewardfarmerswithbetterincomeunlessitisembeddedinaholisticvaluechainthatissustainablylinkedtomarkets.The effort to link farmers to markets in Ethiopia through effective value chain development meets severalbottlenecksthatneedtobeurgentlyaddressed.Thefivemainbottlenecksare:(1) Insufficientunderstandingofmarket-orientedproductionsystem(2)Limitedfocusonstrategiccommoditiesintheextensionservices(3)Limitedknowledgeandskillsofextensionstafftofacilitatevaluechaindevelopment,(4)Ineffectivelinkageamongvaluechainactorsand(5)Limitedaccesstomarketinformationandcollectivemarketing.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedfivesystemicinterventionstoaddressthebottlenecks.Pillar5.Gender,youthandnutritionmainstreaming:WomeninEthiopiacontributeupto40-60%oflaborintheproduction process. However, women face specific constraints that reduce their productivity and limit theircontributionstoagriculturalproductionandproductivity.Itisreportedthatonaverage,femalefarmersproduce23%lessperhectarethantheirmalecounterpartsjustbecauseoftheinabilityofwomentoaccessthenecessaryagriculturalinputsandservices.Thisnegativelyaffectsproductivity,efficiency,effectivenessandoveralleconomicprogressofthecountry.Thisstrategyrecognizestheimportanceofgenderyouthandnutritionmainstreamingasakeyapproachtoensureequality betweenwomenandmen, and through increased agricultural production, productivity, leading to thewellbeing of women and youth farmers. The four main bottlenecks that affect gender youth and nutritionmainstreamingare:(1)Poorgenderandyouthmainstreaminginextensionprogramsplanning,implementationandinmonitoring,learningandevaluation(2)Shortageofgenderdisaggregateddata,and(3)Socio-culturalconstraints(4)Inadequatenutritionsensitiveextensionservice.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedsevensystemicinterventionstoaddresstheseissues.Pillar6.Enhanceenvironmentalmanagementandsustainability:Appropriatemanagementofnaturalresources(land,soil,waterandenvironment)isapowerfulinfluenceonenvironmentalqualityandsustainabilityandcanleadtoincreasedlongtermagriculturalproductionandproductivity.Therefore,theextensionsystemneedstointroduceappropriatenaturalresourcesinordertoavertenvironmentaldegradation.In this sub-section, four extension-related bottlenecks that affect resourcemanagement have been identified.Theseare,(1)Poorlinkagebetweennaturalresourcemanagementandlivelihoodstrategies,(2)Limitedcapacityon environment and Natural Resource Management (3) Low access to and use of climate smart agriculturaltechnologies and agro-metrological information and (4) Less attention to environment sustainability in theextensionadvisoryservice.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedfoursystemicinterventionstoaddressthesebottlenecks.

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Pillar 7. Enhance institutional arrangements, coordination and linkages among key agricultural developmentpartners:Addressingdiverseandcomplexproblemsofagriculturerequirethecoordinatedeffortsofindividuals,groups,institutionsandorganizationsatvariouslevels.Takingthisprincipleintoconsideration,thegovernmentofEthiopiaestablishedAgriculturalDevelopmentPartners’ LinkageAdvisoryCouncil (ADPLAC) in2008 toenhancelinkageandcoordinationamongpotentialpartnersengagedinagriculturalextension,researchanddevelopmentatdifferentlevels,fromtheFederaltotheWoredalevels.Sinceitsformation,ADPLAChashelpedtobringtogethervariousactorsbybuildingnewcollaborations,encouragingacultureofworkingtogether,enhancingademand-drivenagricultural researchsystemformore impactandbyhelpingshift the researchagendatowards farmers’needsthroughjointidentificationofproblemsanddevelopmentofinnovationstosolvethem.WhileADPLAChasbeensuccessfulinsomeareas,byandlargeithasfailedtoachieveitsoverarchingmissionofeffectivelylinkingactorsintheresearchandextensionsectors.ThisstrategyidentifiedthreebottlenecksaffectingsmoothimplementationofADAPLAC:(1)Lackofvibrantlinkageandpooralignments,(2)Lackofcoordinationandcommunication between agricultural sectors and HLIs/ATVETs, and (3) Weak responsibility and accountabilitysysteminlinkageplatform.Thisstrategyhasdevelopedtwosystemicinterventionstoaddressthebottlenecks.Pillar8.Humanresourcedevelopmentandutilizationforeffectiveextensionservicedelivery:Oneofthemajorchallengesintheagriculturalsectorislackofeffectivehumanresourcedevelopmentsystem.Asaresult,therearelimitedcompetent,well trainedandhighlycalibratedextensionstaffatall levels.Thehumanresourcecapacitydevelopmentwillneedtopursuethecomplexanddynamicagriculturaldevelopmentdemands.

Theprovisionofdecentralizedandparticipatoryextensionservicerequirestohaveadequate,wellexperiencedandqualifiedstaffatalllevelstoimprovethequalityoftheextensionserviceinthefuture.Duringthefieldvisit,criticalshortage of qualifiedmanpower at various levels is reported to be a serious problem in agricultural extensionservices.Moreover,thesituation isexacerbatedby lowstaffmotivationthatcontributedtohighstaffturnover.Qualityservicedeliveryshouldnotbeexpectedintheabsenceofadequateandqualifiedstaff.Therefore,thereisaneedtocriticallyconsidertheissuesrelatedtohumanresourcedevelopmentanditsutilizationasoneofthekeyelement in the extension service. The threemain bottlenecks related to human resource development and itseffective utilization are: (1) Limited demand based training at HLIs and ATVET, (2) Poor staffing and high staffturnover, and (3) Lack of clear chain of command. This strategy has developed three corresponding systemicinterventionstoaddressthebottlenecks.Pillar9.Establishstronganddynamicresult-basedmonitoring,evaluationandlearning(RB-MLE)forcontinuousimprovementofextensionservicesdelivery:Monitoring, learningandevaluation(MLE) isakeytoolto identifyconstraints, assess the progress, and generate relevant and timely information to make informed decisions.Decisionsarechangedintoactionswhentheyarebasedonfactsandrealitiesontheground.Currently,effortsarebeingunderwaytoputinplaceMLEbydifferentorganizations.However,suchconsiderationtostrengthenMLEatregionandWoredalevelsismissing.ThefollowingbottleneckspreventtheMLEunit/caseteamoftheministryfromfunctioningeffectively.The existence of (1) Weak monitoring, learning and evaluation system and (2) Weak accountability andresponsibility system are identified as a measure bottleneck. This strategy has developed two systemicinterventionstoaddresstheidentifiedbottleneck.ImplementationFrameworkAddressing the bottlenecks and ensuring the implementation of the strategic interventions will require acoordinatedeffortof all organizationsand individuals engaged in agriculturaldevelopment. Thisdocumenthasidentifiedthekeyactorsatalllevelsandsuggestedtheirrolesandresponsibilities.

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Sinceallinterventionscannotbesimultaneouslyimplemented,aphasedapproachforimplementinginterventionshasbeendesigned.Inthisphasedapproach,pillarsandinterventionsthatcanserveasinputfortheachievementofotherpillarshavebeenprioritized.Prioritizationandsequencingofinterventionswillbefurtherrefinedbasedontheresponsibilityofeachorganizationwithintheirexistingsettings.

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AcronymsandabbreviationsACCs AgricultureCommercializationClustersADLI AgricultureDevelopmentLedIndustrializationADPLAC AgricultureDevelopmentPartnersLinkageAdvisoryCouncilAGP AgriculturalGrowthProgramAI ArtificialInseminationARM AgriculturalRiskManagementATA AgriculturalTransformationAgencyATVET AgriculturalTechnicalandVocationalEducationandTrainingBBM BroadBedMakerBMGF Bill&MelindaGatesFoundationCA ConservationAgricultureCAADP ComprehensiveAfricanAgriculturalDevelopmentProgramCCA ClimateChangeAdaptationCIGs CommonInterestGroupsDAs DevelopmentAgentsDG DigitalGreenDRM DisasterRiskManagementEAAPP EastAfricanAgricultureandproductionprojectECX EthiopianCommodityExchangeEIAR EthiopianInstituteforAgriculturalResearchFBOs FarmersBasedOrganizationsFFS FarmersFieldSchoolF/PTCs Farmers/PastoralistsTrainingCentersFP FocalPerson FREG FarmersResearchExtensionGroupGDP GrowthDomesticProductGIZ GermanDevelopmentCooperationGoE GovernmentofEthiopiaGOs GovernmentOrganizationsHABP HouseholdAssetBuildingProgramHLIs HigherLearningInstitutionsICT InformationandcommunicationtechnologyIFPRI InternationalFoodPolicyResearchInstituteIVR InteractiveVoiceResponseMC ManagementCommitteeMLE Monitoring,learningandevaluationMoA MinistryofAgricultureMoANR MinistryofAgricultureandNaturalResourcesMoLFD MinistryofLivestockandFisheriesDevelopmentNGOs Non-governmentalOrganizationsNRM NaturalResourcesManagementOA OxfamAmericaPADETES ParticipatoryDemonstrationandTrainingExtensionSystemPES ParticipatoryExtensionSystemPICO People,InnovationandChangeinOrganizationPMAs ProducerMarketingAssociationsR-BoAN RegionalBureauofAgricultureandNaturalResource

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R-BoLFD RegionalBureauofLivestock&FisheryRELC Research&ExtensionLiaisonCommitteeREFAC ResearchExtensionFarmersAdvisoryCouncilSG2000 SasakawaGlobal2000SLM SustainableLandManagementSNNPR SouthernNations,Nationalities,andPeoplesRegionSNV NetherlandsDevelopmentOrganizationTASD TrainingandAdvisoryServiceDirectorateUNDP UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramVCD ValueChainDevelopmentVLDP VillageLevelDevelopmentPromoterWoANRDO WoredaAgriculturalNaturalResourceDevelopmentOfficeWoLFDO WoredaLivestockandFisheryDevelopmentOfficeIWUA IrrigationWaterUserAssociation

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A note from the Minister’s deskAgricultureisoneofthepillarsoftheEthiopianeconomyandtheoveralleconomicgrowthofthecountryishighlydependent on the success of the agriculture sector. The Government of Ethiopia has demonstrated strongcommitmenttoagricultureandruraldevelopmentthroughtheallocationofover10%ofthenationalbudgettodeliverenhancedproductiontechnologiesandsupportservices.

Withinthe frameworkof theAgriculturalDevelopment-Led Industrialization (ADLI)strategy, theGovernmentofEthiopiahasmadehugeeffortstotransformtheagriculturesector.TheGovernmentpromotedandsupportedthepublicextensionserviceaskeyinstrumenttomeettheagriculturalsectordevelopmentobjectives,including30%womenand10%youthparticipation.TheGovernmentestablishedAgriculturalTechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining(ATVET)CollegesandFarmerTrainingCenters(FTC)ascriticalknowledgeinstitutionssupportingthetransformationoftheagriculturalsector.FTCsplayacriticalroleintechnologytransfer,farmertraininginmodernproductionmanagementandmethodsandprovisionofagriculturalextensionadvisoryservices.WeenvisageFTCstobemajortransformationalinstitutionsthatwillenableruralcommercializationandindustrializationtospur.Thelinkagebetweenagricultureand industrywillbedrivenby the trainingofyoung femaleandmale farmerswhowould take up entrepreneurial opportunities to engage in agriculture as a business such as producers, agro-processersandmarketers.

Themarket-orientedagriculturaldevelopmentpolicywillonlybesuccessfullyimplementedifourextensionsystemisstrengthenedtorespondtotheemergingneedsofthemarket.Itistimeforourextensionsystemtosupplementits focus on market production. This requires shifts in mind-set and skills. Development agents are not onlytransferringtechnologiesbutarerequiredtofacilitatelinkagesalongthevaluechainsandneedtohaveabroadersetofskillsthanpreviouslywasneeded.

Thisstrategydocumentbringsinfuturisticoutlookfortheextensionsystemandwillguideallstakeholdersinvolvedinagriculturalextensionservicetodefineshort-andlong-termobjectives,identifytasksandmilestonesandoutlineaplanofactiontoaccomplishspecifictaskswithinanestablishedschedule.Thedevelopmentofthisstrategyhasrequiredthecollectiveeffortsofmultiplestakeholdersfromthepublicanddevelopmentpartners.

On behalf of the Government of Ethiopia, I would like to thank all stakeholders who were involved in thedevelopmentofthestrategydocumentandencouragetheseandotherstakeholderstoshowasimilareffortintheimplementationoftheinterventionareascontainedinthestrategy.

Istronglybelievethattogetherwewillcontinuetocreateahighlyeffectiveextensionsystemthatfulfillsthepromiseofsustainably improvingthe livelihoodsofsmallholder farmerswhilecontributingtoEthiopia’soverallvisionofachievingmiddleincomestatusby2025.

Ialsostronglyappreciatethetechnicallyandfinanciallyeffortmadebythosekeystakeholderstocontributedtothesuccessofthepreparationandfinalizationofthisdocument.

Dr.EyasuAbreha

Minister,MinistryofAgricultureandNaturalResources

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Section 1: Introduction 1.1. Background

SubsistencesmallholderagriculturehascontinuouslydominatedeconomicdevelopmentpolicyinEthiopia(Mellor,2014).Thissectorcontributesabout39%ofthecountry’sGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)byendof2014/15.Cropand livestock subsectors accounted for 27.4% and 7.9% respectively, while the residual was accounted for byforestry and fishing (NPC, 2016). Despite its pivotal role, the performance of this sector has remained largelyunsatisfactory(Gregory,2013).Thesectorischaracterizebysubsistenceoriented,lowinputandoutput.Inaddition,over90%ofcultivatedlandhasbeendependentonrain-fed,makingthesectorhighlysusceptibletoclimatechange(ATA,2016).The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) formulated agricultural policy andstrategies, theAgricultureDevelopmentLed Industrialization (ADLI), toovercometheagriculturalproblemsandtransform the country's economy. Based on implementation of the agricultural policy, growth in agriculturalproductionandproductivityhasbeenregisteredintheeconomy.RealGDPgrewby10.3%in2013/14,with2.3%ofthisgrowthfromtheagriculturalsector.Asof2014,72.7%ofemploymentwasgeneratedbytheagriculturesector(UNDP,2015).ADLIhasservedasanumbrellastrategyguidingthethreemostrecent fiveyearnationalplans: theSustainableDevelopmentandPovertyReductionProgram (SDPRP),2002/03-2004/05;aPlan forAcceleratedandSustainedDevelopmenttoEndPoverty(PASDEP),2005/06-2009/10;andtheGrowthandTransformationPlan-I(GTP-I),2010-2015. Ingeneral,Ethiopia’sruraldevelopmentpolicyandstrategiesprioritizethetransformationofsmallholdersubsistenceagriculturetocommercialagriculturethroughmarket-orientatedproductionsystem.Accordingly,thegovernmentisinvestingheavilyinagriculturewithafocusonpublicextensionservicesbydeployingconsiderablehumanandfinancialresources.GTP-Imainlyfocusedonacceleratedgrowthinagriculturalproductivityforensuringfoodsecurityandsupportingthefoodindustrythroughincreasingcropproduction,enhancingcropproductivitybyapplyinggoodagriculturalpractices and improving extension services.Moreover, it emphasized on the utilization and agricultural inputs,strengtheningagriculturalmarketingsystem,enhancingagriculturalresearchandstrengtheningnaturalresourceconservation.DuringtheperiodofGTP-I,thenumberofagriculturalextensionbeneficiarieshasincreasedfrom5.1millionin2009/10to13.95millionfarmersbytheendof2014/15.Althoughthenumberofbeneficiariesfromtheagriculturalextensionsystemhasincreased,itseffectivenessintermsofbetteroutcomeasmeasuredbyincreasedproductivitygainsneedstobeenhanced(NPC,2016).ThecurrentGrowthandTransformationPlan-II(GTP-II)2015-2020buildsontheachievementsandlessonslearntduring the implementationofGTP-I. Thoughacceleratedgrowth in agricultural productivity continues tobeanimportantareaoffocusasfoodsecuritycontinuestobeachallenge,itisenvisagedtoshifttowardshighvaluecropsreinforcedbyamarketsystemthatwillbenefitfarmers(NPC,2016).OneofthemajorobjectivesoftheADLIstrategythatisreflectedintheGTPsistransformingtheagriculturalsectortoensurefoodsecurityandself-sufficiencyinfoodproduction.BothGTPsemphasizefoodsecurityasanationalgoal.ButwhereasGTP-Ifocusedontraditionalcrops,GTP-IIshiftstohighvaluecrops,includesmarketdevelopmentmorespecifically,highlightsimplementationcapacitiesandlooksatfoodandnutritioninamoresystematicway(NPC,2016).

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AslaidoutinitssecondGrowthandTransformationPlan(GTP-II),theGovernmentofEthiopiaishighlycommittedtosustainablyincreasingagriculturalproductionbymorethan8%perannumtomeetthegrowingdemandforfood,industrial rawmaterials, and foreign currency earnings. In order to respond the growing demand of differentstakeholders,thereisaneedofdynamicandproactiveextensionsystem.Rigorousandvibrantextensionsystemisakeypolicyinstrumenttoenhanceagriculturaldevelopment.Agriculturalextensionhasbeenemphasizedbydevelopmentexpertsascrucialinachievingagriculturaldevelopment,povertyreduction,andfoodsecurity(Feder,etal.,2011).Derconetal.(2007)showthatreceivingatleastoneextensionsvisit per year reduces the likelihood of being poor by 10% in Ethiopia. By recognizing this, the government ofEthiopiahasmadegreateffortstotransformtheagriculturalsectormainlybystrengtheningitsextensionservicesaspartof thegeneralagriculturepolicy reform. Inspiteofconsiderableeffortsmadeto improvetheextensionsystemofthecountryinthepast,thesystemisnotbringingthedesiredresults.Thus,itisofparamountimportancetoprepareafull-fledgedextensionstrategywhichtakesintoconsiderationthegrowingdemandofagriculturaldevelopmentandthatalsoshowsthefuturedirectionoftheextensionservices.

1.2. PurposeandscopeofthestrategydocumentThe purpose of this strategy is to develop a strong market-oriented, demand-driven and well-functioningagricultural extension system to transform the subsistence agricultural production to a commercialization. Thestrategy identifies thekeybottleneckstotransformingagriculturalproductionandproposesaseriesofsystemslevelinterventionstoaddressthebottlenecks.Thescopeofthestrategyrangesfromagriculturalinputssuppliestoconsumersinavalue-chainandintegratedapproach.Whilethestrategy is longterm, itenvisagestwoimplementationperiods:ashort-termtimeframeoffiveyears(coincidingwithGTP-2)andadditionallyalong-termtimeframeoftenyearsduringwhichtheinterventionsmaybefurtherrefinedbasedonlessonslearnedandcontinuousfarmerfeedback.

1.3. ApproachfollowedforthedevelopmentoftheextensionstrategyThe strategywasdevelopedbasedona consultativeand iterativeprocesses facilitatedbyMoANRandATA.AsshowninFigure1,theprocessinvolvedsix,butinterrelatedsteps.ItstartedwithaconsultativeworkshopofthepolicymakersdrawnfromFederalandregionalgovernments.Thepolicymakersgavedirections,whichservedasabasisforthedevelopmentofthestrategydocument.Eachstepensuredtheparticipationofrelevantactorsthatincluded professionals in agricultural extension and research from Federal and regions, relevantNGOs, privateactorsandpractitioners.

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Figure1:StepsforthepreparationoftheExtensionStrategy

1.3.1. Policymakers’consultativeworkshopanddirectionsgivenTheinitialstepforthepreparationofthestrategydocumentwasapolicymakers’workshopheldinDecember2013,withthemainobjectivesof:(1)identifyingemergingneedsandpolicydirectionsforEthiopia’sextensionsystem,(2) identifying strategic priorities and providing policy context for overhauling the extension system, and (3)agreeingonaroadmapandoverallapproachtodevelopingthestrategy.TheFederalandRegionalpolicymakerswhoparticipatedintheworkshopidentifiedcorethematicareasandprovidedacleardirectionforthepreparationofthestrategydocument.Thecorethemesagreeduponforthestrategypreparationwere:

• FTCandsmallholdercenteredinterventions• Buildandstrengthenexistingextensionsystem• Pluralisticextensionservicewithgovernmentownershipandleadingrole• DecentralizedwithintheFederalsystem• Market-oriented, demand driven, gender-based, nutrition sensitive and environment friendly

agriculturaldevelopment.

1.3.2. Experts’WorkshopBasedonthesepolicydirections,aconsultativeworkshopwasheldinMarch2014withtheparticipationofexpertsinagriculturalextensionandresearch.Attheworkshop,aclearvisionforalong-termtransformationalextensionstrategywasdeveloped.Asanentrypoint,conductingfieldassessmentstolearnmorefromsuccessfulstories(bestpractices,approachesandinnovations)fromwithinthecountrywasrecommendedbytheexperts.

1.3.3. FieldassessmentofinnovativeapproachesandgoodpracticesExpertsdrawnfromtheFederalandRegionalAgricultureOffices,ATA,OxfamAmerica,SG-2000andNetherlandsDevelopmentOrganization(SNV)andDigitalGreen(DG)deployedtothefieldinthreegroupstoassesssuccessfulstories and best practices in the fourmajor regions (Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray). A total of 17 goodpracticesandapproacheswereidentified.Lessonslearnedfromthesebestpracticeswereusedindevelopingthisstrategy.

Polcymakersconsultativeworkshop

Development ofaframeforassessingthe

practices

Fieldassessmentofinnovativeapproaches

SynthesisworkshopforIdentificationofPillarskeybottencksand

interventions

Write-upofthestrategyandvalidation

Approvalandimplementation

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1.3.4. SynthesisworkshopThe synthesis workshop was held in June 2014 with the dual purpose of sharing the lessons from the fieldassessments,identifyingthekeypillars,systemicbottlenecksandtheirinterventionsforthestrategydevelopment.Inaddition,duringtheworkshopcriticalchallenges,strategic/innovativeapproachesandrelevantcasestudiesfromthe field assessment for each pillar were identified. As benchmark, international best practices were alsoincorporated.

1.3.5. PreparationofthestrategydocumentA team of eight experts from organizationsmentioned under 1.3.3 developed the draft strategy starting fromAugust2014,followingthepolicydirectionsandtheagreed-uponmajorpillars.Astakeholdervalidationworkshopwasheldtoobtainfurtherfeedbacktorefineandenrichthedocument.Thefinalstrategydocumentwasproducedandsubmittedtopolicymakersforapprovalandimplementation.Thisstrategydocumentshouldbeconsideredorganic in that it will be refined on a regular basis as lessons are drawn from ongoing implementation andcircumstanceschange.

1.4. BriefoverviewofagriculturalextensionanditsevolutioninEthiopiaThebirthofanagriculturalextensionserviceinEthiopiadatesbackto1953whenthethenAlemayaImperialCollegeofAgricultureandMechanicalArts,nowHaramayaUniversitystartedtoprovideresearch-basedextensionservicesto the surrounding communities based on the agreementmade between the Ethiopian and US governments,following the Land Grant University approach. Since then, the country has implemented different types ofagricultural extension systems, for instance,College SystemofAgricultural ExtensionProgram (1953 to1960s),ComprehensivePackageProject (1960-1970s), theMinimumPackageProject (1970-1980s),PeasantAgriculturalDevelopmentProjectandFarmingSystemResearchProject (1985-1990s).Majorchallengesencounteredduringtheseperiods,amongothers,includedinstabilityoftheextensionsystemandmanagement,unsustainabilityoftheextension programs and projects (WADU, CADU,MPP etc.), lack of common perceptions between technologygeneratorsandextensionpersonnel,inadequaterepresentationandparticipationoffarmers,inadequatetrainedmanpower, limited finances, one way communication and insufficient or even absence of monitoring andevaluation.Overtheyearsanumberofreformshavebeentakenplacetoaddressgapsinthevarioussystemsadoptedleadingtothecurrentsystem.In1993,SG-2000startedtodemonstrateagriculturaltechnologiesasapilotonmajorcerealcrops.ThedemonstrationconductedbySG-2000clearlyshowedgreatsuccessesandcapturedtheattentionoftoplevelofficialsanddevelopmentpractitioners,encouragingthemtoreplicatetheexperienceofSG-2000nationwide.Theapproachwaslaterusedasabasisforthecurrentextensionpackageservices.Inlinewiththis,in1995,theGovernmentdesignedandimplementedaParticipatoryDemonstrationandTrainingExtensionSystem(PADETES)as thecoreelementof theextensionsystemof thecountry. Itsmainobjectivewas to improveparticipationofsmallholderfarmersanddemonstrateimprovedagriculturaltechnologiesforimprovingproductivity,incomesandlivelihoodsoftheruralcommunity.Thegovernmentestablishedandoperationalized25ATVETs indifferentpartsof thecountry toproduceskilleddevelopmentagents(DAs),decidedtoestablishaFarmerTrainingCentre(FTC)ineachKebeleanddeployedthreeDAswithspecializationsincrops,livestockandnaturalresourcestoeachFTC.To-dateover83,000DAshavebeentrainedandgraduated,ofwhomabout56,000DAsareworkinginagriculturalextension(MoANR,2017andCSA,2017). MorethanadecadehasnowpassedsinceFTC-basedagriculturalextensionsystemwasintroduced.FTCshavebeenestablishedtoserveascentersforinformationandknowledgesharing,traininganddemonstrationoftechnologiesand innovation close to farmers’ residents. Currently the government has established 12,500 FTCs and willconstructtheresttomeetthenationaltargetof18,000FTCs.TheseFTCsareoneofthekeyinstrumentsfordelivery

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ofextensionservicesgoingforwardandcanserveassymbolsforcurrentsuccessesthatthecountryhasachievedinagriculture.ThecountryhasrecentlydevelopedanddeployedaParticipatoryExtensionSystem(PES),amodifiedversionofPADETES,althoughtheapproachisnotyetfullyimplementednationwide.PESwasstartedin2010,followingthecommencementofGrowthandTransformationPlan(GTP-I),asameansofstrengtheningparticipatoryextensionservices.Themajorchangesmadeintheapproachwereorganizationoffarmersintodevelopmentgroupsandsocialnetworks(developmentgroupswith25-30membersonaverageandoneinfivegroupconsistingonemodelfarmerasaleaderand5farmersasfollowers).Tohelpimprovetheagriculturalextensionsystemofthecountry,theBillandMelindaGatesFoundation(BMGF)supportedareviewoftheEthiopianagriculturalextensionprograminpartnershipwiththeGovernmentofEthiopiain2009(IFPRI,2009).Thereviewidentifiedthesystem’sstrengthsandconstraintswiththeaimofimprovingthesystemandidentifyingwaysinwhichsuchimprovementsmightbescaledupinthefuture.TheSWOTanalysisbelowisbasedontheresultsfromthatstudyandotherassessmentsconductedbydifferentorganizations.

1.5. Strengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats(SWOT)analysisofthecurrentextensionsystem

Strengths• Decentralizedandwell-structuredextensionsystemthatcan

beanexampleformanyAfricancountries,• TheestablishmentofATVETcollegestoproducemiddlelevel

skilledmanpower,• Robustworkforceofdevelopmentagents(21per10,000

farmers,higherthananyothercountry’sratio),• EstablishmentofFTCsatkebele-level,allowingforgreater

accesstoextension,traininganddemonstration,• Increasednumberofagriculturaluniversitiesforskilled

manpowerdevelopment,• Codifiednationalextensionapproach,• Strongsocialnetworksthroughfarmer-groupformationand

peer-to-peerlearning,• Increaseddemandsbyfarmersforimprovedtechnologies.

Weaknesses• Limitedmarketorientation,• Limitedconsistencyandqualityofextension

implementation,• Weakcoordinationandlinkageamongactorsin

researchandextensionsystem,• Limitedlogisticsandfacilitiesforfrontline

extensionworkers,• Short-termfocusedcampaignsdivertattention

fromoverallandlong-termextensionsystemresponsibilities,

• Duefocusonmodelfarmers,• Poorextensionservicesforpastoralcommunity,

urbanandperi-urbanareas,• PoorfunctioningofFTCstoprovidedemand

basedextensionservices,• Lowmotivationleadingtohighturnoverof

extensionstaff,mainlyDAs,• Limiteduseofcommunicationmediaanduseof

ICTs,• Limitedtechnologymultiplicationcenterssuchas

forlivestock,• Minimuminvolvementoftheprivatesector

(limitedcapacityandinadequatesupportbygovernment),includingcooperativesinextensionservicedelivery,

• Limitedcapacityingender,nutrition,climateandenvironmentmainstreaminganditsapplication,

• Lackofclearlineofcommandfortheextensionmanagement,particularlyatWoredaandKebelelevels,

• Limitedcommunication&coordinationbetweenFederalandregionalbureausofagriculture(R-BoA),

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• Weakplanning,monitoring,learningandevaluationandfeedbacksystems,

• Limitedfknowledgeandskillofextensionstaffonimprovedcommunicationandfacilitation,marketandvaluechaindevelopment,agriculturalriskmanagementinaholisticmanner,connectingtechnologicalsolutionswithbasicdiversificationandfinancialtools.

Opportunities• Conducivepolicyandstrategyforagriculturesector(ADLI)

andhighcommitmentofgovernmenttotransformagriculture,

• Emergingagro-processingindustriesforvaluechaindevelopmentandtoprovideembeddedextensionservices.

• Existenceandgrowthoffarmercooperativesandunionstoprovideextensionservices,

• ExistenceofATVETstotrainextensionagentsinagriculture,

• Increasedfocusonvaluechaindevelopmentandmarketing,

• ExistenceofspecialinitiativessuchasLivelihoodsAgriculturalGrowthProgram(AGP),LivelihoodsProgram,andSLM,

• HighinterestbydonorandNGO’stosupportextensionsystemandservices,

• Theexistenceofreliableregionalandinternationalmarketopportunitiesforagriculturalproducts,

• Ongoingeffortstoestablishmarketinginformationsystem(ECX)andinformationnetworking(MoA,ATA&EIAR),

• Increasedtrainedmanpowerinagriculture,asaresultofincreasedtertiary-leveleducationinagriculture.

Threats• Highturnoverofexperiencedprofessionalsin

agriculturalextension,• Pricefluctuationsoninternationalmarketsfor

agriculturalproducts,• Climatechangeandrecurrentdrought.

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Section 2: Vision, Mission, Goal and Objective 2.1. Vision,Mission,Goal,Objective

Vision: Modern agriculture integrated with the rest of the economy and a wealthy society free from foodinsecurityandpoverty.

Mission: Create modern, effective and efficient agricultural extension system through enhanced market-oriented,demand-drivenandpluralisticextension1servicestopromoteimprovedtechnologies,goodpracticesandmethodswhichenablethesocietytoachievefoodsecurityandcreatewealth.

Goal:Contributesignificantlytotheattainmentoffoodandnutritionsecurity,povertyreductionandwealthcreationinthecountrythroughadoptionandadaptationofimprovedtechnologiesbydeliveringmarket-oriented,demand-drivenandpluralisticextensionservices.

Objective:To transformEthiopia’sagriculture through the implementationofpluralisticextensionsystembyproviding demand-driven and market-oriented extension services to male, female and youth farmers,pastoralistsandagropastoralists.

Specificobjectives:

• Strengthen/establishPastoralist,Agro-pastoralist&FarmersTrainingCenters(P/FTCs)withthemajorgoalofmakingthemahubofknowledgeandinformationsharingfor18,000F/PTCsbytheendofGTP-II.

• Buildthecapacityofatleast80%oftheexistingtechnicalstaffatvariouslevelsonmarketing,valuechaindevelopment,facilitation&communicationskill,knowledgemanagement,etc…toprovidemarketorientedextensionservicesbytheendofGTP-II.

• Increase the number of extension beneficiaries from the current 15,200,000 to 18,237,000 households(men,womenandyouths)bytheendofGTP-II.

• Increasethenumberoffullpackage(crops,livestockandnaturalresources)beneficiariesfromthecurrent23%to80%bytheendof2025.

• Atleast50%ofsmallholderfarmerslinkedwithimprovedmarketsthroughestablishingandstrengtheningmarketinfrastructureandinformationsystemby2025.

• Enhance implementation of pluralistic extension services through establishing clear guidelines andregulationtodiversifysourcesofextensionservicestomen,womenandyouth.

• Improving the access andmanagement of agricultural knowledge and information to farmers throughestablishment and strengtheningofdigitalizedand ICT-based communication system in at least 80%ofKebeles/FTCsby2025.

• Enhancevibrantanddynamiclinkageamongdevelopmentactorsandextensionserviceproviders’throughthe establishment and functioning of effective and sustainable platforms for improved collaboration,cooperationforinformationexchangeandfeedbacksystem.

• Ensuremainstreamingofgender,nutritionandenvironmentalissuesintheextensionservicedeliverytobringsustainabledevelopment.

• Buildfarmers,agro-pastoralistandpastoralistresiliencetocopewithclimatechangesanddroughtthroughuseofclimateadaptationandmitigationstrategiesintheextensionsystem.

• EstablishandimplementPerformanceandResultBased-Monitoring,EvaluationandLearning(PRB-MEL)toimprovetheeffectiveness,efficiencyandimpactoftheextensionservices.

1Pluralisticextensionsystemincludespublicextensionservice,producerandcommodityorganizations,processingandtradingenterprises,NGOs,privateextensionserviceproviders,inputsuppliers,universitiesandtheresearchsystem.

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2.2. IntendedoutcomesOutcome 1: Farmers, agro- pastoralists and pastoralists including women and youth become strong economicdriverswhohaveaccesstoandcontroloverresources,extensionandfinancialservicesandareactivemembersofruraleconomicorganizationstoensurefoodandincomesecurity.Outcome2:Smallholderfarmers,agro-pastoralistsandpastoralists,andtheirorganizationshaveimprovedincomeandfoodsecuritythroughbetteraccesstoproductiontechnologiesandsustainablemarketsystems,supportedbyappropriatecommercialinvestment,publicfinanceandtheregulatoryenvironment.Outcome 3: Smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists and pastoralists becomemore resilient to risks and climatechangeeffectsandincreaseinvestmentsinagriculturalriskmanagement(ARM)andclimatesmartagriculture(CSA).Outcome4:Smallholderfarmers,agro-pastoralistsandpastoralistshaveimprovedlivelihoodsthroughdiversifiedandmarket-orientedadvisoryservices.Outcome5:Smallholderfarmersestablishandoperationalizetheirownself-helpfarmersgroupstoinitiatefarmer-to-farmerknowledgeexchangeandenhancelocalcapacity,whichwillgraduallygrowtolocallevelorganizationsandinstitutions.

2.3. KeyguidingprinciplesMarket-oriented and demand driven extension system: To increase farmers’ incomes and improve theirlivelihoods, theextensionsystemneeds toprovidemarket-demandedtechnologies, linkproducerswithbuyers,inputandcreditsuppliers,providingmarketinformation,andpromotingcollectivemarketing. Government-led pluralistic extension service: The government will maintain its lead role in the provision ofextensionservicesbutwillprovideanenvironmentthatmotivatesandencouragestheinvolvementoftheprivatesectorinextensionservices.Apluralisticapproachisexpectedtomaximizethereachofextensionservicesintoruralcommunitiesandprovideadiverserangeofextensionservicesthroughenhancingcollaborationandintegrationbetweenpublicandprivatepartnership.Participatoryandmultipleextensionmethodsandapproaches:Theextensionsystemneedstobeinteractiveandresponsive to farmers’ needs by encouraging active participation in problem identification, priority setting,planning, implementation aswell asmonitoring and evaluation. In this process, farmers, agro-pastoralists andpastoralistswillbeseenasclients/changeagents.Organizingfarmersintodifferentdevelopmentandextensiongroups will help facilitate this participatory approach, taking advantage of farmers’ indigenous knowledge. Inextension,thereisnohardandfastrule.Therefore,useofmultipleextensioncommunicationmethodsisstronglyadvised.Valuechainextensionapproach:Extensionservicesneedtoprovidefacilitationandadvisoryservicesfortheentirevalue chaindevelopmentof a commodity, from input supplies, production, processing andmarketing. Thiswillstrengthenmarket linkages among producers, agro-industries, processors and retailers for a greater impact inchangingsubsistentagricultureintoacommercialone.Location and agro-ecology specific interventions: The extension system shall adjust its service delivery inaccordancewiththedifferentagro-ecologiesandfarmingsystems(includinglivestock,irrigationandrainfed)ratherthanfollowaone-sizefitsallapproach.Instead,thestrategywillfocusinprovidingmenuofinnovativeoptions.Inthe process of technology development, the extensionwill influence the research system to generate locationspecificanddemanddriventechnologies.

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Genderyouthandnutritionmainstreaming:Theextensionsystemshouldgivespecialattentionandsupporttowomenbyencouragingtheirparticipation intheextensionsystemandensuringservicesprovidedaddresstheirspecialneeds.Inaddition,focuswillbegiventoincorporatenutrition-sensitiveextensionservices.Mainstreaming of sustainable environmental practices: The extension system should promote agriculturalpracticesthatconservenaturalresourcesandapplyappropriatetechnologiesforefficientuseofnaturalresourcewhile at the same time being economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally friendly extensionservices.Competentandskilledhumanresource:Developmentofmodernizedagricultureandextensionsystemrequirescompetent,energeticanddynamicworkforce.Inlinewiththis,therolemodelplayedinthepastandthecurrentongoingprogressesbyHLIsandATVETsinproducingskilledhumanpowerfortheagriculturaldevelopmentishighlyrecognized.Continuedeffortsincultivatingandproducingcompetentskilledhumanpowerthatcouldrespondtothediverseneedsoffarmersandpro-activelymovetheagriculturaldevelopmentofthecountryforwardiscriticallyimportant.Thus,capacitybuildingprograms(shortandlong-term)bytheHLIstargetingdifferentactors’vis-à-visdevelopingcompetentanddynamiclearninginstitutionsarevitaltoputthisstrategyintopracticesustainably.Specializationanddiversification:Diversifyingtheagriculturalproductsgrownbyalocalcommunityimprovestheresilienceoffarmerstonaturalcalamitiesandhelpsconservetheirexistingnaturalresources.Specializationenablesfarmerstofocusonprofitableandmarketablecommoditiesbasedonthecomparativeadvantagesofthefarmer.Dependingon theiravailablepotential in their local condition, farmers,agro-pastoralist andpastoralistswillbeencouragedtomakeuseofeitherbothoroneoftheapproaches.Processandresultorientedextensionservices:Theextensionservicemustbetargetandresultorientedsoastobringvisiblechangesinlivelihoodsofthefarmingcommunityathouseholdlevelsthatalsopotentiallycontributetothenationaleconomy.Thismeans,everyapproachandservicesmustbecustomizedtowardsachievingthebestresultsthatfullysatisfiesallfarmers.Thiscanbeattainedthroughtheprovisionoffinancialandeconomicviabletechnologiesandotherassociatedservicesfordifferentcategoriesofcommodities.Inclusiveextensionservices:Extension ismore impact fullwhentheapproachconsiders“thewhole familyandcommunity approach” insteadof focusingonlyonmodel farmers andhouseholdheads. Thismeans,when theextensionserviceisdesignedandimplemented,ithastotakeintoconsiderationtheneedsandinterestofmale,female,youth includingdisabled farmers, inall farmingsystem includingagro-pastoral,pastoral, urban&peri-urbanareas.Thisalsoincludesprivatesector,investorsandprocessers.Collaborationandharmonizationwithothercomplementaryservices:Theprovisionofextensionservicewillbesuccessfulandeffectivewhentheothersupportservicessuchassustainableinputsupply,accesstofinance,marketinfrastructuredevelopment,etc.areprovidedinanintegrated/harmonizeways.Therefore,extensionsystemneedstoworkcloselywithallrelevantinstitutionstoensurethecomplementaryserviceareinplaceasperthedemandofendusers.Scalingout&upofgoodpractices:Effortsshouldbecontinuouslydirectedtoidentifyingsuccessfulpracticeswhichcanbescaledout&upwiththeaimofeffectingmassivechangesinthelivelihoodsoffarmers.Responsibility&accountability:Inordertofullyimplementeffectiveextensionandbringaboutthedesiredchange,it isessential to share rolesand responsibilitiesamong implementingpartners, individualsand leadershipatalllevels.Sharingrolesandresponsibilitiesarenotanendbythemselvesunlessaccountabilitymeasuresareputinplaceatdifferentlevels.Tothisend,extensionstaff,leadershipaswellasprofessionalswillbeaccountablefortheshared tasks and responsibilities. It is expected that MoANR will lead and responsible to coordinate the

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development,approvalandoverseeing the implementationof the strategyacross thecountrybyengagingandmobilizing allstakeholders including lineministries,regionalbureaus,researchinstitutions,HLIs,NGO’s,privatesectorsandotherdevelopmentpartners. Individualsshouldberecognizedfortheworktheyhaveaccomplishedandalsoaskedforthingsthatarenotimplementedasperthisstrategy.

Section 3: Pillars, systemic bottlenecks & corresponding strategic interventions This section outline nine key pillars onwhich this strategic documentwas developed. For eachpillar, systemicbottleneckshavebeenidentifiedandanalyzed,andtheircorrespondingstrategicinterventionsproposed.Strategicinterventions have the potential to transform the Ethiopian agriculture tomodern and commercialize farmingsystem.

3.1 Pillar1:StrengthenFTCsthroughactiveparticipationofcommunityandcapacitybuilding.ObjectiveTomakeFTCshubsforknowledgeandinformationsharingforpromotingimprovedtechnologiesandgoodpracticesandcreatingself-sustainingFTCmanagementsystemsthatownedbythecommunity

TheEthiopianagriculturalextensionsystemisbasedonfarmertrainingcenters(FTCs)supportedbytrainedDAs.Currently,governmentisprogressingwellinitsgoaltoestablishoneFTCineachKebele.Sofarabout12,500FTCshavebeenestablishedandregionalgovernmentsareaggressivelymovingforwardtoestablishtheremainingFTCstomeetthenationaltargetof18,000FTCs.WhileitiswidelyagreedthatFTCsserveasanentrypointtobringaboutbehavioralchangesamongfarmersandleadthemtowardsmodernandcommercialagriculture.TheestablishedFTCs are found at varying levels of functionality and currentlymost of them are not capable of providing theexpectedservicestofarmers.Thefollowingbottleneckshavebeenidentified.Bottleneck3.1.1:LimitedinvolvementoffarmersinFTCsmanagementTheexistingFTCguidelineindicatesthatFTCsarethepropertyoffarmersandareexpectedtobemanagedbythem.However,farmersperceiveFTCsasgovernmentinstitutesratherthantheirownduetolowlevelofawarenessandlackofclarityonthebasicadvantagesofFTCs.TheproblemsareaggravatedbyinadequateresourcesofFTCs,loweffortsofDAstobringaboutchanges,anduseofFTCsfornon-extensionactivities.Asaresult,manyFTCshaveremainedidle.Moreover,mostFTCsdon’thaveFTC-ManagementCommittees(MCs).InFTCswhereMCsexist,theydonotfunctiontotheexpectations.Forexample,intheinterventionWoredasofOxfamAmerica(OA)andSasakawaGlobal (SG 2000), only 42% of FTCs reported to have MCs that are responsible for overall management andoperationsof thetrainingcenters.Of thetotalestablishedMCs,onlyabout21%wereoperational in2011(OA,2011).Bottleneck3.1.2:InsufficientresourcesforFTCsOne of the reasons for poor performance of FTCs is related to shortages of resources for operations andrenovations.Forinstance,almostallFTCs(exceptforthosesupportedbyprojectsorNGOs)haveinadequatefundsandlandsforpracticaltraining,establishmentofdemonstrationplots,andotherbasicinfrastructureandfacilitiessuch as basic furniture, farm implements, ICT and trainingmaterials.Most FTCs are not timelymaintained orrepaired.PoorbusinessplansinFTCsandwideskillgapsbyFTC-MCsandDAshaveexacerbatedresourcelimitations.Inaddition,thesupportandemphasisgivenbylocalandregionalbureausisverylimited.Thishasbeenparticularlyinadequateinphysicalandfinancialresourcesvalue-addedmanagement,technicaladviceandregularfollow-uptomaketheFTCsfunctionasdesired.

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Basically,FTCswerenotmeanttogeneratetheirownrevenues.Thosethatgeneratedrevenuesdidnothavethelegalrighttore-usethegeneratedincome.However,recentlysomeeffortsarebeingmadeinfewregionsthatallowtheuseofrevenuegeneratedbytheseFTCs.Bottleneck3.1.3:MostFTCshavenolong-termplansforsustainabilityMostFTCslackalong-termvisionandplanstosustainthemselvesandcontributetoagriculturaldevelopment.ThisismainlyduetolowawarenessofFTC-MCsandDAsonthelongtermbenefitoftheFTCsandlimitedcapacityinbusiness plan preparation and implementation. Limited guidance and practical support to FTCs by frontlineextensionworkershasalsocontributedtotheproblem.Inaddition,inadequatefollowupandmonitoringsystematalllevelsisalsomentionedbystakeholdersasanothermajorproblem.Bottleneck3.1.4:InadequateincentivestomotivateandretainDAsEthiopiahasthehighestDA-to-farmerratiointheworld(IFPRI,2009).Governmenthastrainedabout83,000DAswith specialization in plant sciences, animal sciences and natural resources management (NRM). However,accordingtorecentassessmentsmadebyMoANRindicatesthatover56,000trainedDAsarecurrentlyworkingatFTCs.ThisindicatesthateitheranumberofgraduatedDAsarenotinterestedinworkinginagriculturalextensionorthereisahighturnoverofDAspotentiallyduetodissatisfactionwiththeirjobs.Themajorfactorsappeartobepoorworkingenvironment(inadequatehousing,inadequateofficefacilities,limitedtransportationfacilitiesetc.),inadequateincentivesandanunattractivecareerpathwithbigvariabilityamongtheregions,heavyworkloadandlackofaclearlineofcommand.Bottleneck3.1.5:LimitedknowledgeandskillofDAsAccordingtothestudybyIFPRI(2009),DAshaveinadequateknowledgeandskillstoproperlydischargetheirrolesand responsibilities. Gaps in knowledge and skill ofDAsoftenhinder their ability to providequality extensionservice.Thekeygapsandlimitationsincludecommunicationandfacilitationskills,participatoryapproachandruralproblemanalysis,businessplanandvaluechaindevelopmentandmarketing,conflictmanagement,datacollection,analysisandreporting.SimilarlymostDAsdonothavesufficienttechnicalknowledgeandskillstoprovidehands-ontraininganddemand-drivenadvisoryservices.Apartfromthese,DAslackFTCmanagerialandleadershipskillstomobilizeanduseresourcesefficientlywithactiveparticipationofthecommunity.Bottleneck3.1.6:LimitedtrainingtofarmersInmostcases,trainingtofarmersinFTCsismainlyfocusedoncropswithmajoremphasisontheoreticalconcepts,althoughrecentlychangesarebeingrealizedbothintermsofitsscopeandrangeoftrainingservices.Thetrainingalso lacks the necessary teaching aids, often one-way, poorly organized, not season-based and agro-ecologyoriented.Inaddition,trainingimpactassessmentsarenotconductedtodetermineanychangesrealizedandtakecorrectivemeasuresincaseswherechangesarenotsatisfactory.Bottleneck3.1.7:InadequateincentivesformodelfarmersTheextension systemusesmodel farmerswhohave relativelybetter resources andearly adopters to test anddisseminateimprovedtechnologiesandbestpracticesbothatFTCsandtheirownfarms.Theassumption,however,is thatsuchfarmerscan improvetheextensioncoveragebyassistingother farmerswhoareresourcepoorandresistanttousingnewinnovations.Modelfarmers,however,complainthattheyarenotcompensatedfortheirtimeandenergyinsupportingotherfarmers.Moreover,thereisalsolackofclearguidelinetoidentifyandpromotetheuseofmodelfarmersintestingnewinnovationsandsharingtheirknowledgeandskillstootherfarmers.Asaresultthereisinconsistentandirregularrewardingmechanism.

ProposedkeystrategicinterventionsIntervention3.1.1:IncreasesenseofFTCownershipbyfarmerstoimproveFTCfunctionalityandsustainability

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FTCscannotfunctioneffectivelyunlessfarmerstakeownershipandaneffectivemanagementsystemisputinplace.IncreasingasenseofownershipmayhappeniffarmersareconvincedoftheshortandlongtermbenefitsofFTCs.Clearguidelinesshouldbemadeavailablethatdescriberolesanddutiesoffarmersandotherstakeholders.Basedonsuchguideline,farmer-ledFTC-ManagementsystemshouldbeestablishedineachFTCwithdueconsiderationofwomenandyouthrepresentation.Followingthis,thecapacityofFTC-managementcommittees(MCs)needstobebuiltthroughdifferentmeanssuchasorganizingspecifictrainingsonFTCmanagement,intraandinterregionalexperiencesharingvisitsandfielddaysonaregularbasis.Whilebuildingthecapacityoffarmers,priorityshouldbegiventopracticalskillstrainingthatwillincreasetheparticipationandownershipoftheMCsinparticularandthefarmingcommunityingeneral. (Source:FieldAssessmentReport(MoA/ATA:2014)Intervention3.1.2:AllocatesufficientresourcetoFTCsFTCsneedtobefundedthrougharangeofdiversifiedsources.Governmentisexpectedtoprovideseedmoneyfora fixedperiodof time,whichhasbeenalreadyoutlined in theFTCguideline.Recently, there is agood start toallocate some amount of initial capital to be used as revolving funds for some FTCs. Similarly, in few regions,revenuesgeneratedbytheFTCsarebeingallocatedtoFTCs.However,duringthefieldvisit,itwasnoticedthatthemoneyallocatedtoFTCsandrevenuesgeneratedbytheFTCinfewregionsarenotsufficienttofullytransformFTCsto the desired levels. Communities should also be encouraged to contribute their labor and locally availablematerialsrequiredbyFTCs.SinceFTCsareanentrypointforextensionservicesandameansforruraldevelopment;donors, NGOs and private actors should also involve in providing support to FTCs through their programs andprojectswithregardstosupplyofbasicresources,inadditiontofinances.EnsuringtheprovisionofagriculturallandwhichrepresentsthefarmingsystemoftheKebelewithminimumsizeaspertheFTCguidelineisneeded.Atthesametimeeffortsmustbefocusedonimprovingresourcemanagementandutilization.Clearguidelinesonresource management and utilization should bemade available by taking the government financial rules andregulations into consideration. FTCs should be encouraged to generate their own revenues while undertakingfeasibledemonstrationstopromotetheiroperationsinasustainablemanner–althoughrevenuegenerationandprofitmakingshouldnotbetakenasamajorobjectiveforFTCs,atleastintheshortterm.

Box1:Successofafarmer-ledFTCinArsiNegele,OromiaRegionArsiNegelecanbeagoodexampleofasuccessfulfarmer-ledFTCs.ToaddresstheissueoflimitedfarmerawarenessofthebenefitsofFTCs,theWoredaranaseriesofwell-plannedeventsaimedatincreasinglocalfarmers’appreciationoftherelevanceofawell-functioningFTCFollowingthis, gender sensitiveandfarmer-ledFTCmanagement committeeswereestablished inaparticipatoryandinteractivemanner following guidelines that clearly stated the rolesanddutiesexpected from everymemberof themanagementcommittee.Thisapproachledtoanumberofimprovements:establishmentofresponsivefarmers-ledFTCmanagement,developmentofweekly FTCactionplans, introductionof context specific revenuegenerating schemesthroughsustainableloangrantingsystem,practicaltrainings(atleasttwohoursperweek)ondemoplots,andcontinuousprogresstracking,monitoringandevaluationsystems.Asaresultofthis,FTCsinArsiNegleWoredathataresupportedbytheGatesFoundationprojectandimplementedinpartnershipbyMoANR,SG-2000andOAwerefoundtobeamodelforadoptingnewtechnologiesandbestpractices.Theprojectsbenefitedabout19,000farmers.Asignificantnumberofvisitorsfromwithinandotherneighboringregions,includingtopofficialshavevisitedtheseFTCsforexperiencesharingandlearning.ThesuccesswasachievedbecauseofgoodleadershipoftheWoredaadministration,facilitationoftheWoredastaffandcapacitybuildingbyOAandSG-2000.

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Intervention3.1.3a:FurnishandequipFTCswithbasicinfrastructureandfacilitiesFTCs need to have basic infrastructure and facilities for proper functioning. The full list of facilities required isoutlinedintheFTCguideline.DAhousingandoffices;classroomswithappropriatetrainingmaterialsandfurniture;farm implements for crops and livestock production; tools required to properly manage NRM; workshops, apermanentexhibitioncenter;demonstrationplots;meteorologicalinformationcenter;andICTfacilitiesareamongthemajorones.FTCswithagoodsetoffacilitieswillimproveFTCs’performanceandattractfarmers.Inadditiontorequiredfacilities,FTCsmustbeequippedwithbasicitemstoavoidwastewithadequatelevelsofaccountabilityforthemaintenanceandsafe-keepingofthefacilitiesbuiltintothesystem.FTCsshouldbecapacitatedinaccordancewithFTCclassificationshowninTable1.ThisclassificationwillguidethetypesofresourcesrequiredtoupgradetheFTCstothenextfunctionalitylevel.

Table1:FTCclassification:minimumcriteriabyfunctionalitylevels

Basic Intermediate Advanced

• Atleast3DAs,• ModeratelyfurnishedFTC

building,• Agro-ecologybasedFTCs

anddemonstrationplot,• FTCtrainingand

demonstrationplan,• FTCmanagement

committeeand• FTCoperationalguideline.

• Activecommunitymanagementstructure,

• Adequateleveloffacilities,/equipmentinplaceforFTCtraininganddemonstrations,

• Trainingsanddemonstrationsatleastinthreethematicareas,

• FTCtrainingsefficientlylinkedtodemonstrations,

• FTCtrainingmaterials,manualsandguidelinesavailable.

• Revenuegenerationforself-sustainability,

• Activelinkagewithcooperatives,micro-financeinstitutions(MFIs),researchcentersandATVETsandfarmersinnovationsgroups,

• Availabilityofoperationalresourcecenters(connectivity,information),

• Abilitytohandlelevel1&2training.

Intervention3.1.3b:ImprovesupporttoFTCsbythelocalgovernmentExtensionmanagementbodiesatalllevelsingeneralandlocallevelgovernanceinparticular,needtoemphasizethe central role of FTCs and accordingly putmaximum efforts with regard to human and physical resourcing,capacity building and coaching to ensure the success of FTCs. At the same time, Woreda level extensionmanagementmustallowforandenhancedecentralizeddecision-makingandownershipattheFTClevels,whilealsoensuring forproper feedbackcollectionandcommunication. Support fromextensionmanagementbodiesshouldtaketheformof,amongothers,allocatingadequatebudgetfortheconstructionofFTCswheretheyarenotestablished.Inaddition,allocatingsufficientlandfordemonstration,ensuringqualityextensionserviceprovisionsintheestablishedFTCsandestablishingclosemonitoringofday-to-dayperformanceareamongsomeofthekeyrolesexpectedtobeplayedbylocalgovernment.ThemanagementteamisalsoexpectedtomobilizecommunitiesandstrengthenFTC-MCtoproperlyplaytheirroles.LocallevelgovernmentmustalsorecognizehighperformingFTCs,FTCMCs,DAs,DAsupervisorsandkebeleagriculturalofficesbyestablishingwell-organizedandstructuredrewardingsystem.Intervention3.1.4:Improvefacilities,career-pathandbetterincentivesforDAsMotivatingandretainingfrontlineextensionworkersneedtobeconsideredahighpriority.Attheminimum,basicfacilitiessuchashousing,transport,uniformsandofficematerialsmustbeprovidedtomaintaindecentworkingconditions forDAs.ProvidingDAswithsomeagricultural landforthemtoengage inagricultureusing improvedtechnologieswillenablethemtodeveloptheirpracticalskillandalsogenerateincomeandsustainablyintroducenewinnovationsandgoodpracticestothelocalcommunitiesforenhancingadoption.Inadditiontothis,incentivepackagesforDAsandDAsupervisorsshouldbedevelopedlinkedtomeasurableperformancethatcanbeadhered

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to across all regions. Incentives for good performance may include in-kinds, cash bonus, long-term training,exposurevisitsandpublicrecognition.Intervention3.1.5:BuildDAsknowledgeandskillsDAs are among themain actors of the extension system. They are expected tohave adequate knowledge andpractical skill to provide demand based advisory services. Their role is critical in creating modern farmingcommunities.Nevertheless,inorderthistohappen,capacityofthefrontlineextensionworkersneedstobebuiltonaregularbasisbytakingintoconsiderationthecriticalgapsandlimitationsontheground,government’snewplansandneeds,andcurrentgrowingdemandsforagriculturalextensionservices.Intervention3.1.6:StrengthenneedbasedandpracticaltrainingtofarmersFarmertraininginFTCsshouldfocusonthepriorityneedsandexistinggapsasidentifiedtogetherwithfarmersaswellasbytakingintoconsiderationemergingneedsofthegovernment,agro-processingandinvestors.Farmers’trainingbyDAsmustalsoadapttoadultandexperientiallearningmethodologies.Inmostcases,farmerslearnmorewhenthetrainingisprovidedinatwo-waylearningmethod,supportedwithrelevantaudio-visualsandconsiderfarmers’indigenousknowledgeandwhentheirexperiencesaresharedamongtheparticipants(BergaLemagaetal.,2013).Thefollowingprinciplesshouldguidedevelopmentanddeliveryoftraining:

• Emphasizepracticalskill:Trainingsshouldbe70%practicaland30%theory.• Adapttocircumstances:Organizetrainingsbasedonconvenienttimingtomale,femaleandyouthfarmers,

seasonalactivityandspecificagro-ecologies.• Usequalitytrainers:Usewell-qualifiedandexperiencedtrainerswhobuildfarmer’sinterestinFTCs.• Evaluateregularly:Conducttrainingmethodandrelevanceassessmentduringandafterthetraining.

Intervention3.1.7:StrengthenmodelfarmerswithgradualshifttotheusevillagepromotersModelfarmerswhohaverelativelybettereducation,experiences,andwell-knownintheirpracticesbythevillagemembersisadvisableforruraltechnologypromotors.Modelfarmerapproachwillbecontinuedwiththegradualshifttovillageleveldevelopmentpromoters.Forinstance,theexperiencefromIndiashowsthatthevillageleveldevelopmentpromoters (VLDP) areplaying an important role in technologypromotion anddissemination. Thevillage level promoters will be selected by the communities with themain purpose of strengthening farmers’learningplatformsandenhancetechnologypromotion,marketlinkage,alliancebuildingandnetworkingintheirvillages.FarmerswhoareactuallyconsideredasinnovativeandrespectedbylocalcommunitiescanbeselectedasaVLDPbasedontheirspecificexperiences,andspecialization(e.g.apiculture,apple,fatteningetc…).TheselectioncriteriaforVLDPsneedtobefurtherdevelopedandrefinedagreementsestablishedbetweenVLDPsandKebeles.CreatingeffectiveVLDPsrequiresspecialsupportandcapacitybuilding.AppropriateincentivesforVLDPsneedtobeputinplacetocompensatethemfortheirtimeandeffort.Theseincentivesshouldbebasedonclearguidelinestoensuretransparent,consistentandsustainableimplementationacrossregions.

3.2 Pillar2:Enhanceagriculturalknowledgeandinformationsystem

ObjectiveTouseeffectiveanddiversifiedcommunicationchannels(includingICT-ledextensionservicedelivery)toenhanceaccesstoknowledgeandinformationexchangeandutilizationamongbeneficiaries.

In today’s knowledge-based economy, knowledge management and information has become a key driver ofproductivity,efficiencyanddevelopment.Anorganization’smostvaluableresourceistheknowledgeofitspeople.Theextenttowhichanorganizationperformswellwilldepend,amongotherthings,onhoweffectivelyitspeoplecancreatenewknowledge,shareknowledgearoundtheorganization,andusethatknowledgetobesteffect(NHSNationalLibraryforHealth,2005).

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Effectiveknowledgemanagementenablesappropriateknowledgeandinformationtoreachsmallholderfarmersandotherpractitionersattherighttimeandintherightway.Aneffectiveknowledgemanagementandinformationcommunicationwillhelpgenerate,capture,storeanddisseminatetotheintendedusersonacontinualbasis.Accesstoinformationempowersfarmersandcreatessustainablelinkagestonetworksofserviceprovidersforimprovedservices,capacitybuildingandfinancialresources.

AsdemonstratedinFigure2,knowledgeiscreatedthroughscientific(universities,researchinstitutes,andothers)and indigenous knowledge (farmers, farmers groups, local institutions) stored through writtendocuments/publicationsandelectronicmediasuchascomputer,websiteandaudio-videoandisdisseminatedtowideraudiencesthroughradios,TVs,publications,exhibitions,mobilephonesetc.

Figure2:Creation,accumulationanddisseminationofagriculturalknowledgeusingdifferentmethods(adoptedfromUNDP,2012)

Bottleneck3.2.1:PoorutilizationofICT-basedextensionservicesUse of ICT for agricultural extension remains low in Ethiopia when compared with other Sub-Saharan Africancountries. For instance, inKenya,smallholderfarmersgettechnology-relatedadviceaswellas location-specificmarketinformationoninputsandoutputsthroughICTkiosks.Onthecontrary,inEthiopia,thereislimitedaccesstomodernagriculturalknowledgeandinformationsystemdevelopedbyresearchandHLIsresultingininsufficientlydesignedextensionpackages tomeet currentdiverse farmers’ needs. In addition, there is a looseengagementamongthesestakeholderswhichhashinderedcentralizedknowledgemanagement,disseminationandutilization.

Bottleneck3.2.2:Limitedaccesstoimproveagriculturalknowledge,informationandtechnologiesInEthiopia,thereislimitedaccesstomodernagriculturalknowledgeandinformationbyresearch,HLIsandprivatesectorstofarmersandotherstakeholders.Thishasresultedtolowuseofimprovedtechnologiesandinformationbyend-users,whichcontributedtolowagriculturalproductionandproductivitynationwide.Even if technologies are generated, they are often not available to most farmers due to lack of systematic,centralizedtechnologydevelopmentanddisseminationmechanism(Stakeholderconsultation,2012).Inparticular,strategiesandmechanismstoregisterandrelease improvedtechnologiesof livestock,mechanization, irrigationwatermanagementandNRMarelacking.Asaresult,thesupplyoftheseimprovedtechnologiesdoesnotmeetfarmers’highdemands.Moreover,theparticipationofprivatesectorandfarmerorganizationsinmultiplicationand

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disseminationofimprovedtechnologies&inputs(seeds,breeds,feeds,AI,farmtoolsetc…)areobservedtobeverylow.Inaddition,thecurrentpracticeindicatesthatfarmer’sindigenousknowledgeiswidelyusedacrossthecountry.However,priorityhasbeengiventopromoteimprovedtechnologiesandpracticesmainlygeneratedbyresearchsystem.Asaresult,theemphasisforcollection,identification,analysisanddisseminationofindigenousknowledgeisverylimited.One of the other challenges facing farmers to use agricultural technologies is associatedwith limited financialservices. Particularly, resourcepoor farmers are often excluded from financeutilizationdue to thedifficulty inmeetingstrictcriteriasuchascollateralandabureaucraticprocess.Bottleneck3.2.3:Limitedagriculturalknowledge&informationbaseforurbanandperi-urbancommunitiesManycountriesintheworldbenefitsignificantlyfromurbanandperi-urbanagricultureforfood&nutritionsecurityand incomegeneration. Italsoprovidesemploymentopportunities,especially foryouthandwomen. InEthiopia,although,urbanandperi-urbanagricultureisbeingpracticed,itismostlytraditionalandnotsupportedbyextensionsystemtoaccessimprovedtechnologiesandinformationtailoredtourbanandperi-urban.Theperi-urbanagricultureismostlypracticedincloseproximitytoindustrialwasteorpollutedriversresultinginproductswithheavymetals.Thishasnegativelyaffectedhumanhealthandincomesoffarmersengagedinurbanandperi-urbanagriculture.Thisismainlydueto lackofaclear institutionalarrangementand limitedextensionservicesthatpotentially linkperi-urbanagriculturewithagroindustries.Bottleneck3.2.4:InadequateconsiderationtofarmersneedsinresearchagendasettingandextensionpackagedevelopmentAlthoughrecentlymuchhasbeenimproved,theprocessforthetechnologygenerationandresearchagendasettingisdonewithalimitedparticipationoffarmersandassessmentofexistingproblemsandpriorityinterests.Asaresultof this, often there is complaint that technologies by research do not adequately consider farmers’ demands invariouslocationsandagro-ecologies.Theresearchfindingsareoftenverifiedonverylimitedfarmers’plotswithoutdemonstratingtheminwideragro-ecologiesandsocio-economicstructures.Whensuchtypesoftechnologiesareintroducedoverwideareaswithdiversified,complexandriskssituations,thetechnologiesbecomeunsuitableandleading to littleor no adoption. Thepoor linkagebetween research, extension and farmershas exacerbated theproblems.Moreover,theextensionpackagesaredesignedoftenwithouttakingintoconsiderationfarmers’heterogeneityandtheirpriorityneeds,agro-ecologies,education,gender(male,femaleandyouth),socioeconomicstatus,andtypeoffarming.While the extension service is decentralized, higher-level extension support organizations (Federal andRegionallevels)havelimitedcapacitytoalignextensionpackageswithlocalfarmersneedsinthedifferentregionstooffercustom-tailoredpackages.Asdescribedabove,mostextensionworkersalsolacktherequiredtechnicalskillforthepreparationofextensionmessages/packagesthataretailoredtofarmers.Besides,theuniqueneedsofmodelfarmersandout-growersremainunaddressed.ThevastmajorityofthefarmersinEthiopia,regardlessoftheirbeingpastoralists,agro-pastoralistsorsedentary,areinvolvedinlivestockproduction.Livestockinfluencesthelivelihoodoffarmersdirectlyasdraughtanimalsandsourceofproductssuchasmilk,meatandotherproducts;andbyproductssuchashidesandskinaswell indirectlyasasourceofmanure forbetter cropproduction.Despiteall these, there is limitedactivity focusedon livestockandextensionpackages. Bottleneck3.2.5:LimitedaccesstoknowledgeandinformationonagriculturalriskmanagementFarminginEthiopianisexposedtovariousriskssuchasweatherandclimate,prices,crops/livestockdiseasesandpests, conflictsetc…allof themcontributing toaffecting the livelihoodsof smallholder farmers.Asknown, the

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sector isdominatedbysmallholderfarmers,whohave limitedaccessto informationrelatedtoagriculturalrisksmanagement.Moreover,agriculture inEthiopia ispredominantly rain fedwhichmakes itdirectlyvulnerable toweatherandclimate relatedhazardsandalsoprovide little flexibility foradjustment tocopeupwithother riskfactors.Theagriculturalextensionserviceofthecountryisalsoidentifiedtolackeffectivemechanismfortimelysharing of knowledge and information related to agricultural risk management system to enable the localcommunitiestotakeappropriatedecisionandremedialactionontimetoadjusttheiragriculturalactivitieswiththeongoing changes. As a result, smallholder farmers cannot get timely and tailored-made agricultural riskmanagementinformationtoputinplaceappropriateriskmitigationmechanismtoreducetheimpactofagriculturalrisks.

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionsIntervention3.2.1:PromotionofDigitalized&ICT-basedextensioncommunicationsystemHavingtherightmessage,therightaudience,andtherightproductsmaynotachievetheintendedresultsunlesstheyaredeliveredthroughappropriatechannels.InEthiopiainformationreachesfarmersmainlythroughindirect(radio&TV)anddirectverbalcommunicationchannelswhichincludetraining,meetings,conferencesandsocialgatherings,followedbylearningthroughdirectobservation.Theeffectivenessofthesechannelscanbeenhancedbyenablingfarmerstohaveaccesstonewinformationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICTs).ICTsareanefficientandscalablewayofgettinginformationtofarmersinanengagingform–forexample,“DigitalGreenvideobasedapproach” is a technology platformwhere farmers themselves demonstrate best agricultural practices to theirfellowfarmersthroughvideosandrespondtoeachother’squestions.Thefollowinginterventionswillhelpdiversifytheextensionmessagecommunicationchannelstoeffectivelyreachfarmersindiversesocialclasses(gender,wealth,age,etc.)andagro-ecologies.

• EstablishICT-kiosks:Improvetechnology-relatedadvice,aswellaslocation-specificmarketinformationoninputsandoutputsthroughICTkioskslinkingFederalsystemsdowntoKebeles/FTCs.

• Establishdataandperformancemanagementsystem:OnlineandofflineapplicationusingtheICTtoolstoeasilyconnectandfacilitatecollaborationamongthevariousagriculturaldevelopmentactors.

• PromoteICT-basedtechnologypromotionanddissemination:UsingdifferentICTslikemobilephones,IVR-8028, video-based approach, farm radio, TVs etc. Build institutional capacity of agricultural extensionprovidersinICTapplicationforexampleWoreda-net,school-net,agri-net,textmessageviasmartphones,callcenterservicesandvideosupportedteachingaidsetc. Inaddition,developmentofonlineextensionportal that link education, research, and extension organizations and ensure availability of up-to-dateinformationtoextensionworkers/SMSsareessentiallyimportant.

• Knowledgeresourcecenters:EstablishknowledgeresourcecentersatWoreda level toofferup-to-dateinformationforextensionworkers,subjectmatterspecialists(SMSs)andfarmersarealsoneeded.Similarly,useofinternetanddatabaseinknowledgecenterlikeFTCswillbestrengthened.

• Useofsocialmedia:Socialmediahavegreatroleinagriculturalknowledgeandinformationdisseminationamongexpertsandfarmers.Therefore,useofdifferentsocialmediasuchasFacebook,Twitter,LinkedIn,andWhatsApp’s,willbepromotedandusedasneeded.

Box2:SuccessstoryonIVR-8028

The IVR 8028 hotline service was created by the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) incollaborationwithMoANRtoplacetheextensioninformationormessagesonatechnologyplatformthatcanbeaccessedbyfarmersatanytime.Thehotlinebeganitsservicesinthefourmajorregions(intheirrespectiveregionallanguages)inmid-2014.Withinafewmonths,thehotlinereceived1.5millionphonecallsfrom300,000registeredcallers,providing themananswer tomajor issuesfarmersareencounteredasaproblem intheiragricultural activities. This example demonstrates the need for improved, technology-based informationchannelsbyfarmers.

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Intervention3.2.2a:StrengthenfarmersgroupbasedextensionservicesFarmers’groupscanbeusedasplatformsforpromotionofagriculturalextensionservices.Extensiondeliverywillbeeasierwhenfarmersareorganizedingroups.Ithelpstoreachlargenumberoffarmerswithminimumcost,lessmanpower and timewhen compared to individual communicationmethod. It also provides an opportunity forfarmers towork together to resolve their common problems and build their confidence through peer-to-peerlearning.Whilethecapacityofthegroupsisstrengthened,ithasanimpactonthelivelihoodofindividualmembersandtheirfamiliesthroughaccessingbetterextensionservices,technologiesandharnessingjointlearning.Farmers’groupsarealsovaluableinstitutionstoaccessresourcessuchascredit,laborandinformationbecauseofeconomiesofscale,andenablefarmerstoforgestablerelationshipswithsuppliersandreliablemarkets.Currently,effortsareunderwaytoprovideextensionservicesthroughgroupapproachessuchasfarmerdevelopmentgroups,farmers’innovation groups, Farmers’ Field Schools (FFS), farmers’ common interest groups, farmers’ researchextensiongroups,withthebasicprincipleofenhancingsocialnetworksandfarmerlearninginextensionsystem.Therefore,thefollowingmeasuresneedtobetakentofurtherenhancetheuseoffarmersgroupforextensionservicedelivery.First,thereisaneedtopromoterealparticipationoffarmersintheprocessofgroupformationanddevelopment.Second,farmersshouldbeorganizedbasedontheircommoninterest.Third,buildthecapacityoftheextensionstaffongroupdynamicsandfacilitationskillstoeffectivelysupportfarmergroupsachievetheirmajorobjectives.Fourth,reviewandupdateguidelinesforcomprehensiveandinclusivefarmers’groupformation.Farmerscanbeorganizedatthevillage level toenhancefarmer-to-farmer learning,toassistDAs,andcontributetoreach largenumberoffarmers.

Intervention 3.2.2b: Strengthen agricultural knowledgemanagementwithin the extension system at variouslevels

AsillustratedinFigure3,knowledgemanagementisaprocessthatincludesknowledgecreation,identification&capture,storage,sharing,learninganditsutilization.Knowledgeisdevelopedthroughexperimentation,adaptation,confrontationandotherlearningsettingswhichresultinknowledgeproducts.Inknowledge management, farmers, researchers, extension agents,policymakers, and others are considered key actors in influencing theknowledgeprocessanditsultimateutilization.Forthecircularflowof knowledge management to happen, both knowledge that issufficiently better than the existing knowledge and means fortransmitting it must be available. In knowledge management, thesynchronization of scientific knowledge with indigenous knowledge iscritical for reinforcing and developing applicable and re-refinedknowledge.

To improve the effectiveness of agricultural knowledge, it is essential to develop a mechanism that generates,captures, disseminates knowledge and information through the use of effective processes and institutionalarrangements as well as effective utilization of information and communication technology (ICT). This strategyintendstoenabletheintegrationoftraditionalortacitknowledgeoffarmerswithmodernknowledge(generatedfrom research, universities and extension), and to further enhance the utilization of knowledge disseminated tosmallholderfarmers.Hence,thefollowingkeyinterventionsareproposed.

• Strengthen/establish vibrant synergies for knowledge management and networking among keydevelopmentactors.

Figure 3: Knowledge management process(adoptedfromCongetal.,2007)

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• Use information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate rapid, efficient and cost effectiveknowledgemanagement.TheexperiencesofmostcountriesindicatethatrapiddevelopmentofICT,whichfacilitates the flowof informationhas tremendouslyenhanced theknowledgemanagementpractice inagriculture(e.g.eChoupalandM-KrishiinitiativesinIndia,M-FarmlimitedinKenya,etc.).

• StrengthenandbetternetworkFTCs tobeusedasa sourceofagriculturalknowledgeand informationexchangeamongresearchers,extensionworkers,andfarmersandalsoasaninputforpolicy.

• Establish working online and offline platforms using the ICT tools to easily connect and facilitatecollaboration among the various agricultural development actors (including extension workers,researchers,etc.).

• Involvemale and female farmers in the knowledgemanagementprocess and generate knowledge in aparticipatoryprocesstoincreasethechancesofitsadoption.Thisalsoenablestheintegrationofindigenousknowledge of farmerswith recent research findings and further enhances the utilization of knowledgedisseminatedtosmallholderfarmers.

Intervention 3.2.3: Enhance agricultural knowledge & information provision for urban and peri-urbancommunitiesDespiteurbanandperi-urbanfarmingcommunitiesbeingneartotowns,theydon’thaveanaccessforagriculturalknowledgeandinformation.Thus,thefollowingmeasuresneedtobeundertaken.(1)establishsustainableandanenabling institutional platforms, (2) develop pragmatic urban and peri-urban extension service delivery, (3)appropriatetechnologiesshouldbeidentified,andmadeaccessibletousersincludingyouthandwomeninurbanand peri-urban, (4) develop environmental safety and appropriate quality standard mechanisms that can beregulatedandpracticed,(5)providenecessarytrainingthatfitstourbanandperi-urbancommunities,and(6)createandfacilitateinputandoutputmarketlinkageinasustainablemanner.Intervention3.2.4a:Enhanceparticipatorytechnologydevelopment,verificationanddisseminationLow farmersparticipation in technologydevelopment, and thenotion that “experts knowbest” for farmers, hasresultedinlowadoptionofnewtechnologies.Increasingparticipationmaybeachievedby:

• Promotefarmer-focusedresearchagendadevelopment:Adaptingtheresearchagendatoreflect farmers’needsthroughimprovingtheirparticipationfromproblemidentificationuptoplanningtomonitoringandevaluation.Thiscanbeaffectedthroughdevelopingfarmers,voicesdiagnosticfeedbacktoolsandtechnologytrackingtoolsthatclearlyshowtheprosandconsofeachspecifictechnologyunderfarmers’conditions.

• Promote active participation of different stakeholders: Build the capacity of farmers on concept ofparticipatory technology development, verification, and dissemination in collaboration with research,extensionandotheractors.

• Establishworkingandsustainableplatformsamongkeyactors:Establishandstrengthenannualplatformstodebate the benefits and challenges of improved technologies taking farmers, women and youth intoconsideration.

• Promote agro-ecology and cluster-based technology development and dissemination: Newtechnologies/innovationsshouldbepromotedanddisseminatedwithindifferentagro-ecologiesandfarmingconditions to enhance their adoption. Technologies should be integrated with the existing indigenousknowledgeandfarmingpracticesthroughon-farmtrailsanddemonstrations.Farmersneedtobeconvincedabouttheeffectivenessofnewagriculturaltechnologiesiftheyaretomakeuseofthem(Bergaetal.,2013).

• Promote indigenous knowledge: The research and extension system need to take into considerationindigenousknowledgeintechnologygenerationandextensionadvisoryservicestobeprovided.Therefore,collection,identification,analysis,validation,documentationanddisseminationofindigenousknowledgeisveryimportant.

Intervention3.2.4b:Prepareandprovidediverseandclient-tailoredextensionpackages&advisoryservicesIn order to provide diverse and client-oriented extension packages and advisory services, the followinginterventionsareproposed.

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• Identifyandmapouttargetaudiencesandtheirspecificdemandsandmarketneeds. • Identifytheavailabletechnologieswithregardtocrops,livestock,NRMandothercross-cuttingissuesand

makesurethatthetechnologiesareup-to-dateanddemandedbyfarmers.• Developthecontentofthemessagethroughparticipatoryandinteractiveapproacheswithmodelfarmers

andprofessionalsfromresearchandotherinstitutionstoensurethepackagesaredemanddriven.Contentcanbedeliveredinaudio,visualandwrittenformatstoreachfarmerswithvaryinglevelsofeducationandliteracy.

• Prepareextensionmessagesandnecessaryguidelines lookingthroughthegender lenses to incorporaterelevant messages in a clear language. Consulting with male, female and youth farmers are stronglyrecommended.

• Selectappropriatechannelswithdueconsiderationofaudiencesandmessagestobeaddressed.• Build the capacity of farmers and frontlineworkerswith clear training framework in consultationwith

farmers.Thetrainingmustbepracticalaccompaniedbyfieldvisitsandexcursions.• Conduct an assessment on the relevance of trainings and technologies on a regular basis and improve

accordingly.

In addition, thepreparationof client-tailored extensionpackages and theprovisionof advisory services requireseffectivecapacitydevelopmentforextensionstaffatvariouslevels.Tostrengthentheabilityofextensionworkerstomaketheextensionpackagetailormade,thefollowingshouldbeconsidered.

• Technicalcapacityimprovement:Buildingthetechnicalcapacityoffrontlineextensionworkersonextensionmessageplanningandcontentdevelopmentwithafocusonthematicareasofcrop,livestock,postharvestandagro-processing,cooperatives,marketing,genderandenvironment.

• Better use of technology: Facilitating access to improved technologies and best practices on differentcommoditiesthroughbothsoftandhardwarecombinations.

• Install infrastructure and audio-visual facilities: It is necessary to install infrastructure and audio-visualfacilitiesatresourcecentersatFederal,regional,andWoredalevels.Thesewillincludeaudio-visualfacilities,computers,projectors,TVsandothers.

Intervention3.2.5:EnhancethedevelopmentofinformationsystemsforagriculturalriskmanagementKnowledgeand informationmanagement related toagricultural risk iscritically important toprovideandsharetimelyinformationandknowledgerelatedtoagriculturalriskmanagement(ARM)toallkeystakeholders(includingfarming communities). This enables them to reduce the impacts of agricultural risks to improve agriculturalproductivity,andtocontributetothereductionofvulnerabilityandfoodinsecurityinthecountry.Thefocuswillbe on mainstreaming of agricultural risk management issues into all agricultural sectors. Planning andimplementationofARMatalllevelswillhelptoimproveresilienceoffarmers’toriskfactorsoncreatingknowledge-basedpartnershipsandsystemsforinformationexchangeamongtraininginstitutions,extensionservicesandotherpublicorprivateorganizations.Thetargetedinformationareaswill includemarket,cropandlivestockinsuranceservices,weather,production,diseasesandavailableriskmanagementtechniquesandtools.ItwillfacilitatetheimplementationofARMat an all institutional levels,while also allowing for abroaderoutreach to smallholderfarmersthrougheffectiveinformationexchangeatvariouslevels.UseofICTsneedtobepromotedforagriculturalriskinformationcommunicationandadvisoryprovisionforagriculturalriskmanagement.

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3.3 Pillar3:Enhanceclientorientedandmultiactor’sadvisoryextensionservices

ObjectiveTomaketheextensionservicesdiverse,client-orientedandreachdifferentcategoriesof farmersthroughimprovingtheinvolvementofdifferentactorsengagedinagriculturaldevelopment

An effective agricultural extension systemneeds to use broad range of actors to providemarket-oriented anddemanddrivenextensionservicestoimprovethelivelihoodsoffarmingcommunities.Thus,thispillardiscussesthebottlenecks related to the provision of extension services by different service providers and its correspondinginterventionstoovercomethechallenges.Bottleneck3.3.1:LimitedinvolvementofdifferentstakeholdersintheprovisionofextensionadvisoryservicesEthiopiaisacountrywithawiderangeofagro-ecologies,extendingfromWurch(mostlyhigherthan3700masl)toBereha (less than 500 masl). Recently, 33 agro-ecologies have been identified in the country. The farmingcommunitieswithin these agro-ecologies canbe categorized as farmers, agro-pastoralists andpastoralistswithdifferent capacities, needs and priority interests. Hence, the extension services to be provided to these localcommunitiesshouldnotbeoneandthesame.Farmersalsovarywiththefarmingsystem,socio-economicsetups,opportunities and challenges facing agricultural development in their respective locations. These call forinvolvementofanarrayofactorstoaddressspecificrequirements.Inspiteofitsgreatimportance,theimplementationofeffectivepluralisticextensionapproachinEthiopia,however,isatitsinfantstage.Itislargelybecauseoflimitedcapacityandknowledgeoftheserviceproviders,moreskeweddesiretoprofitmakingthantoqualityservices.Moreover,unaffordabilitybyfarmersforprivateextensionservices,limitedspaceandsupportbythegovernmentandpoorcommunicationandcoordinationamongthepublicandprivateextensionserviceprovidershinderedtheparticipationofmulti-actorsintheprovisionofextensionservices.Bottleneck3.3.2:LowcooperationandcollaborationbetweenpublicandNGOsinextensionservicesprovisionInEthiopia,thereareanumberofNGO’sengagedinconductingdifferentprogramsandprojectsindifferentpartsofthecountrytosupporttheongoingpublicextensionservices.Tomentionfewofthem,SG-2000,OA,SNV,ASE,iDE,DigitalGreen,CARE-Ethiopia,SavetheChildren,WorldVision,Farm-Africa,MEDA,MenschenforMenschenandCCRDA.Eventhough,theircontributionisrealized,thealignmentoftheirserviceswithgovernmentextensionservicesisfoundtobeweak.Somekeyreasonsforthisinclude:

• Althoughthereissomeimprovements,MoANRhasnotbeenplayingthecoordinationroleasexpectedspecially in informingandupdating theNGO’songovernmentpolicies, strategiesanddirections forcooperationandcollaborationinagriculturalextension.

• Lackof transparencybysomeNGOs in termsof their strategies,approaches,andbudgetutilizationresultinginlowcommunicationandinadequateworkingrelationship.

• Inadequate/monitoringofNGOprogramsat thegrassroots levels and less recognitionbyextensioncoordinationagenciesonthecontributionoftheNGOs.

Bottleneck3.3.3:Poor involvementof cooperativesandotherprivate-sectors /agro-processing companies/ inextensionservicedeliveryCurrentlyagriculturalcooperativesinEthiopiaaremainlyengagedwiththeprovisionofinputs(fertilizersandagro-chemical), and in rare cases providemarkets information to theirmembers. However, their involvement in theprovisionofothercomplementaryservicessuchasfarmimplements,facilitatingcreditservices,deliveryofup-to-datepriceandmarketinformationareobservedtobeatitsinfantstage.Ingeneral,theirinvolvementintheprovision

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of complementary agricultural advisory service is identified tobemeager although currently this has beenquiteimprovingespeciallybyMeki-batuCooperativeUnioninOromiaRegion(box3).Similarly,therearemanyagro-processingcompaniesandprivateinputsuppliersthatprovideextensionservicestofarmers.Nevertheless, their efforts to create collaborationand integrationwith theother actors engagedwithsimilar business are said tobe very lowdue to their limited capacity, experiences, lackof clear regulation andguidelines.

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionsIntervention3.3.1:StrengthenpluralisticagriculturalextensionadvisoryservicesIn thepast,several initiativeshavebeentakenbythegovernment,developmentpartners,andcivil societies todiversifyextensionservicesandincreasethecoverageandqualityofservices.Pluralisticextensionservicesinthisstrategyreferstotheprovisionofextensionadvisoryservicesbypublicextensionservice,producercooperative&unions,processingandtradingenterprises,NGOs,privateextensionserviceproviders,inputsuppliers,universitiesandtheresearchsystem.Foreffectivepluralisticextensionserviceprovision, theaforementionedactorshave toworkhand inhand.Thegovernment has to lead the effortwith a gradual shift to coordination, facilitation and provision of regulatoryservicesbyleavingmostofroutineextensionactivitiestothem.Tostrengthenpluralisticextensionservices,thefollowingactionsaresuggested.

• Createalignmentbetweenpublicandotheragriculturalextensionactors:Thisiscriticaltobringaboutaconcertedeffortthatwillensureknowledgeandinformationsharing,improvequalityandcoverageofextensionservices.Moreover,effectivealignmentandcoordinationavoidsunnecessaryduplicationofefforts,wastageofresourcesandboostoutcomes.

• Developanenablingenvironmentforprivateextensionproviders:Privateextensionprovidersplayanimportant role in increasing farmers reach and addressing gaps in extension services provision. Tomaximizetheircontribution, it is importanttoanalyzethechallengesfacedbytheprivateextensionprovidersandtheextentoftheircurrentcontributionstoEthiopia’sagriculture.Thegovernmenthastoputinplaceanenablingpolicy,guidelinesanddirectivesthatclearlyinformtheirrolesviacapacitybuilding,provisionofcreditfacilitiesandsupportinthedevelopmentofnecessaryinfrastructure.Asaresult of their full capacity, it is indispensable to ensure that the services of the private sector areacceptableandaffordabletosignificantnumberoffarmers.

• Guideline development: The government is expected to develop a clear guideline on pluralisticextensionservices.Theguidelineshouldclearlyoutlinetherolesanddutiestobeplayedbyeachserviceprovidersandalsoput inplaceaccountabilitymeasures. In thisprocess,asmentionedabove,apartfrom the development of the guideline the government is expected to play role in coordination,technicalsupervisionandqualitycontrol.Tomaterializethis,inadvance,mappingofprivateextensionservicesprovidersneedtobeconductedthroughtheengagementoftargetcommunities.Thishelpstoensurethatthedemandrequiredisadequatelyaddressed,serviceprovidersareaccountable,qualityismaintained,andlessonslearnedandsharedamongtheserviceproviders.

Intervention3.3.2:Strengthenthecoordinationbetweenpublic&NGO’sextensionservicesThecurrentincreasingdemandsfromfarmersonagriculturalextensionservicesrequiresthealignmentbetweenpublicandNGO’s.Thisalignmentcanberealizedthroughestablishingannualjointplanning,monitoring,learning,andevaluation,experiencesharingthroughworkshops,trainingsandjointfieldvisitsinacosteffectivemanner.Inaddition,puttinginplaceeffectiveregulatorysystemandstrategicframeworkforNGO’sextensionservicesthroughdevelopingextensiongovernancestructurearecritically important.Thiscoordinationandcollaborationshallbecarried out at different levels through the creation of fertile grounds for the involvement of various extension

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serviceproviderstomanagethedemandsarisingfromdifferentsocialclasseswithindifferentagro-ecologiesandfarming systems. In addition, installation of effective regulatory system and strategic framework for NGO’sextensionservicesthroughdevelopingextensiongovernancestructureiscriticallyimportant.Intervention3.3.3a:Enhancecooperative-basedextensionadvisoryservicesIn Ethiopia, about 40,000 cooperatives havebeen identified to exist ofwhich 25%of themare reported tobeagriculturalcooperatives(ATA,2012).AstudyconductedbyQuinones(2010)clearlyindicatedtheimportanceofcooperativesinagriculturalextensionserviceprovision.Cooperativescanprovidespecializedextensionservicesbyemployingextensionagentsand/orcontractingextensionserviceproviderstomaximizetheirexpectedoutputstotheirmembersboth in termsof improving thequantity andqualityof theirproduce/products. Toachieve this,farmer’s cooperatives need to get necessary capacity building support in all aspects including, governance,leadership,andvaluechaindevelopmentandengagedtoprovideneedbasedandmarketdrivenextensionservicestofarmers.Intervention3.3.3b:Improvingtheroleofagro-processingandinputsupplycompaniesinextensionservicesCurrently there are around 455 agro-processing companies (http://www.ethiopianchamber.om/Data/Sites/1/downloadables/lm-scale-agro-processing-manufacturing-industries-in-ethiopia.pdf)engagedinprocessingagriculturalproductssuchascoffee,livestockproducts(skinsandhides,leather,liveanimalsandmeat),oilseeds,pulses,fruits,vegetablesandflowers,textiles,naturalgum,spicesandmineralproductsthataretradedinnationalandinternationalmarkets(http://www.ethiopia.gov.et/investmentopportunities).Thesecompaniesareprimarilydependentonlocalrawmaterialstobeproducedbysmallholderfarmers.Thus, agro-processing industries and companies need to provide information related to quality requirements,volume and standards of products to ensure its supply at the right time on sustainable basis. To realize this,processing companies need to be encouraged and supported to work and linked with the regular extensioninstitutions,farmers’groups,andcooperativesthroughvariousmeanssuchasbyestablishingcontractfarming,outgrowers’ schemes and conducting training programs. Similarly, input supply companies need to promote theirproductsthroughestablishingstronglinkagewithkeystakeholdersandundertakingoffieldleveldemonstration,popularizationtocreatemassivedemandsamongfarmers.

Box3.:SuccessStoryofMeki-batuCooperativeUniononextensionservicedelivery

Meki-BatuVegetables&FruitsGrowers’CooperativeUnionwasestablishedwiththeparticipationof12primaryirrigationwaterusers’associationsinMay1994withaninitialcapitalofaroundETB600,000.Themainpurposewastohaveacollectiveforceintheproductionanddistributionofmajorhorticulturalcropsandmeettheircommoneconomicandsocialneeds.Theunionhas institutionalized its operations and relations with development partners, research centers, Oromia Seed Enterprise,AgriculturalOffice,CooperativesandTradeOfficesatall levels.Thenumberofmemberprimarycooperativeshas increasedfrom12to150andtotalirrigablelandexpandedfrom400hato3000ha.

BasedontheinformationfromtheCooperativemanagementin2014,theassociationhasacapitalofaroundETB50m.Membershaveinvestedinvariousequipmentandtoolssuchasirrigationmotorpumps,constructedbio-gasstructuresandareinvolvedindifferentinvestmentactivities.Theunionconstructedtwomodernandstandardstoresandvegetablespackinghousefortheinternationalmarket(Europe,SaudiArabiaandDjibouti).Membershaveaccesstocredit,inputandtrainingservices.

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3.4 Pillar4:Facilitatemarketlinkageandenhancevaluechainsdevelopment

ObjectiveTotransformsubsistencefarmingtocommercializedfarmingsystemthroughtheimplementationofvaluechainapproachthatpromotemarket-orientedextensionservicesinvariousagro-ecologies.

Currentextensionservicestypicallyfocusonpromotionofimprovedtechnologiesandgoodagriculturalpracticesto increase production and productivity of farmers without giving due consideration to value addition andmarketing.However, increasingproductiondoesnotnecessarily reward farmerswithbetter incomeunless it isembeddedinaholisticvaluechainthatissustainablylinkedtomarkets.Avaluechaincanbedefinedasthefullrangeofactivities thatare required tobringaproductor service fromconception, throughdifferentphasesofproduction(involvingacombinationofphysicaltransformationandtheinputofvariousproducerservices)deliverytofinalcustomersanddisposalafteruse(KaplinskyandMorris,2002).Avaluechainbringstogetherallkeyplayerscollaboratingverticallyandhorizontally to increase returnon investment inagriculturealong theproduction toconsumption continuum. The agricultural value chain framework is increasingly used by development projectsand/orprograms that intend toengage smallholders individuallyor collectively in theproductionofhigh valuecommodities (Gebremedhin,etal., 2012). Promotionof value chain-basedextension serviceshas faced severalbottlenecksinEthiopia.Bottleneck3.4.1:Insufficientunderstandingofmarket-orientedproductionsystemMarket-orientedproductionsystemhasitsownuniqueactivitieswhichneedtobeknownandwellimplementedbyalltechnicalstaffandotherdevelopmentactorsatvariouslevelsfortheprovisionofeffectivemarket-orientedextension services. The concept of market-oriented production system has been introduced to the Ethiopianagriculturalextensionsystemsincealongtimeago.However,itspracticalimplementationhasbeenchallengedbythelimitedcapacityoftechnicalstaff,insufficientawarenessonmarketorientedextensionservicesatvariouslevels,andpoorinfrastructurefortheprovisionofeffectivemarketinformation.Bottleneck3.4.2:LimitedfocusonstrategiccommoditiesintheextensionservicesAlthoughtherehasbeenadesiretochangesubsistencetocommercialfarming,therehavenotbeenappropriateapproachestoselectandpromotethemostimportantstrategiccommodities/valuechainsintheextensionsystem.Theefforts largelyfocusedonproducingsurplusfoodcropsthroughimprovedproductivitywithoutcreatingtherequired link tomarkets. Effective value chain development andmarket linkages require a concerted effort ofdifferentactorssuchasinputsuppliers,producers,traders,transporters,processors,andconsumersthatneedsthesupportoftheextensionservice.Eachoftheseactorshasworkedindependentlyandoftentimesinacompetitiveratherthanacomplementaryspritthatmadefarmerstheeventualvictims.Bottleneck3.4.3:LimitedknowledgeandskillsofextensionstafftofacilitatevaluechaindevelopmentFrontlineextensionstaffusuallyfocusonpromotingtheuseof improvedtechnologiesandpracticestoincreaseproductionandproductivitythroughvariousextensioncommunicationmethods likedemonstrations, fielddays,groupmeetingsandthroughonfarmandhomevisits.This ispartlyduetotheir trainingorientationtopushingtechnologiesthanbeingmarket-oriented.Inaddition,theyhaveverylimitedknowledgeandskillsonconceptsofvaluechaindevelopment,marketingandmarketingfunctionsandfacilitationskillstobuildbusinessesandcreatebusiness relations among themarket actors. Because of these gap, the provision of extension service remainsproductionfocused.Bottleneck3.4.4:IneffectivelinkageamongvaluechainactorsPoorlinkagesandlackoftrustamongvalue-chainactorsincludinginputsuppliers,producers,processingfirmsandexporters and other supporters undermine development of a value chain approach. Agricultural DevelopmentPartners’LinkageAdvisoryCouncils(ADPLAC)wasestablishedtoimprovethelinkageandcollaborationsamongthestakeholdersintheextensionservice.However,itisobservedthatthisapproachhasnotbeenfunctioningwelland

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hasnotfocusedonspecificvaluechaincommoditiesasameansofsolvingstrategicproblemsalongthevaluechain,frominputsupplytoconsumption.ThishasbeeninpartdrivenbypoorparticipationofprivateactorsintheADPLACforums.Bottleneck3.4.5:LimitedaccesstomarketinformationandcollectivemarketingFarmersneeddifferentkindsofinformationtomakeinformeddecisionsontheiragriculturalactivitiesandproducttypes.Farmershaveinformationonincreasingthequantityofaproduct,butnotonthequalityrequirementsofconsumers,processingfirmsandexportmarkets,whichismainlycausedbyinadequatevaluechainapproach.Thereisalsopoorcoordinationamongtheconcernedinstitutionsandofficesintheprovisionofmarketinformation.Thisleads to theproductionof lowqualityproductsand lowprices,andhence lowbenefits to farmers. Moreover,mostlyfarmersselltheirproductsindividuallyatthespotandfarmgatemarketwhichlimitstheirbargainingpoweranddecreaseprofitmargin.

Keyproposedstrategicinterventions

Intervention:3.4.1:Buildthecapacityofthetechnicalstaffatvariouslevelstoprovidemarket-orientedextensionservicesToimplementeffectivemarket-orientedextensionservicesinasuccessfulway,itisimportantforthetechnicalstaffatvariouslevelstohavebasicknowledgeonthebasicprinciplesofagriculturalmarket,marketingandagribusiness,amongothers.Thiswillenabletheextensionpersonneltoeffectivelydischargetheirresponsibilitiestodeliverandpromotemarket-oriented agricultural extension services. It is therefore imperative to organize and implementnationallevelmarketorientedextensioncapacitybuildingprogramsfortechnicalstaffatvariouslevels.ThisneedstobeaugmentedbyincorporatingvaluechainandmarketingcoursesinATVETstrainingandundertakingregularworkshops at various levels to create the necessary awareness. In market oriented extension approach, theextensionstaffareexpectedtoplaythefollowingrolesandresponsibilities.

• Provide specialized and focused training and advisory services on selected agriculturalcommodities/value chains, includingpre- andpost-harvesthandlingandmarket access toDAsandotherextensionworkersworkingonvaluechain.

• Assistfarmerstoaccessmarketinformationincluding prices, quality requirements ofmarkets,etc.Thiswillbeachievedthroughmotivatingandsupportingtheprivateagro-processingindustriesandinputsupplierstoworkwiththepublicextension.

• Facilitate formationof farmersgroupsanddevelopment on the basis of value chainsfor group learning, value addition andcollectivemarketing.Thecommoditybasedfarmers groups will be linked tocooperatives, processing enterprises andagro dealers to access inputs, informationon quality requirements, advisory andtrainingservices.

• Facilitatelinkagesamongthevariousoperatorsandotherstakeholderswhoareinvolvedinselectedvaluechains.

• Provideadvisoryservicesandtrainings tosmallholder farmers tobecomevaluechainandbusiness-oriented.

• Ensureenablingenvironmentformarketactorstodevelopconcretebusiness-to-businessrelationships.•

Box4:SuccessstoryonPrivateprocesserasextensionserviceproviderPrevious reviews have shown that there were few extensionexperiences made to link producers to processing firms. AsindicatedintheextensionassessmentreportofSNV(SNV,2013),DashenMaltFactorylocatedinGondartownhasstartedworkingwiththepublicextensionstafftopromotemaltbarelyproductionin Woredas that have good potential for its production. Thefactoryparticipatedinextensionservicesthroughtheprovisionoftrainingsandinformationtofarmersandextensionworkersonquality standards and requirements of the factory and thenecessarypackagestobefollowed. Inaddition, the factoryhasassistedfarmerstoaccessimprovedqualityseedandtofacilitatecollective marketing by creating linkages with farmers’cooperativesandunions.

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Intervention:3.4.2:PromoteValueChain-BasedExtensionServicesTo move from production focus to sustainable market-oriented extension services, a value chain extensionapproach that focusseson selected strategic commodities indifferent agro-ecologiesor geographies shouldbeadopted as a strategy. This enables to provide effective and efficient extension service on specific strategiccommodities/valuechainsrelatedtoproductivity,marketqualityrequirementsandfacilitationofmarketlinkages.Valuechaincommoditiescouldbe identifiedonthebasisofthe importancetotheeconomyinaddressingfoodsecurityandpovertyreduction,localandexportmarketdemand,increaseincome,competitiveness,etc.Intervention:3.4.3:EnhanceCapacityDevelopmentoftheactorsAdoptingavaluechaindevelopmentapproachrequiresashiftfromproductionfocustovalue-chainfocusthroughchangingtheorientationandcapacityof theextensionstaffandotheractorsatall levels.Someofthecapacitybuildinginterventionstobeconsideredare:

• Revisitingtheinstitutionalarrangementandgapsofthepublicextensionandresearchinstitutionstobeabletoprovideacoordinatedsupporttoselectedvaluechaincommodities.

• Inclusionofvaluechaindevelopmentandagriculturalmarketingsubjects inthecurriculaofATVETsandHLIs.

• Provision of in-service practical training to all extensionworkers to develop their capacity and skills onmarketingandvaluechain.

• Strengthening the private sector and cooperatives and unions to sustain input and output marketinglinkageswithsmallholderfarmers.

• Developing thecapacitiesof sector/valuechain commodityassociations for them tobeable toprovideservicestomembersinasustainablewayandberecognizedbyotherstakeholders.

Intervention:3.4.4:Promotevaluechain-basedlinkagedevelopmentThe basic characteristic of a value chain development is market-focused collaboration for different businessenterprisestoworktogethertoproduceandmarketproductsandservicesinaneffectiveandefficientway.Thus,creation of linkage platforms on the basis of a particular value chain commodity like honey platforms, dairyPlatforms,wheatplatforms,ACCplatforms…etc.Suchspecificplatformsarevitaltopromotedialogue,enhancelearning,decisionmakingandcollectiveactionandtodeveloppartnershipsandstrengthenrelationshipsamongtheactors.Theseactorscanbesub-dividedintovaluechainactorsandvaluechainsupporters.Valuechainactorsarethosewhotakeownershipofaproductthroughtheexchangeofmoneyorequivalentgoodsorservicesduringthetransactionprocessastheproductmovesfromconceptiontoendusers.Ontheotherhand,individuals,institutionsorfirmsprovidingaservicewithouttakingownershipoftheproductareclassifiedasserviceprovidersorvaluechainsupporters.Valuechainsupportersareessentialforvaluechaindevelopmentandtheyincludeprovidersofsector-specificinputandequipment,financialservices,businessmanagementservices,marketinformationandtechnology,andadvisoryservices,etc.Valuechain-basedplatformscanbeorganizedatnationalandregionallevels.Formationofregionallevelplatformswillbecarriedoutdependingupontheproductionpotentialoftheregions.Governmentwilltaketheleadroleforthecoordinationoftheplatforms.However,thereisalsoapossibilitytogivethecoordinationresponsibilitiestoleadingprocessingandexportcompaniesandsectorassociations.Forinstance,beekeepingassociationiscurrentlyorganizing multi-stakeholder platforms for honey value chain at national and regional levels with support ofprojects.Interventions:3.4.5:ImproveAccesstoMarketInformationandCollectiveMarketing/whatistheroleAEDProvisionofmarketinformationattherighttimetotherightpeopleintherightwayiscriticaltostrengthenthepartnershipamongthevaluechainstomakedecisions.Marketinformationincludestypeandqualityofproducts,their reliable sources and prices, inputs and their prices, quality and quantity requirements of agro-processingindustriesandconsumers,demandandsupplytrends,andweatherforecast.Thus,thereisaneedtoimplementa

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well-organized and consistent marketing information supply system to smallholder farmers. Moreover, theextensionservicesneedtoencourageandsupportcollectivemarketingtoimprovethebargainpoweroffarmersandtosupplythedesiredqualityandvolumeofproductsthatcreatessustainablemarketlinkageswithprocessorsandexporters.SupporttoestablishmarketinfrastructuressuchasimprovedwarehousesandICTinfrastructuresthatenhancecollectivemarketingandtheflowofmarketinginformation.

3.5 Pillar5:Gender,youthandnutritionmainstreamingObjectiveTomainstreamgenderandnutritionissuesinthebroaderagriculturalextensionprogramsandensurewomenandyouthhaveequalaccesstoagriculturalextensionservices.ManystudiesinindicatethatwomeninEthiopiacontributebetween40-60%oflabortoagriculturalproduction.Despitethis,womenfaceuniqueconstraintsthatreducetheirproductivitypotential.Onaverage,femaleEthiopianfarmrsproduce23%lessperhectarethantheirmalecounterparts(ATA,2015).Theproductivitygapcaninlargepartbeattributedtotheinabilityofwomentoaccessnecessaryagriculturaltraining,inputsandservices.To increase agricultural productivity and efficiency, a gender-sensitive approach is needed in the provision ofextension services. The government has recognized gender mainstreaming as an approach to be used in allagricultural development programs to address the gaps related to development inequality for bothmale andfemale.Unfortunatelyinmanycasesthepolicycommitmenthasnotbeenreflectedinpracticeasaresultofthefollowingkeybottlenecks.Bottleneck3.5.1:Poorgenderandyouthmainstreaminginextensionprogramsplanning,implementationandinmonitoring,learningandevaluationGenderandyouthmainstreamingsufferfromacrudeunderstandingofthepolicyanditsobjectives.Frequentlygeneric rather than context-specific interventions to address gender and youth issues are identified forimplementation.Extensionpersonneldonotalwayshaveaclearunderstandingofthechallengesandopportunitiesuniquetowomenandyouth.Thisisleadingtodifficultyinmeasuringprogressinaddressinggenderequalityandparticipationofyouth.Despitethecontributionofwomentoagriculturaldevelopment,theyareunder-representedin planning and implementation of agricultural programs. Similarly, due to land shortage and poor access toagriculturalinformation,ruralyoutharenotoftenparticipatedinextensionprogramplanning,implementationandevaluation.ArecentgenderauditoftheRegionalBureausofAgriculturesuggestedthattrainingsfocusedongenderhavedonelittle to address the problem. The problem has been further aggravated by misuse of gender mainstreamingguidelinestosupportday-to-dayoperations.Theextentgendermainstreamingistakenintoaccountindevelopingplans in the agriculture sector is usually limited to the simplistic level of counting numberofmale and femalefarmerswithout clearly articulating the objectives for addressing gender issues andhow the objectives can beachievedthroughdetailedactivities.Withoutthearticulationofdetailedactivitiestoaddressgender issues, theefforttomainstreamgenderbasedactivitiesinextensionprogramwillremainunaddressedorwillbegivenlittleattentioninplanning,implementation,monitoring,learningandevaluation(MLE).Bottleneck3.5.2:ShortageofgenderdisaggregateddataShortage of data disaggregated by sex and age undermines the ability to specifically identify gender-relatedproblemsandaccordinglydesignsolutions.Similarly,womenaswellasyouthareoftennotusedaskeyinformantsduringqualitativestudiesandproblemidentifications,althoughsomerecentimprovementshavebeennoticedinthisarea.

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Bottleneck3.5.3:Socio-culturalconstraintsAgreatmajorityofwomendonotparticipateindecisionmakingorexpresstheirneedsduringmeetingsbecauseofprevailingsocio-culturalbarrierswhichelevatetheroleofmales insuchforums.For instance, inmostcases,womenandyoutharenotinvitedtoattendmeetingsandsocialdiscussionsthatconcernwomenandyouthwithassumptionsthatmencanconveythemessagetothem.Sincethemessagesarenotconveyedasdesiredduetoinformationdistortion,oftenwomenandyouthdonotknowwhatishappeningrelatedtogenderbothatWoredaand kebele levels. Even if, the message is thought to be conveyed through male farmers, information is notconsistentlycommunicatedtoallwomenfarmersduetotheperceptionthatwomenarenotfarmers,hencethemessageisnotimportanttothem.Lowlevelsofliteracyandlimitedexposureofwomentoinformationandsupportbydevelopmentpractitionersalsocontributetotheproblem.Asaresult,womenandyouthareunabletoexercisetheirrightsduringprogramdesignsandimplementationswhichinturnresultinmethodologicalbiasesandgapincontentdesign.Bottleneck3.5.4:Inadequatenutritionsensitiveextensionservice MalnutritionprevalenceisveryhighinEthiopia.About32%ofthepopulationsareconsideredundernourished.Dietdiversificationaswellasmicronutrientavailabilityisrelativelylow(GlobalFoodSecurityIndex,2016).Thisisduetolackofnutrition-sensitivefarmingsystem.DiversificationsandintensificationofagricultureplayacentralroleinmeetingfoodandnutritionsecurityinEthiopia.Butthepublicextensionserviceonnutritionissuesisnegligibleandmajorpublicpoliciesandtheattentionofextensionsystemismainlyfocusedoncerealcropproductiontobringfood security (MoFED, 2010). Moreover, cultural and societal norms in rural areas often create considerablenegativeimpactsonthenutritionalstatusofwomenandchildren,makingthemvulnerablesocialgroups(Workneh,2008).

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionsIntervention3.5.1a:EnhancethelevelofawarenessongenderatalllevelsThe current low level of awareness about gender needs to change at all levels. The importance of gender indevelopmentmustbeseenasatoppriorityinEthiopia’smovetomodernization.Thefollowinginterventionsaresuggestedtoenhancethelevelofawarenessatalllevels.Forserviceprovider

• Nationalfocusandcontinuedsupporttoimproveawarenesslevelsoftoplevelofficials,experts,andDAsongendermainstreaming.Allagriculturalextensionstaffneedtoensuremainstreamingofgendertherebysettingcleartargetsvis-a-visnationaltargetsformarriedwomenaswellasforfemaleheadedhouseholds.

Community

• Improvewomenandyouthparticipationamongtheruralcommunitiesthroughawarenesscreationandprovidingimportantinformationonsocialandeconomicissues.Moreover,thereisaneedtoincreasethenumber of female and youth farmers in agricultural programs by ensuring equal access to agriculturalextensionservicesandbenefits.

• Increaseawarenessonwomen’srightsandabusesthatcanleadtoothersocialproblems(HIV/AIDS,femalegenitalmutilation,abductionetc.)viatrainingandcampaigninATVETs,FTCs,schoolsandcommunity-basedorganizations,includingEdir.

Intervention3.5.1b:StrengthengendermainstreamingactionsGendermainstreamingcanbestrengthenedthroughthefollowingmethodsandapproaches:

• Support&promotegender-sensitiveactions:Policiesandstrategiesundertakepracticalinitiativesthataddressgenderissuesandproactivelyworktopreventingdiscriminationandactsofviolenceonthe

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basisofgenderatalllevels.Thisrequiressettingofclearactivities,targets,andindicatorstomeasuregenderoutputsandoutcomesintheprocessofgendermainstreamingpractices.

• Capacity building for extension staff on gender mainstreaming: Considering the current gap,improving the knowledge and skill of extension staff on gender mainstreaming becomes critical.Therefore, building the capacity and capability of the staff on topics such as gender analysis tools,strategies,andapproachonhowtostreamlinegenderissuesintheentireprocessofextensionservicedeliveryareneeded.

• Assignfocalpersonatalllevels:Agenderfocalperson(FP)needstobeassignedineachorganizationatalllevelstocoordinateandensuregenderissuesaremainstreamed.

Interventions3.5.1c:EnhancetheparticipationofwomenandyouthinagriculturalextensionThemajorityofwomenandyouthinEthiopiadonothaveanopportunitytoparticipateonactivitiesthataffecttheirlives,inparticularinextensionservices.Realparticipationintheextensionservicescanbeaddressedthroughestablishing and strengthening different women and youth groups. Apart from improving participation, thesegroupswillfacilitateinformationandexperienceexchangeandenhancepeerto-peerlearning.Maleandfemalerolemodelsapproachcanalsobeusedasapromotorofenhancingparticipationthroughsharingtheirexperienceson the benefits of extension services. Moreover, women friendly agricultural technologies that reduce theirworkloadandenhanceincomeneedstobeidentified,promotedanddisseminatedthroughtheextensionsystem.Youthneedstobesupportedinimprovingtheirknowledgeandskilltobeengagedinincomegeneratingactivitiesincludingnonandoff-farmactivities.Intervention3.5.2a:EstablishandstrengthenlinkagesandnetworkwithinandothersectorsWomenandyouthneedabroadersetofdemand-ledsupportsandservicesinadditiontotechnicalinformation.Thereisastrongneedforintegration,coordinationandconvergenceofeffortsofthedifferentstakeholders/lineministrieswithinthesector&otherGOs,NGOs,associations,donors,unions,womenandyouthgroupsatalllevels.Thiswillenhancetheprovisionoftechnical,managerial,organizationalandentrepreneurialandsocialsupporttowomen, men and youth. Particularly, the synergies between the agricultural extension and health extensionbecoming important tominimize the existing gaps between the two organizations related to the provision ofnutritionsensitiveagricultureandextensionservices.ThereisaneedtostrengthenthelinkandintegrationbetweenWomenAffairsDirectorate,AgriculturalExtensionDirectoratewithintheMoANRandotheragriculturalsectorsneedstobestrengthenedforcomplementaryeffects,andforstrengtheningaccountabilitymechanisms.Theconvergencegenerallyhelpsdevelopcommonvision,goals,and successful implementationof priority activities in gender.Amongothers, the synergy canbe strengthenedthroughthefollowingmethods.

• Jointproblemidentification,prioritysettingandimplementation.• Sharedresourcesandskills.• Establishinggenderdebateonamonthlyoraquarterlybasis.• Exchangeofreportsandinformation.• IncludegenderimpactassessmentwithinthedirectoratesinMoANRforapprovalofprograms

andprojects.• PutinplaceajointMLEsystemandaccountabilityandresponsibilitymechanisms.

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Figure4:ExampleforcrosssectorialsynergyforgendermainstreamingIntervention3.5.2b:AllocateadequateresourcestogenderandyouthrelatedactivitiesTheallocationofsufficientresourcesincludingbudgetisneededforsuccessfulimplementationofgenderspecificprogram related to extension. These resources mainly used for building the capacity of women and youth inextensionservicesthatpromoteandimplementincomegeneratingandjobcreationactivitiesforself-helpsupport.Intervention3.5.3:Enhancewomen’ssocio-economicempowermentEffectiveeconomicempowermentforwomenoccurswhenwomenenjoytheirrightstocontrolandbenefitfromresources,assets,incomeandtheirowntimeandhavetherighttomanageriskandimprovetheireconomicstatusandwellbeing.Inconnectionwiththis,muchisexpectedfromallpractitionerstoaggressivelyandproactivelyhelpwomen’s livestotransformfromasituationwheretheyhave limitedpowertoasituationwheretheirpower isequaltothatofmen.Women’seconomicempowermentcanbeenhancedthroughthefollowingmeans.

• Mapoutkeyactivitiesforeconomicempowermentofwomenandyouths.• Initiateandpromotebothon-farmandoff-farmincomegeneratingmicro-enterprises,forexample,

womeneconomicempowermentvia vegetableproduction, sheepandgoats fattening,poultryproduction, beekeeping, raising seedlings, handicrafts ”processing” trading, and promotingenvironmentfriendlytechnologies.

• Establishgenderworkinggroups:Priorityshouldbegiventothoseindividualswhocometogethervoluntarilysincetheywillhavethenagreaterchanceofworkingtogetheringroupsandsupporteachotherintheprocessofimplementingthedesignedactivities.

Gendermainstreamingthroughsectoral

linkage(examples)

Establish synergy between Agricultural and HealthExtension for gender-focused and improved advisoryservices- Jointplanningandendtoendinvolvement- CoordinatedadvisoryservicesbetweenFTCsandhealthcenters- trainingonnutrient-densefoodproductionandconsumption

Enhance-WomenEconomicEmpowermentthrough:- networkingandmarketlinkagewith

Coops,tradersandprivatesector- EngageinIGAsandpost-harvest

value-additionactivities- LinkingWomenandyouthwith

financialinstitutions

Enhance-SocialEmpowermentthrough- Establishingsociallearning(Peerto

peerlearning)- Capacitatingwomenandyouthleaders- Diversifyingsocialrolesofwomenand

youth

Agriculture+Health+nutritioneducationinSchools:- SanitationandHygienepractices- Improvedietarydiversityandknowledgeoffoodpreparation- Demonstrationofnutrientrichfoodproductionand

preparationatschools- Improvechildbreastfeedingandpregnantwomennutrition- SchoolgirlseducationonAgricultureandfoodnutrition

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Intervention3.5.3:Promotingnutritionsensitiveextensionservice Diversificationandintensificationofcropsandlivestockproductionsofferastrongpathwaytonutritionsecurity.Integrating different crops (e.g. vegetables) and animal source foods (e.g. poultry& fish) into farming systemsappearstobeincreasingnutritionsecurity,diversifyingandintensifyingagriculture.Thus,thereisaneedtoreshapethecurrentproductionsystemintoamorenutrition-diversifiedsystembymainstreamingnutrition issues intheagriculturalextensionsystem.Inaddition,thereisaneedtoensureandpromotetheaccessandconsumptionofvariety,safeandnutritionfoodintheextensionserviceprovision.Therefore,extensionserviceprovisionshouldgiveemphasistowardsimprovingtheawareness,knowledge,skillandattitudeontheproduction,preparationandconsumptionofnutritionsensitivediet.

3.6 Pillar6:Enhanceenvironmentalmanagementandsustainability

ObjectiveTo integrate environment, natural resources management and sustainability issues into agriculturalextensionservices

Economy, environment and society are the three major interconnected drivers of sustainable development(Giddingsetal.,2002).Buildingharmonybetweenthemisofparamountimportanceinordertobringsustainabledevelopment. Sustainable natural resources management is positively influence environmental quality,sustainabilityandagriculturalproductionandproductivity.The expansion of agricultural land as a result of rapid population growth has aggravated environmentaldeteriorationinEthiopia.Moreover, inappropriateutilizationofnaturalresources leadstoseveremoisture loss,continuousdegradationof fertilesoil, lossofvegetativecoverandbiodiversityandsubsequentlytoadecline inagriculturalproductionandproductivity.Typesoffarmingpracticesalsoaffecttheenvironmentandothernaturalresourcesinmanydifferentways.Inthisstrategythefollowingmajorenvironmentalsustainabilitybottleneckshavebeenidentifiedandkeyinterventionsareproposed..Bottleneck3.6.1:PoorlinkofnaturalresourcemanagementextensionserviceswithlivelihoodstrategiesInthelastfourdecades,tremendouseffortsandlargeinvestmenthavebeenmadeincludingthroughcommunitymobilization or campaign to conserve natural resources across the country. These efforts have resulted inremarkableachievementsnewrecentlyforexample,inwatershedmanagement,soilandwaterconservation(SWC)andafforestation,whichcanbeexemplaryforothercountries.However,absenceoflanduseplan,lackofsenseofownershipbythelocalcommunity,lackofgenuineparticipation,poormaintenance,etc.havecontributedtothelowadoptionofnaturalresourcepractices.Thisisduetothefactthatthecurrentnaturalresourceactivitiesarepoorlylinkedwithlivelihoodstrategiesandconsequentlythepracticesarenotsustainable.Bottleneck3.6.2:LimitedcapacityonenvironmentandnaturalresourcemanagementNaturalresourcemanagementneedsaspecializedknowledgeandexpertiseatalllevels.However,fromgrassrootslevelevidenceandcontinueddeteriorationofnaturalresource,onecansuggestthatthereisalimitedcapacityandknow-howonNRMbydevelopmentpractitionersworkinginthesectorsinparticularbyDAsandfarmers.Muchofthe trainings implemented by NRM focus on the technical content of the NRM and they lack extensionmethodologiesandapproachestobringnecessarybehavioralchangesofthefarmingcommunities.Bio-physicalSWC,asonekeyactivityofnaturalresourcemanagement,requiresitsowntechnicalspecificationandstandards, which needs highly calibrated professionals. If natural resource management practices are poorlyimplemented,theyaggravatefurtherdegradation.Thus,specialattentionshouldbegiventoequipthestaffwithdetailknowledgeandskillsofnaturalresourcemanagement.

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Bottleneck3.6.3:Lowaccesstoanduseofclimatesmartagriculturaltechnologiesandagro-metrologicalinformationClimatechangeanditsimpactonenvironment,economiesandfoodsecurityisthecrucial issueinEthiopia.ThesmallholderfarmersofEthiopiaarethemostvulnerabletotheimpactsofclimatechange.Thisisbecausetheyaredependenceonthenaturalenvironmentfortheirlivelihoodandlacksthemeanstocopeupwiththeimpactsofclimatechange.Droughtusuallyoccursasaresultofclimatechange,whichinturn,negativelyaffectingcropandlivestockproduction.However,theextensionsystemisnotinpositiontopromoteclimatesmartagricultureandagro-metrologicalinformationtosmallholderfarmers.

Bottleneck3.6.4.LessattentiontoenvironmentsustainabilityintheextensionadvisoryserviceDespite high performances in terms of agricultural productivity growth, agricultural development in Ethiopiaremains constrained bymany issues of environmental sustainability. High priority is given to short-term foodsecurity and agricultural productivity and consequently the extension system is not sustainable-oriented. Inaddition,current farmingpractices inEthiopiansmallholderagriculturearegenerallynot sustainablebut ratherextractive resulting in significant impacts on the physical environmental, which in turn constrains long termagriculturalgrowth. AgriculturalunsustainablepracticesinEthiopiaincludes,butarenotlimitedto,encroachmentoffarmingintohigherelevations and steep slopes and farming of slopes without conservation measures; cereal mono-cropping;continuous farming and removal of crop/livestock residues (stalk, roots, manure, etc.) for various purposes;deforestation,overgrazing;limiteduseofrenewableenergyinmechanizedfarmingandirrigationfunctions;andexcessive/inappropriate tillage as well as inappropriate use of inputs. In general, any attempt to increaseagriculturalproductionwithoutconsideringthecoststoanddegradationofnaturalresourcesisunsustainable.

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionsInterventions3.6.1:EnhanceNRMextensionserviceslinkwithlivelihoodstrategiesInordertoimprovetheNRMandminimizethecurrentthreat,therecentattentiongivenbythegovernmentinextensionservicesmustbecontinuedinwell-coordinatedandsystem-basedapproachbylinkingwithlivelihoodsstrategies.Amongothers,thefollowingsneedkeyattentionintheextensionservices.

• Enhancephysicalconservationonnaturalresourcesthroughimprovingadvisoryservicesbyimplementingsoilbunds,stone-facedsoilbund,Fanyajuu,terracing,gullycontrolandrehabilitation…etc.

• Promotebiologicalconservationmeasuresbyimprovingagronomicpractices,stabilizationofthephysicalstructure,minimumtillage,agro-forestryetc.

The activities mentioned above should be done in collaboration with local communities and developmentpractitioners (NGOs).ConcernedDirectorateswithinMoANRat various levelsneed towork together toensurealignmentoftheirnaturalresourceactivitiesandtoprovidefullfledgemulti-disciplinaryextensionservicetothefarmingcommunity.Intervention3.6.2:ImprovetechnicalcapacityofextensionstaffonNRMImproveNRMknowledgeandskillofextensionworkersandfarmersareofparamountimportancetofacilitatethenaturalresourceinvestmentsandenvironmentalmanagement.Thiscanbedonethroughorganizingshortandlong-termtrainingprogramsspecifictonaturalresourcemanagement.Suchtrainingmustbeorganizedandgivenbyprofessionalswhohaverichexperiencesinthesubjectthroughlinkingwithuniversities,ATVETsandcolleges.Inaddition, there is a need to prepareNRM-based extension guidelines, brochures and leaflets in different locallanguages that clearly demonstrate the benefits aswell as all necessary practices for proper natural resourcesmanagement.Aspartofcapacitybuildingandmotivation,providerecognitionandawardsforkeyplayersonNRMfortheiroutstandingperformanceandvisiblecontributionsarealsoimportant.

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Intervention3.6.3:Promotionofclimatesmartagricultureandagro-metrologyinformationThe agricultural extension system has a great contribution to adapt and mitigate the current climate changeproblemsthroughpromotionofappropriatepracticesandinformation.Thefollowinginterventionsaresuggestedtoadaptandmitigatetheproblemrelatedtoclimatechange.

a. Promoteclimatesmartagriculturesuchas:• Improvedcropmanagement:Thisincludesminimumtillage(whereappropriate),contourtillage,

raw planting, intercropping , crop rotations, cover cropping, improved seed varieties (stress-resistantvarieties),mulching,doublecropping,cropdiversity,andintegratedpestmanagement,push-pulltechnologies,improvedstorageandprocessingtechniques.

• Improvedlivestockmanagement:Thisincludesbetterbreeds(artificial inseminationandcross-breeds),improvedforagetechnologies(newgrass&legumesvarieties,cutandcarry,rotationalgrazing,andareaclosure),and improvedveterinaryservices,animalhusbandry improvements,destocking,improvedgrazingcapacityofgrazingland,rangelandmanagement.

• Improved Soil and water conservation practices: This includes activities like, soil test-basedfertilizerapplication,useofcompost&manure,BroadBedMaker(BBM)(todrainexcesswaterin vertisols), green manure, residual management, bio-fertilizer, lime application, integratednutrient and soil management, physical and biological soil conservation methods, contourplanting,agro-forestry,integratedwatershedmanagement.

• Irrigationwateruse&Irrigationpractice:This includesSpate Irrigation,WaterHarvestingPits,SupplementaryIrrigation,DripIrrigation,SprinklerIrrigation,DeficitIrrigation,AlternativeFurrowIrrigation, Pitcher Irrigation, Irrigation, Scheduling, Groundwater Restoration, Sediment/SiltTrapping

• Energyuse:ThisincludesBiogas,Improvedstoves,Renewableenergy(solar,wind)

b. Increasedaccesstoanduseofagro-metrologicalinformation:ThiscanbethroughpromotingFTCsbasedagro-metrologyinformationandbuildingthecapacityofextensionstaffonagro-met.

Intervention3.6.4:EnhancesustainableorientedextensionservicePromotechangesinfarmingpracticestowardsgreaterconservationandefficiencyinuseofnaturalresourcesareofparamountimportancetobringsustainabledevelopment.Inlinewiththis,extensionserviceneedstointegrateenvironmentalsustainabilityissuesintheoverallagriculturaldevelopmentinterventions.Thisenablestoensureagriculturalgrowthandenhancedincomesofsmallholderfarmersinasociallyacceptableandequitablemannerwhileprotectingandimprovingthenaturalresourcebase.Inordertopromotesustainableagriculturalpracticesintheextensionsystem,thefollowinginterventionsaresuggested.

• Prepareextensionpackageforsustainablepracticesincollaborationwithconcernedstakeholders• TraininsustainabilityindicatorsforallexpertsandDAinextensionsystem• CreatecurriculumonsustainabilityissuesinhigherlearninginstituteandATVET• Raisefarmers’awarenessandunderstandingofthepotentialbenefitsofsustainableagriculture

practices.• Institutionalizeclimatesmartandsustainableagriculture

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3.7 Pillar 7: Enhance institutional arrangements, coordination and linkages among key agriculturaldevelopmentpartners

ObjectiveTo strengthen and establish effective linkage forums at all levels to create strong alliance for betterextensionandadvisoryservices.

Buildinga sustainable framework for strongcollaborationsandworking relations inagriculturaldevelopment iscritical.Withthisprinciple,agriculturaldevelopmentpartners’linkageadvisorycouncil(ADPLAC)wasestablishedin2008thatevolvedfromresearch-extensionliaisoncommittee(RELC)andresearch-extension-farmersadvisorycouncil(REFAC)toaccommodatealldevelopmentactorsatvariouslevelsfromFederaltoWoredas(Figure5).

Figure5:EvolutionofADPLAC(Source:ATAAnalysis)

ADPLAChasmadesignificanteffortsinbringingallactorsworkingonagriculturaldevelopmenttooneplatformandbuilding new collaborations, enhancing new culture of working and developing, encouraging demand- drivenagriculturalresearchsystemformoreimpact.Inthisprocess,ADPLAChasalsocontributedinshiftingtheresearchagenda towards a farmers’ frame of reference through joint identification of systemic problems that hinderagricultural development. The decision made by ADPLAC at various meetings has generally contributed toharnessingeffectiveinvolvementofkeyactorsandaddressingsomeoftheissuesthathadnotbeenwelladdressedbefore.Forinstance,throughADPLACarenewedfocushasbeenplacedonlivestock,NRM,market,seedsystemandagro-industry.Nevertheless,thefollowingkeybottleneckswerehinderedADPLACtofullyfunctionandbringgreaterimpactBottleneck3.7.1:LackofvibrantlinkageandpoorcoordinationDespitemanyattemptsmadetocreatestronglinkagesbetweenresearchandextensioninthepastmanyyears,effectivelinkageandcoordinationhavebeenlackingatalllevelsintheprocessoftechnologygeneration,validationandadoption.ADPLACat the timeof itsestablishmenthadgoodmotivationandsprit toengage inagriculturaldevelopmentregularly.However,thismomentumgraduallylostandbecomeinconsistent.Asaresult,issueswhicharechallengingtoagriculturaldevelopmentandarecriticallyaffectingthesuccessofextensionservicessuchasinput supply, human resource development in agriculture, access to financial services, marketing and marketinfrastructuredevelopment,overalldirectionsinagriculturaltechnologygeneration,disseminationandutilizationremainunsolved.Moreover, theplatforms lacktohavetheirownregularbudget fromgovernmenttoruntheiractivities.

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Bottleneck3.7.2:LackofcoordinationandcommunicationbetweenagriculturalsectorsandHLIs/ATVETsThe existence of limited communication between the agricultural sector and HLIs has contributed for poordevelopment of human resources for agricultural sector. Moreover, poor coordination, lack of joint planningprocess,pooralignmentbetweentheidentificationofrequiredhumanresourcesandcurriculumdevelopmenthasexacerbated theproblem.The curriculum is also sometimes seen from theacademicpointof view rather thanequallyconsideringthecurrentgapsanddemandsintheagriculturesector.Asaresult,thereisamismatchbetweendemandandsupplyinskilledmanpowerforagriculturaldevelopment.Bottleneck3.7.3:WeakresponsibilityandaccountabilityinlinkageplatformInmostcases,ADPLACandotherlinkageplatformsestablishedbydifferentorganizationshavenotbeeneffectiveasexpected tobedue tovarious reasons (poorcommitment,accountability, lackof sustainable resources,…etcExceptforplanning’smeetingheldeveryyear,thesupervisionandmonitoringofADPLAChasalsorealizedtobeweak.Additionally,insufficientassigningofdedicatedfocalpersonsforADPLACwithinorganizationshasaggravatedtheproblem. In areaswhere focal persons are assigned, they are neither empowerednor are they sufficientlyfamiliarwiththeirresponsibilities.

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionIntervention3.7.1a:ReviewanddeveloplinkageforumguidelineImprovingtheawarenesslevelsofstakeholdersontheadvantagesofADPLAC/platformsandoverallcontributiontoagriculturaldevelopmentisimportant.Awarenessandinterestcanberaisedbyrevitalizingandrestructuringthesystemtoamanageablesize,andmakingthesystemfocusonspecificratherthangeneralissuestocomeupwithappropriaterecommendations.ThiscanbeachievedthroughrestructuringADPLACintothematicfocusedplatformsandsub-platforms.Inaddition,preparingnewslettersonquarterlybasestoupdatetheprogressoftheplatforms,shareexperiencesand implement theannualplan is recommended.Organizingpaneldiscussions throughmassmediaon theachievementandsuccess storiesaswellas limitationsof theADPLACcanhelp tocreatemassiveawareness.ThiswillleadtoasharedvisionandcommonunderstandingontheworkingmodalityofADPLAC.

It is also essential to reviewandupdateADPLACworking guidelines in accordancewith existing situations anddemands from Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services-Country Forum (AFAAS-CF) to strengthen andimproveADPLAC’sfinancialcapacity.Intervention3.7.1b:CreationofsustainabilityintheinstitutionalarrangementsforimprovedlinkageforumsThecurrentarrangementoftheADPLACneedstobere-organizedinawaythatmakesthesystemfunctionproperlyandefficiently.ADPLACneedstobemanagedbyresponsibleandaccountableunitthatcanalsobegovernedbyageneral assembly of key stakeholders. ADPLAC and other linkage platforms can be financed in various ways,includingthroughgovernmentfundsupport,raisingfunds,membershipfees,contributionsandmembersfinancingownparticipation.Theywillperforminnovativeactivitiesthatfosterinteractionamongmembersbutatthesametime generate resources to finance forum activities such as organizing technology fairs, offering specializedtrainings,knowledgemanagementfunctions,agriculturalpublications,organizingconferencesandpolicydialogues.TomakeADPLACmoreeffectiveandefficient,itisalsoimportanttoinstitutionalizeitatdifferentlevels(includingbudgetandhumanresources).

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Intervention3.7.2:Strengthenstakeholders’collaborationandnetworkingPartnership,collaborationandnetworkingamongtheextensionserviceprovidersandotherstakeholdersneedtobestrengthened. It isalso important toestablishandharmonize thestakeholdersworkingcollaborativelyatalllevels for joint program planning and implementation, information sharing, impact assessment and capacitybuildingwiththefocusonfacilitationandcommunicationskills.Inaddition,itisalsonecessarytocapacitateADPLACatvariouslevelsbyestablishingandusingwebsite.

Another important coordination strategy is the setting up of coordination officewhose role is to facilitate theestablishment, maintenance and strengthening of linkages among various actors in the agricultural extensionsystem. Suchplatforms canbe designed to analyze the existing extension system through setting priorities forextensioninterventionandfacilitatingtheimplementationofjointextensionprogramsbyinvolvingseveralserviceproviders.

3.8 Pillar 8: Human resource development and utilization for effective extension servicedelivery

ObjectiveToimprovetheefficiencyandeffectivenessoftheextensionpersonnelatdifferentlevelsfordiverse,demand-drivenandmarket-orientedextensionservices.

One of themajor challenges in the agricultural sector is limited competent,well trained and highly calibratedextension staff at all levels. The following key bottlenecks have affected the development of human resourcedevelopmentandutilizationinagriculturalextensionsystem.Thehumanresourcecapacitydevelopmentwillneedtopursuethecomplexanddynamicagriculturaldevelopmentdemands.Inaddition,shortandlong-termtrainingsarerequiredtoupdateandupgradetheskillandknowledgetheexistingstafftoachievethegoalofagriculturaltransformationplan.

Box5:SuccessstoryofADPLAContheintroductionandadoptionofharicotbeansandonionseedmultiplicationandutilization

Ethiopiaisknowntohaveahighpotentialforgrowingdifferentpulsessuchasharicotbeansandvegetablessuchasonions.Inordertoimprovetheproductivityandproductionofharicotbeans,MelkasaAgriculturalResearchCentre(MARC),asanationalcoordinatorforharicotbeansresearch,releasedanumberofimprovedharicotbeanvarieties.However,farmersdidnotadopttheimprovedvarietiesduetolackoflinkagetoareliablemarket.SoonaftertheestablishmentofaZonallevelADPLAC,farmersstartedtoseethebenefitsofa complete platform established along the value chains linking producers to local and international markets. Community seedmultiplicationgroupswereestablishedandbecameasourceofimprovedseedforfarmers.Asaresult,haricotbeanimprovedvarietiesgainedpopularity inmostpartsof theRiftvalleyandotherpartsofthecountry.Sincethen, theproductionofbeanshasbecomearemarkablesourceof incomefor farmers, tradersandcontributedtothegrowthofthecountry’seconomyearning it thenickname‘whitegold’.

Inasimilarstory,shortageofonionseedhadbeenidentifiedasanimportantprobleminthecountry.Therewerenoprivateandpublicsectormultipliersofonionseed.Asaresult,bulkonionseedwasimportedfromoutsideathighprices,puttingahighdemandonforeigncurrency.MARC,asanationalcoordinatorforonionresearch,haddevelopedonionvarietiesbuttheywerenotdisseminatedtofarmersduetoshortageofonionseeds.MeanwhileADPLACcameintothepicturetomultiplyanddisseminateonionseed.Similartoharicotbeans,communitybasedonionseedproductionwasestablishedandhasbeenlinkedtomarketsincethen.Ingeneral,ADPLAChasgainedgreatsuccessinthepromotion,disseminationandadoptionofharicotbeansandonionsbecauseofthefollowingfactors:

• HighlevelmotivationandcommitmentoftheCouncilinthatarea.• PresenceofagriculturalresearchcentersandfarmersrepresentativesintheCouncil.• Inclusionofkeydevelopmentpartnersandcontinuousfollow-uptoensuretheircontributions.• Recognizingmembers’contributionontheCouncil’smeeting.• Monitoringandclosefollow-upofdecisionsmadebyADPLAC.• Regularcommunicationbetweenconcernedbodies.

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Bottleneck3.8.1:LimiteddemandbasedtrainingatHLIsandATVETsThecontributionofHLIs&ATVETsinproducingskilledmanpowerisimportantforcreatingstrongextensionsystem.CurrentlythenumberofHLIs&ATVETsdealingwiththeprovisionofagriculture-relatedtrainingindifferentpartsofthecountryisincreasing.However,communicationbetweentheagriculturalsectorandHLIsispoor.Thisisdueto lack of coordination and joint planning both during the identification of human resources required for theagriculturesectorandcurriculumdevelopment. Inaddition,researchandextensioninstitutionsdon’thavetheirown short and long term human resource development plan to meet the dynamic nature of agriculturaldevelopment.Asaresult,thereisamismatchbetweendemandandsupplyinskilledmanpowerdevelopmentinagricultural sector.Thecurriculum isalsosometimesseen fromtheacademicpointofviewrather thanequallyconsideringthecurrentgapsandemergingissuessuchasagriculturalrisksmanagement(ARM),andothers.Inmanycases,thetrainedhumanpowerhasinadequateknowledgeandtechnicalskills.Inmostcases,thetrainingofferedisnotoutcome-basednordoesitaddresstheworkplacerequirementindifferentorganizations.AtATVETs,eventhoughthecurriculumwasdesignedtoencompass70%practicalandskill trainingandtheremaining30%theory, thishasnotbeen fully implemented.Asa result,most graduates, especiallyDAs, lackpractical skills totrain/supportfarmersinimprovingpracticesontheground.Bottleneck3.8.2:PoorstaffingandhighstaffturnoverThe current extension services at various levels are challenged with high shortage of staff. The workload hasincreasedtomeetthecurrentdevelopmentgoalandenhanceagriculturaltransformation,butthenumberofskilledhumanpowerhasnotincreasedcorrespondingly.Asaresult,inadequatestaffatvariouslevelsisreportedlytobeoneofthecriticalproblemsaffectingthequalityoftheextensionservices.Highstaffturnoverduetopoorhandling,lowincentiveandpaymentsystemandinadequatefacilitiesexacerbatedtheproblem.Bottleneck3.8.3:LackofclearchainofcommandInformationcollectedfromdifferentWoredasindicatesthatthereisnowell-definedlineofchain,leadingtopoorflowofinformationandlackofaccountability.Forexample,DAsareaccountabletobothWoredaAdministrationand theWoredaAgriculturalDevelopmentOffice (WoADO).Beingaccountable tomultiple institutionsmakes itdifficultforDAstoprioritizetasksandmayleadtoover-stretchingandhencetounder-performance.Asaresult,theDAsfailtomeettherequirementsofeitherinstitutions.

Inaddition,tobringatangibleimpactonthelivelihoodsofthecommunitiesandonoveralleconomicgrowthofthecountry, the sector should also be led by agricultural professionals at all levels with clear line of command.Although, recently some changes are realized, leaders of agricultural developmentmainly in fewWoredas arereported to bemanaged by non-agricultural professionals. This has resulted inmisunderstanding between theprofessionals (experts) and non-agricultural professional leaders, inappropriate and delay of decision, poorcoordinationandhighprofessionalstaffturnover.Moreover,theengagementofDAsinnon-agriculturalextensionactivities/multi-tasking/hascriticallyaffectedtheirregularextensionworks.

Keyproposedstrategicintervention

Intervention3.8.1:PromoteandimplementneedbasedprofessionaltrainingatHLIs&ATVETsTo ensure the training provided byHLIs and ATVETs is demand-driven and practical oriented, it is essential tointegrateHLIsandATVETswiththeextensionandresearchsystemhumanresourcedevelopmentplan.Thus,thefollowinginterventionsarerecommended.

• ImprovesynergiesandalignmentbetweenextensionserviceproviderswithHLIs&ATVETs:ThetrainingandhumanresourcesdevelopmentbytheHLIsandATVETsshouldbebasedonemergingdevelopmentdemandsineachsectorandinrelationtodynamicchangestakingplacewithintheagriculturedevelopment.Thisrequiresawell-articulatedcurriculumdevelopmentandcapacitybuildingplaninconsultationwithall

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concernedactorsandtheleadershipofthenationalextensionsystem.Inthecurriculumdevelopmentandtraining provision shall be given due attention to the following thematic areas. These includes but notlimitedto,agriculturalriskmanagement(ARM),climatechange&climatesmartagriculture(CSA),nutrition,gender,valuechaindevelopmentandmarketing,communicationandfacilitationastheseareoverlookedinthepastinterventions.

• Implementoutcome-basedtrainingsystem:HLIsandATVETsshouldadoptoutcome-basedapproachesandregularlyassesstheprofessionalcompetencyofitsgraduatesthroughexternalreviews.

• Improvecommunicationandworkingrelationship:Communicationsandworkrelationscanbeimprovedthroughjointproblemidentification,planning,andimplementation.Establishinganetworkthroughweb-basedsystemsuchasagriculturalportaltoexchangeup-to-dateinformation,establishingtrackingsystemfortrainedstaff,establishingannualplatformsforexperiencesharingandinvitingtheagriculturesectorforpolicy briefs to the HLIs are some of the proposed actions to improve communication and workingrelationshipsinagriculturalextensionbetweenHLIs,ATVETsandextensionserviceproviders,

• Onthe-job-training:Extensionworkersshouldobtainrelevantknowledgeandskillsthroughin-serviceandon-the-job training. To facilitate this, a collaborative framework needs to be established between thenation’sextensionsystemandHLIsandATVETs.

Intervention3.8.2:EnhancestaffmotivationandretentionCurrently,theagriculturalsectorhasshowndynamicgrowthanddemandshighskilledmanpoweratdifferentlevels.However,shortageofstaffisreportedtobeoneofthecriticalfactorschallengingthesector.Thisismainlyduetohighstaffturnover.Therefore,thefollowingmeasuresshallbetakentomotivateandretaintheextensionstaffatalllevels.

• Clearandeffectiveguidelineonstafftransfer,incentiveandrewardsystem,• Competitive/meritbasedcareerdevelopmentandtraining/upgrading,• Putinplaceappropriatecareerstructure,• Implementationoftransparentandperformancebasedstaffpromotion.

Intervention3.8.3:PutinplaceaclearlineofcommandTheagriculturesectormustbeledbyagriculturalprofessionalswhohaveadequateknowledgeandskill,experience,vision, ability to coordinate andorganize, understandpolicy environment and real situation,make appropriatedecisionandcantransformtheagriculturalsectorbymobilizingstaffintheentireagriculturalsystem.Inaddition,thereshouldbeawell-definedstructureandclearchainofcommandthatalsoensureaccountabilityandclearlineof reporting and feedback system at various levels. It also necessary to ensure that Das are only engaged onextensionrelatedactivities.

3.9 Pillar 9: Establish strong anddynamic result-basedmonitoring, evaluation and learning(RBME&L)forcontinuousimprovementofextensionservicesdelivery

ObjectiveToimprovethecapability,relevance,effectiveness,efficiencyandimpactoftheextensionservicethroughcontinuousassessment,reporting,learning,documentationandfeedbacksystem.

Monitoring,learningandevaluation(MLE)isakeytooltoidentifyconstraints,assesstheprogress,andgeneraterelevantandtimely informationtomake informeddecisions.Decisionsarechanged intoactionswhentheyarebasedonfactsandrealitiesontheground.Currently,effortsarebeingunderwaytoputinplaceM&LCaseTeamwithin Training and Advisory Services Directorate to further strengthen the MLE system. However, suchconsiderationtostrengthenMLEatregionandWoredalevelsismissing.ThefollowingbottleneckspreventtheMLEunit/caseteamfromfunctioningeffectively.

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Bottleneck3.9.1:Weakmonitoring,learningandevaluationsystemCurrently there are some efforts in extension system to carry outM&E activities through field visit, meetingsreporting exchanges. However, there is no consistent, organized, planned and coordinated MLE within theagriculturalextensionsystem.Theextensionsystemiscriticizedforfocusingonwhathasbeenachievedratherthangiving equal attention to the problems and their root causes. Similarly focuses also given to collect bulk ofinformation that cannotbeanalyzedandbeused for feedback, learning anddecisionmaking. Limited capacity(infrastructurefacility,skills)fordatacollection,analysisanddocumentationhasexacerbatedtheproblems.Bottleneck3.9.2:WeakaccountabilityandresponsibilityTheagriculturalextensionsystemlackseffectiveMELsystemwithclearrolesandaccountabilityatvariouslevels.Asaresulttheinformationcollectedrelatedtoeffectiveness,efficiencyandcapabilityoftheextensionserviceisobservedtobepoorqualityandsometimesexaggerated,whichaffectsthedecisionmakingprocessintheextensionsystem.Moreover,theemphasisgivenfortheimplementationoftimelyreportingandundertakingofasystematicMELsystemisverylow.

KeyproposedstrategicinterventionsIntervention3.9.1a:Develop,institutionalizeandimplementresultbasedmonitoring,evaluationandlearning(RBME&L)systemforextensionservicesToradicallyimprovetheMLEsystem,thefollowinginterventionsaresuggested:

• ReviewthecurrentMLEsystem’sstrengths,limitationsandchallenges,• DevelopeffectiveandefficientMLEsystemwithparticipationofkeystakeholdersatalllevels.Thisshould

indicatetheoutputs,outcomesandimpactsofextensionservices,• PrepareMLEguidelineswithclearroles,dutiesandaccountabilitymechanismsandbuildthecapacityof

extensionworkersonMLEanditsimplementation,• InstitutionalizeRB-MLEatdifferentlevelsforextensionservices.

Intervention3.9.1b:InstallICT-baseddatacollectionandtrackingsystemCurrently the use of ICT for data collection, analysis, tracking and feedback and improving data lag is widelyrecognized. ICT-based MLE for the extension services enhances for quick, up to date, efficient & effectiveinformationexchange.Thishowever,requiresmodernICTequipment,facilitiesandskilledmanpowertoimprovetheinformationcommunicationandfeedbacksystemfromFederal-Kebelelevels.

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Intervention3.9.2:EstablishresponsibilityandaccountabilitymechanismIn order to implement effectiveMEL system in the extension service, there should be clear responsibility andaccountability at all levels. This responsibility among others includes need and problems identification, timelyplanning, organizing and implementation, analysis and feedback ofMEL systemwith focus on the process andresultsoftheextensionsystem.TheresponsibilityalsoincludeseffectiveutilizationoftheresultsoftheM&Esystemto improve the effectiveness, efficiency and impacts of the extension service through undertaking correctivemeasures and scaling up of good practices. Communicating feedbacks to farmers and other stakeholders alsoanotherpartresponsibilitythatneedsattentionthroughtheMELprocess.Inaddition,individuals,officesatvariouslevelsshouldbeaccountablefortimelyundertakingandqualityreportingsystem.

Section 4: Implementation Framework The implementation of this strategy requires the involvement of key organizations including public, NGOs andprivatesectoratvariouslevels.MinistryofAgricultureandNaturalResources(MoANR)willtaketheleadforthecoordinationoftheseorganizationsforitseffectiveimplementation.Thus,thesuccessintheprovisionofmarketand client- oriented and multi-actor’s advisory extension services depend on the active participation and

Box6:SuccessstoryoneffectiveimplementationofMLEThe Agricultural Extension PerformanceManagement System (AEPMS) being developed byOxfam America andMoANR isintendedtoimprovetheperformanceofthesystem.Itisameansfordecision-makerstolistentoandworkwithfarmersandfront-line extension workers by putting their voices upfront. AEPMS ensures that the system is more responsive andaccountable to farmers by producing high quality ‘real-time’ data on ‘why and how’ the current system operates and itsperformance ismeasured and sustained if foundgood.Uniquely, it proposes a systemic, democratic and context-sensitiveapproach for a continuous knowledge creation,management andaction rather than simply generating data andanalyzingfeedback.Moreover, it reliesonprinciplesofcost-effectiveness, timeliness,andeaseofuse;and italsoproducesdata forcomparative performance analysis between different administration levels. AEPMS has enabled a feedback system thatprovidesperceptiveinputsonthecurrentsysteminsixpilotWoredas.AEPMSrepresentsaradicaldeparture fromexistingM&Eandperformancemanagementpractices inagriculturalextension.TraditionalapproachestodoingM&Einagricultureextensionhavefocusedonactivities,outputsandtolimitedextenthigherleveloutcomes.Moreover,datafocuseson‘whathashappened,’not‘whyandhowisithappening’mostlywithoutamethodicalapproachthatorientslearning.This,however,provideslimitedinsightsintowhythingsareworkingornotworkinganddoesnothelpdecision-makers find solutionstotheproblems they face.Farmersand front-line extensionworkers, (groupswhodirectlyexperiencethepracticalchallengesofturningtargetsandobjectivesintoreality)canprovidevitalevidencethatcanhelphighlightkeyproblemsandtheirsolutions.TheAEPMSisnotjustaonce-offmethodforcollectingandanalyzingsurveydata,butopenandclosedperceptualfeedbackdataarecollectedperiodicallyfromfarmersandfront-lineextensionworkersonkey

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commitmentoftheseactors.Moreover,addressingthebottlenecksandensuringtheimplementationofstrategicinterventions require synergistic and integrated approaches among organizations engaged in agriculturaldevelopment.

Thus,thisframeworkoutlinesthemajorrolesandresponsibilitiestobeplayedbydifferentorganizationsatvariouslevels from Federal to Kebele. It also identifies the priority process and intervention to be followed for itsimplementation.

4.1. Rolesandresponsibilitiesatvariouslevels4.1.1. AtFederallevel

Ministry of Agricultural and Natural Resource is responsible to develop and approve the national agriculturalextensionstrategyandsupports itsfurther implementationthroughtheprovisionoftechnicalbackstoppingandmonitoring&evaluation.Ingeneral,someoftherolesandresponsibilitiesofMoANRarementionedasfollow.

• Conductnationalworkshoptofamiliarizetheextensionstrategy• Facilitatecrosslearningamongregions,• Collectanddocument,aswellas,design&implementthescalingupofgoodpractices

fromtheregionsandabroadtoimprovefurtherimplementation.• Carryingoutshoppingoftechnologies• Nationallevelcoordination• Createenablingenvironmentfortheprovisionofrequiredinputs,• Strengthenandleadinglinkagewithrelevantpublicandprivateorganizationstoaccess

knowledgeandservicesatFederallevel,• Developprojectstomobilizeresourcestosupporttheextensionservice• CoordinatetopromoteandestablishICT-basedextensionservicesandmarket

informationsystem.• Conductimpactassessment

4.1.2. AtRegionalLevel

RegionalBureauofAgricultureandNaturalResource(R-BoANR)isresponsibletooverseetheintegrationandharmonization of activities outlined in the strategy document during its implementation. It is expected tofacilitatethecoordinationandalignmentoftheinterventionamongdevelopmentpartnersatregionallevelssothatcoordinatedagriculturalextensionservicesaredeliveredatZonalandWoredalevels.Moreover,R-BoANRis also responsible for the preparation and approval of annual plans and required budget related to theimplementationof interventionsoutlinedinthedocument. Italsoreviewsthequarter,biannualandannualprogressreportsrelatedtotheimplementationofagreedinterventionatregionallevel.

• ConductregionallevelworkshoptofamiliarizetheextensionstrategytoRegionalandWoredakeystakeholders,

• FacilitatecrosslearningamongWoredas,• CollectanddocumentgoodpracticesfromtheotherregionsandwithinWoredasto

improvefurtherimplementation.• Regionallevelcoordination• Createenablingenvironmentfortheprovisionofrequiredinputsforfarmerswithinthe

region,

42

• StrengthenlinkagewithrelevantNGOswithintheregionforeffectiveimplementationofthestrategy,

• Conductsupervisiontoprovidetechnicalassistance,

4.1.3. AtWoredalevel§ ConductWoredalevelworkshoptofamiliarizetheextensionstrategytoWoredakey

stakeholders§ FacilitateexperiencesharingandlearningprocessamongKebelsandbetweenWoredas,§ CollectanddocumentgoodpracticesKebelesanddeliverthedatatoregionalBoANR,§ CarriesoutWoredalevelcoordinationandensureharmonizationbetweendifferent

initiatives,§ Assessnecessaryinputdemandandproviderequestontime,§ WorksstronglytostrengthenWoredalevelNGOsandprivatesectorslinkageforeffective

implementationofthestrategy,§ ProvidesupportandassistancetoDAs§ PrepareWoredaannualworkplanwithactivityinvolvementofworedalevelstakeholders.§ DeliverstrainingtoDAsonimplementationofmarket-orientedandothertopics.

4.1.4. AtKebeleLevel• CreateawarenessonthestrategyforKebeleleaders,elders,religionleaders,womenand

youthswithintheKebele,• MobilizecommunityandFTC-ManagementCommitteemembersforsuccessful

implementationoftheplannedinterventions• ConductcontinuousfollowupandprovidesupportsforDAs,• RequestfortheassignmentofDAs,• Ensures equal participation of male, female and youth in the implementation of the

extensionservices,• Collectsdata,maintainsrecordsanddocumentsoutcomeoftheactivityinaclearway,• Preparesandsubmitmonthlyreports,• SupportsDasforeffectiveimplementationtheoutlinedinterventions

4.2. PrioritizationandSequencingofInterventions

Theimplementationofthestrategicinterventionsoutlinedinthedocumentrequiresalongtermtimeframeofatleast15yearsthatcanbedividedinto3phases.The1stphasecoverstheimplementationperiodfrom2016to2020whichoverlapswithGTP-II implementationperiod.Majorityof the interventionswithin the strategydocumenthavebeenalreadyincorporatedwithinGTP-IIextensionplanandtheyareexpectedtobestartedduringthiperiod.However,effectiveimplementationoftheinterventionrequiresofficialapprovalofthestrategydocument,whichmay take time considering all these factors. The commencement of the 1st phase of implementation of theinterventionsisassumedfullytostartfrom2017.Dependingontheavailabilityofresourcesandhumancapacitytheimplementationoftheinterventionswillcontinueuntiltheend3rdphase,whichmightgountil2030.Attheendofeachphase,evaluationwillbeconductedtoidentifygapsandtoprovidenecessaryremedialactions.Theimplementationofallpillarsandtheirstrategicinterventionsmentionedundersection3willnotstartatthesametimebecauseoflimitationsincapacity,resourceavailability,nationalandregionalpriorities.Therefore,itisimportant to prioritize and sequencing the strategic interventions to achieve the overall goal of the extensionsystem(Table1;Fig.6).Ingeneral,pillarsandinterventionsthatcanserveasinputfortheachievementofotherpillarsshouldbegiventhefirstpriority.

43

Moreover,theimplementationofalltheinterventionsoutlinedwithinthestrategydocumentisnotonlygoingtobemanagedbyMoANR.Itneedsthecommitmentandcontributionofotherconcernedkeystakeholdersatvariouslevels.Therefore,itiscriticallyimportanttogivedueconsiderationtothecoordinationamongvariousstakeholders.Thus,awarenesscreationforallstakeholdersatvariouslevelsiscrucialtoenhanceparticipationandcreatesenseofownershipforeffectiveimplementationoftheinterventions.Strategicinterventionsindicatedinthisdocumentundersection3areexpectedtobeimplementedwithinthetimeframeasshowninTable4.ExistinggovernmentstructuresfromFederaltoKebeleareaccountableandresponsibleforitsoverallimplementation.

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Table3:Proposedkeypriorityactivitiesandtheirtentativeschedule/2017-2020No Proposedactivities Implementationperiod

2017 2018 2019 2020 Responsibility1 Approvalofthedocument XX FederalMoANR2 Familiarize the strategy to key

stakeholders at various levels(fromFederaltoWoreda)

XX Federal&Region

3 Prepare, revised and updatedsectorspecificextensionguidelinesand manuals (Eg. Irrigation,livestock,NR,mechanization)

XX FederalMoANR

4 Develop and provide requiredguidelinesrelatedtotheprovisionclient oriented and multi diverseextensionservice

FederalMoANR

• Revise /update FTCguideline/manual

XX FederalMoANR

• Conduct an assessment onFTCs based on the preparedstrategy (basic, intermediateand advance) levels criterial,full fill the materialsaccordingly

XX XX XX XX Federal&Regionincollaboration

• Conductstudytoidentifybasicfacilities for ICT-basedextensionservices

XX Federal&Regional

• Prepare training manuals onmarketing & business skills,value chain development,communication andfacilitation, group formationanddevelopment,etc...

XX FederalMoANR

• PrepareperformancebasedM&Eguideline

XX FederalMoANR

• Prepare a guideline on theimplementation pluralisticextension methods andapproachestoalignwithpublicextensionservice

FederalMoANR

5 Staffcapacitybuildingonpreparedguideline and training materials(fromFederaltoKebele)

XX XX XX Federal&Regional

6 Revisit and update agriculturerelated HHLs and ATVETscurriculum to align with thedemand of agriculturaldevelopment

XX

FederalMoANR

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7 Preparedetailannualworkplanoftheagreedatvariouslevels

a) Woreda annualwork planpreparation WoANRDO

b) Regional compressiveannualworkplan R-BoANR

c) Federal level annual workplan MoANR

8 Followandtechnicalsupporttheimplementation Federal,regionand

Woredas

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Table4:Pillars,majorobjectivesandstrategicinterventionsandtheirprioritization

No

Pillar Objectives Strategicintervention Prioritization of theinterventions

1stPhaseimplementation/2017-2020,

2ndphase/2021-2025/

3rdphase/2026-2030/

10 20 2017

2018

2019

2020

1

Strengthening FTCsthroughactiveparticipationofcommunityand capacitybuilding ofDAs

TomakeFTCshubsforknowledge andinformation sharing,for promotingimprovedtechnologiesandgoodpracticesandcreatingself-sustainingFTC managementsystemsthatownedbythecommunity

Increase senseof FTCownershipby farmers and improve FTCfunctioningandsustainability

ü

Allocate sufficient resource toFTCs

ü

FurnishandequipFTCswithbasicinfrastructureandfacilities

ü

Improve support to FTCs by thelocalgovernment

ü

Improved facilities, career-pathandbetterincentivesforDAs

ü

BuildDAsknowledgeandskill ü Promoteneedbasedandpracticaltrainingtofarmers

ü

Strengthenmodelfarmers ü

2

Enhanceagriculturalknowledgeandinformationsystem

Touseeffectiveanddiversifiedcommunicationchannels(includingICT-ledextensionservicedelivery)toenhanceaccesstoknowledgeandinformationexchangeandutilizationamongbeneficiaries.

Promotion of Digitalized & ICT-based extension communicationsystem

ü

Strengthen farmers group basedextensionservices

ü

Strengthen agriculturalknowledge management withinthe extension system at variouslevels

ü

Enhance urban and peri –urbanagriculture

ü

Enhanceparticipatorytechnologydevelopment, verification anddissemination

ü

Prepare and provide diverseclient-tailored extensionpackages&advisoryservices

ü

Enhance the development ofinformation systems foragriculturalriskmanagement

ü

3

Enhanceclientorientedandmultiactor’sadvisoryextensionservices

Tomaketheextensionservicesdiverse,client-orientedandreachdifferentcategoriesoffarmersthroughimprovingtheinvolvementofdifferentactorsengagedinagriculturaldevelopment

Strengthenpluralisticagriculturalextensionadvisoryservices

ü

Strengthen the alignmentbetween public & NGO’sextension

ü

Enhance cooperative-basedextensionadvisoryservices

ü

Improving the role of agro-processing companies inextensionservices

ü

4

Enhancevaluechainsdevelopmentandinnovationplatforms

Totransformsubsistencesmallholderfarmingtocommercializedfarmingsystemthroughthe

Buildthecapacityofthetechnicalstaff at various levels to providemarket-oriented extensionservices

ü

Promote Value Chain-BasedExtensionServices

ü

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No

Pillar Objectives Strategicintervention Prioritization of theinterventions

1stPhaseimplementation/2017-2020,

2ndphase/2021-2025/

3rdphase/2026-2030/

10 20 2017

2018

2019

2020

implementationofvaluechainapproachthatpromotemarket-orientedextensionservicesinvariousagro-ecologies.

Enhance Capacity Developmentoftheactors

ü

Promote value chain-basedlinkagedevelopment

ü

Improve Access to MarketInformation and CollectiveMarketing

ü

5

Genderandyouthmainstreamingandempowerment

Tomainstreamgenderissuesinthebroaderagriculturalextensionprogramsandensurewomenandyouthhaveequalaccesstoagriculturalextensionservices.

Enhance the level of awarenessongenderatalllevels

ü

Strengthen gendermainstreamingactions

ü

Enhance the participation ofwomenand youth in agriculturalextension

ü

Establishandstrengthenlinkagesand network within and othersectors

ü

Allocate adequate resources togenderrelatedactivities

ü

Enhance women’s socio-economicempowerment

ü

6

Enhanceenvironmentalmanagementandsustainability

To integrateenvironment andnatural resourcesmanagement issuesinto agriculturalextensionservices.

EnhanceNRMextension serviceslinkwithlivelihoodstrategies

ü

Improve technical capacity ofextensionstaffonenvironment&NRM

ü

Promotion of climate smartagriculture and agro-metrologyinformation

ü

Enhance sustainable orientedextensionservice

ü

7

Enhanceinstitutionalarrangements,coordinationand linkagesamong keyagriculturaldevelopmentpartners

Tostrengthenestablisheffectivelinkageforumsatalllevelstoeffectstrongallianceforbetterextensionandadvisoryservices

Review and develop linkageforumguideline

ü

Creation of sustainability in theinstitutional arrangements forimprovedlinkageforums

ü

Strengthen stakeholders’collaborationandnetworking

ü

StrengthenMLE ü

8

Humanresourcedevelopmentandutilizationforeffectiveextensionservicedelivery

Toimprovetheefficiencyandeffectivenessoftheprofessionalsinagriculturalextensionatdifferentlevelsfordiverse,demand-drivenandmarket-orientedextensionservices.

Promote and implement needbased professional training atHLIs&ATVETs

ü

Enhance staff motivation andretention

ü

Assign agricultural professionalsto lead agriculture developmentatalllevels

ü

9

Establishstronganddynamic

Toimprovethecapability,relevance,effectiveness,

Develop and implement resultbasedMLE system for extensionservices

ü

48

No

Pillar Objectives Strategicintervention Prioritization of theinterventions

1stPhaseimplementation/2017-2020,

2ndphase/2021-2025/

3rdphase/2026-2030/

10 20 2017

2018

2019

2020

monitoring,learningandevaluation(MLE)forcontinuousimprovementofextensionservicesdelivery

efficiencyandimpactoftheextensionservicethroughcontinuousassessment,reporting,learning,documentationandfeedbacksystem.

Install ICT-based data collectionandtrackingsystem

ü

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Section 5: Result Based Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation (RB-MEL) Amonitoring,learningandevaluation(MLE)frameworkforthisstrategydependsonresultsframeworktoensurewhetherornottheactivitiesonthegroundareontracktomeetingtheplannedobjectives.Theresultsframeworkconsistsofoutputs,outcomesandimpact,eachofwhichhasasetofindicators.Theoutputscanbeachieveddirectlybyimplementingtheinterventionsoutlinedinthedocument,whoseachievementcanbemeasuredthroughvariousindicators.Thesuccessfulrealizationoftheseoutputswillenhancetheeffectivenessandefficiencyoftheextensionsystem,whichistheanticipatedoutcome.Table1:Performanceindicatorsat(Impact,OutcomeandOutputslevels)

Impact Impactindicatorsatdifferentphases

incomesbysmallholderfarmers %smallholderfarmers(male,femaleandfemale)respondingpositivelytotheincrementoftheirincomesandimprovementoftheirlivelihoods

Outcome OutcomeindicatorsatdifferentphasesIncreased productivity andproductivity %ofproductionandproductivityincrementbysmallholderfarmers

Output OutputindicatorsatdifferentphasesEffective and efficient market-oriented, client-tailoredextension services will beprovided to a more smallholderfarmers in a wider geographicareas

• %smallholdersfarmers(male,femaleandyouth)expresstheirsatisfactioninreceivingmarket-oriented,demanddrivenandtailored-extensionservices

• %increaseinfarmersthatuseimprovedtechnologiesandpracticesacrossagro-ecologies

• # of smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists and pastoralists whoimplemented climate smart agriculture (CSA) to improve their resilienceundernaturalcalamitiesanddisasters.

• % of FTCs upgraded to different functionality levels (pre-basic to basic, basic tointermediate,andintermediateAdvance)

• %oftechnicalstafftrainedatvariouslevelsandtrainingconducted• #ofextensionbeneficiaries(male,femaleandyouth)• #ofsmallholderfarmerspracticedfullpackage(crops,livestockandnatural

resources)• %ofsmallholderfarmerslinkedwithimprovedmarkets.• # of smallholder farmers received diversified extension services from

differentsources,• %farmersusedICT/digitalizedextensioncommunication• #linkageplatformsestablishedatvariouslevels

Pillar2Pillar1 Pillar8Pillar3 Pillar4 Pillar5 Pillar6 Pillar7 Pillar9

Activ

ity

level

50

Each implementation area should have a detailed work plan with detailed activities and timeframes. Theinstitutionalownersshouldensure that theactivitiesarealignedwith theaboveresults framework.Theresultsframework should be accompanied by a performance measurement plan, which will enable the concernedinstitutions to collect the appropriate data and report. These data will be reviewed and evaluated at regularmeetingsoftheNationalSteeringCommittee.Whileensuringfocusonthevisionandeffectivenessofinterventions,thenationalandregionalsteeringcommitteeshouldbeflexibletorespondtotheemergingneedsandchallenges.In conclusion, the strategy takesa long termperspectiveandappreciates thedynamicnatureof theextensionsysteminEthiopia.Asthecountryisheadingtotransitiontomiddle-incomelevelby2025,theagriculturesectorwill have to accommodate amarket-led transformation. By providing an overall framework to strengthen theextensionsystem,thisstrategywillenabletheextensionsystemtoplayacriticalroleinagriculturaltransformation.Itisexpectedthatthisstrategywillbereviewedandrevisedonregularbasistoincorporatenewthinkingandnewimplementationtacticsbasedonlessonslearnedandemergingrealities.

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