Nextsteps
Next Steps in the project
Training week – week beginning 12 March Who: VCA (trainer: Getachew), FEAST (Trainer: Alan), Techfit (Trainer: Alan). 2+2 researchers from each site (2 feed, 2 socio-economics), Abate, Adugna, Gerba Where: DZ EIAR How? Theory (0.5 day FEAST, 0.5 day Techfit, 1 Day VCA) – Mon/Tue Practical: 1 day FEAST/Techfit combined), 1 day on VCA (Wed/Thu) Reflecting back: 1 day (Fri) When: Week of March 12 - 16?
FEAST Pre-testing/ orientation with woreda staff: 2 days 4 FEAST assessments (PRA plus 6 questionnaires) – 2 days giving a total 8 days. Report: 4 days
Techfit Design a simple questionnaire to arrive at context scores – Alan/Bill in consultation with partners List of technologies needs to be populated: Adugna in consultation with partners Simple web interface designed for adding technologies – Peter/ Daniel/ Alan Implementation of Techfit questionnaire done alongside FEAST PRA Field work: 4 days Reporting: 4 days A sample report will be provided (from India) VCA – restrict to one site: high productivity site Simple data collection questionnaire designed – focus on feed. Getachew Sampling strategy designed – how many interviews? With whom? – Getachew - PRA Key informants: researchers, ministry of agriculture, traders, producers - Visit to feed and livestock markets - One focus group discussion - Secondary data collection Field work: 5 days for 2 researchers Reporting: 5 days for 2 researchers
Menz feed balance exercise - Amare District scale data Prepare protocol Locate all potential datasets which might be useful (to lowest scale possible) Manipulating the data and working out some balances Focus on Menz but potentially taking in other sites if time allows.
Database of feed quality, prices and volumes - Adugna Rough list of available samples – samples from SPS-LMM project, from ACDI- VOCA? Collect samples identified in “purchased feed” section of FEAST. Collect price information and analyse samples. Design simple data collection template for use at markets - Michael Analysis at Holetta? Ato Aymro Import to India?
Desk study on small ruminant feeding strategies – Bill/Jane ICARDA to become more heavily involved. Develop overall structure: Bill ELF team to contribute references from their collections on sheep feeding strategies Look at economics of more intensive production Info sources: LiLi, imGoats, Farm Africa, IPMS, USAID Sheep and Goat Improvement Project. Could draw on info from feed price/quality database.
Next steps
- Research agreements with EIAR/ARARI drafted – Alan/Bill
- Draft budget breakdowns from Centres – by Mar 1st.
- Draft activity plan – Alan/Bill by Mon 27th
- ToR’s Prof Adugna, Ato Getachew, Ato Abate
- Each team to sensitize their colleagues about the project.
- Work more on Techfit: simple questionnaire for context scores
- Getachew to develop VCA-lite methodology
- Training arrangements: Abate to arrange with Dr Solomon. Tigist.
- Work out ICARDA (Jane Wamatu) involvement – Alan
- Amare to flesh out details of Menz feed assessment
