Partnerships are essential in the agricultural industry for promoting innovation and sustainable development. The ENSP project is a prime example of such a partnership, dedicated to guiding seed sector transformation in Ethiopia. A mid-term evaluation was conducted to assess its progress and impact, providing valuable lessons for future focus areas.
A mid-term review of the ENSP project was done, considering its relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability. The team confirmed its relevance to agricultural development goals in Ethiopia. By targeting critical challenges in the sector, the ENSP project has the potential to significantly improve agricultural productivity and contribute to food security in Ethiopia. Efforts to improve the seed sector are commendable and can enhance agricultural productivity and food security. Support is focused on private sector capacity, skill development, and collaboration with universities. ENSP’s support to the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority is also recognized by the review team.
The mid-term evaluation has also revealed promising endeavours in terms of the project’s effectiveness. The support provided to the Ethiopian Seed Association (ESA), including capacity-building initiatives with a gradual decline in support, has enabled the association to commence functioning. Several international companies have expanded their market presence by utilizing interns. The facilitation and linkage between companies and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have been instrumental in granting companies access to forage germplasm, thereby minimizing their dependence on public varieties. Furthermore, this linkage has facilitated a connection to dairy farmers, contributing to sustainable business practices. Certain companies are striving to acquire varieties from sources beyond solely relying on public varieties. Similarly, coordination among different seed projects has helped avoid overlapping activities and enhanced implementation effectiveness as various projects work together towards a common goal.
The review team indicated that ENSP collaborates with government entities such as the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), EAA, and universities, as well as private sector stakeholders such as seed and seedling producers and seed associations. Capacity-building efforts and support remain focused on these partners. Private companies exhibit heightened enthusiasm for engaging in seed business activities, and with improvements in regulatory systems and access to finance, they are eager to strengthen their businesses, thereby ensuring the sustainability of ENSP’s efforts. Similarly, efforts to enhance technical capacity building among professionals and interns are ongoing within the system.
In the process of implementation, there were also lessons that ENSP learned. Although there was an intention to include women-owned businesses, few were able to meet the selection criteria. As a result, a different approach involving business incubation was employed to incorporate women-owned businesses. Similarly, the initial open call for applications for postgraduate study and research sponsorship failed to attract sufficient female applicants. In the subsequent rounds, affirmative actions were taken to include more female students. For certain value chains, such as leafy vegetables, identifying a large aggregator proved challenging, necessitating adaptations to align with existing circumstances. The capacity of EAA was initially overestimated in terms of assuming responsibility for variety testing and registration, leading to the adoption of a pilot outsourcing approach.
The review team has provided suggestions for the ENSP team to consider. These suggestions include:
- Exploring different ways to involve women in seed business activities.
- Increasing efforts to reach the goal of assisting 15 thousand farmers.
- Establishing a seed coordination system
- Promoting collaboration among projects
- Improving seed production practices
- Offering internship programs for graduate students to enhance their knowledge and skills.
- Prioritizing the ratification of seed-related policies.
Overall, based on the review findings, it is evident that progress is being made in the right direction. However, this does not imply that everything is flawless, as there are still limitations encountered during project implementation that deviate from initial expectations. Initiating a project is often accompanied by unforeseen challenges that require time to align new partners with shared objectives. Additionally, limitations in capacity and internal motivation among certain stakeholders can impede implementation speed. Lastly, security challenges within the country have had some impact on project implementation. Despite these obstacles, the review team’s conclusion regarding project implementation remains positive. This encouragement serves as motivation for the team to achieve even more during the remaining project period.
