Tue, 08/21/2012

On 31^st July and 1^st August 2012, the ReSAKSS coordinators had a meeting in Addis Ababa to finalize the methodology for undertaking capacity needs assessment for establishing and strengthening SAKSS nodes under the CAADP agenda. The meeting was also attended by officials from the government of Ethiopia and other agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development (MoARD), the Rural Economic Development and Food Security (RED&FS) sector working group, and the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA). The meeting first reviewed the outcome of the pilot study that had been launched in Ethiopia, on which the methodology and instruments for collecting information were revised.

The ReSAKSS regional nodes are now making preparations to begin the assessments in 15 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda). The assessments, which are expected to be completed by the end of September 2012, hopefully, will help governments and stakeholders identify capacities, analytical tools, and information to generate credible, timely and high quality knowledge products to inform and guide agricultural sector policies and planning and review processes.

This article is written by Samuel Benin, Research Fellow and Coordinator of ReSAKSS-AW at IFPRI,  s.benin@CGIAR.ORG.