SFG3519 V2 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Social Assessment Report (SAR) For Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP) Addis Ababa July, 2017 Table of Contents Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 22 1.1. Background and Context ......................................................................................................................................... 22 1.2. Objectives of the Social Assessment ................................................................................................................... 23 1.3. Data Collection Methods and Tools Methodology.......................................................................................... 24 1.3.1. Secondary Data Collection Methods......................................................................................... 24 1.3.2. Primary Data Collection Methods ............................................................................................. 24 1.4. Scope of the Social Assessment............................................................................................................................. 25 2. Description of the Project ....................................................................................................................... 27 3. Review of Institutional and Legal Frameworks ...................................................................................... 32 3.1. Institutional Arrangements ...................................................................................................................................... 32 3.2. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements for Safeguards ................................................................ 33 3.3. Legal Frameworks ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 4. Baseline Data on Environmental and Social Conditions of LFSDP Regions ......................................... 36 4.1. Physical Environment ............................................................................................................................................... 36 4.3. Socio-Demographic Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 36 5. Assessment of Key Social Issues ............................................................................................................. 40 5.1. Identifying Vulnerable Groups and Underserved Peoples in the Project Woredas ............................... 40 5.1.1. Women...................................................................................................................................... 40 5.1.2. Female-Headed Households ..................................................................................................... 42 5.1.3. Women in Polygamous Unions................................................................................................. 43 5.1.4. Unemployed and Underemployed Rural Youths ...................................................................... 44 5.2. Ethnic Minorities ......................................................................................................................... 45 5.3. OP 4.10: Indigenous Peoples/Underserved Peoples .................................................................... 46 5.3.1. Profile of Underserved Peoples................................................................................................. 46 5.3.2. LFSDP Impacts and Implications vis-à-vis Vulnerable Groups and Underserved Peoples...... 48 5.4. Proper Utilization of Social Capital in LFSDP Woredas .............................................................................. 51 5.4.1. Traditional Mutual/Self-Help Institutions ................................................................................. 51 5.4.2 Customary Land-Related Dispute Settlement Institutions ......................................................... 52 5.5. Cooperative Societies ............................................................................................................................................... 53 ii 6. Summary of Community Consultation and Involvement........................................................................ 55 6.1. Summary of Consultation with Women and Youth Empowerment .......................................................... 57 6.2. Community Consultation Summary: LFSDP Priority Value Chains ........................................................ 58 6.2.1. Dairy ........................................................................................................................................................................... 58 6.2.2. Fishery and Aquaculture ...................................................................................................................................... 61 6.2.2.1 Concerns and challenges of Fishers’ Cooperatives Members................................................................ 62 6.2.3. Poultry ........................................................................................................................................................................ 65 6.2.4. Red Meat/Fattening................................................................................................................................................ 66 General Concerns, views and Recommendations on Priority Value Chains: .................................................. 66 7. Asset Loss and Loss of Access to Assets (OP 4.12 – Involuntary Resettlement)..................................... 69 8. LFSDP and the Commune Development Program (CDP): The Interface................................................. 70 9. Grievance Redress Mechanism ............................................................................................................... 73 10. Benefit Sharing Mechanism .................................................................................................................. 75 11. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) ........................................................................................................ 77 12. Capacity Building ................................................................................................................................... 79 13. Risks and Mitigation Measures-Social Development Plan .................................................................... 82 References ................................................................................................................................................... 88 Annexes ....................................................................................................................................................... 89 Annex 1: Social Assessment Community Consultation Guide and FGD Checklist ..................................... 89 Annex 2: Community Consultations Attendance Sheet ......................................................................................... 94 Annex 3: LFSDP Grievance Redressing Mechanism Operational Guide ..................................................... 106 Annex 4: Sample Photos of Community Consultations ...................................................................................... 114 iii Acronyms BoLF Bureau of Livestock and Fisheries CC Commune Center CDP Commune Development Program CLPP Ccommunity Level Participatory Planning CPS Country Partnership Strategy CU Coordination Units DRS Developing Regional States EFCC Environment, Forest and Climate Change EIO Ethiopian Institute of Ombudsman ESA Environment and Social Assessment ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESS Environmental and Social Safeguard FGD Focus Group Discussion FSC Federal Steering Committee GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GTP II Growth and Transformation Plan II IA Implementing Agencies IPMP Integrated Pest Management Plan LFSDP Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project LMP Livestock Master Plan M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoANR Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource MoFPDA Ministry of Federal and Pastoralist Development Affair MoFEC Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation MoLF Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries NPCU National Project Coordination Unit NSPS National Social Protection Strategy OP Operational Policy PAD Project Appraisal Document PAP Project Affected People PCU Project Coordination Unit PDO Project Development Objective PGSO Public Grievance Hearing Offices PME Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation PMP Pest Management Plan RAP Resettlement Action Plan RPF Resettlement Policy Framework RPCU Regional Project Coordination Unit RSC Regional Steering Committee SA Social Assessment SC Steering Committee SLMP Sustainable Land Management Project SNNPR Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region TC Technical Committee TOT Training of Trainers VC Value Chain WPCU Woreda Project Coordination Unit iv Executive Summary The Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP) is an investment program aims to enhance livestock and fisheries productivity and commercialization in Ethiopia. The project focuses on supporting and boosting the growth and transformation of smallholder producers and processers in the highlands with big livestock potential in selected value chains. The rationale behind the project initiative lies in the necessity to deal with the deficiencies and poor performance in the sector. The serious limitations that need to be addressed include inadequate livestock services and inputs, low market access, limited private investments in the sector, and major gaps in relevant government policies and institutional frameworks. LFSDP is well-aligned with Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) and Pillar One of the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) II. It is designed to foster competitiveness and employment in the livestock sector, as well as addressing the cross cutting issues of gender, nutrition and climate change. LFSDP adopts the value chain approach with an aim to empower smallholder producers and processors towards continuous value addition and innovation, as they make progress through four levels/stages of transformation pathways. Moreover, women and youths are also the focus of attention in LFSDP. The institutional arrangements for the implementation of LFSDP comprise Steering Committees (SCs), Coordination Units (CUs) and Technical Committees (TCs) that are established at federal, regional and woreda levels. SCs are responsible to oversee the implementation of the project; CUs are mandated to run the day-to-day project execution; and the responsibilities TCs are to provide technical support to SCs and CUs. Conducting a Social Assessment (SA) in sample project woredas was deemed necessary to contribute to the design and planning of LFSDP. In accordance with this, the major objective of the SA is to make assessments of the possible risks that may be faced in the course of project implementation, the adverse effects to vulnerable and underserved groups, and the needs of the target communities as per the World Bank’s social safeguard policy of OP 4.10. Purposive sampling was used to select a representative number of seventeen project woredas for the Social Assessment (SA). The selection was done in such way that the number of SA woredas was proportional in relation to the regional distribution of the proposed fifty-eight LFSDP woredas. Accordingly, the number of SA woredas by project region is seven (Oromia), three (Amhara), three (SNNP), two (Tigray), one (Benishangul-Gumz) and one (Gambella). Desk review was conducted with a view to identifying the gaps in literature relevant to LFSDP. Fieldwork was carried out to obtain the required primary information pertaining to key identified issues based on the SA objectives. The main methods of field data collection consisted of community and public consultations and focus group discussions with representative number of smallholder farmers, cooperative members, women, youths, and elders, as well as with livestock and fisheries experts at regional and woreda livestock and fisheries bureaus/offices. The major findings of the Social Assessment are identified on the basis of the stated SA objectives. 5 Vulnerable Groups • In the project woredas, women find themselves vulnerable as a result of low educational participation, socially constructed gender based values and belief systems, and their productive and reproductive roles in the household. • Lack of property entitlements1, low educational status, heavy burden of domestic and farm work, and unequal power relations with men, particularly in developing regional states (DRS) are further vulnerability factors aggravating the situation of women. • Female household heads are even more vulnerable being landless, labor deficient and capital poor. As a result, they end up being the least advantaged or the losing party in partnerships involving share livestock rearing. • Women in polygamous unions are likewise worse off not being entitled to the ownership of land and livestock. Deprived of property rights, women in polygamous unions in the SA woredas of Oromia, SNNP, Benishangul-Gumz, and Gambella are economically insecure and therefore exposed to a range of deprivation and uncertainties. • Youths in the project woredas become vulnerable because of unemployment, dependence on the family, landlessness and the shortage of cash to start their own productive ventures. • Because of the primary focus of the project on smallholder producers, it is important that LFSDP make sure these groups are not left behind. Instead, measures should be taken to target such women and youths as beneficiaries of economic and social empowerment initiatives of the project. Ethnic Minorities • In the context of this SA, ethnic minorities refer to people who were relocated by state- sponsored resettlement schemes from their places of origin in the highlands to communities in Benishangul-Gmuz and Gambella regions, in the wake of the major draught of 1984/85. The relocated minorities were resettled in the present LFSDP woredas of Asossa Zuria and Oda in Benishangul-Gumz, and Abobo in Gambella, among others. • Areas/kebeles inhabited by resettled groups should be included among communities selected for LFSDP intervention in the woredas. This should be done in the interest of equity and fairness, without considering such communities as ethnic minorities and using this as a ground to exclude them from benefiting, inadvertently or otherwise. In addition, their inclusion is deemed appropriate given their long years of experience especially in dairy production, and the potential they have to contribute to the development of the sub-sector. 1 Particularly in polygamous unions in the project woredas where the practice is prevalent, as is the case in target communities of the DRS, women do not own land and livestock, which leaves them economically insecure and vulnerable. 6 Indigenous People/Underserved Peoples2 The SA has identified the following community groups in the project regions of Amhara, Benishangul- Gumz, Gambella, and SNNP as historically underserved/disadvantaged communities: • The Negede (Woito): - A minority occupational group who live with the Amhara around Lake Tana, practicing fishing as their major livelihood activity. • The Berta: - Who belong to the Nilo-Saharan group, and inhabit the Benishagul-Gumz Regional State, practicing a livelihood that is dependent mainly on shifting cultivation, with fishing, hunting and gathering, livestock raising and gold panning as supplementary source of income. • The Agnywa: - A Nilotic people who inhabit the Gambella Region and are mainly crop dependent, with fishing, hunting and gathering as their supplementary livelihoods. • The Majenger: - Who belong to the Nilo-Saharan linguistic group in Gambella Region, lead a non-sedentary way of life mainly based on apiculture in the forest, hunting and gathering and shifting cultivation. • The Gamo: - Who largely inhabit the highlands flanked by the rift valley lakes - Abaya and Chamo- in Arba Minich Zuria Woreda of Gamo Gofa, and who are part of the Omotic cluster in SNNPR. To eke out their living, the Gamo engage in mixed farming fishing and weaving. • The Zeyse: - Another ethnic group living in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda of Gamo Gofa Zone of SNNPR, engaging in a livelihood that is predominantly based on mixed farming, animal husbandry and fishing in Lake Chamo. • The Konso: - Who inhabit the Konso Woreda of Segen Area Peoples’ Zone (SNNPR), are mixed farmers practicing crop production, livestock rearing, and beekeeping activities. They are known for their industriousness and endowed with extraordinary skill and knowledge, especially in water and soil conservation practices. As observed in the Social Assessment, there are risks that underserved peoples, ethnic minorities and culturally distinct groups may be left out and/or not be duly included in the project as a result of their peculiar resource management-related features. Despite the focus of the project on smallholder farmers, LFSDP should be managed in a flexible and adaptive manner to the unique circumstances of the underserved peoples. Thus, being community-demand driven project, LFSDP should be accommodative of the particular livelihood and resource management systems of culturally distinct and underserved communities. The specific modalities proposed to accommodate these particularities are articulated in Section six of this social assessment under ‘Summary of 2 World Bank’s Operational Policy OP/BP. 4.10 Indigenous Peoples is equivalent to ‘Underserved Peoples’ in Ethiopian context. The element of an Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) is included in this Social Assessment as Social Development Plan (SDP) to include standard vulnerability analysis of groups meeting OP4.10 criteria. This vulnerability assessment is integrated in the broader LFSDP SA. It also includes measures for providing culturally appropriate economic and social benefits for vulnerable groups and, where there are potential adverse impacts on these groups, measures to avoid, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for these impacts and the process used to foster free, prior, and informed consultations for their broad support for LFSDP. 7 Community Consultations and Involvement’ and next page the summary of bullet points. The proposed mitigation actions to address sociocultural specificities are included in the SDP. Summary of Community Consultation and Involvement The following operational steps were followed in the process of organizing participatory community consultations for the preparation of this Social Assessment for the LFSDP. The team attempted to ensure that the SA process is culturally appropriate, gender and inter-generationally inclusive, conducted in good faith, on voluntary basis, free of interference and non-manipulative. • Identifying community consultation participants in collaboration with kebele administration officials and kebele development agents; • Categorizing the participants as women, youth, underserved peoples, cooperative members, elders and religious leaders; • Ascertaining that communities have prior, free and information for the community members to participate in the consultations; • Moderating consultation sessions through the use of appropriate medium of communication (Amharic/Oromiffa/and other local languages as appropriate) and by using male and female interpreters as necessary. • Opening consultation sessions by introducing the objectives components of LFSDP. • Making sure that the participant expressed trust, acceptance and ownership of the project in the course of the consultation. The community consultations enabled participants to prioritize their felt needs and concerns along the selected value chains including recommendations for the project design. • Community members highly appreciated the focus of the project on empowering women, youth and contributing to fair resource distribution among these groups along the priority value chains. They acknowledged that many of the value chains identified by the project offered opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups, underserved peoples, and ethnic minorities to productively engage in and benefit from the range of sub-projects supported by the intervention. • Community members strongly emphasized that landless and unemployed youth have high potential for being productive and making fast progress in an organized venture, due to the energy, enthusiasm and quick to learn. As for young girls, female household heads and elderly women, these can be supported to effectively engage in poultry raising. Poultry production does not require a lot of working capital and large area of land, and brings returns faster, which makes it fit particularly for resource poor community members. As a result, provision of women access to credit through different financial sources such as cooperatives, micro financial institutions, would add value to LFSDP contribution. They indicated that aquaculture is another intervention with low labor requirement, and it is a venture in which women and the elderly can engage with relative ease. 8 • Women in project woredas of DRS stated their limited exposure to animal rearing practice and required LFSDP support through capacity building on the necessary knowledge, skills, and methods of managing dairy farm and animal fattening. • Access to market linkage: weak market linkage, unprofitability of product prices, the scarcity and unaffordability of concentrate animal feed supplies, short supply of improved variety and exotic breeds, and the limited availability of suitable land/work space for dairy, poultry and fattening. • Aquaculture practice: lake fishing, the main concerns relate to overfishing, the use fishing nets that fail short of the required national legal standards, the pollution of lakes, the consequent threat posed to the fish resource, siltation resulting from the expansion of crop cultivation of the lake buffer zones, and the absence of laws or the non-enforcement of existing ones. • Continued Community Consultation Process: community members reiterated that consultations should be an ongoing process, prior to the launch of the project and subsequently at different stages of the LFSDP implementation cycle. This is in full harmony with, the World Bank OP 4:10 which emphasizes: ‘A process of free, prior and informed consultation with the affected indigenous communities at each stage of the project, particularly during project preparation, to fully identify their views and ascertain their broad community support for the project’. In summary, based on the range of community consultations held in all sample woredas, the process used to foster free prior information, diversity and representation of different interests, that the concerned local communities have assured with certainty their interest, commitment and broad support for the project. Community consultation participants stated readiness to participate in the project implementation and contribute their part to its success. Asset Loss and Loss of Access to Assets (OP 4.12 – Involuntary Resettlement) Based on participatory community and public consultations, LFSDP sub-project activities with likelihood potential for causing induced asset loses, restriction of access and/or use to natural resources, comprise the following: (i) commercial forage seed and forage production; intensive dairy farming; investment in cooperative/commercial feedlots; community and/or commercial ranches; slaughter houses and export abattoirs; water resources development/water point construction projects; large-scale aquaculture ponds and other fishery infrastructures; livestock/poultry shades; and market centers/shades. The project complementary Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) will be used, prepared along this SA and ESMF which will be publicly disclosed in-country and at the World Bank’s external website. 9 Grievance Handling Mechanism The implementation of LFSDP may raise concerns, complains and grievances by individual community members or groups of people for various reasons. The causes of grievances may include asset losses in land acquisition process, inadequate or delayed compensation payments, claims of being pressured to donate land to the project supposedly on voluntary basis, preferential treatment of community members in the application of eligibility criteria during beneficiary targeting, and favoritism and lack of transparency in the provision of access to LFSDP support and services. In view of this, LFSDP will incorporate into the project design an efficient grievance handling system that duly responds to the complaints of project affected people (PAP), with a process that is smooth, timely, transparent, and cost effective particularly form the beneficiary side. The National Project Coordination Unit (NPCU) at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) will put in place the structure including at all levels of the LFSDP implementation (National, regional, woreda and kebele). This project coordinating bodies should make sure that the GRM is sufficiently popularized in LFSDP target communities through awareness creation and capacity building training programs. The grievance investigation and resolution process operate in multi- tiered structure that extends from grassroots level to Woreda Livestock and Fishery Office and the details on the process at all levels is presented in detail under section of this SA. Benefit Sharing Mechanism In respect to LFSDP, the key instrument through which communities engage in and own the project in the various stages of the process is through community level participatory planning (CLPP). As a participatory approach, CLPP is socially inclusive and encourages the expression and incorporation of local knowledge and views in the planning and management of LFSDP sub-project activities. Accordingly, from its inception, LFSDP has adopted a consultative approach, actively collaborating with target communities and other stakeholders in seeking their cooperation in mobilizing locally available resources for the smooth execution of the project. More specifically, women and youth of the community group will be able to use at least 30% quota in the capacity development activities, and 50% share in income generating works and related job creating theme of the project initiative. Therefore, the implementation of LFSDP sub-projects are socially inclusive the underserved peoples and historically disadvantaged groups. Toward this end, effective and intensive involvement of the underserved people requires initiation, continuous awareness raising, sensitization, and follow up. Accordingly, LFSDP is designed in such a way as to work towards social inclusiveness, accountability, community oversight/decision-making and open and continuous consultative process to identify and resolve specific development problems that these communities face. Fair and equitable treatment of particularly underserved peoples and vulnerable groups will thus be the prime focus in the design and implementation of the various sub-projects, including the introduction 10 of appropriate benefit sharing from LFSDP among different communities in a socially inclusive manner. Nevertheless, underserved people might be reluctance to take government projects seriously because they are more absorbed in their day-to-day and routine activities. Thus, strong follow up and establishment of strong KDC would be mandatory. Besides, short and long term trainings need to be arranged for the underserved people to change their attitude towards the project and develop a sense of ownership. LFSDP and Commune Development Program (CDP): Potential Interface The Federal GoE has undertaken CDP in the Developing Regional States (DRS) of Gambella and Benishangul-Gumz, in collaboration with the respective regional state administrations. The program has been carried out, among others, in the three proposed LFSDP project woredas (Asossa and Oda, Benishangul-Gumz; and Abobo, Gembella). The implementation of CDP began in 2010 and was underway until August 2015. Nonetheless, support continues to be provided to strengthen and upgrade basic service facilities/infrastructure that were built during the CDP period. These include schools, health centers, veterinary posts, farmers’ training centers, grain mills and roads. With a view to proactively managing the interface in the event of potential interface with WB supported operations, a procedure called “Supporting Results and Alignment of Operations in Ethiopia’s Rural Areas” was agreed between the Ethiopian government and the World Bank in 2015. Even if, the CDP operation in the proposed LFSDP woredas is closed in August, 2015, it is important to conduct a due diligence assessment in these CCs based on the checklist provided to ensure a high standard environmental and social safeguard risk management. Should another phase of CDP be implemented in these woredas during the life of LFSDP, the procedure requires prior assessment to ensure the viability of the planned CCs for financing. The procedure that governs the classification of CCs and determining their viability for sub-projects will be embedded in the complementary Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), to manage this risk. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Pertinent to the social development issues, the main objectives of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) include: (i) make sure that the concerns and risks identified during community and public consultations are properly addressed in line with the proposed mitigation measures; and (ii) assess and determine the extent of compliance with social safeguard issues as per the policy instruments of the government and the World Bank (WB) and included as Social Development Plan in the Project Appraisal Document. In order to meet these M&E objectives, regional and woreda implementing agencies will carry out monitoring work to track progress and achievement at process and result levels. M & E should help the program implementers to learn from their weaknesses and further boost their strengths, and for the higher level program structures to monitor performances and evaluate the impact of the program on the program beneficiary and institutional capacity building at all levels of the program implementation structures. M & E system will be used to guide 11 management decisions at both the woreda and higher levels of the program implementation structure. In respect to process, the monitoring work will involve the regular and consistent follow-up of the preparation, review and implementation of action plans related to safeguard instruments (ESMP, RAP, and ESIA). The process monitoring will encompass tracking the level of community participation (including those identified as underserved peoples, vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities) in the preparation and implantation of the action plans, capacity building support given to experts and other stakeholder, and the standards of reporting practices. The reporting template which will be used to track the implementation performance of the SDP will track the participation of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities. Result monitoring will be undertaken at two levels. First, the effectiveness of the social safeguard instruments and compliance with these will be monitored as per the set indicators. Second, the socioeconomic impacts of the project interventions will be assessed and measured against the parameters identified. Result monitoring is also intended to identify unforeseen safeguard issues, and draw lessons from application of safeguard instruments and overall project management. The successful implementation of mitigation measures put in place for the different sub-projects and proper addressing of safeguard issues will be ascertained through the conduct of final evolution by an independent consultant. A set of indicators may be used to monitor and evaluate performance and progress in respect to compliance with the implementation performance of the agreed Social Development Plan including safeguard issues. These include; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority representatives participating in the LSFDP sub project implementation committee, disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities organized in user groups/cooperatives on LFSDP priority value chains disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of vulnerable women, women headed households and women in polygamous unions who accessed finance through cooperatives, MFIs or other mechanism; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority representatives participating in LFSDP facilitated training and exchanges, composition of participants disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of underserved peoples and vulnerable groups identified in this SA that benefit or make use of the LFSDP allocated resources in priority value chains as appropriate disaggregated by region and sex; • Number of capacity building trainings tailored to the particularities of underserved peoples and vulnerable groups; • Number and type of sub-projects into which social and environmental safeguard issues have incorporated or Number of sub projects which prepared Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); • Number of improved variety and exotic animal breed and AI accessed by underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority; 12 • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority, women who accessed concentrated feed supply, sex disaggregated; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority youth, women headed households, women in polygamous unions organized in Animal feed production and veterinary drug supply; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority who benefited from improved fishing gears, boats and nets; • Percentage of women and percentage of youth reached through direct support and services to improve productivity; • Percentage of women reached through capacity building activities; • Percentage of youth reached in livestock and fisheries innovation program, sex disaggregated; Capacity building Strong institutions significantly encourage trust, promote property rights and avoid the exclusion of different layers of the population. Specifically, grassroots level institutions play an important role in maintaining the interest of the local people particularly underserved peoples and vulnerable groups. Accordingly, the institution will safeguard their resources, facilitate their participation in the annual planning, implementation process and representation in different development committee members and mitigating unexpected adverse effects due to the LFSDP intervention. Currently, lower level government institutions are increasingly involved in community development efforts in Ethiopia. These institutions include the different government and nongovernment organizations at woreda and kebele level. Almost all sector ministries and bureaus at federal and regional levels are represented at woreda level. The SA found that there were capacity limitations in the MoLF in respect to the management of Environmental and Social Safeguard issues and consistently monitoring compliance with the safeguard policies of the government and the World Bank. In addition, the yet-to-be-established regional and woreda PCUs will not be exceptions and training of safeguard officers to enhance equal participation and benefit among all community members from the development intervention. Thus, LFSDP should earmark resources for the recruitment and training of safeguard officers. Furthermore, it is important for the PCUs to obtain the necessary support on safeguard issues from relevant government structures such as the Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EFCC) Bureaus/Offices. The capacity building component of LFSDP will be organized for staff in wide ranging aspect of environmental and social safeguards, the development of the required instruments, implementation and monitoring of compliance, documentation and reporting. LFSDP will support government institutions and staff to improve their implementation, monitoring and evaluation capacity of the project. Thus, capacity building will be provided to all stakeholders (government staff, veterinarians) to create awareness and disseminate information on policy harmonization and national legislations. Technical Committees (TC) will be established to provide technical support to the SCs, PCUs and implementing agencies. The TCs will support in technical 13 backstopping for and supervision of lower levels; coordinate the project implementation within their respective institutions (including institutional capacity building as appropriate), and provide advice to steering committees on project activities and produce reports on implementation progress. LFSDP will invest in capacity building to assist in implementation of participatory planning through participatory approaches of the local community (participatory rapid assessment, development of community development plans, and so on). Capacity building activities in planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning systems as well in knowledge management and communication strategy will be set to strengthen the national public institutions at all levels. These capacity building activities must be strengthened and delivered to the right and responsible bodies who will actively take part in project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Given the weak capacity of implementing agents at all levels, institutional capacity building through training and equipping with required materials is crucial for the successful implementation of the project and provision of better services to the pastoral and agro-pastoral people. Establishment of TC, SCs, PCUs, and Kebele level community implementing committee (KDC) and their training for the successful planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project activities will be mandatory. General Indicative Capacity Building Activities Plan and carry out tailored capacity building trainings for project implementing staff/experts and technical committee members at federal, regional woreda and community levels. These include stakeholders at national, regional, zonal, woreda and kebele level development agents and grassroots stakeholders. The prime focus of the indicative capacity building trainings to be delivered to these project implementing personnel and committee members include: • The national environmental and social safeguard policies and related legal and administrative issues; • The World Bank’s environmental and social safeguard policies and how to ensure compliance as relates to LFSDP; • The processes, procedures, and institutional arrangements on ESMF, RPF, SA (SDP) implementation; • The screening of LFSDP sub-projects in terms of environmental and social safeguard requirements and the preparation of site specific ESMP, RAP as needed; • The methodologies for ESIA; • The monitoring and reporting ESMF implementation; • The preparation, implementation and implementation of RPF and RAP. Proposed approaches to the Capacity building trainings • Undertaking identification of priority needs(gaps) and problem assessments of the project beneficiaries including underserved community in all project target areas; 14 • Carry out prior capacity building need assessments in the project regions to identify existing gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes in respect to implementing safeguard policies; • Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialists (ESS) at federal and regional levels will be trained at national and international workshops organized by the World Bank, GoE and/or national and international training institutions. • Cascade Approach: The federal LFSDP coordination unit will organize a TOT for regional project implementing personnel and committee members on safeguards. Thus, o The national and regional participants of the TOT will cascade the training to Zone and Woreda experts and members of SCs and TCs; o Trained zone and woreda experts and members of SCs and TCs will transfer the knowledge and skills acquired to kebele Development Agents (DAs). o Kebele DAs will raise the awareness of Kebele Development Committees (KDCs) and get them sensitized on environmental and social safeguard issues who will be the frontline implementing agents of LFSDP at the local level. Potential Risks/Challenges and Mitigation Measures (Social Development Plan3) This social development plan, as outlined below, will ensure that the project and its implementing agencies at different levels will respect the dignity, rights and culture of groups meeting the OP4. 10 requirements and ensure that these people benefit from the project in a sustainable manner. The plan could be redefined during implementation and further consultation undertaken for the underserved peoples and vulnerable groups to ensure their full participation. In the light of what has been outlined in the foregoing paragraphs, the matrix below provides the summary of potential risks and challenges as well as recommendations along with estimated budget. The budget for the implementation of the SDP activities is embedded in (i) Sub-component A.1. Enabling Sub- Projects Implementation, (ii) Sub-component A.2. Support to Subsistence Farmers and Unemployed Youth and other sub components for inclusively targeting underserved peoples and vulnerable groups as indicated in the plan and the operational modalities will be included in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM). The SDP tasks will also be addressed by Component C, providing, amongst others, resources to better understand the local needs of vulnerable and underserved people in the design of subprojects as well as monitoring the inclusive approach of the project for adaptive management and accountability purposes. The Project’s respective Social Safeguards Officers/Units will materially participate in budgets preparation and decision processes and meetings to support the other team members on local, regional, and federal level in aligning the SDP measures and targets with the overall project progress on a regular base. 3 OP/BP. 4.10 is the World Bank’s Operational policy on underserved peoples in Ethiopian context. The elements of IPP is included in this Social Assessment as Social Development Plan (SDP) to include standard vulnerability analysis of groups meeting OP4.10 criteria. This vulnerability assessment is integrated in the broader SA. It also includes measures for providing culturally appropriate economic and social benefits for vulnerable groups and, where there are potential adverse impacts on these groups, measures to avoid, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for these impacts and the process used in fostering free, prior, and informed consultations for their broad support for LFSDP. 15 Table 1: Matrix on the Summary of Potential Risks/Challenges and Mitigation Measures Components/I Potential risks and Mitigation Measure Responsible Body Budget ssues Challenges ‘000 Component A: Dairy • Facilitate the availability of improved NPCU $800 Linking • Short supply of variety and exotic animal breed Farmers to improved variety animal supplies and accessible AI service in the Markets breeds; required amounts to target beneficiaries (US$103 • Scarcity of exotic including women households, million) animal breeds in milk vulnerable groups, underserved peoples shade project woredas; and disadvantaged groups of the NPCU and RPCU • Inadequate artificial community. insemination (AI) • Facilitate and/or coordinate with service compared to the relevant agencies to provide Artificial existing high demand by Insemination (AI) service as per the farmers in milk shade local demand in the respective LFSDP project woredas; woredas; • Weak market linkage • Coordinate and or provide/facilitate and farmers’ loss of mechanisms to improve the quality of confidence in dairy milk yields and market access for farming; profitable sales throughout the year; • Decrease in the demand • Coordinate with relevant agencies to for milk yields affecting establish/enhance livestock market dairy cooperatives. information system including for • The scarcity of cooperatives (such as fatteners with concentrate animal feed major market outlets). supplies, and unaffordability of prices • Establish milk processing facilities to when available preserve milk yields and sell the • Exorbitant feed prices products at good prices in high demand compared to the selling seasons. prices of milk products. • Facilitate and make accessible the • Scarcity of land for supply of concentrated feed and forage production of forage and processing plant to milk producers forage seeds. including women households and other underserved groups in milk shade • Non-availability of project woredas; especially designated areas of land for • Support resource poor households, intensive dairy youth, women, women headed production in urban and households engage in animal feed peri-urban area. As a supply and veterinary drugs supply and result, farmers being production as applicable; forced to practice dairy • Work in collaboration with the production around their concerned bodies to secure land for dwellings and in commercial forage production as per crowded residential the relevant procedures outlined in the neighborhoods. complementary RPF. • The consequent environmental and • Designate a special area of land and put health hazards. in place the necessary infrastructure • The uniformity and facilities for dairy farming, homogenous nature of • Take into account the variation among service delivery to dairy dairy farmers in the levels of capital farmers operating with investment, and technical capacity, and different levels of corresponding needs, and plan service investment and delivery accordingly. capacities and needs. • High prevalence of the • Coordinate with concerned tsetse fly and the stakeholders in LFSDP target areas to 16 trypanosomiasis prevent and control the spread of the especially in the tsetse fly and the trypanosomiasis lowland of DRS. disease. • Facilitate local production and supply of animal feed through promotion of community based youth and women cooperatives; • Build the capacity of farmers involved in fattening on animal feed production and processing. • Support tailored/need based capacity building for Berta women on the essential knowledge, skills, and methods of managing dairy farm and animal fattening; Fishery and Aquaculture • Carry out intensive awareness raising NPCU and RPCU $400 • Poor/undeveloped state and promotional work to improve fish of aquaculture practice; consumption and commercial fishing. and low awareness of Commercialize the practice of fishing fish as source of diet and through: livelihood; • The supply of improved fishing gears; • The provision of transport, fish • Traditional and preservation and conservation subsistence nature of facilities; fishing practice in Gambella. • Establish market outlets where it will be accessible to the women, and other underserved peoples and vulnerable group of the community; • Dependence on the use of traditional fishing • The conduct of capacity building boats and nets by the training for cooperative leadership historically • Make available motorized fishing boats disadvantaged and modern nets. underserved peoples, • Support the instituting of a government occupational minorities entity mandated to manage the proper such as, the Negede utilization of lakes and fish resource. (Woito). • Support the enactment and enforcement of legal frameworks to regulate fishing Overfishing practices in a which accommodate the • The use of fishing nets interests, priorities and that do not meet problems/challenges of underserved national legal people and vulnerable groups already standards. engaged their livelihood in this activity. • The pollution of lakes; • Support the coordination of efforts by the resultant threat stakeholders to ensure the effective posed to fish resources implementation of the laws. and the fishing • Broaden the awareness of fishers and livelihood. local communities regarding standard • Siltation resulting from fishing practices. the expansion of crop • Provide and/or facilitate access to better cultivation of the lake quality motorized fishing boat to buffer zones. improve productivity, seasonal fishing, • The absence of laws or timely transport fish yield to the market, the failure to enforce while saving labor; these to preserve lakes • Provide and/or facilitate access to and fish resource. different kinds of modern/standard fishing nets and gears for individuals and cooperatives; 17 • Coordinate with other World Bank4 and government financed projects to harness watershed management to halt expansion of recession agriculture in the lake buffer zone; • Provide support on development of rules/guidelines5 of fishing based on ‘Fisheries Development and Utilization’ Proclamation No. 315/2003 to regulate fishing in the respective LFSDP regions; Poultry • Facilitate the establishment of poultry NPCU and RPCU $300 Scarce and unaffordable feed processing plant/cooperatives. concentrate poultry feed • Facilitate and make accessible the particularly in urban and peri- treatment of poultry disease with the urban areas. supply of quality vaccines to all target beneficiaries including women The high vulnerability of households, vulnerable groups, poultry to disease; and the underserved peoples and disadvantaged high risks of the business as a groups of the community. result. • Make available supplies of the right poultry breeds for egg and meat Short supply of improved production. breeds of layers and broilers. • Sensitize and inform the concerned Inadequate attention by the bodies regarding the potential and value concerned bodies to poultry of poultry resource development. farming. • Provide beginner poultry farmers with tailor-made support on poultry Lack of poultry management production and management. knowhow and skills among • Facilitate the establishment of poultry youth groups and women feed processing plant to deal with the who are beginners. problem. • Transform the opportunities proposed by LFSDP through adequate supply of improved breeds, layers and broilers at reasonable prices for egg and poultry meat production with preferential targeting of women households, vulnerable groups, underserved peoples and disadvantaged groups of the community; Red Meat/Fattening • Provide and/or facilitate access to $400 credit, and increase their bargaining The scarcity of concentrate power in the share-fattening and share- animal feed and industrial cropping partnership, especially for byproducts. vulnerable women, women headed households, and women in polygamous The existing weak market unions; chain between fatteners and • Provide support for saving and credit major outlets. cooperatives in LFSDP selected value chains for smallholder farmers facilitates conditions for the adoption of new production technologies and mitigate the risk of seasonal financial constraints through cooperatives, micro finance institutions operating in the respective project regions; 4 WB Financed projects including SLMP-2, PSNP-IV, AGP-2, etc. 5 This could be developed at the respective regional levels based on the proclamation, including regulating cooperatives. 18 Component B: The absence of a separate • Put in place an Environmental and Social National Project $500 Strengthening environmental and social Safeguard unit at different levels of Coordination Unit National safeguard (ESS) unit MoLF and its counterpart regional and (NPCU) Institutions adequately resourced (human woreda offices with adequate financial and Programs and financial) at federal and and human resources- to prepare, (US$56 regional level structures in implement and monitor the process of million) MoLF to monitor the process environmental and social safeguard of environmental and social issues. NPCU and Regional safeguard management. • Conduct capacity building, including Project Coordination trainings for the safeguard specialists in Unit (RPCU) selected areas of safeguard management. Existing gaps in knowledge, • Carry out tailored, need based and skills and attitudes at woreda customized capacity building trainings and grassroots levels in for woreda and kebele PCUs, SCs, and relation to safeguard issues. TSCs. • Deliver capacity building trainings RPCUs Inadequate safeguards adapted to the needs of target institutional including human stakeholders by project component and NPCU and RPCU capacity among stakeholder selected value chains. organizations collaborating in LFSDP implementation. • Raise the awareness of SCs with respect NPCUs to their responsibilities and the overall The tendencies on part of SCs significance of their contribution. to view their responsibilities NPCUs as secondary to regular • Boost the awareness of the relevant government jobs. political leadership on the development potential of livestock resource and the contributions of LFSDP through continuous and concerted sensitization programs. NPCUs Underestimation of the • Strengthen the institutional capacity of development potential of the woreda livestock fisheries offices livestock sector in developing through the provision of transport regional states (DRS). logistics and office equipment. • Provide and/or coordinate cooperative Inadequate transport leadership and management training to logistics, office space, and enhance the governance skills and equipment. competencies of cooperative members; • Provide and/or coordinate LFSDP focused capacity building for credit and saving cooperative agencies, micro financial institutions to enhance service delivery for targeted LFSDP value chains; Component C: Failure of political leadership • Encourage SCs to support project $200 Project at all levels to fully and implementation with full commitment Coordination equally own the project. through consistent and concerted and awareness raising and sensitization Management. The possibility of Woreda efforts. PCUs livestock experts spending much of their time on • Speed up the structural separation of supporting crop production MoLF from MoANR particularly at and natural resource woreda offices and upper levels. NPCUs and RPCUS management rather than livestock and fisheries • Enhance the awareness, knowledge and development commitment required to monitor and evaluate the management of safeguards Monitoring and Evaluation through consistent capacity building Inadequate attention given to trainings at all levels. the importance of the • Make sure that M&E procedures and monitoring, evaluation and guidelines for compliance with 19 documentation of safeguard safeguard policies are incorporated into management processes. the LFSDP ESMF, reporting and M&E. Gender • The burden and pressure • Ensure 30% women and 20% youth n NPCU and RPCU $800 (Women and on women as a result of access to direct support and services to Inclusion of domestic improve productivity Youths). responsibilities, • Enhance women’s access to time and PCUs involvement in crop and labor-saving technologies in the livestock husbandry targeted value chains in developing especially among regional states including intensification underserved peoples in of dairy farming and introducing biogas DRS. systems. • Land less women lack of • Support tailored/need based capacity access to credit facilities building for Berta women on the may exacerbate their essential knowledge, skills, and vulnerability methods of managing dairy farm and • Exacerbate vulnerability animal fattening; of Female-headed • Provide need based support for young households becoming girls, female household heads, and landless or labor elderly women on poultry raising in deficient. resource poor community members • Lack of property rights including access to credit; by women in • Coordinate with Micro-financial polygamous unions institutions and cooperatives to arrange especially among access to financial and credit service for underserved peoples in poor women and youth groups. DRS. • Unemployed and • Coordinate with respective cooperative underemployed rural offices to facilitate women’s access to youths may not be fully land through organized cooperative included in the targeted groups as per the procedures outlined in value chains. the RPF. • Ensure equitable access of women, • Lack of voice and access youth ethnic minorities, and to better market and underserved peoples to social and business opportunities economic benefits from different LFSDP sub components to enhance • Inadequate capacity and their economic and social bargaining lack of access to power; business opportunities • Establish minimum participant quota and access to financial for women (50%) in capacity building facilities activities • Facilitate financial literacy and leadership training for women • Child bearing women • Provide tailored support for ‘youth in may be left out of livestock and fishery innovation trainings due to child program’ (20 youth students in one bearing in convenience group per region, 120 in total) during trainings • Facilitate onsite child care center to enable women cope with child bearing responsibilities, Community consultations not • Make sure that community NPCU and RPCU $300 being carried out on a consultations are ongoing process at all continuous basis. level of project implementation unit starting from national to down regional, woreda and kebele levels during preparation, implementation and Consultations monitoring of LFSDP. • Ensure strategic communication on LFSDP development objective and 20 different components using appropriate manner, language and cultural context; • Develop communication action plan and capacity-building program for relevant LFSDP stakeholders including communities. • Ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate consultation and communication programs for vulnerable groups and underserved peoples; Total Cost of SDP $3,700 21 1. Introduction 1.1. Background and Context The development of the livestock and fisheries sector is becoming one of the major priority area for the Government of Ethiopia, and stands as a pillar in GTP2. Thus, despite the neglect over the years, the livestock sector is gaining significant attention towards achieving multiple development goals: (i) contribute to the overall economic growth including increase in the volume and value of exports; (ii) contribute to poverty reduction both in the highland and lowland areas; (iii) contribute to improved food security and nutritional outcomes for rural and urban households; and (iv) support the country’s green growth priorities. In accordance with this, the Government has put in place the institutional basis with the creation of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) in October 2015, and the recent approval of the Livestock Master Plan (LMP) based on a rigorous livestock sector analysis. The main justifications for increased investment in the sector are (i) Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, which can be a major asset for economic growth, poverty reduction, improved food security and nutritional outcomes; (ii) the livestock sector is underperforming despite its enormous potential; (iii) public services to the agricultural sector have prioritized crop production over livestock husbandry; (iv) the delivery of services with respect to animal feed, animal health and animal breeding is faced with systemic and operational challenges; (v) low private investment in livestock sector limits opportunities for intensification and commercialization of livestock production; (vi) weak market linkages, high cost of basic inputs, and low access to appropriate financial capital have undermined smallholder livestock production systems; and (vi) weak institutional capacity is further hindering the growth of the sector. Expanding the potential of the national and export livestock markets, improvements are required; such as, strengthening market linkages, increasing per capita consumption and greater awareness of the nutritional value of milk and livestock products, increasing value addition, and improving food safety and quality measures. Most of all, there is a need to rethink the roles of the public and private sectors; considerable opportunities exist to increase private investment in production, processing and service provision, while strengthening national programs’ capacity and government’s regulatory roles. The Government of Ethiopia has recently completed the LMP, which lays out an ambitious vision for the transformation of the sector. There is a strong rationale for the design of a livestock sector development project to address the weak performance of the sector, limited access to quality livestock services and markets, limited participation of the private sector, and the existence of institutional and policy gaps. The preparation the Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development (LFSDP) is based on the need to deal with these challenges. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to “increase productivity and commercialization of 22 producers and processors in selected value chains, strengthen service delivery systems in the livestock and fisheries sectors, and respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency”. LFSDP targets four priority value chains (dairy, poultry, fish and aquacultures, and red meat). These value chains are considered strategic for achieving food security, national supply of livestock products, and their potential for growth and innovation. The primary/direct beneficiaries of the project fall under three categories: smallholder subsistence farmers; about 60%, and the project will support these to acquire good animal husbandry and/or fisheries and aquaculture practices. Small-scale producers and processors with improved animal husbandry and/or fish and aquaculture practices; these represent about 30% of project beneficiaries, and the project will facilitate their linkage with the market and help them become organized functional and legally recognized cooperatives/groups. Small-scale specialized livestock producers and processors operating as viable cooperatives; these constitute 10% of project beneficiaries, and the project will help in linking them to major market outlets and thereby increase their productivity. LFSDP will operate in 58 woredas of six national regional states of the country, selected on the basis of their high potential for the development of the targeted value chains (VCs), the suitability of agro-ecological conditions, and access to markets. The regional states where the project woredas are found are the following: Oromia, Amhara, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Tigray, Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella. As part of the preparation for LFSDP, it was necessary to carry out this Social Assessment in line with the prime objectives and key program components of the project. 1.2. Objectives of the Social Assessment The overall objective of this Social Assessment is to assess the possible impacts of LFSDP on vulnerable and underserved population groups by identifying key areas of social concern, with the view to helping make sure that the project design takes into account the needs and interests of these communities. More specifically, this SA was aimed at the following objectives: o Identify vulnerable groups and historically underserved peoples who may face the risks of not benefiting from the project as a result of their vulnerability status, and recommend ways of facilitating their access to fair and equitable inclusion in the delivery of services and inputs. o Assessing potential adverse impacts of LFSDP and determining whether the project is likely to trigger World Bank social safeguard polices on affected peoples, physical cultural resources, and involuntary resettlement; o Identify sub-project activities that are likely to entail land acquisition with resultant loss of land or access in this process and propose appropriate measures to address the issues at an early stage of project preparation. 23 1.3. Data Collection Methods and Tools Methodology For this SA, two categories of information (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) were collected. As a result, the study employed a mixed approach. The qualitative approach enabled to collect subjective information from community members, concerned government officials, and other stakeholders. The quantitative approach was employed to collect background socio-economic data and to document the livelihood activities of the people under study. Thus, these two approaches enabled to collect both qualitative and quantitative information that supplement one another and ensure the validity and reliability of the information obtained. 1.3.1. Secondary Data Collection Methods Relevant project documents were thoroughly reviewed and analyzed during the preparation of the field data collection and final report write up. Accordingly, pertinent, proclamations, policy documents and social assessment reports of previous projects by different sector ministries were exhaustively used in this SA. Secondary data were also collected from government offices through a desk review to augment the data obtained through the aforementioned instruments. The raw data sets were gathered from the regional, zonal and Woreda offices and reanalyzed to meet the purpose of the SA. Thus, detailed analysis was made to examine the lives and living conditions of the people studied. 1.3.2. Primary Data Collection Methods The primary data collection methods, which were used in this study are Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII), and Personal Observation. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) FGD was used because it is a valuable and time efficient method for gathering qualitative data from multiple respondents at a time. It assisted to gather more reliable data since the participants question each other while explaining issues under discussion. The primary objective of the FGDs was to explore the status of land tenure systems, social networks, community relationships; occupation, stratification structure of women and men, and youth to assess project impacts on the life of the people under study. Accordingly, participants of FGDs comprised smallholder farmers, cooperative members, women, youths, and elders, as well as experts at regional and woreda livestock and fisheries bureaus/offices. Attempt was made to capture the views and experiences of these groups in regards to their assumptions and expectations of risk factors, concerns, challenges and benefits. Community consultation guides and FGD checklist were prepared and used for the field data collection purpose. The community consultations guides focused on the potential impacts of the project by program component on vulnerable and underserved community groups. The FGD checklists were prepared with emphasis on selected topics of the Social Assessment (See Annex 4 for community consultation guide and FGD checklist). 24 Key Informant Interview (KII) KII is an effective method in gathering information related to the culture of the community, land tenure systems, physical cultural heritages, vulnerable groups, inter-ethnic relationship, the likely impact of LFSDP, and other information using a guiding semi-structured questionnaire. Accordingly, Key informant interviews (KII) were made with different community members and government officials at regional, zonal, Woreda, and Kebele levels. At the community level, KII was conducted with selected community elders, religious leaders, clan leaders, women, leaders of community based organizations, and stakeholders. The intention was to find out the challenges of the community and to list the expected negative impacts and contributions of LFSDP. Field Observation Field observation is the third method which was used in this study. The investigator was made field visits to see the real living condition of the people and observe the physical cultural heritages on the ground. At the sites, discussion was conducted with the service users so as to have firsthand information. Accordingly note taking and photographing were important tools used to record observation during field visits. 1.4. Scope of the Social Assessment LFSDP is planned to be implemented in six regional states, namely: Oromia, Amhara, SNNP, Tigray, Benishangul-Gumz, and Gambella. Due to time constraints, field data collection was limited to 17 out of the total number of 58 project woredas of LFSD. Yet, the sampling for fieldwork was done in such a way that each region was fairly represented in proportion to the number of woredas covered by the project. Accordingly, Social Assessment woredas by region are the following: Oromia (seven woredas), Amhara (three), SNNP (three), Tigray (two), Benishangul-Gumz (one) and Gambella (one). The sampling of Social Assessment woredas was done with the involvement of the National Task Team members, who participated in the consultative discussions regarding which project woredas met the selection criteria as per the SA objectives. In each woreda, fieldwork was undertaken in two selected kebeles as focal communities. The sampling and selection of focal kebeles was done in consultation with the respective woreda leadership concerning which of the kebeles qualified for the conduct of fieldwork based on the characteristics features vis-à-vis the SA objectives. In the interest of clear visualization, a map is presented below that shows the location of the SA woredas. The table below depicts the distribution of sample project woredas for the Social Assessment by region. 25 Table 3: List of Sample Woredas Visited for the Social Assessment Region Zone Woreda Tigray Southeastern Hintalo Wajirat Eastern Kilite Awulalo Amhara West Gojjam Mecha, Bahir Dar Zuria North Shoa Basona Werana Oromia East Hararghe Kombolcha West Arsi Kore North Shoa Debre Libanos Ilu Aba Bora Becho Horo Gudru Abay Choman West Shoa Jeldu Bale Dinsho SNNPR Segen Area Peoples’ Konso Sidama Hawassa Town Gamo Gofa Arba Minch Zuria Benishangul- Gumz Asossa Asossa Gambella Agnywa Abobo Map of the sample woredas visited 26 2. Description of the Project The project is structured around three inter-dependent components supporting a number of LMP priority interventions: (i) Component A: Linking Farmers to Markets; Component B: Strengthening National Institutions and Programs; and (iii) Component C: Project Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Management. The first component will be implemented in 58 Woredas. It is designed to support sustainable productivity increase and commercialization in the selected four commodity value chains. The second component has a national coverage although directing its main applications in priority towards the first component. It will support immediate and long term human and institutional capacity development of the key actors in the livestock and fisheries sectors, and support the finalization and implementation (in project areas and for the targeted value chains) of five priority strategic national programs. The third component will support project coordination and implementation and effective monitoring and evaluation of project’s performance. The project will pay attention to equitable participation of gender and youth and it will mainstream nutrition and climate smart techniques and technologies in all its activities. Component A: Linking Farmers to Markets (US$103 million) This component will finance a program of activities aimed at increasing productivity and commercialization of producers and processors in selected value chains and targeted areas by improving their access to critical knowledge, services, inputs, equipment and productive infrastructure, and increasing their linkages with markets and value chains. To achieve these objectives, the component will address all steps of the transformation pathway through the implementation of three type of sub-projects (sub-components A2 A3 and A4), each supporting a specific set of interventions and training approach tailored to the beneficiary’s needs in the pathway (Figure 2 & Table 3, Annex1). A first sub-component (A1) will establish the enabling environment for the successful implementation of these sub-projects. Sub-component A.1. Enabling Sub-Projects Implementation. The sub-component will finance preparatory analyses and activities to enable the implementation of sub-components A.2, A.3 and A.4. These upfront investments will include: (i) studies for the grouping of Woreda, based on a production and commercial infrastructure mapping, as well as the clustering criteria used by ATA (i.e. livestock and fisheries production potential, storage and processing capacity, access to markets, institutional environment6); (ii) assessments to identify beneficiaries within the group of Woredas (subsistence7, improved and specialized producers and processors and cooperatives), based on their position in the Ethiopia Good Practices (Good Animal Husbandry Practices -GAHP and Good Aquaculture and Fisheries Practices -GAFP) checklist (tools developed under component B); (iii) training to Development Agents (DAs) on sub-Project's approach and process; (iv) beneficiaries’ monitoring to assess transformation throughout the pathway; and (v) feasibility study for establishing a Line of Credit (LoC) during project implementation. Sub-component A.2. Support to Subsistence Farmers and Unemployed Youth. The sub- 6 Criteria used by ATA to identify clusters under the Agricultural Commodity Cluster/ ACC Program. 7 Special attention will be given to inclusively target underserved peoples and vulnerable groups as potential beneficiaries as identified in the Social Assessment (Social Development Plan, and summary provided in the project PAD Annex 7). 27 component will support the transformation of level 1 beneficiaries (i.e. livestock and fisheries smallholder subsistence men and women farmers, subsistence fishermen/women, unemployed youth from farming families) into level 2 beneficiaries (i.e. improved cooperatives of small and medium-size producers and primary processors, and future young entrepreneurs). To enable this transformation, the sub-component will finance basic sub-projects focusing on establishing primary cooperatives8 and mastering minimum good practices (Eth-GAP1), supported by basic training, public extension and advisory services, inputs, basic equipment and small-scale infrastructures. Basic sub-projects will be prepared jointly by the beneficiaries and the DA. Level 1 direct beneficiaries will represent 70 percent of total direct beneficiaries of component A, i.e. 325,000 households. Sub-component A.3. Support to Improved Cooperatives. The sub-component will support the level 2 beneficiaries (improved cooperatives) through the implementation of intermediate sub- projects based on the productive partnerships approach, defined as an association, facilitated by the project through a sub-Project, between cooperative(s) of supplier(s) of a given products and buyer(s) (individual9 or cooperative). The partnership is materialized through the joint preparation and implementation of the sub-Project, and is ‘formalized’ through a commercial contract defining the agreement reached by the partners such as the agreed quantity and quality of products to be supplied / bought, the periodicity, the pricing policy, etc. Sub-projects will be prepared jointly by project beneficiaries and suppliers and/or buyers of products. The project, supported by ATA as specialized services provider, will act as the main facilitator for establishing and implementing these partnerships. These intermediate sub-projects will focus on improving both the level of cooperatives organization and intensification of production, and the efficiency of the cooperative buyers, through the implementation of improved good practices (Eth-GAP2) supported by Farm Field School training, public and private services, inputs, equipment and small/medium-scale infrastructures. Level 2 direct beneficiaries will represent 23 percent of total direct beneficiaries of component A, i.e. 108,000 households. Sub-component A.4. Support to Specialized Cooperatives and Municipalities. The sub- component will support level 3 beneficiaries (specialized cooperatives of sellers and buyers, and municipalities) through the implementation of advanced sub-projects based on the Productive Partnership approach. The advanced sub-projects will focus on linking value chain actors through formal contracts and the implementation of specialized good practices (Eth-GAP3) supported by specialized training, private and public advisory services, specialized inputs and equipment and medium-scale productive and commercial infrastructures. Level 3 direct beneficiaries will represent 7 percent of total direct beneficiaries of component A, i.e. 33,000 households. Component B: Strengthening National Institutions and Programs (US$56 million) The component will carry out a program of activities to improve the immediate and long-term human, organizational and institutional capacity of MoLF and key public and private actors and 8 An indicative provision of about 5% of the total cost of the level 1 basic sub-Projects is secured to support underserved peoples and vulnerable groups to form primary cooperatives including those identified in the Social Assessment (Social Development Plan). 9 In the case of individual buyer (supermarket, institutional buyer, etc.), the support of the project through the sub- Project will be directed to the cooperative entity only. The benefit for the individual partner would consist on some level of guaranty to receive more regular quantity of better quality products. 28 cooperatives of the livestock and fisheries sectors through, inter alia: Sub-component B.1. Human Resources and Organizational Capacity Development. The project will provide support to: (a)carry out a capacity development needs assessment to identify MoLF’s immediate and long-term needs in terms of human resource development, organizational development, and institutional and legal framework development; prepare a Capacity Development Program (“CDP”) based on the results of the assessment; validate the CDP through a national consultation workshop. Once approved, the recommended interventions of the CDP will be embedded in the capacity development activities of the project at federal and regional levels, and in the 58 targeted Woredas as the project’s contribution to the implementation of the CDP. Sub-component B.2. Policy, Planning and Coordination. The component will aim at: (a) improve monitoring and assessment of the livestock and fisheries sectors, including development and rolling out of a data analysis and monitoring system for the livestock and fisheries sector; acquisition of critical equipment for necessary surveys and training programs for its extension as well as the update of the CSA questionnaires; (b) provide support for: conducting an evidence- based technical review of current policies, laws and regulations and the drafting and/or updating of new ones, stakeholder consultations processes and policy dialogue between public, private and associative actors, and consensus building to ensure that new policies reflect the views and needs of women, youth, smallholder farmers and larger participants in the livestock and fisheries sector; and (c) provide provision to conduct training and awareness campaigns related to various policy aspects, and support pilot operations to test the decentralized implementation of new/upgraded policies. Sub-component B.3. Sustainable Animal Health, Extension, and Advisory Services. Under this sub-component, the project will (a) (a) contribute to the overall development of capacity of the MoLF through the rehabilitation and construction of training facilities (FTC, T-VET, National Training Centre on Poultry), the provision of transport means (motorcycles and mountain bikes) and critical field equipment for Livestock and Fisheries field staff at Woredas and Kebeles level; (b) reinforce the capacity of the public Veterinary Services (“VS”) through the establishment of private animal health services networks and the development of partnerships between the public authorities, the private veterinarians, and the associative actors; and the strengthening of the surveillance and diagnostic capacities of the National Animal Health Diagnostic and Investigation Centre and regional laboratories; and (c) strengthen the Extension & Advisory Services (“EAS”), including by developing a roadmap for improved livestock and fisheries EAS; promoting, introducing and implementing innovative EAS such as the Ethiopian Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP) and Good Aquaculture and Fisheries Practices (GAFP) approach and the Livestock and Fisheries Farmers’ Field School (L&F-FFS). Sub-component B.4. Development of Strategic National Programs. The project will provide support for the preparation and/or finalization and the implementation (in project areas and for the targeted value chains) of the following five priority strategic national programs: (i) Livestock Identification and Traceability System to support (a) the harmonization and integration of the various systems existing in Ethiopia through the preparation and implementation of a road map for harmonization and integration of the systems; and (b) contribute to the coordinated implementation of internationally and regionally 29 recognized animal Identification, traceability and performance recording systems in the country. (ii) Priority Animal Disease Prevention and Control Program to support the prevention and control of major devastating diseases in the targeted value chains (i.e. the Newcastle Disease (ND) and the Peste des Petits Ruminants), by supporting the preparation of a ND control strategy and the implementation of said strategy in targeted areas; the extension in the highlands of the PPR Control Program currently implemented in the lowlands; and supporting the MoLF’s One Health program. (iii) National Feed and Forage Program to support the finalization and implementation of the program contributing primarily to the development of the forage component of the program in the project areas. The project will support the MoLF in finalizing the overall strategy and implementation plan for a National Feed and Forage Development Program and contribute to the implementation of the said program, particularly the development and expansion of the forage component of the program in the project areas. (iv) National Breeding Program. The project will support the MoLF in finalizing the adoption of the National Breeding Policy and co-develop with smallholders and larger farmers’ breeding strategies to implement the policy in the Project areas. It will also support the progressive development in the project areas of a performance recording systems for small-scale dairy cows and ensure the promotion of the use of Animal Genetic Resources adapted to the agro-ecological and socio-economic situation prevailing within the targeted farming systems. (v) Aquaculture and Fisheries Master Plan. The project will support the preparation of an Aquaculture and Fisheries Master Plan10 and its implementation in selected project areas, including the development of sustainable fisheries co-management plans and the strengthening of fish handling and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses. The project will contribute to the implementation of the legal framework, rules and regulations on fisheries and aquaculture, and support capacity building in the inland fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors. Sub-component B.5. Contingent Emergency Response aiming at support immediate and rapid response to an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, as needed. Component C: Project Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, Knowledge Management (US$17 million) The objective of this component is to support project coordination, management, monitoring and evaluation, and learning needs. Sub-component C.1. Project Coordination. This window aims to support the Project implementation and coordination through financing of consulting services, goods, operating costs 10 Note that some identified activities and investments in fisheries and aquaculture will be implemented at the beginning of the project and will not depend on the completion of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Master Plan. 30 and training; Sub-component C.2. Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management to support the development of a Project progress and results monitoring and reporting system; the development of a Project monitoring and evaluation manual; and capacity development interventions and services, including organizing surveys (households, focus groups, participants of training events), conducting capacity needs assessments, facilitating action learning events, performing studies and analyses in relevant areas; and carrying out regular, mid-term and end of project progress evaluations, and a community and household survey. 31 3. Review of Institutional and Legal Frameworks 3.1. Institutional Arrangements The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) will be responsible to execute the project with the functions of overall coordination and supervision. Oversight of the project will be the responsibility of the Federal Steering Committee (FSC), chaired by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. Members of the FSC include: Ministry of Trade (MoT), Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC), Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource (MoANR), and Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity (MoWIE). The FSC will provide strategic direction and policy guidance, and ensure inter-ministerial coordination, harmonization and alignment among donors. It will review the progress of the project and evaluate work plans on semi-annual and annual bases respectively. In like manner, Regional Bureau of Livestock and Fisheries (BoLF) will oversee project implementation in the respective targeted six regions. Regional Steering Committees (RSCs) will be established to ensure institutional coordination and provide overall policy guidance to the project. The RSCs will be responsible for: (i) providing overall supervision for project implementation; (ii) approving the overall annual work program and budget; and (iii) reviewing the annual implementation performance report prepared by the Regional Project Coordination Unit (RPCU) in relation to key performance indicators. At woreda level, the oversight of project implementation will be carried out by Woreda Steering Committee (WSC). The woreda administrator will chair the SC while the head of the Livestock and Fisheries Office will be the secretary. The Woreda SCs shall be responsible for: (i) providing overall supervision for project implementation; (ii) approving the overall annual work program and budget; and (iii) reviewing the annual implementation performance report prepared by the Woreda Project Coordination Unit (WPCU) in relation to key performance indicators. For smooth and effective execution of the activities according to plan, the MoLF will establish Projects Coordination Units (PCUs) at Federal, Regional and Woreda Levels. The National Project Coordination Unit (NPCU) will be responsible for the overall coordination of the project, and will directly be accountable to the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries or his/her representative. The NPCU will have following duties and responsibilities: annual planning; environmental and social safeguards management, fiduciary management; liaising with federal stakeholder groups; project communication; overall M&E and reporting; and strategic staff capacity-building and mobilization. The NPCU will be headed by a National Project Coordinator (NPC) to be assigned on a full time basis by MoLF. At all levels of the institutional arrangement, Technical Committees (TC) will be established to provide technical support to the SCs and PCUs. The TCs will support in technical backstopping 32 and supervision of SCs and PCUs at lower levels; coordinate the project implementation within their respective institutions, including institutional capacity building as appropriate; provide advice to SCs on project activities; and produce progress reports on project implementation. 3.2. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements for Safeguards MoLF and livestock and fisheries agencies/bureaus/offices at regional and woreda level will be responsible for implementing Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) requirements for the project including the ESMF, RPF and SA (with the SDP). Depending on the nature and scope of sub-projects, safeguard assessments, documentations and approvals of the screening process and result can be undertaken at federal, regional or woreda levels as articulated in the complementary ESMF and legally designated mandates. Federal and regional Project Coordination Units (PCUs) will recruit Environmental (one) and Social (one) Safeguard experts to oversee ESS planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting activities of the project. Woreda level implementation structures will include Woreda Project Appraisal Teams (WATs) to be established for each LFSDP Woreda with membership from the Woreda Offices of Livestock and Fisheries, Agriculture, Health, Cooperatives, Women Affairs and Youth Affairs. WAT should be separate from the technical committee discussed earlier so that its members have no facilitation responsibilities under the project. In this way, it can maintain a degree of independence to appraise and review sub-projects, particularly from the perspective of ESS, technical soundness, gender equity, consistency with the Woreda Development Plan, compliance with rules, and any issues raised by the community audit and supervision committees as well as to track the achievement of milestones at different stages of sub-project implementation. Approval of ESS procedures and documents as well as conducting annual environmental and social audits will be the responsibility of environment, forest and climate change offices or equivalents at all levels. A review of the documents compiled for the preparation of the LFSDP and the findings of the Social Assessment reveal that there is a capacity gap in fully implementing safeguard issues. Most notably, the absence of separate environmental and social safeguards units in the MoLF is observed as a major capacity gap. To minimize the risk of safeguard issues being neglected or undermined and also ensure proper compliance, recruited safeguard experts, and other project staffs as well as relevant woreda and regional level government expertise will need to be trained in the environmental and social management procedures, World Bank’s environmental and social policies and government safeguard regulations including LFSDP SA, ESMF and RPF. 3.3. Legal Frameworks The Ethiopian Constitution recognizes the presence of different socio-cultural groups, including historically disadvantaged and underserved communities, pastoralists, and minorities, as well as their rights to socioeconomic equity and justice. Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution recognizes the rights of groups identified as “Nations, Nationalities and Peoples”. They are defined as “a group of people who have or share a large 33 measure of common culture or similar customs, mutual intelligibility of language, belief in a common or related identities, a common psychological make-up, and who inhabit an identifiable, predominantly contiguous territory.” This represents some 75 out of the 80 groups who are members of the House of Federation, which is the second chamber of the Ethiopian legislature. The Constitution recognizes the rights of these Nations, Nationalities and Peoples to: self- determination, including the right to secession; speak, write and develop their own languages; express, develop and promote their cultures; preserve their history; and, self-government, which includes the right to establish institutions of government in the territory that they inhabit and equitable representation in state and Federal governments. Most of the Project target communities belong to this population group. The Ethiopian Constitution also recognizes the rights of pastoral groups inhabiting the lowland areas of the country. The constitution under article 40 (4) stipulates ‘Ethiopian pastoralist have a right to free land for grazing and cultivation as well as a right not to be displaced from their own lands’. The Constitutions under Articles 41(8) also affirms that “Ethiopian…pastoralists have the right to receive fair prices for their products, that would lead to improvement in their conditions of life and to enable them to obtain an equitable share of the national wealth commensurate with their contribution. This objective shall guide the State in the formulation of economic, social and development policies. Owing to their limited access to socioeconomic development and underserved status over the decades, the Ethiopian government has designated four of the country’s regions, namely: Afar, Somali, Benishangul-Gumz, and Gambella as Developing Regional States (DRS). In this respect, Article 89 (2) of the Ethiopian Constitution stipulates: ‘The Government has the obligation to ensure that all Ethiopians get equal opportunity to improve their economic situations and to promote equitable distribution of wealth among them’. Article 89 (4) in particular states: ‘Nations, Nationalities and Peoples least advantaged in economic and social development shall receive special assistance’. In connection with institutional framework designed to ensure equity between regions, the government has set up the Ministry of Federal Affairs (MoFA), now the Ministry of Federal and Pastoralist Development Affairs (MoFPDA). The responsibilities of this Ministry include promoting equitable development, with emphasis on delivering special support to the developing regions. The main purpose of the especial support is to address the inequalities that have existed between the regions over the decades, thereby hastening equitable growth and development. Federal Special Support Board, which consists of relevant sector ministries including the MoA, was reorganized in March 2011. The MoFPDA acts as Vice Chair and secretariat of the board. A Technical Committee (TC) composed of sector ministries constituting the Board were also set up under the MoFA to monitor and report the implementation of special support plans. As its main aim, the Board coordinates the affirmative support provided to the developing regions by the 34 different organs of the federal government, and ensures the effectiveness of the implementation process. In addition, Equitable Development Directorate General has been set up within the MoFPA, with directorates put in place to operate under it for the respective developing regions. Among many other activities, the Directorate General coordinates and directs case teams to collect, organize and analyze data in relation to the gaps in capacity building, social and economic development, good governance, gender and environmental development in the regions in need of special support. Two of the six regions where LFSDP is planned to be implemented are the developing regions of Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella. In Benishangul-Gumz, two woredas (Asossa and Oda) located in Asossa Zone have been selected for LFSDP. Would-be project beneficiaries in these woreda are the Berta. Similarly, one woreda (Abobo) located in Agnywa Zone of Gambella Region has been selected for the project. Among the potential project beneficiaries in this woreda are the population groups of Agnywa and Majenger. The Ethiopian Constitution recognizes the presence of plurality in ethnic groups, including historically underserved, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, as well as the rights to their identity, culture, language, customary livelihoods, socioeconomic equity and justice. There are approximately 80 culturally distinct ethnic groups within Ethiopia. The OP4.10 group of interest includes various nations, nationalities and peoples, pastoralists, and national minorities. These was confirmed by the screening conducted by the World Bank in 2013, the target population meets the criteria for OP4.10; therefore, issues relating to OP4.10 have been defined in detail through the enhanced SA and Consultation to identify social issues and economic opportunities for the underserved groups as relates to the proposed LFSDP. As indicated above, the population groups in the two developing regions are different from the mainstream smallholder livestock producers in the highland communities of the project in their livelihood system/strategy, land and livestock and fishery resource management, patterns of settlement and type of technology. LFSDP is expected to be effective and successful in achieving its stated objectives in these regions, if it gives due consideration to the special characteristics of these population groups in the design, planning and implementation phases. These includes, culturally and linguistically appropriate benefits from the project and tailored capacity building support for these groups as articulated in the SDP in line with the proposed project components. The measures encompass, capacity building to the Berta women in Benishangul Gumuz, supply of affordable and standard fishing nets, gears, facilitating access to credit for cash and land poor groups, ensuring affordability of AI services, animal feed for vulnerable groups and underserved peoples found in the targeted regions and woredas. 35 4. Baseline Data on Environmental and Social Conditions of LFSDP Regions LFSDP will be implemented in six regional states of the country. The following sections present a description of the biophysical and socio-demographic characteristics of the six project regions. 4.1. Physical Environment Climate The lowlands of LFSDP regions are characterized by high temperature and low precipitation, whereas the highland parts enjoy suitable temperatures and ample rainfall. In general, mean annual temperature in the six regions varies from less than 100c in high altitudes to over 300c in tropical lowlands. The amount, duration and intensity of rainfall in LFSDP regions vary considerably. The annual rainfall in the regions ranges from 303-2,553 mm. Soil and Geology The major types of soil in LFSDP region include Nitosols, Vertisols, Cambisols, Acrisols, Luvisols, Lithosols, Aluvisols, Arenosols and Regolsols, most of which carry high agricultural potentials. However, soils on the highlands of the regions have been subjected to serious erosion due to human activities (deforestation, over cultivation, and poor farming practices). The Precambrian, Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rocks are the three main geologic formations found in the LFSDP regions. Additionally, the Proterozoic rock formation is found in Tigray Region. 4.3. Socio-Demographic Characteristics Southern Nations and Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPR) (a) Demographic and Economic Features SNNPR covers an area of 111,000 km2, and accounts for 10% of the total area of the country. The region is home to more than 56 ethnic groups. SNNPR is located in the southern and south-western parts of the country. It shares borders with the neighboring counties of Sudan in the west, and Kenya in the south. In the northwest, SNNPR borders with the Gambella Regional State and with Oromia Regional State in the east and north. According to the CSA, 2013 national population projection data of all regions from 2014-2017, SNNPR has a total population of 17,837,005 (8,843,499 males and 8,993,006 female). 15,130, 000 (84.8 %) of the population are rural inhabitants, and 2,707,000 (15.17%) urban dwellers. This region has an estimated population density of 141 persons per square kilometer. Livestock production is the region’s major economic activity, followed by enset and coffee production, fisheries, irrigation, and eco-tourism. Teff, wheat, maize and barely are the main crops grown in most of the areas in the region. LFSDP will be implemented in 13 selected woredas of SNNP. 36 (b) Ethno-Religious Features As ethnically the most diverse region of the country, SNNPR is inhabited by about 56 ethnic groups with their own distinct languages, cultures, beliefs and norms and value systems. These ethnic groups belong to the Omotic, Cushitic, Semetic, and Nilo Sahara linguistic families. In order of population size, the ten largest ethnic groups in the region are Sidama, Wolayita, Gurage, Hadiya, Gamo, Keffa, Gedeo, Kembata, Kullo, and Goffa. The major religious groups in the region are Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, traditional worshipers, and Catholic. Oromia Regional State (a) Demographic and Economic Features With a total land area of approximately 353,000 km2, Oromia is the largest region of the country. Oromia is bounded by the country’s all regional states except Tigray. Oromia also shares common borders with the neighboring countries of Sudan and Kenya. According to the CSA, 2013 national population projection data from 2014-2017, oromia regional state has an estimated population of 32, 815,995, the largest of all the nation’s regional states. More than 86% of the people of Oromia live in rural areas while 13% reside in urban areas. The major crops grown in the region are coffee, wheat, barley, teff, sorghum and oil seeds. The average land holding per household in the rural areas is 1.14 hectares, compared to the national average of 1.01 hectares. 24% of the population is engaged in non-farm activities (compared to the national average of 25%). LFSDP will be implemented in 23 woredas of Oromia Regional State. (b) Ethno-Religious Features Twelve percent of the population in the region account for different non-Oromo ethnic groups (Amhara, Hadiya, Sidama, etc). Broadly speaking, there are five main sub-groups of Oromo. The Western Oromo live mainly in the Wollega area and are settled agriculturists. The Northern Oromo live in Shoa and some areas of Wollo and are more integrated with the Amhara culture. These are generally bilingual, speaking both Amharic and Oromiffa. Some pockets of Northern Oromo are also found as far away as in Tigray. The Southern Oromo consist of smaller sub-groups without regional cohesion, and most are pastoralists leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle. The Eastern Oromo live in East and West Harerge zones including in the towns of Harar and Dire Dawa. The Borana make up the fifth Oromo sub-group inhabiting the southernmost parts of Ethiopia along the common border with Kenyan. Forty-eight percent of the population in region are adherents of Islam, followed by 30% Orthodox Christians, 18% Protestants, 3% traditional believers, 0.5% Catholic, and 1% others. Tigray Regional State (a) Demographic Features Tigray Regional State accounts for a total land area of 53,000 km2, consisting of six administrative zones and 35 woredas. It shares borders with Eritrea in the north, Afar and Amhara national regional states in the east and the south, and Sudan in the west. According to CSA, 2013 national population projection data from 2014-2017 reported that the region total population is 4,960,003 (2,444,000 37 maled and 2,516,003 female). The regional average land holding is estimated to be 0.5ha/household. Four woredas of Tigray are selected for the implementation of LFSDP. In Tigray, farm yields are generally lower in the middle highlands because of lower soil fertility and rainfall. The staple crops in western lowlands of Tigray are sorghum, maize, teff, barley and wheat. Tigray is home to typical Ethiopia’s grain species, notably different varieties of wheat and barley adapted to shorter or longer rainy seasons. (b) Ethno-Religious Features Other ethnic groups in Tigray consist of Amhara (1.63%), Irob (0.71%), Afar (0.29%), Agaw (0.19%), Oromo (0.17%) and a Nilo-Saharan-speaking Kunama (0.07%). In the region, 95.6% of the population are Orthodox Christians, 4% Muslims, 0.4% Catholics and 0.10% Protestants Amhara Regional State (a) Demographic and Economic Features The Amhara Regional State covers a total land area of approximately 154,000 km2. The regional average landholding is 0.3 ha/household. According to the CSA, 2013 national population projection data from 2014-2017, the region has a total population of 20,018,988, out of which 84% live in rural areas. Thirteen woredas of the region are selected for the implementation of LFSDP. Most of the region is on a highland plateau and characterized by rugged mountains, hills, valleys and gorges. Hence, the region has varied landscapes composed of steep fault escarpments and adjoining lowland plains in the east, nearly flat plateaus and mountains in the centre, and eroded landforms in the north. Most of the western part is a flat plain extending to the Sudan lowlands. Cereals, pulses, and oilseeds are the major crops grown in the Amhara. Principal crops include teff, barley, wheat, maize, sorghum and millet. Pulses include horse beans, field peas, haricot beans, chickpeas and lentils. The region also has large livestock resources. (b) Ethno-Religious Features Other ethnic groups include the Agaw/Awi (3.46%), Oromo (2.62%), Kamant (1.39%), and Argobba (0.41%). Of the total population of the Region, 82.5% are Orthodox Christians, 17.2% Muslims, 0.2% Protestants and 0.1% others. Gambella Regional State (a) Demographic and Economic Features Gambella Regional State has a total land area of 29,782.82 km2, with a total population of 396,000 (207,000 males and 189,000 female) according to the CSA, 2013 national population projection data from 2014-2017. Of these, 68.7% inhabit in rural areas while 31. 3% live in urban areas. The region is located in the south-western part of Ethiopia, bordering with Oromia Regional State in the north and east, SNNPR in the south and east, and Benishangul-Gumz in the north. The Region also borders the Republic of South Sudan in the south and Sudan in the west. 38 Ago-ecologically, the region is predominantly lowland (kolla), with a few midlands (weynadega). The region is endowed with abundant natural resources of expansive land and water. The region’s economy is predominantly agriculture, and land and water are the main source of livelihoods of the people. LFSD will be implemented in Abobo Woreda of Gambella. (b) Ethno-Religious Features The major ethnic groups in Gambella are the Nuer (46%), Agnywa (21%), Majenger (7%), Komo (3%), and Opo (3%). Gambella is also a host region for people who migrated there at different times, locally called highlanders, accounting for 20% of the population. The dominant faiths in the region are Protestant, Orthodox Christian, traditional belief, Islam Catholic, and others. Benishangul-Gumz Regional State (a) Demographic and Economic Features The Regional State accounts for a total of 50,380 km2, with a total population of 975,998 (495,000 males and 480,998 female) according to the CSA, 2013 national population projection data from 2014-2017. Of these, 80.63% live in rural areas. The region is located in the western part of Ethiopia, sharing borders with Gambella, Amhara, and Oromia regional states, and the Republic of South Sudan. The region is endowed with rich natural resources, which include fertile land, water, forest, minerals, and fish. Abay River and most of its major tributaries flow across the region that can be used for irrigation. The climate in the region is generally favorable for crop and livestock production, but agricultural remains at subsistence level mainly due to lack of experience, low technology, and underdeveloped infrastructure. (b) Ethno-Religious Features The major ethnic groups in Benishangul-Gumz are Berta (25.9%), Gumz (21.1%), Shinasha (7.5%), Mao (1.8%) and Komo (0.96%). Other groups include Amhara (21.3%), Oromo (13.3%), and Agaw-Awi (4.2%). In the region, 45.4% of the population are Muslim, 33.3% Orthodox Christians, 13.53% Protestant, 0.6% Catholic and 7.09% practicing traditional beliefs. 39 5. Assessment of Key Social Issues 5.1. Identifying Vulnerable Groups and Underserved Peoples in the Project Woredas In order to conceptualize and define vulnerability in the context of LFSDP project woredas, it is important to understand and determine the factors that expose people to vulnerability situation. Vulnerability describes a situation in which people find themselves that is likely to expose them to certain adversities, and reduce their resilience to cope with the resulting negative impacts. Accordingly, situations that make people vulnerable may include poverty, inflation, natural disasters, conflict, lack of access to information and communication, and embedded social and cultural attitudes and practices. In particular, factors such as gender, ethnicity, religion, occupation, HIV and disability have acted as vulnerability grounds on which people have been discriminated against and experienced various disadvantages. The National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) of Ethiopia recognizes vulnerability as having various dimensions, and one of these is social exclusion and deprivation. Vulnerability in the context of exclusion and deprivation encompasses ‘Individuals/households who due to gender, disability, HIV status, age, orphan hood, ethnicity, location or other factors face marginalization from society, or discrimination in access to services or work. …People who are powerless and voiceless within their household or community’. Vulnerability can therefore be understood as an all-encompassing concept that covers all types of disadvantaged social groups who are objects of denial, exclusion, neglect and contempt, in connection with the share of benefits and participation in decision making in multi-layered mainstream development programs. In respect to this, focus on the identification of vulnerable groups and their particular circumstances, needs and interests constitute a key principle in the design and overall management of LFSDP project. In light of this and based on the review of relevant literature and primary data, this Social Assessment has identified vulnerable groups and underserved peoples in the project woredas. Included are women particularly female-household heads and those in polygamous unions, unemployed and underemployed rural youths, ethnic minorities and culturally distinct groups. 5.1.1. Women LFSDP treats gender as crosscutting issue requiring special focus, to empower women so as to fully participate and benefit in the whole range of project interventions. In project woredas, as is the case in wider society, women become vulnerable as a result of socially constructed gender based values and belief systems and their productive and reproductive roles in the household. In specific terms, women’s status in relation to their domestic division of labor (childcare and food preparation), socioeconomic status (limited property rights), and unequal power relations and burden of responsibilities (in polygamous unions and female-headed households) deserve closer examination in the overall LFSDP design and implementation. Therefore, it is crucially important 40 to seriously consider the gender specific statuesque in project woredas, and how gender issues should be mainstreamed in respect to the key principles and prime objectives of LFSDP. Traditionally, women have played a significant role in the management of dairy cows, sheep and goat rearing and fatting, and backyard poultry production, particularly in the Social Assessment woredas of Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR. As a result, tending (feeding, watering, and nursing) animals in the homestead have been within their domain. In addition, their responsibilities involve processing as well as selling at the local market milk and milk products, eggs and chickens, and small stock, thereby earning cash to supplement the household income. In large part, the tasks identified as traditionally the domain of rural women in these regions are the focus of the value chains selected as major components of LFSDP interventions. In FGD session, members of women milk group in Sale Kebele, Debre Libanos Woreda of Oromia said the following: It is us women who have a strong attachment to dairy cows. We tend them all year round like we do to our children. The focus of men is on crop production. For this reason, the project should make women in the woreda the center of its dairy development interventions, ensuring their access to time and labor-saving technologies, and tailoring capacity building trainings to their needs and interests. In these respects, community consultations that are conducted with the aim of ensuring informed and voluntary community involvement in the project should be managed with emphasis to active women participation and consent. In Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella regions, where shifting cultivation is traditionally practiced, the division of labor is such that rural women perform jobs considered to be the domain of men in other parts of the country. Berta women in Asossa woreda said in FGD meeting: Berta woman are productive both in livestock raising and crop cultivation. Although men are the ones who do the plowing, women are responsible for a range of farm tasks including weeding, winnowing, thrashing and collecting crop yields. In respect to animal rearing, women take a large share of the work, tending dairy cows and other homestead animals. Because of this, women will prove to be successful if the project facilitates their engagement in dairy farming and goat and sheep fattening. In Agnywa culture, women engage in almost all economic activities (crop cultivation, livestock raising, and fishing and fish processing). Their role in fish processing and preservation is significant, and probably this is one of the few places in the country where women are directly involved in the livelihood system. Women are skilled in catching fish near their homes with pot- like traps, which are traditional fishing gears. Moreover, the preservation fish in the form of fried and dried fish to be used during food shortage periods is particularly done by women. Besides, women do the selling of dried fish at the market. FGD participant Agnywa women said: 41 Local men do the fishing and women carry the fish from the river and reservoirs to sell at the market. We therefore suggest, for women to benefit themselves and their households, the project should facilitate the means to make the activity more market focused. This can be done by providing women with fish shops/market shades that are well-equipped with preservation facilities such as refrigeration, considering that fish products are perishable. In the Social Assessment woreda of Konso, Segen Peoples’ Zone, SNNPR, bull fattening is considered the traditional domain of women. Landless Konso women are however vulnerable, particularly due to lack of finance that the venture highly requires. Cash is in short supply for these women to buy the bull for fattening, and procure concentrate feed and byproducts of local alcoholic beverages used as fodder. In FGD meeting, participant Konso women said: We practice share-fattening with cash rich town dwellers. Those with finance buy us the bulls to fatten. Our job is to tend the bulls giving them feed, water and all the care they need. The share-fattening is done by Konso women and their partners on the basis of written agreement. After three to four months of labor, the fattened bulls will be ready for sale. Before the profit is calculated and shared out between the two parties, the price paid to buy the bull will first be reimbursed to the partner with the finance. But there are also risks. The fattened bulls may not always sell well at the market. In these cases, Konso women will suffer the losses incurred for feed, labor and other needs. Hence, LFSDP offers poor Konso women an opportunity by helping them deal with their problems of finance through the facilitation of access to credit and market to address the risk of loss. 5.1.2. Female-Headed Households The statistics on female-headed households in the Social Assessment woredas is not complete, but existing data shows that their number is significant. The table below depicts the number of female- headed households relative to male-headed households by woreda in ten of the seventeen Social Assessment rural communities. Table 4: Number of Female-Headed Households in Selected Woredas Total number of rural Male-headed Female-headed Woreda households Konso 54,047 51,373 3,674 Arba Minch Zuria 27,266 24,759 2,507 Hawassa Zuria 30,949 24,713 6,236 Mecha 55,432 47,955 7,481 Bahir Dar Zuria 35,102 30,274 4,828 Debre Libanos 5,868 5,191 677 Abay Choman 13,091 11,196 1,895 By far, a large number of female-headed households in the woredas are landless and poor, or with access to a small piece of land, and most of the female household heads are in child bearing age. In response to what their needs and concerns are, the women said that they want the project to 42 facilitate for them access to land on which they could work and earn income as organized women groups. In Sale Kebele, Debre Libanos Woreda, North Shoa Zone of Oromia, poor female household heads organized as dairy farmers told the assessment team in FGD session: Not being able to get forage supplies is our main problem. We have no money to buy forage, but we can still grow forage crops if we can get land. Not having land that we can work on together as organized dairy farmers, we are forced to tend the cows in our individual households. We have made a request to the kebele administration to give us land. If they allow us access to use part of the existing communal land, we will be able to run our dairy farm profitably, growing forage crops at the same land as a parallel activity. FGD sessions that involved female household heads were also held in Bilusuma Kebele, Kombolcha Woreda, East Hararghe Zone of Oromia, and Elgo Kebele, Arba Minch Zuria Woreda, Gamo Gafa Zone of SNNPR. These women indicated their status as cash poor and labor deficient community members. Lack of finance makes them vulnerable to unequal partnership in share animal fattening arrangement, in which people with cash make available the bulls, and the women contribute their own labor in the fattening process. When the fattened bulls are sold, the partners who make available the animals are reimbursed their money before the profits are calculated and apportioned between the two parties. In such cases, the benefits that accrue to the poor women who contribute labor and feed are not commensurate with their effort, time and costs in money. Being labor deficient, widows with some farm plots may also be forced to rent or sharecrop their land. Labor deficiency makes these women vulnerable to the risks and disadvantages associated with unequal land rent or sharecropping partnership, denying them their due share of the profit in either case. These FGD participants expressed their hope that LFSDP will address their priority problems particularly through access to credit, job opportunity and increase their bargaining power in the share-fattening and share-cropping partnership that they engage in. 5.1.3. Women in Polygamous Unions In this context, polygamy refers to the marriage of a man to two or more women at the same time, which is customarily practiced in the Social Assessment woredas of Oromia, SNNP, Benishangul- Gumz, and Gambella regions. A woman in this kind of marriage joins her husband in his patrilineal village on his ancestral land. As a r esult, women in polygamous unions in these communities do not own land and livestock, which leaves them economically insecure and vulnerable. In the Agnywa community (Abobo Woreda), the clan of the man pays bride price to the family of his would-be wife in the form of cattle (demuy). As was told by participants during women only FGD, in the case of divorce and remarriage, the woman is vulnerable to economic risks, not being entitled to claim any part of the property acquired during the marriage. On the other hand, the husband is entitled to claim back the bride price paid to her family when marrying her. Such risks oblige the woman to stay with her husband despite having no property rights, and by contrast the entitlement of the husband to take more wives without her consent. 43 In the culture of the Berta (Asossa Woreda), polygamy is practiced as a custom and part of the faith of Islam. In Berta communities, a man is entitled to be married to as many wives as he wishes, in which co-wives cannot have a say. If they resist, community elders intervene and pressurize them to accept the husband’s wishes. Usually, husbands tend to favor newer/junior wives which strains the relationships among the co-wives, becoming a source of tension and discord between them and the husband. At the time of divorce, co-wives are not entitled to make claims to any assets built during the marriage, and hence are forced to return to their parents leaving behind the property that they produced and share with their husbands In Kombolcha Woreda, East Hararghe Zone of Oromia, polygamous marriages often result in tensions between co-wives and their children. The conflict in such instances causes the women to be vulnerable to further problems, jeopardizing the profitability of their livestock-based livelihood. One FGD participant women said the following: Relationships between co-wives and their children are troubled, which put dairy production and animal fattening activities under intense strain. It is difficult to have the children cooperate and mutually support in assisting the mothers in the work of feeding and watering the animals. At such times, the burden of tending animals entirely falls on the shoulders of the women. In view of this, LFSDP can contribute towards the mitigation of the problems faced by women, youth, ethnic minorities, and underserved peoples through enhancing equitable access to social and economic benefits from different LFSDP sub components and social bargaining power based on the specific context of targeted regions. 5.1.4. Unemployed and Underemployed Rural Youths In the local setting of the Social Assessment woredas, identified as unemployed rural youth are boys and girls who are out of work, not being able to find jobs in the villages to earn their own income and support themselves. These are young people who were forced to quit school at secondary or preparatory levels because of various challenges. Included in the same category are young men and women who have returned to their natal villages to live with their families, not finding work in the urban areas after graduating from technical and vocational colleges or institutions of higher learning. On the other hand, underemployed rural youths refer to young villagers who continue to live with their families or kins, but are without their own source of income that fully occupies them. For this reason, they engage in livestock husbandry and crop production as part of the labor force in the household. Due to the ever dwindling family land resulting from land fragmentation, the range of household tasks can hardly engage them to the fullest extent of their time and energies. In respect to this, the situation of rural youth is critical particularly in the LFSDP zones of East and West Hararege, West Arsi, West Gojam, and the region of Tigray. These areas are characterized by land scarcity because of high rates of land fragmentation and population growth. 44 Cognizant of these facts in the region, the Oromia Regional State is developing plans to invest large amounts of finance on the expansion of rural youth job-creation in parts of the region including in LFSDP woredas. It is estimated that up to fifty percent of the job creation potential in the region will come from the livestock sector. Thus, LFSDP cooperative association and business venture development activities will be an opportunity for the youth group to engage in activities such as dairy production, poultry production, fattening, apiculture, and feed production and processing will create job opportunity for the youth groups. Accordingly, woreda livestock and fisheries resource development offices are planning to engage these vulnerable local youth groups in the identified areas of interventions, by facilitating access to land, inputs and trainings. The selected field of intervention for job- creation in peri-urban areas is feed production and processing for all types of animal rearing and fattening. As clearly indicated in the project development objective (PDO) of LFSDP, the project is women and youth focused. Thus, the landless and income-poor rural unemployed and underemployed women and youth groups will benefit from different sub-projects of LFSDP according to their interests and available opportunities in their respective woredas. They will therefore be able to involve themselves in income generating activities of their choice and thereby attain economic self-empowerment and income security. 5.2. Ethnic Minorities In the wake of the 1984/85 drought that struck many parts of the country, a massive state-driven resettlement program was undertaken, in which hundreds of thousands of rural people were moved largely from the highlands in northern and north-central regions to the lowlands in the south and southwest. The aim was to relocate citizens from drought prone areas to sparsely populated parts of the nation where arable land is known to be abundant. The major resettlement sites are located in LFSDP woredas, among many others, of the present- day national administrative regions of Benishangul-Gmuz and Gambella. These LFSDP woredas are Asossa and Oda in Benishangul-Gumz, and Abobo in Gambella. In the LFSDP woreda of Asossa, for example, 38 of the 74 kebeles are host communities to resettled groups. Because of the agricultural background in their places of origin, their livelihood is based on crop cultivation and livestock raising, mainly dairy farming. In a public consultation held with experts at Asossa Woreda Livestock and Fisheries Resource Development Office, the participants indicated that kebeles inhabited by resettled groups should be included among communities selected for LFSDP intervention in the woreda. This should be done, they said, in the interest of equity and fairness, not considering such communities as ethnic minorities and not excluding them from benefiting in the project on that ground. In addition, their inclusion is deemed appropriate given their long years of experience especially in dairy production, and the potential they have to contribute to the development of the sub-sector. 45 5.3. OP 4.10: Indigenous Peoples/Underserved Peoples In accordance with OP 4.10, attention was given in this Social Assessment to identifying historically underserved and culturally distinct groups in the LFSDP regions. Because of their marginalization over the years, these groups are largely disadvantaged, not being targeted by various development interventions. As a result, they need to be given special attention and be supported to productively participate and significantly benefit in LFSDP value chains in selected intervention woredas. 5.3.1. Profile of Underserved Peoples The following is the profile of underserved peoples in the LFSDP regions of Amhara, Benishangul- Gumz, Gambella, and SNNP. The Negede/Woito, Minority Occupational Group The Negede, commonly referred to by the local derogatory word Woito, are a minority occupational group. They have lived for a long time with the Amhara around Lake Tana. Characterized as distinct group by common identity based on religion, marriage, kinship and dietary habits, this community lives in many scattered villages around Lake Tana. Fishing is the Negede’s main traditional means of livelihood. In addition, handcraft, basketry, making grinding mills, collection and sale of firewood, and boat construction from the papyrus plant is their other sources of income. Locally, the Negede have been treated as a social outcast by the dominant smallholder farming community. Not owning land, the Negede continue to live in extremely precarious conditions as the poorest segment of the local population. As a result, they deserve to be considered as a matter of right for inclusion and benefit in LFSDP. In view of this, the national PCU at MoLF and regional PCUs in LFSDP project implementation structures will take into account the situation of the Negede as a minority group and their productive potential mainly in fishing to facilitate their involvement in project value chains and improve their social and economic wellbeing. The Berta The Berta are a Nilo-Saharan ethno-linguistic group, who inhabit north and north-west parts of Benishangul-Gumz region, including the frontiers with the Sudan. The Berta are predominantly Muslim, with 95% of the group being adherents of the faith. Shifting/hoe cultivation is the group’s main sources of livelihood, and they mostly grow sorghum, maize, millet and sesame. The Berta engage in shifting cultivation, which is a traditional farming strategy used to cultivate an area of land by slashing and burning down forest cover as a means of fertilizing the soil with the ash. Farm households cultivate such land for as long as the soil loses fertility and abandon the farmland to remain fallow. The farmers then shift to other areas of forest land to engage in the next cycle of slash and burn cultivation. 46 Traditional fishing, hunting and gathering, livestock raising and gold panning are additional means of subsistence for the Berta. The sources of fish production are the big rivers in the region such as the Dabbus, Sirqole, Tumat and Menge. Moreover, the Berta raise sheep, goats, cattle and poultry. Being underserved and hence deprived of attention over the years, the Berta continue to practice fishing and livestock production in the traditional way, without the benefit of modern technologies to improve the quality and amount the yields from this engagement. As a result, they have not been able to fully utilize the fish and livestock potential available in the area. The Agnywa Nilotic as a linguistic group, the Agnywa live in Gambella Region along the frontiers with South Sudan. The Agnywa are found on both sides of the common border, the majority living in Gambella Region, and a minority residing in South Sudan (mainly Akobo and Pochalla counties) In order of their importance, crop cultivation during the rainy season (mainly sorghum and maize), fishing, livestock raising and hunting and gathering are the main means of subsistence for Agnywa. Fishing, practiced in Baro, Gillo, Alwero and Akobo rivers, is the Agnywa’s vital means of survival particularly in the dry season. Of late, recession riverside crop production has also become common among Agnywa The Majenger The Majenger inhabit the thickly forested slopes in Gambella Region, on the south-western edges of the Ethiopian plateau. They are located between the Agnywa who live on the plains, and the Oromo who inhabit the highlands. They belong to the Nilo-Saharan linguistic group, with a population of 12,280 (6,036 males and 6,244 female), according to the national census of 2007. Predominantly, the Majenger inhabit Mengshi and Godare woredas, Majenger Zone, which are close neighbors of the LFSDP woreda of Abobo. Engaged mainly in shifting cultivation as their major means of subsistence, the Majenger also practice apiculture and hunting and gathering and livestock raising as additional means of livelihood. The Gamo The Gamo are an Omotic linguistic group in SNNPR, southwest Ethiopia. Their language, called 'Gaammoththo, closely resembles those spoken by Gofa, Wolayta and Dauro groups. The 2007 Ethiopian national census reported that 1,107,163 people (1.5% of the total population) identified themselves as Gamo, 141,233 of whom were urban dwellers. Arba Minch Zuria Woreda, which is one of nine predominantly inhabited by the Gamo, and is largely located on a highland flanked by the rift valley lakes of Abaya and Chamo, is LFSDP project woreda, Mixed farming and weaving are the major modes of livelihood traditionally engaged in by the Gamo. The Gamo practice a form of mixed farming in which crop production and livestock raising are equally important. Low soil fertility has made it a number one priority for every Gamo farm 47 household to improve the quality of agricultural soil. Hence, farmers have developed effective strategies of enchasing soil fertility and sustaining productivity, despite the fragile soil conditions in the Gamo highlands. The lakes of Abaya and Chamo, richly endowed with fish resource of varied species, have been the source of fish production for the Gamo over the years. Nonetheless, the fish resource remains unexploited to its fullest potential due to the failure to support the Gamo to apply improved technologies to modernize their fishing methods and practices. The Zeyse The Zeyse are also an Omotic linguistic group who speak the language called ‘Zayssite’. They are a close neighbor of the Gamo in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda, Gamo Gofa Zone of SNNPR. Crop cultivation is one of the main sources of livelihood that the Zeyse engage in, and they mostly grow banana, mango, cassava, sorghum, and maize. In addition, the Zeyse practice livestock production, and are in possession of the largest livestock population in the woreds, besides keeping beehives. Moreover, the Zeyse engage in fishing on Lake Chamo as an important economic activity. The Konso The Konso are mixed farmer practicing crop production, livestock rearing and beekeeping activities, and they inhabit the marginal environment in Konso Woreda of Segen Area Peoples’ Zone (SNNPR). Based on the climatic zones of the woreda, crops like barley, wheat, sorghum, maize, cotton, coffee, kidney beans, and cow peas are grown. The Konso managed to survive in such environment using indigenous knowledge and skills that enabled them to make optimal use of unfavorable terrain and climatic conditions in innovative manner as a survival strategy over centuries. The construction of terraces, in addition to their conservation value, also helps them to get additional farm lands by converting the rugged and hilly landscape into more plain farmlands. The practice of terracing, together with their use of animal and human fertilizers, enabled Konso farmers to produce sufficient food for an ever increasing population. 5.3.2. LFSDP Impacts and Implications vis-à-vis Vulnerable Groups and Underserved Peoples The constitution of FDRE recognizes the diversity of the population in ethno-linguistic, cultural, religious and socio-economic terms. The Constitution also recognizes the historical imbalance among the diverse population groups in respect to inclusion and access to benefits from the whole range of state sponsored development programs, as well as investment ventures undertaken by none-state actors. On the consideration of these historical facts, expressions of political commitments have been made by the government of FDRE in legal, policy and programmatic documents to redress the inequities in socioeconomic development benefits experienced by vulnerable population groups and underserved peoples, ethnic communities. LFSDP is initiated with a prime focus particularly on women and youths as vulnerable population groups. In addition, LFSDP seeks to incorporate underserved peoples in Developing Regional 48 States (DRS) as prospective beneficiaries, with a view to supporting them develop and maximize production potential in the selected project value chains. Fundamentally, development programs are designed to produce positive and lasting impact on target beneficiaries. Nonetheless, development programs may also at times result in unintended adverse consequences or differential impacts on different categories of people. Furthermore, vulnerable population groups such as women, youth, ethnic minorities, and culturally distinct communities may end up being excluded from development interventions. The awareness of such scenarios in the overall management of development programs is essential to prevent their occurrence or mitigate their adverse effects. In light of this, it is important to consider the potential impacts and implications of LFSDP vis-à- vis vulnerable groups and historically underserved peoples in the project woredas of Benishangul- Gumz, Gambella, Amhara and SNNP regional states. Livelihood strategies and target value chains – LFSDP targets four selected priority value chains considered strategic both for food security/national supply and their potential for growth and innovation. This is stated in Component B (Productive Partnerships for Selected Value Chains). The three primary target value chains are dairy, poultry, and fish and aquaculture. In addition, the project supports the red meat value chain. As clearly stated in the PDO, LFSDP mainly focuses on transforming traditional and family-based smallholder farming households by supporting to improve livestock and fish production and productivity, commercialization and market access. Towards achieving this, target groups will be provided access to services, inputs, assets, and facilities/infrastructure in a range of planned interventions in LFSDP components, with a view to enable them make consistent progress through four stages/levels of transformation pathways based on the operational steps planned in the SDP. In this process, there is a strong need for LFSDP to be fully inclusive of population groups in the project woredas identified as underserved peoples, ethnic minorities and historically disadvantaged communities. Traditionally, such communities pursue subsistence livelihood systems and livestock resource management strategies that are different from the local mainstream smallholder animal husbandry practices, the transformation of which LFSDP envisions. For illustration, the Majenger, Berta, and Agnywa who combine livestock raising/fishing with foraging (hunting and gathering), apiculture, or shifting cultivation. There are risks that underserved peoples, ethnic minorities and historically disadvantaged communities may be left out or not be duly included in the project as a result of their peculiar resource management-related features and livelihoods. During a public consultation with experts at Abobo Woreda (Gambella Region) Livestock and Fisheries Resource Development Office, the participants expressed their opinion concerning the especial attention these groups needed: As a region, Gambella is historically underserved. As one ethnic group, the Agnywa are likewise historically disadvantaged. Despite the vast dairy, poultry, and fattening potential in the region, the knowledge and experience of Agnywa communities in 49 these respects is nonetheless extremely limited. Hence, the project needs to seriously consider facilitating the provision of the required support to these communities to exploit the existing natural resources and thereby grow their capacity to benefit. A minority of Majenger ethnic group live on the edges of Abobo, the project woreda. As Majenger, this ethnic minority engage in slash and burn agriculture and apiculture. However, the risk is there for these people to be excluded because of their small number, and in the interest of ensuring equity and fairness, LFSDP needs to include the Majenger minority in Abobo Woreda in all levels of the intervention. Despite the focus of the project on smallholder farmers, LFSDP should be managed in a flexible and adaptive manner to the unique circumstances of the underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, historically disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities. Thus, being community-demand driven project, LFSDP should be accommodative of the particular livelihood and resource management systems of those identified as culturally distinct and underserved. These recommended that LFSDP will take into account their peculiar livelihood strategies, livestock and fisheries resource management and the dynamics of their social organization, and respond to their needs accordingly. Land acquisition: LFSDP requires land for the management of various project-related interventions (e.g. commercial forage seed and forage production, investment in commercial feedlots and slaughter houses, community/privately owned breeding ranches, market centers/shades). In the process of acquiring land for the stated purposes, it is likely that farm households and community groups will be affected by the loss or restriction on the use and access of individually or communally held assets. In the event of these scenarios, the restoration of usufruct rights to underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, historically disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities must be considered in accordance with Ethiopian law and the relevant policies of the World Bank as specified in the complementary RPF of the LFSDP. Gender: As discussed in the previous section, women in general become vulnerable as a result of low educational participation, socially constructed gender-based values and belief systems and their productive and reproductive roles in the household. Therefore, it is crucially important to seriously consider the gender specific statuesque in project woredas, and how gender issues should be mainstreamed in respect to the key principles and prime objectives of LFSDP. The Social Assessment has shown that particularly female household heads and women in polygamous unions are exposed even to higher degree of vulnerability because of lack of finance, household labor deficiency, and not having property entitlements to land and livestock resources. Therefore, LFSDP need to be considering 50% women participation and benefit sharing mechanism from income generating activities and creating financial access to mitigate the problems experienced by women and other disadvantaged group of community and accordingly make sure that they have access to inputs, services and assets during the course of implementation. 50 5.4. Proper Utilization of Social Capital in LFSDP Woredas The utilization of long-established and traditional institutions as social capital is deemed important to enhance the effectiveness of LFSDP. The forms of social capital that are focused upon in this Social Assessment are institutions of self-help and mutual assistance, and land-related dispute settlement mechanisms. These are the kinds of social resources that are crucial to bring about and maintain community involvement, which is an essential element to entrench and sustain the outcomes of LFSDP. 5.4.1. Traditional Mutual/Self-Help Institutions Traditional support systems (iddir/kire, debo, jiggie, wfera11, mujada12) may be capitalized on to strengthen and expand LFSDP sub-project activities. Self-help groups such as iddir/kire are institutions which their members fall back on in times of distress for assistance in kind or in cash. Thus, these institutions come to the rescue of those in need like the bereaved, the sick, the old and the disabled, and may also be called on to assist in reconciling conflicts and differences. As for mutual assistance groups (debo, jiggie, wofera), they are meant to serve as work parties to mobilize labor exchange and reciprocation during peak agricultural seasons and occasions of labor intensive work such as house and fence construction. In Berta community of Benishangul-Gumz, for instance, there are two types of cooperative work arrangements: Reciprocal work parties locally called amaha and festive work parties locally known as anafir. Amaha, the oldest local labor association, is the smallest type of indigenous voluntary work party composed of a group of individuals, families or neighbors who work for each other on rotation basis. It is a small work party constituted by four to ten persons, and as rule members of the group are persons living close to each other. Amaha work groups are relatively short-lived and usually they are organized for one agricultural task, and after that task has been accomplished, the group dissolves (Tariku, 2002). On the other hand, anafir is a cooperative work group consisting of 10 to 25 persons, set up to perform agricultural activities or construction works. During the work, the host serves food and drinks to members of the group, who happen to be his kin, affine, friends, neighbors or villagers. In Gambella Regional State, the following indigenous mutual help associations are observed to have an immense impact on the life of the people lowok among the Nuer; ko’nyd’e’el among the Agnywa; and kokony among the Majenger. Konkny, for example, is an indigenous self-help association among the Majenger used to provide the poor access to material and financial support as a traditional means of resource sharing. Kinship and network-based support systems particularly in agro-pastoral areas play an important role in times of difficulties and uncertainty. A long list of mutual support institutions have been identified by studies conducted in agro-pastoral societies in Ethiopia (Hoddinott, et al, 2011). Some of these institutions are livestock exchange, gift giving, and resource sharing. These are used 11 A labor exchanging or sharing culture at the time of harvesting and threshing practiced in many woredas in Tigray. 12 Mujada is a social institution cooperation among the Berta used for any kind of material and labor or money contribution. Essentially, it is a welfare institution intended to rehabilitate and assist particularly the poor, the infirm and disabled by providing money and material assistance. 51 as fallbacks or contingencies to cope with adversities resulting from prolonged droughts and depletion in livestock resource. These mutual support systems are embedded in the cultural norms and value systems of the communities, which are invoked as guarantees of protection and entitlement during periods of livelihood crisis from various causes. In Amhara region, there are diverse cultural and local institution used for sustaining their livelihood. For instance, wonfel, hura, kenja and temad are system established by the community for collaborative work teams organized to do agricultural and other activities. Wonfel helps farmers to work together during different occasions such as harvest collection, house construction, wedding ceremony preparation and others. Besides, hura in East Gojjam and West Gojjam zones enable the communities to improve their farming and grazing lands fertility by using their cattle dung. They gather their cattle together during the nights of the dry season on the farm and grazing lands of each member and they use the dung to rehabilitate the fertility of the eroded soil. Kenja also enables farmers to share their plowing equipment and farm oxen to perform their agricultural activities. LFSDP may utilize such traditional mutual help institutions to expedite the implementation of community-identified sub-project activities requiring social mobilization and involvement. 5.4.2 Customary Land-Related Dispute Settlement Institutions Customary institutions have traditionally played an important role in the settlement of disputes involving rural land and livestock resources. The composition of these customary/informal conflict mediation institutions may slightly vary between and within regions. Community trust and respect are crucial requirements that mediators must meet to be effective in land dispute settlement process. As a result, elders, family councils/trusted relatives, religious leaders and iddirs have won increased community acceptance and recognition in the settlement of land-related disputes. In fact, courts - regular as well as quasi-formal – refer disputants to these institutions to seek resolution for their disagreements in the first instance. As shown by the results of the key informant interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), held with community members in Social Assessment woredas, a vast proportions of land-related disputes find resolution in these institutions. This is attributed to the following perceived advantages of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms: i. Because of their trust and confidence in the traditional dispute settlement institutions, disputants are by and large the ones who take the initiative to reach a settlement through these alternative mediation mechanisms. For this reason, they tend to consider themselves bound to respect the decisions of the mediators, whatever the outcome. ii. Customary dispute resolution procedures minimize cost as well as time. In such cases, financial and other costs incurred as result of appeals forcing disputes to pass through all legal channels up to the highest level in the judicial system are avoided. iii. These institutions also contribute to the lessening of the burden on the judicial system by handling a vast portion of legal disputes which otherwise would have been seen in the regular courts. 52 In connection with this, customary land and livestock-related dispute and other conflict settlement mechanisms such as the jaarsumma (arbitration and mediation by council of elders) of the Oromo and the erekena shemigelena (traditional arbitration and reconciliation) of the Amhara, and the council of religious leaders in Tigray, to mention but a few, can potentially contribute the resolution of grievances arising from the implementation of LFSDP sub-project activities, as indicated in the discussion of the GRM. In the Oromia Regional State, there is a long-existing traditional conflict settlement institution embedded in the gada system. The gada is largely a generation-based traditional system of local governance among many Oromo groups in Ethiopia where people recruited into the system assume different politico-jural, ritual, and religious authority for a specified period of time they officiate. On top of this, gada is also an embodiment of elaborate institutional arrangement capable of resource management as well as land, water, and livestock control. It is the law of society, and a system by which many Oromo groups administer themselves and manage and resolve inter and intra group conflicts, including disputes related to land, water, and livestock resources. Associated with the gada system is also the kallu institution, which is attached to the religious and ritual life of the Oromo, used as a mechanism of conflict resolution and grievance settlement. In many areas of the Amhara region, the main indigenous conflict resolution mechanism is the shimgelina. In essence, a council of elders (shimgelina) is a group of about five elders (shimageles) who are appointed by the disputing parties themselves based on their choice. These elders review the arguments and counter arguments of disputing parties and make decision based on social norms and value systems. Likewise, the Gurage also have a range of traditional systems of local governance and conflict resolution institutions: yajoka qicha (Sebat Bet), gordenna sera (Kistane and Welene), yefer agezegn sera (Meskan) and dobi gogot sinano Sera (Dobi). In Arbaminch Zuria Woreda, the traditional governance institutions called moga and haleqa have played a vital role in the management of grievances. The traditional judiciary system of the Konso evolved from the existing dispute settlement practices in which elders, religious leaders, and clan heads play key roles. The Poqala institution is an important aspect of Konso traditional authority. In religious context, the term Poqala refers to priesthood. The Poqala acts as an intermediary between God and the people. Similarly, the Majenger have practiced a traditional land-related dispute settlement mechanism called guten that is composed of elders and religious leaders. Such traditional institutions that have long existed in the project woredas offer LFSDP vast social capital as a potential to be drawn on and be integrated with the in-built GRM to address the complaints of community members that may result from the implementation of sub-project activities in target project areas. These institutions will be the primary GRM settlement mechanism at a local level as an integral part of the LFSDP GRM to address the issue of fairness, transparency, performance to community culturally and linguistically appropriate manner of dispute settlement. 5.5. Cooperative Societies Vibrant cooperative organizations are vitally important for sustained and enhanced livestock resource development. Likewise, efficiently functioning cooperative societies are crucial to the 53 growth and higher productivity of smallholder producers. LFSDP targets these as major beneficiaries and aims to enable them achieve food security, through increased livestock production and commercialization. Towards reaching this goal, smallholder livestock producers need to be supported to organize in cooperatives or strengthen existing ones to make small-scale investments, and thereby grow their levels of consumption and income. Multi-purpose cooperatives (dairy, poultry, fishery, and fattening) are essential to mobilize resources scattered across individual households. Moreover, marketing cooperatives in these value chains are of paramount importance to smallholder producers to facilitate market access for livestock products and maximize profits, by reducing overdependence on redundant intermediaries. Marketing cooperatives may be established in rural, peri-urban and urban areas to serve the members as conduits for the buying and selling of inputs and outputs. In addition, saving and credit cooperatives in LFSDP selected value chains can be instrumental in enabling smallholder farmers in the target communities to cope with seasonal financial constraints that are common in the rural areas. The objective of these cooperatives is to pool idle and sterile money held by potential cooperative members and invest it on improving production and productivity. However, the aim of such cooperatives goes beyond addressing financial constraints that smallholder producers experience. In fact, the provision of credit also facilitates conditions for the adoption of new production technologies. Along with such cooperatives, micro finance institutions operating in the respective project regions can contribute to the success of LFSDP initiatives. Hence, although banks are known to play a big role in providing loans, it is important to increase the availability of credit through the expansion of micro finance institutions, because of their flexibility and responsiveness to the needs and circumstances of the local population. The Social Assessment has identified a number of cooperatives in the areas of dairy, poultry, fishery, and fattening operating at different levels of growth in the LFSDP target communities. Women and youth only cooperatives have also been identified among the various economic organizations established to respond to the unique needs and interests of the members. The capacity development component of LFSDP seeks to contribute to improving the organizational and technical capacity of key public and private actors of the sector, as one of its two major areas of focus. In accordance with this, LFSDP needs to channel the necessary support and services in the form of appropriate technology, knowledge, skills, and finance to these cooperative societies as one of the target beneficiaries of the project. 54 6. Summary of Community Consultation and Involvement In order to create community awareness about LFSDP, it was crucially important to carry out consultations with various community groups such as women, youths, cooperative members, elders and religious leaders, as well as historically underserved peoples and ethnic minorities. The consultations provided the opportunity to enhance community understanding and appreciation of the significance of the project and the social and economic benefits embedded, build the trust of target beneficiaries, and secure their acceptance and support for its smooth implementation. Accordingly, the consultations enabled beneficiary groups to prioritize their felt needs and concerns, and express their views on anticipated risks and benefits, thereby strengthening their interest and commitment to fully participate at all phases of the project management. The stakeholder consultation for the preparation of the safeguard instruments including the social assessment reached relevant institutions at National, Regional, Zone, Woreda level consulted using Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Individual/Expert Interview Participants for Social Assessment (SA). The list of institutions consulted for the preparation of the SA are attached in Annex- 2. National and Region Woreda Number National 3 Total 3 Konso 6 SNNPR Hawassa Town & Surrounding 4 Arba Minch Zuria 8 Total 18 Benishangul- Gumz Asossa 3 Total 3 Gambella Region Bureau 1 Abobo 8 Total 9 Debre Libanos 2 Bora 3 Oromia Jeldu 9 Dinsho 4 Kore 5 Abay Chomen 5 Kombolcha 6 Total 34 Tigray Kilite Awulalo 3 Hintalo Wajirat 4 Total 7 Region Bureau 1 Amhara Mecha 4 Basona Werana 5 Bahir Dar Zuria 8 Grand Total 95 Number of Community Consultation Participants for the preparation of the LFSDP Social Assessment (SA) Region 55 Woreda Number Total Male Female SNNPR Konso 11 5 16 Hawassa Town & Surrounding 12 7 19 Arba Minch Zuria 10 7 17 Total 52 Benishangul-Gumz Asossa 5 3 8 Total 8 Gambella Abobo 4 2 6 Total 6 Debre Libanos 13 11 24 Bora 6 5 11 Oromia Jeldu 8 3 11 Dinsho 5 4 9 Kore 8 5 13 Abay Chomen 3 3 6 Kombolcha 6 5 11 Total 85 Tigray Kilite Awulalo 7 7 14 Hintalo Wajirat 4 4 8 Total 22 Mecha 6 3 9 Amhara Basona Werana 5 4 9 Bahir Dar Zuria 3 4 7 Total 25 Grand Total 198 The following foremost operational steps were followed in the process of organizing community consultation for the Social Assessment based on the Free, Prior, Informed, Consultation to ascertain broad community support to the proposed project. The government of Ethiopia also requires • Free: Communicating the purpose of the consultation, selection of appropriate days (non- working, appropriate time and venue, and later during the consultation, participants freely explained their concerns, views, opportunities and challenges including their suggested recommendations to improve the development outcome of the proposed project based on their context) • Prior: adequate lead time was given to consultation participants to articulate their concerns, views, opportunities and challenges during the meetings. • Ensuring fair representation of different voices: based on the earlier communication, at the consultation, the team identified the participants of community consultations in collaboration with kebele administration officials and kebele development agents. The facilitators further organized the participants as women, youths, underserved people, cooperative members and elders and religious leaders based on the varied interests of stakeholders to facilitate viable negotiation on their concerns and proposals. • Use of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Mediums: and Moderating consultation sessions through the use of appropriate/relevant medium of communication 56 (Amharic/Oromiffa/Agnywa, and other local languages as appropriate) and by using male and female interpreters as necessary and relevant to the culture. • These enabled the facilitating team to ascertain that there was prior, ‘free’, ‘prior’, ‘informed’ communication and preparation to proceed with the consultation of community members on the proposed LFSDP. • Opening consultation sessions by popularizing the objectives, components and sub- components and implications of the implementation of the proposed LFSDP. • Document results of consultations and communicate consultation plan in terms of next steps and disclosure. These include tailored consultation and communication approach on various issues relating to vulnerable groups, underserved peoples, ethnic and occupational minorities as the context and culture permits. 6.1. Summary of Consultation with Women and Youth Empowerment Community members highly appreciated the focus of the project on empowering women and youth and contributing to fair resource distribution among these groups. They acknowledged that many of the value chains identified by the project offered opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups to productively engage and benefit from the range of sub-projects supported by the intervention. Consultation held with women in Sale Kebele, Debre Libanos Woreda, North Shoa Zone of Oromia stated their remarks: A number of young people with some education including women have been able to improve their life. They managed by successfully engaging in dairy farming. As a result, they have lifted themselves out of unemployment to become the owners of five to ten improved breed dairy cows. Similarly, this project will also be successful if it is implemented in a youth focused way. Young male and female consultation participants in Bilisuma Kebele, Kombolcha Woreda of Oromia Region added: LFSDP is inclusive of women, youth and the elderly is significant and beneficial. Landless and unemployed youths have high chances of being productive and making fast progress in an organized venture, because of being energetic, enthusiastic and quick to learn. As for young girls, female household heads, and elderly women, these can be supported to effectively engage in poultry raising. Poultry production does not require a lot of working capital and large area of land, and brings returns faster, which makes it fit particularly for resource poor community members. As a result, such women are likely to become successful in poultry raising, if the project gives them access to credit. In a consultation meeting held with a group of local adult men in Becho Woreda of Oromia, a participant who has embarked on the practice of aquaculture remarked: 57 Aquaculture is a profitable venture and can be managed on a large scale in the area. All that it requires is to construct a fish pond in the ground, and change the water at regular intervals. Not demanding high labor, it is a venture in which women and the elderly can engage with relative ease. A consultation group of male farmers in Dinsho Woreda, Bale Zone of Oromia said: After using their draught oxen to plough the land for a certain period, poor farmers keep these animals around homesteads and fatten them with concentrate feeds and veterinary drugs, which they buy at supply stores. They then sell to butcheries in the town at good prices. Fattening is a common practice that poor farmers use as a means of income and send their children to school away in the town. Hence, the project can support poor households to profitably engage in supplying animal feed and veterinary drugs. Women belonging to the indigenous Berta ethnic group in Baro Kebele, Asossa Woreda, Asossa Zone of Benishangul-Gumz Region were also consulted in respect to the significance and expected benefit of the project. The women expressed their views in the meeting as follows: Despite our limited exposure to animal raising, we can still engage in dairy farm and animal fattening. Poultry production would be preferable. But disease and high temperature in the area make poultry a high risk venture. Instead, we can better engage in dairy production and sheep and goat fattening with higher prospects of being productive and benefiting from the practice. In existing circumstances, Berta women are the main actors in animal raising and crop cultivation. The role of men is mainly in plowing the fields. Hence, the project can support Berta women with the provision of access to acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and methods of managing dairy farm and animal fattening, which are tailored to our particular needs and circumstances. 6.2. Community Consultation Summary: LFSDP Priority Value Chains The consultations enabled the diverse stakeholders including vulnerable groups, underserved peoples, ethnic minorities and occupational groups in the sample project woredas to identify what they regarded and perceived as their needs, challenges and risks which would be implied due to the implementation of the LFSDP. The following summary presents issues by the proposed target value chains as it relates with the aforementioned stakeholders. 6.2.1. Dairy In respect to diary, the consultation participants enumerated the following as the main issues requiring attention: access to improved breed; linkage to the market; supply of improved animal feed; and availability of suitable land/work space at the required site/location. The supply of improved variety animal breed was singled out by community members as one of their major needs and challenges. In particular, farmer in the milk shade project woredas of Selale, Oromia and Basona Werana, Amhara pointed out the scarcity of exotic breed as a serious problem, mainly because of high market prices. A single such animal breed cost in the range of Birr 50,000- 58 60,000, which is beyond the purchasing powers of poor farm households. As a result, most farmers resort to seeking the service of artificial insemination (AI) technicians to obtain improved quality local breeds. Improved local breeds are also in short supply, as indicated during the community consultation. The farmers in the milk shade project woredas in Oromia, as well as in Amhara (Bahir Dar Zuria, Mecha and Basona Werana) and in Tigray (Kilite Awulalo and Hintalo Wajirat) pointed out that there was a high local demand for AI service. Nonetheless, they reiterated that livestock and fishery resource development offices were not able to meet the needs for the service to the required extent. It is therefore recommended that the AI services should be made affordable and accessible specifically for the poor. This can be realized through LFSDP components and activities including increasing access to basic inputs such as AIs as well as using the business plans as a means to get access to finance part of which will be used to afford AI services. LFSDP also planned to enhance implementation capacity of AI service providers so as to make sure that the services will be in line with the ever-increasing demand from small holder farmers. In respect to this, farmers in Bilisuma Kebele, Kombolcha Woreda of Oromia stated: Dairy is an engagement that can be profitable to farm households. Local potential for milk yield is high because of the suitability of the climate, being long-existing traditional practice, and the readiness of the farming community to accept new technologies. In addition, extensive local milk consumption means that there is a high market potential to absorb the yield. However, the existing short supply of improved variety of hybrid heifers and AI service seriously keeps local milk production too low and incompatible with the abundant market potential. Not finding reasonable market prices for milk yields was pointed out to be a major challenge by farmers in milk shade project woredas of Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray regional states. In these woredas, milk yields are generally high, some producing large quantities of milk, and 80-120 liters per household. Yet, without strong market linkage, households may not be able to sell all of the milk they have produced. Particularly in the fasting season, the farmers said that demand falls dramatically and they can hardly find milk collecting traders to buy the yield at good prices. As a mitigating measure, the farmers during the consultation meetings suggested LFSDP facilitate ways whereby they could improve the quality of their milk yields and get networked with the market for profitable sales throughout the year. The issue of creating market linkages and better opportunities for producers is already handled in LFSDP components and activities. Members of a milk producers’ cooperative in Agula milk shade kebele, Kilite Awulalo Woreda (Tigray) remarked: Our main challenge is that we do not get good prices for our milk at the market. As a cooperative, we produce and collect sufficient amounts of milk. But there are not enough traders who offer reasonable prices. The problem becomes even more serious in the fasting season, when prices drop from Birr 15 per litter down to Birr 8. So there are times when milk is disposed of after the calves have had their fill. Still, dairy farming can be profitable. If the cooperative had a processing facility, we would be able to preserve the milk and sell it at the right price in good time. 59 In relation to dairy farming, weak market linkage was emphasized by milk producers as a high risk factor. If producers are not able to sell their yields at profitable prices due to lack of market access, the community loses confidence in the venture, and dairy farming as a local economic activity will become undermined. Smallholder dairy farmers also expressed serious concerns about the supply and quality of animal feed. First, it was stressed that animal feed was scarce. Particularly, there is a problem with the availability and affordability of concentrate feed. Suppliers of animal feed that contains the right content and mix of nutrients are few, and the prices they demand are so high that most dairy farmers cannot afford to pay. In addition, plant seeds to grow food for dairy animals such as alfalfa and elephant grass are scarce and expensive. It is the same with industrial byproducts like molasses. Because of this, milk prices and the costs of animal feed are hardly comparable. Smallholder dairy farmers stated that livestock experts wanted them to continue making genetic improvements of the stock. The farmers agreed that genetically improved breeds yielded larger quantities of milk. But they explained that, as the quality of the breeds improved, their body weights increased, resulting in greater consumption of concentrate feed. Meeting the feed requirements is however unaffordable because of the scarcity and high costs of the supply. In fact, farmers are not only reluctant to improve the quality of their breeds, but they are forced to consider selling away and getting out of the venture. To mitigate this risk, the farmers think that it would be wise for the project to supply concentrated feed to milk producers in sufficient quantities, and facilitate the establishment of forage processing plant, which is also captured in the project activities Land for dairy farm at a suitable location is another big concern mentioned by the farmers, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. The problem was highlighted during consultations carried out in the project areas of Bahir Dar Zuria, Hawasa Zuria, and Arba Minch Zuria woredas. Not having land for dairy, the farmers keep their animals around their dwellings with all its consequences on the environment and the health of the farm households and immediate neighbors. The health hazards posed by the smell of the animal waste is often a cause for complaints by people in the neighborhood, leading to disagreements and outright conflict. To avoid this and facilitate condition for the growth of dairy farming as a sustainable livelihood, the farmers proposed that a special area of land with the necessary infrastructure be designated, where dairy ventures are clustered together. Milk producers in Debre Tsigie Town, Debre Libanos Woreda, identified as a risk the tendency of project implementers to lump together dairy farmers and plan uniform services for all, regardless of their differences in the production capacity and needs. It should be noted, they said, that milk producers vary according to the size of their investment capital and venture. Hence, there are small, middle or large scale milk producers, who have various needs and interests accordingly. Thus, their needs for technological inputs, supply of improved breeds and forage, and capacity building training differ widely with their level of engagement. The milk producers therefore suggested that 60 LFSDP should take into account these differences in addressing the needs and concerns of dairy farmers. Smallholder dairy producers in the lowland project woredas of Benishagul-Gumz (Asossa) and Gamella (Abobo) regional state identified a risk related to animal breeding involving the prevalence of the tsetse fly and the trypanosomiasis livestock disease locally called gendi. The vector causing the disease is trans-boundary, and is highly prevalent along the common borders with Sudan and South Sudan. A strong suggestion was made by consultation participants that successful dairy farm ventures required special attention to be given to the prevention and control of this disease by LFSDP, in collaboration with the concerned government agencies operating at national level. 6.2.2. Fishery and Aquaculture The community consultations held also aimed at capturing the views and opinions of participating representatives of farm households and cooperatives in respect to the development of fisheries and aquaculture. Such consultations were intensively undertaken particularly in project woredas with ample potential for fish production, being endowed with various types of inland water resources. These include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and floodplains. During the discussions, participants drew attention to the underutilization of existing water resources to the practice mainly because of the poor state of aquaculture in local communities, low awareness about fish as source of income and diet and the consequent limited levels of consumption. As a result, a serious need exists for awareness raising to enhance the engagement of farming communities in aquaculture and fish consumption habits among the rural and urban populations. Community consultation participates in Abay Choman Woreda, Huro Gudru Wolega Zone of Oromia said: In our zone, there are great reservoirs built for hydropower generation such as Finchao, Amereti, and Neshe. These have rich fish resource that remains underutilized. Fish production is extremely limited, and local consumption in villages and towns continues to be relatively small. Because of this, market demand for fish production is too low, and the general state of the livelihood necessitates large scale awareness raising and educational intervention to extensively promote fish production and consumption culture. LFSDP should take measures to expand the practice because of its opportunities for women and youths to engage in this type of livelihood as organized groups. LFSDP has included activities such as awareness creation to promote utilization of fish products for consumption as well as business purposes. In Torbongo Kebele, Abobo Woreda of Agnwa Zone of Gambella Regional State, members of a fishers’ cooperative called Kano explained in a consultation meeting: There is an abundance of water resource in our zone that is favorable for the development of aquaculture and commercial fishing, such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, 61 ponds and floodplains of different sizes and potentials exist across the zone. The Alwero River, one of the four largest in the region, as well as the big irrigation reservoir constructed on this river are found in this woreda. Nevertheless, this and other sources of water are being utilized below capacity both for subsistence and commercial fishing purposes. As consultation participants in the same kebele indicated, fishing is practiced largely for subsistence, and the methods used are basically traditional. Fishing cooperatives use low technology, and hence are unable to produce sufficient yields to meet the growing demands in the villages and towns. In order to grow the local fishing livelihood in quality and size of production, LFSDP should therefore consider meeting the existing pressing needs of producers. These needs are the supply of improved fishing gears; the provision of transport, fish preservation and conservation facilities; market outlets; facilitating access to credit; and capacity building training for cooperatives. Particularly great is the need for cooperative leadership and management training that is crucial to enhancing the governance skills and competencies of cooperative members in leading managerial position. Youths belonging to the traditionally despised and underserved occupational group of the Negede (Woito) engaged in fishing livelihood on Lake Tana also participated in community consultations. They remarked: Unlike the local Christian Amhara, we are landless. Amhara households who have traditionally owned land pass landholding and use rights to their children, facilitating conditions for them to produce crop and raise livestock. But as for us, there is no land that we can inherit from our parents and work on. As a result, when we come of age, we directly embark on fishing. Since fishing is the only alternative we have, LFSDP should take into account addressing the needs we have to improve the livelihood and increase our income. The first main need to be met is better quality motorized fishing boat. This is important to catch fish in distant parts of the lake where fish is abundant, transport fish yield to the market faster, and spare time and labor. The second big need related to motor boats is the supply of different kinds of modern fishing nets required for a large volume of fish catch. However, even more serious concerns were raised by members of fishers’ cooperatives during the consultations particularly in project woredas, where extensive fishing takes place in the lakes. The lakes covered are those located in the following project woredas: Lake Tana, Bahir Dar Zuria Woreda; Lake Hawassa, Hawassa Zuria Woreda; and Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya, Arba Minch Zuria Woreda. 6.2.2.1 Concerns and challenges of Fishers’ Cooperatives Members The concerns and challenges raised by members of the fishers’ cooperatives during the consultations are common to the project woredas where the lakes are found. The concerns and 62 recommendations as identified in the process of consultation are captured in the operational steps of the SDP and mainstreamed in the overall LFSDP component design. 1. Overfishing. The lakes are fished intensively to the extent that the resource is overexploited. Engaged in the act, besides licensed fishers, are individuals with finance who hire the cash poor to do the job, and government employees and students who practice fishing as a side business. Hence, fishing takes place without restrictions, and there seems to be no entity, government or otherwise, responsible to address the risks involved. Members of fishers’ cooperatives said they are so concerned that they contemplate to refrain from fishing for a certain period of time, in the interest of allowing time for the regeneration of the fish resource. But doing so is no use unless all involved do likewise. In fact, those unlicensed or not officially registered fishers are likely to take advantage and continue to overfish for the immediate gains. The consultation participants stated introducing a voluntary process to manage the risk of overfishing with key steps to follow including an operational step for action plan development is included in the complementary Resettlement Policy framework (RPF). 2. The use of fishing nets that do not meet national legal standards in order to maximize their fish catch. Since recently in particular, the use of monofilament fishing net is on the increase. This fishing net is smuggled in, according to the cooperative members, from Lebanon and Egypt through the Sudan. The problem with monofilament is its small size of mesh, and nets target and non-target fish, without leaving the immature and undersize ones. The use of such a net therefore has detrimental effect on the fish population, potentially causing overexploitation and depletion of the resource. 3. Threat posed by pollution to the sustainability of fish resources and the livelihood based on it is among the major concerns expressed by consultation participants. It is reported that chemical as well as solid and liquid wastes are released into the lakes from nearby hotels, hospitals, factories and floriculture farms. In addition, an increasing number of farm households carry out recession agriculture on the surrounding wetlands and inside the buffer zones of the lakes to grow horticulture crops. The pesticides and herbicides from the horticulture fields, and the toxic chemicals and effluent from floriculture farms and factories enter into the lakes on regular basis. The resulting pollution is so harmful to species there including fish population and their ability to regenerate and sustain themselves. 4. Expansion of recession agriculture in the lake buffer zone, and the associated land clearing for crop cultivation is causing siltation. During the rainy season, the floods carry down deposits of silt from the surrounding crop fields into the lakes, resulting in the continual shrinking particularly of the lake shores as suitable grounds for the fish population to multiply. 63 5. Problems related to legal framework were identified as a cause for further concerns. At the national level, ‘Fisheries Development and Utilization’ Proclamation No. 315/2003 was promulgated. Based on this Proclamation, regional states are expected to issue their respective laws with accompanying implementation regulations and guidelines. Nonetheless, not all regional states covered by the Social Assessment have issued laws, and those who have, still need to adopt implementation guidelines. As a result of these gaps, the ‘Fisheries Development and Utilization Proclamation’ has not been enforced on the ground. The repercussion is that the aforementioned threats and concerns related to overfishing, pollution, and siltation go unchecked, with an unabated risks of the depletion of the fish resource. In the context of the foregoing, it was highlighted as a likely risk of enormous proportions that, if left unaddressed, the problems could lead to the drying up and disappearance of the existing lakes. In fact, this threat is not something within the realm of remote possibility. Rather, it is a serious risk that is looming large. In relation to this, members of Zeyse Elgo Multi-Purpose Fishers’ Cooperative said: Our biggest concern is that the fate of Lake Chamo may be the same as that of Lake Haromaya, which has dried up to complete vanishing. The lake dried up because of mismanagement. It is an irony that the Lake dried up and vanished, while the Haromaya agricultural teaching and research university operated at close proximity. Consultation participants representing fishers’ cooperatives also suggested mitigation measures to deal with the problems and maintain the existence of the lakes. First, they reiterated that the lakes needed an entity with a legal mandate for their ownership and management. For this to happen, they indicated that the legal framework consisting of the proclamation, regional laws, and subsidiary regulations and guidelines be enacted in their entirety and strictly enforced to produce impacts on the ground. Towards the full enforcement of the legal framework, the fishers recommended that the pertinent government stakeholders at all levels of the sectoral administration coordinate their efforts and actively engage in the implementation of the legal regime. Another strong suggestion that the fishers put forward was to introduce a closed season - no fishing period to help the fish population fully regenerate. Thus, offering a vast potential for the unemployed youth, women and other disadvantaged groups to engage in the practice and earn a source of livelihood. The fishers enumerated the following as their expectations from LFSDP which are also reflected in the complementary ESMF: • Broadening the awareness of fishing communities and local communities regarding the right fishing and breeding seasons, what type of fishing gears to use, and when to have the closed season in the lakes for the regeneration of the fish resource. • Close collaboration with law enforcement to control the operations of illegal fishers. 64 • Undertaking watershed management activities in collaboration with the concerned state entities. Proper watershed management will prevent flooding and siltation in the lakes to manage the impacts of recession agriculture in the lake buffer zone. • The supply to fishers of standard and legally sanctioned fishing tackle/gear recommended by relevant experts. 6.2.3. Poultry Community consultations were carried out with smallholder farmers engaged in poultry raising in urban and peri-urban kebeles of project woredas. During the discussions, the farmers reiterated the need for the production of concentrate feed, which they said was scarce and unaffordable. They pointed out that improved breed layers in particular required concentrate feed to produce eggs in good quantities. They emphasized as a problem, the shortage of suppliers at the market, who sell nutrient rich poultry feed at fair prices that farmers could afford. As mitigation measure, they recommended that the project consider facilitating the establishment of poultry feed processing plant to deal with the problem. Moreover, the farmers laid emphasis on the vulnerability of poultry to different treatable diseases, which results in the unexpected loss of large number of poultry in a single incident. This makes poultry raising a high risk business, which discourages farm households from taking up the venture. Hence as a precaution, it was recommended by the consultation participant communities, that LFSDP focus on identification of possible poultry diseases and accordingly build the readiness to supply quality vaccines adequately to mitigate the risks which will affect production and productivity of the business. The farmers mentioned the possibility of raising poultry on small area of land with minimal capital intake as an opportunity. However, to use this for profitable poultry business, they indicated that it was necessary to get adequate supply of improved breeds, layers and broilers, at reasonable prices. Particularly expensive are the prices of pulates, and the project should take measures with the view to addressing the needs for the supply of the right breeds for egg and poultry meat production. A similar consultation was held with poultry farmers with specialization in the business in Wuqro Town, Kilite Awulalo Woreda of Tigray. They emphasized that poultry would be profitable and contribute significantly to food and nutrition security of the farmers, if sufficient attention will be provided to the practice by the concerned government bodies. Nevertheless, sufficient effort has so far not been made to raise the awareness of farmers through concerted sensitization and educational programs as part of agricultural extension service package to encourage the involvement of farmers in poultry production. Yet, a number of farmers particularly youth take their own initiative to embark on poultry production, buying up to fifty or more pulates. Some have proved themselves profitable in the venture. But others fail to do so due to lack of knowhow and skills regarding the proper 65 management of poultry production and experience losses due to the vulnerability of the poultry to disease, or the inability of the farmers to provide them with the required concentrate feed. The recommendation in this respect was for LFSDP to provide capacity building trainings to poultry producing farm households on the proper management of the venture. A further problem given emphasis by the farmers related to access to suitable land for poultry production. In existing circumstances, many specialized poultry raisers worked in urban neighborhoods where people live in congested dwellings. This resulted in undesired environmental impacts caused by the smell from the disposal of poultry waste. Besides people in neighboring household, passersby are also affected by the bad odor, posing risks to the livelihood of poultry farmers. The farmers suggested that the situation required the attention of the project to mitigate the risks resulting from access to suitable land for such ventures. 6.2.4. Red Meat/Fattening The assessment team conducted consultation meetings with smallholder farmers involved in animal fattening in project woredas, with particular emphasis on those with suitable agro-ecology, potential and tradition in the practice. These woredas are Bahir Dar Zuria, Basona Werana, Mecha, Arba Minch Zuria, Konso, Kombolach, and Asossa. The farmers in all the woredas identified, as a single most pressing problem requiring attention, the scarcity of concentrate animal feed including industrial byproducts. They stressed that not only were supplies scarce, but when they existed, prices were exorbitant and hence beyond the purchasing powers of smallholder farmers. As a result, the costs of animal feed are hardly commensurate with the selling price of a fattened animal, to the discouragement of the farmers involved, and others intending to get into the venture. First, the farmers recommended measures towards mitigating the problem by LFSDP for the production and supply of animal feed locally. Second, LFSDP provide communities with capacity building trainings and follow-up technical advice on animal feed production and preparation. An additional risk and concern was the existing weak market chain between fatteners and major outlets. The presence of middlemen who collected fattened animals from the primary market and selling at profit prices without adding any value benefited them unfairly, while depriving fatteners of direct access to secondary markets and end users. Hence, it is vital to create a strong market chain whereby fatteners are directly linked to major market outlets such as butcheries and abattoirs. This would enable them to retain the profits lost to individuals operating in the middle. General Concerns, views and Recommendations on Priority Value Chains: Concerns were expressed about the possible repeat of past experiences, where the local populations were informed about the imminent launch of development projects. But the announced interventions never materialized after high expectations were raised among the people through the promises made by the authorities. Hence, projects should be properly planned involving target communities from design to evaluation, so that they are not only talked about, but will also be implemented to their benefit as promised. The failure to undertake widely publicized projects will lead to complaints and loss of trust by the communities about similar future initiatives. 66 Smallholder farmers in the project woredas of underserved regions (Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella) emphasized the need for continuing consultations with target communities at all important levels during the life of the project. It is usual for projects to be implemented without keeping beneficiaries adequately informed and actively involved. They reiterated that consultations should not be a one-off exercise and instead be done on a regular basis. Moreover, concerns were expressed regarding continuity and timeliness in the provision of services, inputs and assets by value chain in the course of the project. A further possible risk facing the project identified by smallholder farmers is what they described as the present haphazard and unplanned land allocation. Abundant land is available in Beneshangul-Gumz and Gambella regions, as they put it. But considerable work needs to be done to make sure that the political leadership allocate land in a responsible and accountable manner, with a view to manage land for sustainable and value added generation of resource. In this respect, concern is widely shared by farming communities that a sufficient amount of available land may not be set aside for the livestock development projects, and so there is a need to seek ways of getting this addressed. The ownership of the project particularly by the political leadership of the concerned regional government sector bureaus down to woreda and kebele offices was discussed as a possible risk factor for the success of the project. It was reiterated that executive sector stakeholder involved in steering committees needed to exhibit strong commitment, in-depth knowledge about the intervention and the desire to contribute to effective project management for the achievement of the intended outcomes. In sum, the community consultations enabled participants to prioritize their felt needs and concerns in connection with the selected value chains in the project. • Community members highly appreciated the focus of the project on empowering women and youth and contributing to fair resource distribution among these groups. They acknowledged that many of the value chains identified by the project offered opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups to productively engage in and benefit from the range of sub-projects supported by the intervention. • Landless and unemployed youths have high chances of being productive and making fast progress in an organized venture, because of being energetic, enthusiastic and quick to learn. As for young girls, female household heads and elderly women who are resource poor, these can be supported to effectively engage in poultry raising. Poultry production does not require a lot of working capital and large area of land, and brings returns faster, which makes it fit particularly for resource poor community members. As a result, such women are likely to become successful in poultry raising, if the project gives them access to credit with affirmative action/preferential treatment. Not demanding high labor, it is a venture in which women and the elderly can engage with relative ease. 67 • Women in project woredas of DRS stated, they had limited exposure to animal raising practice and that the project should support them with the provision of access to acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and methods of managing dairy farm and animal fattening. • The major concerns raised during the consultations as risks requiring mitigation interventions focused on weak market linkages and unprofitability of product selling prices, the scarcity and unaffordability of concentrate animal feed supplies, short supply of improved variety and exotic breeds, and the limited availability of suitable land/work space for dairy, poultry and fattening. • In connection with lake fishing, the main concerns raised as risks related to overfishing, the use fishing nets that fail short of the required national legal standards, the pollution lakes, the consequent threat posed to the fish resource. siltation resulting from the expansion of crop cultivation of the lake buffer zones, the absence of laws or the non- enforcement of existing ones. • It may thus be concluded, based on the range of community consultations held in all sample woredas, that the concerned local communities have assured with certainty their interest, commitment and broad support for the project. They have affirmed their readiness to fully participate in the project and contribute their part to its success. 68 7. Asset Loss and Loss of Access to Assets (OP 4.12 – Involuntary Resettlement) The SA indicates that there are instances where households will be affected by the loss of land assets for the implementation of sub-projects. In such situations, the consent of the affected should first be secured in the presence of community representatives, before the implementation of sub- projects is embarked on. In addition, the affected have to be compensated with a plot of land proportional to size lost as replacement from community land, if available, or be paid a duly assessed compensation. The sub-projects requiring sizable area of land may be implemented by private investors, or government offices of small-scale and middle enterprises development. In all cases, the sub- projects should be implemented upon the payment of proper compensations to the households who have lost land for this purpose. Based on community and public consultations, sub-project activities with a likelihood of potentially causing the loss of land assets to the intervention are the following: • Commercial forage seed and forage production; • Intensive dairy farming; • Investment in cooperative/commercial feedlots; • Community and/or commercial ranches; • Slaughter houses and export abattoirs; • Water resources development/water point construction projects; • Large-scale aquaculture ponds and other fishery infrastructures; • Livestock/poultry shades; • Market centers/shades. In such scenarios, the project will make sure that mechanisms are in place to redress project- induced asset loses, restriction of access and/or use to natural resources in line with Ethiopian law and the relevant policies of the World Bank. The project complementary Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) will be used, which will be disclosed to the public in-country and on the World Bank’s external website. Accordingly, all claims and grievances emanating from project-related land acquisition or reduced access to natural resources will be addressed on the basis of the procedures set out to resolve complaints as specified in the complementary RPF of the LFSDP. 69 8. LFSDP and the Commune Development Program (CDP): The Interface The federal government of Ethiopia has been undertaking commune development program (CDP) in the developing regional states (DRS) of Gambella and Benishangul-Gumz, in collaboration with the respective state administrations. The program has been carried out, among others, in the three LFSDP project woredas (Asossa and Oda, Benishangul-Gumz; and Abobo, Gembella). The implementation of CDP began in 2010 and was underway until 2015. The objective of CDP was to resettle scattered households/homesteads from areas prone to recurrent flooding and affected by environmental degradation. The households/homesteads were the ones who lived along the riverside or engaged in shifting cultivation/slash and burn agriculture. CDP aimed at facilitating easy access for settled households to physical infrastructure, socioeconomic services, appropriate technology, the benefits of good governance and food security thereby improving their living conditions. The guiding principles of CDP, among others, are: voluntary community participation, study-based planning and implementation, multi-stakeholder partnership, self-reliance and cost effectiveness, environmental protection and transparent engagement.13 During 2010-2015, a total of 81,303 male/female headed households (35,480 host households and 45,823 resettled households) were brought together in 241 commune centers (CCs) in Benishangul-Gumz region. The services made available to beneficiary families of the villagization program ranged from safe drinking water to health care facilities, schools, flour mills, supply of agricultural inputs and access to farm and pasture land. The table below presents disaggregated data on settled male and female households during the CDP implementation period. Table 5: Households Brought Together in Commune Centers (2010-2014) Planned number of male/female-headed Households actually settled in CCs Fiscal No. of households to be settled Year CCs Host Settled Total Host Settled Total Households Household Households Households 2010/11 93 11‚059 18‚792 29‚833 11‚059 18‚047 29‚106 2011/12 90 13‚608 18‚145 31‚757 13‚608 14‚572 28‚180 2012/13 37 10‚751 8‚578 19‚329 10‚751 7‚357 18‚108 2013/14 3 62 1812 1874 62 2257 2319 2014/15 16 - - - - 3590 3590 Total 241 35‚480 45‚000 80‚480 35‚480 45‚823 81‚303 Source: Report on the accomplishment of the commune development program in Benishangul-Gumz (2010/11-2014/15), June 2015. 13 Report on Potential Interface between SLMP and the GoE’s Commune Development Program in Gambella Region, September 2016. 70 CDP was completed in Benishangul-Gumz in 2015, and currently under implementation is the strengthening of basic infrastructural facilities in the CCs. In Gambella Region, CDP was largely undertaken from 2010 to 2012. Of the total number of 60,000 households, 45,000 of them were moved to 94 commune centers (CCs). The following table depicts CDP-related data in Gambella Region. Table 6: Villagized Households and Land Distributed (2010/11-2012/13) Description Unit of Implementation Period Total (July Measurement 2010-July 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013) Villagized Households Number 15,000 20,000 10,000 45,000 Farmland distributed14 Hecate 45,000 60,000 30,000 135,000 Pastureland distributed Hectare 2,581 51,162 25,581 102,324 Source: Report on Potential Interface between SLMP and the GoE’s Commune Development Program in Gambella Region, September 2016. In the region, access to safe drinking water was facilitated to 200,000 people in 94 CCs through the construction of 500 water facilities. In regards to health infrastructure, health centers were constructed in 78 CCs, and 260 health extension workers assigned in all the 94 villages. In respect to education, 84 primary schools were constructed with an additional 10 being built, which have enrolled 38,589 students and deployed 1,184 regular teachers. In addition, rural roads covering 273.6 km were built, besides the maintenance and upgrading work done on 127.7 km of rural roads15. By 2015, CDP was completed in the two regional states, having achieved the set targets with the settlement of rural households in commune centers (CCs) according to plan. Nonetheless, support continues to be provided to strengthen and upgrade basic service facilities/infrastructure that were built during the CDP period. These include schools, health centers, veterinary posts, farmers’ training centers, grain mills and roads. The ongoing upgrading work aims at the transformation of the villages into community development centers. The World Bank is known to finance development projects in Ethiopia including in rural areas of the country. Due to the possible overlap in project implementation in rural woredas between the government’s commune development program and World Bank supported projects, there is a need for projects, LFSDP in this case, to conduct an eligibility check to decide whether a commune center qualifies to be supported. With a view to proactively managing the interface in these 14 It has been calculated that a HH will be provided with three hectares of arable land plus a hectare of pastureland on the assumption that a hectare pastureland is enough to accommodate 3 livestock units per year. 15 Report on Potential Interface between SLMP and the GoE’s Commune Development Program in Gambella Region, September 2016. 71 circumstances, a procedure called “Supporting Results and Alignment of Operations in Ethiopia’s Rural Areas” was agreed between the Ethiopian government and the World Bank in 2015. The procedure classifies the commune centers under different categories on the basis of conditions that they must fulfill. The four sets of requirement to be met by the CCs as set out in the procedure read: mandatory factors; access to basic services; prior conditions; and operations and maintenance. Assessed in line with these conditions, CCs are categorized as broadly satisfactory in all respects (Category I); deficient in some notable respects (Category II); and Non-viable because fundamentally flawed (Category III). The classification of CCs on the basis of the set out conditions applies to the centers identified in the procedure as active/live CCs. A commune center is regarded by the Bank as active/live until the last registered household has been settled in the CC. One year after the last registered household has been settled, the CC ceases to be considered as active/live, and is instead regarded as any other ordinary community. In the light of the foregoing, for LFSDP sub-project to be implemented inside or in the vicinity of a CC, and make an impact on the people there, the CC must fall under either of the following two circumstances. (1) A CC must be regarded as active/live and meet the conditions that qualify it as Category I or Category II. (2) A CC must be considered as an ordinary rural community because of the elapse of one year after the last registered household has settled. As stated earlier, CDP was completed in Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella regional states in 2015. Due to the closure of the project in these regions two years ago, the implementation of LFSDP in or around the CCs may proceed according to the procedure jointly agreed by the government and the Bank. Moreover, even if the CCs are closed in 2015, it would be important to conduct a due diligence assessment and provide documentation to assure greater standard of environmental and social risk management. Should another phase of CDP be implemented in these woredas during the life of LFSDP, the procedure requires prior assessment to ensure the viability of the planned CCs for financing. The procedure that governs the classification of CCs and determining their viability for sub-projects will be embedded in the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), developed as one of the major LFSDP working documents. 72 9. Grievance Redress Mechanism In connection with the implementation of LFSDP, individual community members or groups of people in the selected kebeles/communities of project woredas may express grievances for various reasons. The causes of grievances may include asset losses in land acquisition process, inadequate or delayed compensation payments, claims of being pressured to donate land to the project supposedly on voluntary basis, preferential treatment of community members in the application of eligibility criteria during beneficiary targeting, and favoritism and lack of transparency in the provision of access to LFSDP support and services. In view of this, LFSDP should incorporate into the project design an efficient grievance redress mechanism that duly responds to the complaints of project affected people (PAP). Doing so is of paramount importance in the interest of guarantying a grievance settlement process that is smooth, timely, transparent, and cost effective particularly form the beneficiary side. LFSDP will make use of the existing pertinent state structures such as Public Grievance Hearing Offices (PGHO) operating at all levels, the Ethiopian Institute of Ombudsman (EIO) and conventional courts as the last resort of appeal. Moreover, a Grievance Redress Manual/Note will be developed detailing the procedures, and guide concerned stakeholders on their key functions, roles and responsibilities on how to resolve beneficiaries’ complaints. The grievance settlement issue was discussed during public consultations held with the concerned government staff for the Social Assessment. On these occasions, strong suggestions were voiced by experts of regional and woreda livestock and fishery resource development offices that the grievance resettlement issue be addressed as part of the project design and institutional arrangement. The experts further suggested that traditional dispute settlement institutions be made use of for this purpose by providing capacity strengthening trainings on basic elements of the law and gender sensitive issues mainly to community elders and religious leaders. The involvement of customary dispute settlement arrangements is deemed essential with a view to making the process accommodative of local experience and social capital, as well as to gaining community trust and acceptance of the procedures and decisions. Redressing the grievances of people affected by project activities is an important part of managing risks faced when implementing the project. An effective grievances redress mechanism (GRM), therefore, needs to be incorporated into the project as an integral part of the design, plan, and overall management. Resolving grievances at grassroots level before they are taken to the higher tiers of GRM is to the benefit of both the aggrieved and project implementing parties. The establishment of GRM at early stage of the project design and planning will enable a prompt and proper response as a means to avert the escalation of tensions arising from complaints in project communities. 73 As an essential part of project safeguard instrument, GRM aims to resolve complaints caused as a result of LFSDP subproject activities. The operation of the GRM should be characterized by prompt and transparent handling of complaints, as well as by the procedures of gender responsiveness, cultural sensitivity/appropriateness and accessibility to complainants. Accordingly, residents with complaints in LFSDP target communities regarding sub-project activities at preparatory and operational phases are entitled to have access to the GRM. For LFSDP to incorporate an in-built GRM, the National Project Coordination Unit (NPCU) of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) will put in place the structure in collaboration with regional and woreda PCUs. These project coordinating bodies should make sure that the GRM is sufficiently popularized in LFSDP target communities through awareness creation and capacity building training programs. The grievance investigation and resolution process operates in multi-tiered structure that extends from grassroots level to Woreda Livestock and Fishery office. In the first instance, a complainant files a grievance to GRM operating at community level. This body is expected to review and resolve the case within three days of the receipt the grievance. A complainant not satisfied with the decision or the handling of the grievance at this stage is entitled to appeal to the next stage, i.e. the traditional grievance redress institution existing in the community. The traditional grievance redress institution is supposed to review and hand down a decision on the appeal within ten days. If this does not happen, or the complainant is not satisfied, an appeal may be made to the GRM functioning at kebele level. The kebele GRM must review and decide on the appeal case within seven days. Supposing that no response is given within this time frame or the decision does not satisfy the complainant, the Woreda Livestock and Fisheries Office will act as the final resort of appeal. The case is presented to the focal person of the Woreda Livestock and Fishery Office who will record and assess the appeal case for a decision to be made on the matter by the Woreda Project Steering Committee. The Committee will make a thorough review of the issue and pass a final and binding verdict on the matter within two weeks. The LFSDP in-built GRM should also contain a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to assess the effectiveness of the GRM, track the trends in the cause, volume and recurrence of grievances and devise ways of improving the mechanism for a more effective and responsive handling of sub-project induced complaints by affected individuals/groups in LFSDP target communities. The performance of the GRM will be monitored and evaluated on the basis of indicators that will feature in the environment and social safeguard reporting template. The indicators include the establishment of GRM at different tiers of project woreda, volume of grievance registered and handled, time taken to redress grievances and levels of satisfaction by complainants. Quarterly GRM monitoring and reporting will be done by federal and regional environment and social safeguard specialists, monitoring and evaluation officers, and woreda livestock and fisheries experts. The detail operational steps of LFSDP GRM is included in Annex- 3 with sample grievance application form. 74 10. Benefit Sharing Mechanism In Ethiopia, there is no specific law/regulation providing for benefit sharing mechanism. Yet, the FDRE constitution recognizes participation of communities in development agenda and processes that affect their rights and interests. In respect to LFSDP, the key instrument through which communities engage in and own the project in the various stages of the process is through community level participatory planning (CLPP). As a participatory approach, CLPP is socially inclusive and encourages the expression and incorporation of local knowledge and views in the planning and management of LFSDP sub-project activities. Accordingly, from its inception, LFSDP has adopted a consultative approach, actively collaborating with target communities and other stakeholders in seeking their cooperation in mobilizing locally available resources for the smooth execution of the project. More specifically, women and youth of the community group will be able to use at least 30% quota in the capacity development activities, and 50% sharing benefit in income generating works and related job creating scheme of the project initiative. Therefore, the implementation of LFSDP will be socially inclusive of the underserved peoples and historically disadvantaged groups. Toward this end, effective and intensive involvement of the underserved peoples requires initiation, continuous awareness raising, sensitization, and follow up. Accordingly, LFSDP is designed in such a way as to work towards social inclusiveness, accountability, community oversight/decision-making and open and continuous consultative process to identify and resolve specific development problems that these communities face. Fair and equitable treatment of particularly underserved peoples and vulnerable groups will thus be the prime focus in the design and implementation of the various sub-projects, including the introduction of appropriate benefit sharing from LFSDP among different communities in a socially inclusive manner. Specific operational steps to ensure equitable access to opportunities and benefit sharing that will arise from LFSDP include; 1. Gender and Youth Focus: the project will support the Government’s policy to mainstream the participation of women (both female headed households, women in male headed households and women in polygamous marriages) and youth into the livestock and fisheries sectors. This measures will give equitable opportunities for women and youth in general and vulnerable segments of the population in the LFSDP operation area using the gender and youth lens. 2. Decision making in LFSDP: the formation of the implementation committee at different levels will ensure fair representation of vulnerable groups, underserved peoples and ethnic minorities to ensure equitable benefits from LFSDP resources and coordination while making informed decision on the project that affects and benefits them. 3. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): The project will set up a GRM for people to report concerns or complaints, if they feel unfairly treated or are affected by any of the subprojects. The grievance committee at the various levels will comprise of key stakeholders including community members (elders, project affected people, local institutions representatives) which will give opportunities to address such complaints promptly and ensure sustainability. 75 4. Citizen Engagement, Consultation and Participation: LFSDP will use participatory approach in the identification of sub projects/activities. Community Consultation/participation and feedback is at the center of the LFSDP investment in the six participating regional states. The consultation for the safeguards instruments preparation considered fair representation including regional diversity and particular needs of stakeholders (ethnic minorities, vulnerable groups and underserved peoples). This process will continue during the project implementation to ensure representation of voice and opportunities to understand and draw benefits. 5. Social Development Plan (SDP): the development of the SDP is based on the analysis of the sociocultural context and vulnerability of LFSDP participating communities. The proposed component based mitigation measures (operational steps) are intended to ensure fairness and equitable access to and sharing of opportunities among vulnerable groups, underserved peoples and ethnic and occupational minorities. 6. Capacity Development Approach: based on the particularities and livelihood bases of vulnerable groups, underserved peoples and ethnic and occupational minorities LFSDP will tailor the capacity building including trainings and sub project/activities to consider the context. 76 11. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Pertinent to the Social Assessment, the main objectives of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) includes: • To make sure that the concerns and risks identified during community and public consultations are properly addressed in line with the proposed mitigation measures; and • To assess and determine the extent of compliance with social safeguard issues as per the policy instruments of the government and the World Bank (WB). In order to meet these M&E objectives, regional and woreda implementing agencies will carry out monitoring work to track progress and achievement at process and result levels. In respect to process, the monitoring work will involve the regular and consistent follow-up of the preparation, review and implementation of action plans related to safeguard instruments (ESMP, RAP, ESIA). The process monitoring will also encompass tracking the quality and level of community participation in the preparation and implantation of the action plans, the quality of capacity building support given to experts and other stakeholder, and the standards of reporting practices. Result monitoring will be undertaken at two levels. First, the effectiveness of the social safeguard instruments and compliance with these will be monitored as per the set indicators. Secondly, the socioeconomic impacts of the project interventions will be assessed and measured against the parameters identified. Result monitoring is also intended to identify unforeseen safeguard issues, and draw lessons from application of safeguard instruments and overall project management. The successful implementation of mitigation measures put in place for the different sub-projects and the proper addressing safeguard issues will be ascertained through the conduct of final evolution by an independent consultant It was highlighted during the public consultations that the inadequate attention given to the monitoring and evaluation of safeguard instruments was a serious drawback. In these respects, the level of awareness, knowledge and commitment required to monitor and evaluate the proper implementation of safeguard instruments is much lower than expected. Experience shows that such kinds of gaps make difficult the process of ensuring full compliance with the policy standards of the government and the World Bank. In connection with this, the Environment and Social Management Framework (ESMF), into which the findings of this Social Assessment fit, will encompass guidelines, procedures and standards to direct the monitoring and evaluation of safeguard issues at operational level. In addition, public consultation participants noted that external consultants deployed on competitive basis should carry out an assessment of compliance with safeguard issues as part project impact evaluation. Besides, unannounced random field monitoring visits are important to carry out an objective follow-up and observation of project implementation status. Such type of filed monitoring can inform all those concerned about the facts on the ground that they may not 77 always obtain in regular reporting formats that are normally filled in and submitted as reporting requirements. A set of indicators may be used to monitor and evaluate performance and progress in respect to compliance with safeguard issues and instruments. These include: • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority representatives participating in the LSFDP sub project implementation committee, disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities organized in user groups/cooperatives on LFSDP priority value chains disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of vulnerable women, women headed households and women in polygamous unions who accessed finance through cooperatives, MFIs or other mechanism; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority representatives participating in LFSDP facilitated training and exchanges, composition of participants disaggregated by region and sex; • Number/percentage of underserved peoples and vulnerable groups identified in this SA that benefit or make use of the LFSDP allocated resources in priority value chains as appropriate disaggregated by region and sex; • Number of capacity building trainings tailored to the particularities of underserved peoples and vulnerable groups; • Number and type of sub-projects into which social and environmental safeguard issues have incorporated or Number of sub projects which prepared Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); • Number of improved variety and exotic animal breed and AI accessed by underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority, women who accessed concentrated feed supply, sex disaggregated; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority youth, women headed households, women in polygamous unions organized in Animal feed production and veterinary drug supply; • Number of underserved peoples, vulnerable groups, ethnic minority who benefited from improved fishing gears, boats and nets; • Percentage of women and percentage of youth reached through direct support and services to improve productivity; • Percentage of women reached through capacity building activities; • Percentage of youth reached in livestock and fisheries innovation program, sex disaggregated; • Regular reporting on the implementation of the SDP, including gender disaggregation, youth target, etc; 78 12. Capacity Building With a view to creating an enabling environment for result-based implementation of the project, LFSDP encompasses as the first of its three pillars ‘Capacity Development and Support to National Policies, Institutions and Programs’ (Component A). This component aims at developing the human and institutional capacitates of the main implementing sector organization, namely, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF) at federal, regional, and woreda levels. In connection with this, LFSDP aims to strengthen the capacity base in the Ministry in the areas of policy preparation and implementation, sector monitoring and evaluation, and coordination. The capacity building component also targets enhancing the technical and organizational capacities of key public and private actors in the livestock and fisheries sector. In the capacity and support component, attention must also be given to enhancing the capacities of project coordination units (CPUs) at federal, regional, and local levels towards the management of safeguard issues and ensuring compliance. In this regard, the Social Assessment found that there were serious capacity limitations in the Ministry in respect to the management of safeguard issues, assigning safeguard specialists and consistently monitoring strict compliance with the safeguard policies of the government and the World Bank. In addition, major concerns were expressed during the public consultations that yet- to-be-established regional and woreda PCUs would also have similar practical deficiencies. Hence, as a preparatory measure, it was suggested that funds be earmark for the recruitment and training of safeguard officers. Furthermore, it is important for the PCUs to obtain the necessary support on safeguard issues from relevant government structures such as the environment, forest and climate change (EFCC) bureaus/offices. As part of the capacity building component, LFSDP will need to organize staff trainings in wide ranging aspect of environmental and social safeguards, the development of the required instruments, implementation and monitoring of compliance, and reporting. With the provision of such capacity building support, PCUs and the safeguard specialists will be better placed to maintain quality standards of the technical advice they provide, the vetting/screening of proposals, as well as in the execution and monitoring of approved sub-projects. Besides, in relation to the description of budget allocations and sources, it is necessary to clearly define in the appropriate project COSTTAB safeguard-related costs for trainings, supervision, technical assistance, the conduct of sub-project specific environment and social assessments, and mitigation measures. 79 Indicative capacity building activities Plan and carry out customized/tailored capacity building trainings for project implementing staff/experts, and project steering and technical committee members operating federal, regional woreda and community levels. These include: Experts of the different implementing federal government sector ministries/agencies; experts of implementing regional government sector bureaus/agencies; regional SCs, TCs and PCUs; Woreda SCs, TCs and PCUs; and Kebele development agents and grassroots stakeholders. The prime focus of the indicative capacity building trainings to be delivered to these project implementing personnel and committee members is on • The national environmental and social safeguard policies and related legal and administrative issues; • The World Bank’s environmental and social safeguard policies and how to ensure compliance; • The processes, procedures, and institutional arrangements SA, RPF and ESMF implementation; • The screening of LFSDP sub-projects in terms of environmental and social safeguard requirements and particularly the SDP; • The operational steps on the SDP implementation, documentation and reporting; Proposed approaches to the Capacity building trainings • Carrying out prior need assessments in the project regions. Prior need assessments are important to identify existing gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes in respect to implementing safeguard policies. • Environmental and social safeguard specialists (ESS) at federal and regional levels will be given trainings at national and international workshops organized by the World Bank, Ethiopian government and/or national and international training institutions. • The federal LFSDP coordination unit will organize a TOT for regional project implementing personnel and committee members. • Participants of the TOT will cascade the training to Zone and Woreda experts and members of SCs and TCs; • Trained zone and woreda experts and members of SCs and TCs will transfer the knowledge and skills acquired to kebele Development Agents (DAs). • Kebele DAs will raise the awareness of Kebele Development Committees (KDCs) and get them sensitized on environmental and social safeguard issues. It was noted, during the public consultation held in the Social Assessment woredas that adequate skilled manpower existed at grassroots level to implement the project in the selected value chains. Observed skill gaps in poultry and fishery management could be dealt with through tailored capacity development trainings and on-the-job mentorship. In addition, further need driven, practice-based and value chain focused capacity development support should be given as necessary 80 to introduce livestock experts and beneficiary farmers to innovative methods and techniques in project management and production skills. Problems were identified during the public consultations particularly in project woredas of Amhara, Tigray and SNNP regions in relation to lack of harmony between the training background and assigned duties of experts, and the type of work occupying much of their time and attention. In organizational structure, the livestock experts operating at woreda level are the employees of the respective regional livestock and fisheries bureaus/agencies, which in turn is accountable to the federal sector ministry. In actual practice, however, woreda livestock and fisheries offices remain tied to woreda agriculture and natural resource offices, where they used to function as sub- sector in the same ministry. As a result of this lingering structural separation between the two woreda offices, the livestock and fisheries experts complain that they are forced to spend a large amount of their working time on tasks related to crop production and natural resource management rather than to livestock and fisheries development. This lack of focus, as they said, is causing them difficulties to perform their assigned duties according to their training, gain experience and improve their capacity. Participants of the public consultations also underscored the need to broaden the awareness and build the capacity of members of project steering committees structured from federal to woreda levels, and largely consisting of the political leadership. It was emphasized that steering committees are crucial to the implementation of the project, which cannot solely be managed by the assigned experts/focal persons. Experience shows that, despite their significant role in project implementation, members of steering committees have the tendencies to view their responsibilities as secondary to their regular government duties and commitments. It is essential therefore to consider ways of enhancing the involvement of steering committees members in the management of the project through awareness raising and motivational measures. Public consultations conducted in the project woredas of developing regional states of Benishangul-Gumz and Gambella indicated the importance of working towards effecting positive changes in attitudes and thinking among political authorities. The perceptions and views of political office holders need to be transformed regarding the potential of the livestock sector to impact the life of rural people for the better. Thus, in the capacity building component of LFSDP, emphasis should be given to raising the awareness and commitment of political authorities to support the project to meet its aims and objectives in the development of livestock and fishery resources. To that effect, political leaders are responsible to facilitate access to the required assets and encourage social mobilization for community involvement and confidence in the project. Reiterated as institutional constraints with varying degrees of seriousness during public consultation in all Social Assessment woredas relate to the lack of transport logistics (field vehicles and motor bikes), and office space, office furnishings and equipment. For the project to be 81 operationally viable and smoothly running, it was stressed that the identified constraints be fully addressed as part of the capacity building component of the project. 13. Risks and Mitigation Measures-Social Development Plan This social development plan, as outlined below, will ensure that the project and its implementing agencies at different levels will respect the dignity, rights and culture of groups meeting the OP4.10 requirements and ensure that these people benefit from the project in a sustainable manner. The plan could be redefined during implementation and further consultation undertaken for the underserved peoples and vulnerable groups to ensure their full participation. In the light of what has been outlined in the foregoing paragraphs, the matrix below provides the summary of potential risks and challenges as well as recommendations along with estimated budget. The budget for the implementation of the SDP activities is embedded in (i) Sub-component A.1. Enabling Sub- Projects Implementation, (ii) Sub-component A.2. Support to Subsistence Farmers and Unemployed Youth and other sub components for inclusively targeting underserved peoples and vulnerable groups as indicated in the plan and the operational modalities will be included in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM). The SDP tasks will also be addressed by Component C, providing, amongst others, resources to better understand the local needs of vulnerable and underserved people in the design of subprojects as well as monitoring the inclusive approach of the project for adaptive management and accountability purposes. The Project’s respective Social Safeguards Officers/Units will materially participate in budgets preparation and decision processes and meetings to support the other team members on local, regional, and federal level in aligning the SDP measures and targets with the overall project progress on a regular base. Components/I Potential risks and Mitigation Measure Responsible Body Budget ssues Challenges ‘000 Component A: Dairy • Facilitate the availability of improved NPCU $800 Linking • Short supply of variety and exotic animal breed supplies Farmers to improved variety animal and accessible AI service in the required Markets breeds; amounts to target beneficiaries including (US$103 • Scarcity of exotic women households, vulnerable groups, million) animal breeds in milk underserved peoples and disadvantaged shade project woredas; groups of the community. • Inadequate artificial • Facilitate and/or coordinate with NPCU and RPCU insemination (AI) relevant agencies to provide Artificial service compared to the Insemination (AI) service as per the existing high demand by local demand in the respective LFSDP farmers in milk shade woredas; project woredas; • Coordinate and or provide/facilitate mechanisms to improve the quality of • Weak market linkage milk yields and market access for and farmers’ loss of profitable sales throughout the year; confidence in dairy • Coordinate with relevant agencies to farming; establish/enhance livestock market information system including for • Decrease in the demand cooperatives (such as fatteners with for milk yields affecting major market outlets). dairy cooperatives. • Establish milk processing facilities to preserve milk yields and sell the 82 • The scarcity of products at good prices in high demand concentrate animal feed seasons. supplies, and • Facilitate and make accessible the unaffordability of prices supply of concentrated feed and forage when available processing plant to milk producers • Exorbitant feed prices including women households and other compared to the selling underserved groups in milk shade prices of milk products. project woredas; • Support resource poor households, • Scarcity of land for youth, women, women headed production of forage and households engage in animal feed supply forage seeds. and veterinary drugs supply and production as applicable; • Non-availability of • Work in collaboration with the especially designated concerned bodies to secure land for areas of land for commercial forage production as per the intensive dairy relevant procedures outlined in the production in urban and complementary RPF. peri-urban area. As a result, farmers being • Designate a special area of land and put forced to practice dairy in place the necessary infrastructure production around their facilities for dairy farming, dwellings and in • Take into account the variation among crowded residential dairy farmers in the levels of capital neighborhoods. investment, and technical capacity, and • The consequent corresponding needs, and plan service environmental and delivery accordingly. health hazards. • Coordinate with concerned stakeholders in LFSDP target areas to prevent and • The uniformity and control the spread of the tsetse fly and homogenous nature of the trypanosomiasis disease. service delivery to dairy farmers operating with • Facilitate local production and supply of different levels of animal feed through promotion of investment and community based youth and women capacities and needs. cooperatives; • Build the capacity of farmers involved in • High prevalence of the fattening on animal feed production and tsetse fly and the processing. trypanosomiasis especially in the • Support tailored/need based capacity lowland of DRS. building for Berta women on the essential knowledge, skills, and methods of managing dairy farm and animal fattening; Fishery and Aquaculture • Carry out intensive awareness raising NPCU and RPCU $400 • Poor/undeveloped state and promotional work to improve fish of aquaculture practice; consumption and commercial fishing. and low awareness of Commercialize the practice of fishing fish as source of diet and through: livelihood; • The supply of improved fishing gears; • The provision of transport, fish • Traditional and preservation and conservation facilities; subsistence nature of fishing practice in • Establish market outlets where it will be accessible to the women, and other Gambella. underserved peoples and vulnerable group of the community; 83 • Dependence on the use • The conduct of capacity building of traditional fishing training for cooperative leadership boats and nets by the • Make available motorized fishing boats historically and modern nets. disadvantaged • Support the instituting of a government underserved peoples, entity mandated to manage the proper occupational minorities utilization of lakes and fish resource. such as, the Negede (Woito). • Support the enactment and enforcement of legal frameworks to regulate fishing practices in a which accommodate the Overfishing interests, priorities and • The use of fishing nets problems/challenges of underserved that do not meet people and vulnerable groups already national legal engaged their livelihood in this activity. standards. • The pollution of lakes; • Support the coordination of efforts by the resultant threat stakeholders to ensure the effective posed to fish resources implementation of the laws. and the fishing • Broaden the awareness of fishers and livelihood. local communities regarding standard • Siltation resulting from fishing practices. the expansion of crop • Provide and/or facilitate access to better cultivation of the lake quality motorized fishing boat to buffer zones. improve productivity, seasonal fishing, • The absence of laws or timely transport fish yield to the market, the failure to enforce while saving labor; these to preserve lakes • Provide and/or facilitate access to and fish resource. different kinds of modern/standard fishing nets and gears for individuals and cooperatives; • Coordinate with other World Bank16 and government financed projects to harness watershed management to halt expansion of recession agriculture in the lake buffer zone; • Provide support on development of rules/guidelines17 of fishing based on ‘Fisheries Development and Utilization’ Proclamation No. 315/2003 to regulate fishing in the respective LFSDP regions; Poultry • Facilitate the establishment of poultry NPCU and RPCU $300 Scarce and unaffordable feed processing plant/cooperatives. concentrate poultry feed • Facilitate and make accessible the particularly in urban and peri- treatment of poultry disease with the urban areas. supply of quality vaccines to all target beneficiaries including women The high vulnerability of households, vulnerable groups, poultry to disease; and the underserved peoples and disadvantaged high risks of the business as a groups of the community. result. • Make available supplies of the right poultry breeds for egg and meat Short supply of improved production. breeds of layers and broilers. • Sensitize and inform the concerned Inadequate attention by the bodies regarding the potential and value concerned bodies to poultry of poultry resource development. farming. 16 WB Financed projects including SLMP-2, PSNP-IV, AGP-2, etc. 17 This could be developed at the respective regional levels based on the proclamation, including regulating cooperatives. 84 Lack of poultry management • Provide beginner poultry farmers with knowhow and skills among tailor-made support on poultry youth groups and women production and management. who are beginners. • Facilitate the establishment of poultry feed processing plant to deal with the problem. • Transform the opportunities proposed by LFSDP through adequate supply of improved breeds, layers and broilers at reasonable prices for egg and poultry meat production with preferential targeting of women households, vulnerable groups, underserved peoples and disadvantaged groups of the community; Red Meat/Fattening • Provide and/or facilitate access to credit, $400 and increase their bargaining power in The scarcity of concentrate the share-fattening and share-cropping animal feed and industrial partnership, especially for vulnerable byproducts. women, women headed households, and women in polygamous unions; The existing weak market • Provide support for saving and credit chain between fatteners and cooperatives in LFSDP selected value major outlets. chains for smallholder farmers facilitates conditions for the adoption of new production technologies and mitigate the risk of seasonal financial constraints through cooperatives, micro finance institutions operating in the respective project regions; Component B: The absence of a separate • Put in place an Environmental and Social National Project Coordination $500 Strengthening environmental and social Safeguard unit at different levels of MoLF Unit (NPCU) National safeguard (ESS) unit and its counterpart regional and woreda Institutions adequately resourced (human offices with adequate financial and and Programs and financial) at federal and human resources- to prepare, implement (US$56 regional level structures in and monitor the process of environmental million) MoLF to monitor the process and social safeguard issues. NPCU and Regional Project of environmental and social • Conduct capacity building, including Coordination Unit (RPCU) safeguard management. trainings for the safeguard specialists in selected areas of safeguard management. • Carry out tailored, need based and Existing gaps in knowledge, customized capacity building trainings for skills and attitudes at woreda woreda and kebele PCUs, SCs, and TSCs. and grassroots levels in • Deliver capacity building trainings RPCUs relation to safeguard issues. adapted to the needs of target stakeholders by project component and selected value NPCU and RPCU Inadequate safeguards chains. institutional including human capacity among stakeholder • Raise the awareness of SCs with respect NPCUs organizations collaborating to their responsibilities and the overall in LFSDP implementation. significance of their contribution. NPCUs The tendencies on part of SCs • Boost the awareness of the relevant to view their responsibilities political leadership on the development as secondary to regular potential of livestock resource and the government jobs. contributions of LFSDP through continuous and concerted sensitization programs. NPCUs • Strengthen the institutional capacity of woreda livestock fisheries offices 85 Underestimation of the through the provision of transport development potential of the logistics and office equipment. livestock sector in developing • Provide and/or coordinate cooperative regional states (DRS). leadership and management training to enhance the governance skills and Inadequate transport competencies of cooperative members; logistics, office space, and • Provide and/or coordinate LFSDP equipment. focused capacity building for credit and saving cooperative agencies, micro financial institutions to enhance service delivery for targeted LFSDP value chains; Component C: Failure of political leadership • Encourage SCs to support project $200 Project at all levels to fully and implementation with full commitment Coordination, equally own the project. through consistent and concerted Monitoring awareness raising and sensitization and The possibility of Woreda efforts. PCUs Evaluation, livestock experts spending Knowledge much of their time on • Speed up the structural separation of Management supporting crop production MoLF from MoANR particularly at (US$17 and natural resource woreda offices and upper levels. NPCUs and RPCUS million) management rather than livestock and fisheries • Enhance the awareness, knowledge and development commitment required to monitor and evaluate the management of safeguards Monitoring and Evaluation through consistent capacity building Inadequate attention given to trainings at all levels. the importance of the • Make sure that M&E procedures and monitoring, evaluation and guidelines for compliance with documentation of safeguard safeguard policies are incorporated into management processes. the LFSDP ESMF, reporting and M&E. Gender • The burden and pressure • Ensure 30% women and 20% youth n NPCU and RPCU $800 (Women and on women as a result of access to direct support and services to Youths. domestic improve productivity responsibilities, • Enhance women’s access to time and PCUs involvement in crop and labor-saving technologies in the targeted livestock husbandry value chains in developing regional especially among states including intensification of dairy underserved peoples in farming and introducing biogas systems. DRS. • Support tailored/need based capacity • Land less women lack of building for Berta women on the access to credit facilities essential knowledge, skills, and methods may exacerbate their of managing dairy farm and animal vulnerability fattening; • Exacerbate vulnerability • Provide need based support for young of Female-headed girls, female household heads, and households becoming elderly women on poultry raising in landless or labor resource poor community members deficient. including access to credit; • Lack of property rights • Coordinate with Micro-financial by women in institutions and cooperatives to arrange polygamous unions access to financial and credit service for especially among poor women and youth groups. underserved peoples in DRS. • Coordinate with respective cooperative • Unemployed and offices to facilitate women’s access to underemployed rural land through organized cooperative youths may not be fully groups as per the procedures outlined in included in the targeted the RPF. value chains. • Ensure equitable access of women, youth ethnic minorities, and underserved 86 peoples to social and economic benefits • Lack of voice and access from different LFSDP sub components to better market and to enhance their economic and social business opportunities bargaining power; • Establish minimum participant quota for • Inadequate capacity and women (50%) in capacity building lack of access to activities business opportunities • Facilitate financial literacy and and access to financial leadership training for women facilities • Provide tailored support for ‘youth in livestock and fishery innovation program’ (20 youth students in one • Child bearing women group per region, 120 in total) may be left out of • Facilitate onsite child care center to trainings due to child enable women cope with child bearing bearing in convenience responsibilities, during trainings Community consultations not • Make sure that community consultations NPCU and RPCU $300 being carried out on a are ongoing process at all level of project Consultations continuous basis. implementation unit starting from national to down regional, woreda and kebele levels during preparation, implementation and monitoring of LFSDP. • Ensure strategic communication on LFSDP development objective and different components using appropriate manner, language and cultural context; • Develop communication action plan and capacity-building program for relevant LFSDP stakeholders including communities. • Ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate consultation and communication programs for vulnerable groups and underserved peoples; Total Cost of SDP $3,700 87 References National Planning Commission (2016). Growth and Transformation Plan II (GTP II), 2015/16- 2019/2020), Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. Gebre Yntiso (1993). “An exploratory study of production practices among the Ari, southwest Ethiopia”. Department of social anthropology, Addis Ababa University, MA Thesis Gebre Yintiso (2001). “Population Displacement and Food Security in Ethiopia: Resettlement, Settlers and Hosts”. Ph. D Dissertation, University of Florida. Proclamation No. 315 2003, Fisheries Development and Utilization Proclamation, Federal Negarit Gazeta of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 9th Year, No. 32, Addis Ababa, February 2013. MoA. Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP-IV). Social Assessment Report. May, 2014. MoA. Mid-Term Evaluation Report for AGP-I, April 2014. Addis Ababa. MoA. Agricutural Growth Promgram, Enviroment and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Februrary 2012, Addis Ababa. MoA. Report on Potential Interface between SLMP and the Government of Ethiopia’s Commune Development Program in Gambella Region, September 2016. MoFA. Pastoral Community Development Project (PCDP-3) and Regional Pastoral Livelihood Resilience Project (RPLRP): Social Assessment Report. September, 2013. Tariku Feyissa (2002). “The Berta Economy: An Ethnographic Study of Social Organization of Production in the Western Ethiopia Borderlands. MA Thesis, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa. The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Federal Negarit Gazeta, 1st Year, No. 1, 21 August 1995, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Annexes Annex 1: Social Assessment Community Consultation Guide and FGD Checklist Data Collection Instruments Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP) Community Groups (elders, women, youth, poor, and other marginalized people) By way of warming-up: a. Greetings b. Self-introduction and ask participants to introduce themselves. c. Ask why they are here LFSDP-Related Questions: Community Consultation, FGD and Interview Guides: Note for the Researcher: please obtain data on the profile (demography, i.e., number of households, male-female and child-headed households; socioeconomic and cultural features, customary social institutions, inter-group relationships, presence and functions of public, private and civil society institutions, and profile of stakeholders in the selected woreda and communities. Woreda and kebele officials, woreda LFSDPstructures, elders, women, youth, poor, disabled, and other marginalized people): 1. What are the social and cultural features that differentiate social groups in the program area? What are their effects on the different social groups? 2. What capacity constraints/limitations are evident on the part of the target communities that may result in minimal participation in the program and not benefiting from it? 3. Who are the key stakeholders of this program? How may these groups and the project affect each other in the course of program implementation? 4. What social mobilization strategies will be adopted to galvanize community support and involvement? 5. What grievance handling procedures/mechanisms exist for individuals/groups to express their complaints? Are these procedures/mechanisms effective? If yes, in what way? What are the strengths and weaknesses/constraints of the grievance procedures? 6. Grass-root local institutions in the community: 89 i. What farmer/pastoral organizations exist in the community/kebele? Do they exercise collective power to negotiate or influence the program towards their needs and interests? If yes, in what ways? ii. What traditional institutions of livestock/resource/rangeland/water management exist in the community/kebele? How do these contribute to the program? How does the program make use of such structures? iii. What traditional land and other natural resource-related dispute settlement institutions/mechanisms exist in the kebele/community? How do you see their role in addressing complaints that might arise in relation to the program (in the event of land acquisition, competition over the use of resources, i.e., water, pasture, border disputes, etc.)? iv. What traditional resource use and conservation knowledge and practice exist in your kebele? How does the program utilize such resources? v. What traditional institutions/self-help groups/mutual aid associations/and work parties exist and function in your community with direct or indirect role/involvement in the program? In what ways do they affect the program (Probe for possible positive and negative impact)? vi. What traditional institutions/structures (e.g., clan or class) exist and function in your community with direct or indirect role/involvement in the program? In what ways do they affect the program (Probe for possible positive and negative impact, e.g., inclusion or exclusion of underserved groups, women and unemployed youth)? 7. Are there any known conflicts among different groups that may affect program implementation? If yes, what possible mechanisms can be used to address the problem? 8. Are there any known conflicts among the different groups that may be instigated directly or indirectly by the introduction and implementation of the program? How have these happened? 9. Has social cohesion between the different community groups in the program areas (agricultural, pastoral, and agro-pastoral) been further strengthened or undermined as a result of the introduction and implementation of the program? If yes, how so? If no, how so? 90 Officials (Regional, Woreda and Kebele LFSDP structures, DAs) 1. Who are the most vulnerable and underserved groups in the LFSDP Woreda? (Probe for the poor; the poorest of the poor; women and children; the elderly; the disabled; female-headed households; polygamous families; PLHIV; outcast and underserved occupational groups) 2. Do you think the program is inclusive and equitably supportive of vulnerable and underserved populations? If yes, how so? If no, why so? What special measures are being taken to promote equitable access to program benefits? 3. What level of capacity and facilities exist in grassroots government structures to support program implementation? In what ways can low capacity and poor facilities contribute to further marginalize and exacerbate dependency of vulnerable groups? 4. What are the main capacity problems that limit/constrain program implementation? (Probe for issues such as lack of knowledge and skill, low salary and other benefit schemes resulting in high staff turn-over, etc) 5. What mechanisms/methods will be employed to enhance community participation? 6. What relevant grassroots structures are in place whereby the community articulates its needs and concerns regarding the program? 7. What are the socially relevant results of the program (Probe for poverty reduction, equity and inclusion, asset building, strengthening of social capital and social cohesion)? 8. What are the possible risks and adverse impacts of the program? How are the vulnerable and underserved groups affected by these risks? 9. What risk mitigation/minimization measures have been devised to deal with such anticipated adverse impacts? 10. Where there exist or existed resettlement/villagization/commune programs, what is their interface with LFSDP? In what ways they will have potential impacts (positive or negative) on LFSDP? 11. What program-induced consequences are anticipated to affect the local population (Probe for: displacement, loss of land and other assets, loss of sacred/religious sites and places of cultural importance)? 12. What compensation/resettlement/mitigation measures are designed in case of these consequences? 13. What are the major problems/challenges in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the programs? ( Probe for: Aspects of HIV/AIDS that need to be emphasized in mainstreaming process in the respective communities.) 14. What mechanisms exist for obtaining feedback from the grassroots communities on the benefits and drawbacks of the program? 91 15. What type of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is in place? What are the strengths and constraints of the M&E system? 16. What are the challenges and lessons learned from the implementation of LFSDP? Community Consultations (elders, women, youth, poor, and other underserved people) 2. Were grassroots communities consulted about the program? What was the process followed? Was the consultation process continuous and inclusive of the most vulnerable and underserved community groups? Was their informed consent secured before the launch? If yes, in what way? How did the vulnerable and underserved groups participate in the program? What is the level of understanding of the community groups regarding program benefits and adverse impacts? Do or did the community groups support the program? If yes, in what ways? If no, why? 3. In what way are women involved in the program? Do they benefit from program activities? If yes, how? Or are they at a disadvantage as a result of the program? If yes, how? Do they actively take part in the program structures? (Probe for involvement in Kebele Development Committees (KDC), Community Level Participatory Planning (CLPP), etc.) 4. What types of economic organizations (saving and credit cooperatives, service cooperatives, microfinance institutions) are there in the kebele/community, especially for women and the poor? How do these organizations link up particularly with LFSDP? In what ways LFSDP will become relevant in this regard? How economically, socially and culturally appropriate are the components of LFSDP program to the local conditions? Are they accessible to the most needy and vulnerable groups? 5. What constraints/limitations are evident on the part of the target communities that may result in minimal participation in the project and not benefiting from it? 6. Are there persons/community groups who are/will be adversely affected by/lose out or particularly benefiting from program activities? If yes, who are these? In what ways are they adversely or positively affected? In your opinion, what are the best ways to enhance the benefits and mitigate the adverse impacts? 7. What are the socially relevant results of the program (Probe for poverty reduction, equity and inclusion, asset building, strengthening of social capital and social cohesion)? 8. What are the major shortcomings/weaknesses of the program? Probe for their opinion on participation of community institutions in planning, gender mainstreaming, involvement of underserved groups, support for local level LFSDP structures from the higher level program coordination units, etc. 9. What are the possible risks and adverse impacts of the project? In what particular ways are the vulnerable and the underserved groups affected by these risks? 10. What risk mitigation/minimization measures have been devised to deal with such anticipated adverse impacts? 92 11. What project-induced consequences are anticipated to affect the local population (Probe for: displacement, loss of land and other assets, loss of sacred/religious sites and places of cultural importance)? 12. What compensation/resettlement measures are designed in case of these consequences? 13. What are the challenges and lessons learned from the implementation of LFSDP? THANK YOU! 93 Annex 2: Community Consultations Attendance Sheet 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 List of Group Discussion/Interview Participants for Social Assessment (SA) and Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) Oromia Zone: North Shoa Woreda: Debre Libanos 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Natural Resource Management Expert Zone: Ilu Aba Bora Woreda: Bora 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert Zone: West Shoa Woreda: Jeldu 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Deputy Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Diary Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office Poultry and Fishery Expert 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Apiculture Expert 7. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Hide and Skin Expert 8. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office Head, Fattening Expert 9. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office , Input Supply Expert Zone: Horo Gudru Woreda: Abay Chomeb 1. Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Head 2. Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Deputy Head 3. Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Dairy Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Deputy Head Zone: Bale Woreda: Dinsho 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Fattening Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Poultry Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Diary Expert Zone: West Arsi Woreda: Kore 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Dairy Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Input Supply Exert 102 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, regulatory Expert Zone: East Hararghe Woreda: Kombolcha 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Deputy Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Dairy Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, AI Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Fattening Expert 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Input Supply Expert Tigray Zone: South Eastern Woreda: Hintalo Wajirat 1. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Work Process Owner 2. Livestock and Fishery Resource, Forage Expert 3. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Apiculture Expert 4. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Animal Husbandry Expert Zone: Eastern Woreda: Kilite Awulalo 1. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Work Process Owner 2. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Forage Expert 3. Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Veterinary Health Expert Amhara Bahir Dar 1. Livestock Resources Development Promotion Agency, Deputy Manager Zone: West Gojjam Woreda: Bahir Dar Zuria 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Veterinary Helath Expert 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Development Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Dairy Expert 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, input Supply Expert 7. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Livestock Extension Communication Expert 8. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Fishery Expert Zone: West Gojjam Woreda: Mecha 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Dairy Expert 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Development Expert 103 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Extension Communication Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Plan and Program Expert Zone: North Shoa Worda: Basona Werana 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, AI Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Fishery Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Veterinary Health Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Livestock Development Work Process Owner SNNPR Zone: Sidama Woreda: Hawassa Town 1. Hawassa Town Administration Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Development Expert 2. Hawassa Town Administration Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Animal Breeding Expert 3. Hawassa Town Administration Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Fishery Expert 4. Hawassa Town Administration Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Poultry Expert Zone: Segen Area Peoples’ Woreda: Konso 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Head 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Deputy Head 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Extension Work Process Owner 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Dairy Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Animal Husbandry Expert 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert Zone: Gamo Gofa Woreda: Arba Minch Zuria 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Development Expert 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Forage Development Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Polluter Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 104 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 7. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Breeding Expert, Dairy Expert 8. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office Benishangul-Gumz Asossa 1. Regional Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Agency, Director 2. Regional Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Agency, Veterinary Health Work Process Owner 3. Regional Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Agency, Animal Husbandry Expert Zone: Asossa Woreda: Asossa 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Extension Work Process Owner 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Animal Husbandry Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Work Process Owner Gambella Region Gambella 1. Livestock and Fishery Resource Agency, Deputy Head Zone: Agnywa Woreda: Abobo 1. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development, Veterinary Helath Expert 2. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Marketing Expert 3. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Cooperatives Expert 4. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 5. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 6. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Veterinary Health Expert 7. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Human Resource Development Expert 8. Woreda Livestock and Fishery Resource Development Office, Animal Husbandry Expert 105 Annex 3: LFSDP Grievance Redressing Mechanism Operational Guide 1. Introduction A grievance is any concern or complaint raised by an individual or a group within communities affected by Livestock and Fishery Sector Development Project (LFSDP) supported activities. LFSDP implementers should keep in mind that unanswered questions or ignored requests for information have the potential to become problems and should, therefore, be addressed promptly. Effectively addressing grievances from people impacted by the projects activities is a core component of managing operational risk. Redressing grievances of affected people should be an integral part of a project’s design, plan, and management. Setting up appropriate mechanisms to address community concerns, prevent adverse consequences and risks, and bring about positive changes in people’s lives and relationships is increasingly important in development projects. Resolving grievances of project-affected people at the lowest level, without allowing them to rise into higher levels, equally benefits both the aggrieved parties and the project implementers. Grievance redress mechanisms (GRMs) can be an effective tool for early identification, assessment, and resolution of complaints on projects. GRMs are institutions, instruments, methods, and processes by which a resolution to a grievance is sought and provided. It is a way to receive, assess and resolve complaints that may arise from the LFSDP supported activities. Understanding when and how a GRM may improve project outcomes can help both project teams and beneficiaries improve results. GRMs will respond to needs better if they are established early as a measure to preempt rather than react to escalation of tensions with surrounding communities. An adequate social and environmental screening and/or impact assessment process is essential to the success of a GRM. A GRM provides a predictable, transparent, and credible process to all parties, resulting in outcomes that are seen as fair, effective, and lasting. A well-functioning grievance mechanism increases the likelihood that small disputes can be brought to a conclusion relatively quickly before they become deep-seated grievances, keeps ownership of the dispute in the hands of local people, and offers an early, efficient, and less costly way to address concerns. A well-functioning grievance mechanism can also provide valuable feedback to the project management unit by serving as an early warning system for wider problems, yielding insights from individual grievances that spotlight changes that might be needed to LFSDP operations or management systems, indicating possible systemic changes that might be needed to ensure that particular grievances do not recur. The goals of GRM are: 1) open channels for effective communication, 2) demonstrate that LFSDP is concerned about community members and their well-being, 3) mitigate or prevent adverse impacts on communities caused by LFSDP projects activities, 4) improve trust and respect, and 5) promote productive relationships. In LFSDP the activity plans originate from communities and add up to kebele, woreda, regional and federal levels. This ensures availability of suitable avenue to identify major problems in the whole project implementation arrangement along with the possibilities of addressing the problems in the framework of the 106 LFSDP with active participation from the community. Since they are the primary beneficiaries of the project, they are encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of the project including problem/need identification, preparation, work planning, implementation, monitoring, operation and maintenance. Therefore, the planning process follows a bottom-up approach to lay foundation for all of the interventions and to ensure sustainability. Since the whole process is participatory and transparent, the occurrence of complaint is very rare. Even though the existence of complaints is minimal, there should be a mechanism to address unforeseen events. To this effect, it is necessary to establish GRM in LFSDP which provides a transparent, and credible process to all parties, resulting in outcomes that are seen as fair, effective, and lasting. The GRM is an essential part of the safeguard instrument that intends to resolve complaints on the LFSDP subproject activities. It should address complainant concerns and complaints promptly, using an understandable and transparent process that is gender responsive, culturally appropriate, and readily accessible to all segments of the complainant persons. Generally, the Mechanism will ensure that (i) the public within LFSDP investment influence are aware of their rights to access, and shall have access to, the mechanism free of administrative and legal charges, and (ii) concerns arising from LFSDP activity in all phases are addressed effectively. Such kinds of approach are useful, among others, to improve outcomes of LFSDP implementation, help to prioritize supervisions, identify systematic implementation issues and trends, and promote accountability through creating more predictable, timely and results- oriented responses to citizen concerns. Accordingly, LFSDP PCUs (at federal and regional level) are required to set up the mechanism. To this effect, the following approaches will be followed. 2. Objective The objective of establishing the grievance redress mechanism in LFSDP is to address any complaint concern and complaints related to LFSDP activity implementation promptly and effectively. 3. Scope of Grievance Redress Mechanism The scope of the issues to be addressed in LFSDP GRM will be all complaints arising from LFSDP activity implementations. Any person within LFSDP targeted Woredas who has complaints regarding the activities of the LFSDP subprojects during preparation/designing, implementation and operation phases shall have access to the Mechanism. 4. Access to Grievance Redress Mechanism The MoLF/LFSDP Federal PCU in collaboration with concerned regional and woreda (Bureau of Livestock, and Woreda Livestock/Agricultural office) will make the public aware of the GRM through awareness creation forums, training and capacity building. Any person who has complaints regarding the activities of the LFSDP subprojects during preparation/designing, implementation and operation phases shall have access to the Mechanism. Contact details in support of the Mechanism will be publicly disclosed and posted in the offices of concerned woreda offices, Kebele administration, kebele development centers/agriculture office and 107 Farmers Training Centers (FTC). These will also be incorporated in the LFSDP information materials (e.g. reports, magazines, brochures, flyers and posters). 5. Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process (GIRP) The MoLF/LFSDP FPCU in collaboration with its regional and woreda counter parts established a clear GRM that allows any person, who has complaints regarding the activities of the LFSDP, to raise issues, feedback and complaints about the effects of LFSDP activities implementation/performance. Complaints can be communicated in written form using the standard complaint form to community subproject management committees (CSMC), to be established for each sub-project. All received complaints and responses given should be documented and copies sent to kebele development committee (KDC). At CSMC level unresolved complaints (if the complainant is not satisfied) will be brought to traditional grievance redress institution (TGRI) (depending on specific locality) and investigated and resolved. All received complaints and responses should be documented and copies sent to KDC, kebele administration and woreda development committee (WDC). Complaints unresolved at traditional grievance redress institution level (if the complainant is not satisfied) will be brought to KDC and investigated and resolved. All received complaints and responses should be documented and copies sent to CSMC leaders and WDC. Complaints unresolved at KDC (if the complainant is not satisfied) will be brought to WDC. At woreda level, all received complaints which were unresolved at KDC level will be reviewed by the WDC and sent to woreda steering committee for investigation and final decision. To this effect, a GRM with clear timeline and responsibility is required at different levels so as to be transparent, accountable and responsive. Accordingly, the steps of the (Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process) GIRP at each level are outlined as follows. 6. Structure, Steps and Timeframe 6.1. Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process (GIRP) at CSMC Step1: Complaint Form will be completed by any interested person or complainant and submitted to the CSMC Step2: The CSMC will review, investigate and discuss on the issue and resolve the matter within three days from the date of application is received. The decision will be provided in written form to the complainant. All meetings/discussions will be recorded, documented and copies of the minutes will be sent to KDC Step3: Based on the decision made, CSMC will act accordingly. Step 4: If the complainant is not satisfied by the response given by CSMC or if no response is received from community within three days after the registration of complaint, the complainant can appeal to the TGRI. 108 6.2. Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process (GIRP) at TGRI Level TGRI could be initially formed for other/different purpose but they also deal with addressing different grievances arising within the community; such institutions could be Idir, Sirit, Ofosha, yeakababi Shemagele… depending on the locality. Step1: Appeal form will be completed by any interested person or complainant and submitted to traditional grievance redress institution (chairperson or facilitator depending in specific locality). Step 2: The facilitator or chairperson of TGRI will organize a meeting for the committee members and will review and resolve the complaint within seven days of receiving the appeal or compliant. All meetings will be recorded and filed. (Copies of the minutes of meetings will be provided to KDC (Development Agent), kebele administration and other concerned stakeholders. Step 3: If the complainant is not satisfied by the response given by traditional grievance redress institution or if no response is received within ten days, the affected persons can appeal to the KDC. 6.3. Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process at KDC level Step1: Appeal form will be completed by any interested person or complainant and submitted to KDC Step 2: The KDC based on the appeal or complaint received from complainant and document which is transferred from TGRI will review and further investigate. If the decision given at TGRI level is appropriate, the KDC will approve it; otherwise if the appeal is valid, the team will resolve the issue within seven days from the date the application was received. The decision will be provided in written form to the applicants and also copies will be sent to KDC and to WDC. All meetings will be recorded and filed; Step 3: If the complainant is not satisfied by the response given by KDC or if no response is received from the KDC within seven days after the registration of complaint, the complainant can appeal to the WDC. 6.4. Grievance Investigation and Resolution Process (GIRP) at the woreda level Step 1: Appeal form will be completed by any interested persons or complainant and submitted to WDC. Step 2: Based on the appeal or complaint received from complainant and assessment of WDC, the LFSDP coordinator at Woreda Office of Livestock/Agriculture records the issues in the registry, assess the appeal or the grievance and will organize meeting(s) for a woreda steering committee. The woreda steering committee will review the decision given at KDC level and endorse it if it is appropriate otherwise if the appeal is valid, the woreda steering committee will resolve the issue and give final decision within two weeks (14 days) of receiving the appeal or compliant. The decision should be provided 109 to the applicant in written form. All meetings will be recorded and copies of the minutes will be provided to all concerned stakeholders. 110 6.2. Amharic version of Grievance application form ቀን:_____________________ የእንስሳትና ዓሳ ዘርፍ ልማት ፕሮጀክት የቅሬታ ማቅረቢያ ቅፅ 1. የቅሬታ አቅራቢ ስም…………………………… የሚገኝበትቦታ፣ወረዳ………………………… ቀበሌ…………………………………….ጎጥ………………………………………… የአካባቢዉ መጠሪያ ስም ……………………………………………………………………. 2. የቀርበው ቅሬታ ይዘት ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… 3. የችግሩ መንስኤ (በቅሬታ አቅራቢው አስተያየት) ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… 4. የቅሬታ አቅራቢው እንዲሆንለት የሚፈልገው ፍላጎት ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… 5. የቅሬታ ተቀባይ ስም……………………………………………….. ፊርማ…………………………………………….. ቀን…………………………..…..………….. 111 6.3. Sample Grievance Procedure Form Grievance/Complaint form Compliant Number Copies to forwarded to: Name of the Recorder and its Responsibilities (Original) Responsible Party/Agency to implement the Resettlement* Region (Copy) Complainant Woreda (Copy) CRC at Kebele and Woreda level Kebele Date Information about the Complainant Full Name including Surname Address Telephone number Region Woreda Kebele Site Date Signature of the Complainant Grievance Procedure Description of the compliance/grievance Does the grievance procedure advertised? public awareness of the process Which project level person (s) was designated to follow up on the resolution of the grievance? Consultative grievance group/committee including community/municipality members, two representatives from PAPs, local authorities to review the negotiation process Court/payment for court process *The responsible party is LFSDP implementing agency that is proposing LFSDP subproject for financing, and the subproject is to cause displacement. 112 7. Monitoring, evaluation and learning Monitoring and evaluation is a process that helps to improve performance and achieve results. Monitoring and evaluation is used for measuring the effectiveness of the GRM and the efficient use of resources, and for determining broad trends and recurring problems so they can be resolved proactively before they become points of contention. Monitoring helps to identify common or recurrent claims that may require structural solutions and enables the project to capture any lessons learned in addressing grievances. Monitoring and reporting also create a base level of information that can be used by the project to give information back to communities. Monitoring indicators are included in the environment and social safeguard reporting template. The indicators include the establishment of GRM at different levels, the number of grievances registered and resolved, the time taken to redress a grievance, and the level of community satisfaction. The federal and regional environment and social safeguard specialists, monitoring and evaluation specialists, and the woreda experts will conduct GRM monitoring and report quarterly. 7.1. GRM performance reporting format Quarter_ Year_ Target Achievement Annual Up to S/N Activity Unit This This Up to this Achievement/ target this quarter quarter quarter planned (%) quarter Monitoring and No of 1 technical support woreda Awareness Male creation to Female 2 community, KDC, CSMCs Total Established and No of 3 functional GRM woreda Number of 4 grievance No. registered Number of 5 grievance No. resolved Types Types of cases 6 of appealed cases 113 Annex 4: Sample Photos of Community Consultations Debre Libanos Woreds, North Shoa Zone of Oromia Asossa Woreda, Benishangul-Gumz Consultations with Diary Cooperative Members Consultations with Community Representatives Abobo Woreda, Asossa Zone of Gambella Mecha Woreda, West Gojjam (Amahara) Consultations Fishers Cooperative members Consultations with Organized Youth Group 114 Arba Minch Zuria Woreda, Gamo Goffa Zone (SNNPR) Community Consultation with Fishers’ Cooperative Members. Zeyese Kebele Konso Woreda, Sagen Peoples’ Zone (SNNPR) Community Consultation with Animal Fattening Group Members, Jarsso Kebele, Konso woreda 115 Konso Woreda, Segen Peoples’ Zone, SNNPR Community Consultations with youth Group, Jarsso Kebele 116 Conversation with Animal Fattening Group, Ganta Kanchama, Kebele, Arba Minch Zuria Woreda 117