The National Seed Quality Control Platform (NaSQC) in Ethiopia was established to standardize seed quality assurance practices across the country. The platform brings together regional and federal regulatory bodies for annual or biannual meetings to discuss and harmonize regulatory services. So far, the platform conducts about 11 rounds of meetings. Cognizant of the importance of the platform, ENSP reviewed the process of the platforms with the objective to strengthen its role and contribution. The recent review conducted by the Ethiopia Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP) has highlighted some significant contribution and limitations of the platform. The result of the review was presented during the 12th annual National Seed Quality Control (NaSQC) platform which held at Hawasa on April 6-7, 2023.
Topics frequently discussed in NaSQC platforms
During the NaSQC meetings, participants discuss a range of topics, typically between 4-7, with a focus on sharing experiences of regional regulatory authorities, field assessment results and best practices for debate and endorsement. Following the meetings, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are developed and signed by heads of the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) and regional regulatory bodies to implement agreed terms. However, the review found that some topics are discussed more frequently than others, while some are dropped without implementation. The reasons for repeated appearance of some topics in the meetings include the level of importance of the topics, the need to share experience among regions, variation in implementation performance among regions, level of complexity, difficulty in harmonizing practices, frequent rejection or violation of agreements by regions, and limitation of concrete solutions suggested to tackle challenges.
Challenges faced by National Seed Quality Control Platform
participants of the assessment indicated that there is shortage of discussion time to thoroughly discuss some topics and suggest directions. Some actions and recommendations agreed during these platforms are rarely put into action. These challenges pose a significant threat to the effectiveness of the NaSQC platform.
However, the platform has been playing significant role in adding skills on experts work (43%), besides discussing technical challenges (62%) and investigating solutions for the challenges (86%). Majority of the respondents satisfied (76%) in the role of the platform and wish for its continuity.
In nutshell, the NaSQC platform can be considered as one of the visible platforms for seed regulatory bodies in Ethiopia. Hence, the platform is more of a learning platform, it may take some time for harmonization to happen.
The way forward
While the platform has made some progress in harmonizing seed quality assurance practices across the nation, there is still much work to be done. The ENSP review provides valuable insights into how the platform can be strengthened and improved.
One of the suggestions is the use of virtual meeting platform as an additional option to increase the frequency of the platform. This would enable more people to participate in the discussions and increase the chances of achieving the intended objectives
Another suggestion is prioritizing critical discussion topics to get focus. This would ensure that the most pressing issues are addressed, and the discussions are productive.
To achieve the intended objectives, it is essential to move from intent to fully implement agreements in the MoUs. This would require documentation of the platform processes as it is a learning process. It would also be necessary to have a clear performance tracking system in place to monitor progress.
Increasing NaSQC platform visibility through different mechanisms is also necessary. This could be achieved through social media, newsletters, and other communication channels.
Responsibility sharing and coordination are needed to achieve harmonization. This would require setting a regular schedule for the platform, including experience sharing from abroad on some challenging topics. EAA needs to plan for regular follow up of the implementation of the agreements as per the MoUs before the next meeting.
In conclusion, the NaSQC platform has been a significant avenue for critical discussions and harmonization efforts. However, to sustain and increase its relevance, it is necessary to implement the suggestions outlined above. By doing so, we can achieve our intended objectives and make a significant impact in our respective fields.
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