Recommendations to GoE and Investors in AWM

1. Recommendations to GoE and Investors in AWM

2. Local Capacities & Roles: Weredas • Strengthen the involvement of weredas in decision-making, authorize weredas to confirm the study, design, and construction of SSI schemes • Invest in capacity building of staff at wereda level in project implementation skills (design, construction, financial accounting, participatory planning, adaptive management, cross-sectoral collaboration) • Increase training of implementing staff on the criteria and standards of PASIDP. Develop an easy to read manual that can be given to relevant staff

3. Community Capacities (1) • Invest time and funds to improving the ‘soft’ side of projects, i.e., capacity building, training in developing new approaches (such as participatory planning or community engagement processes that lead to greater community empowerment) • Incorporate local knowledge of farmers in the design of SSI schemes, to create more sustainable structures • Documented this, both to illustrate what local knowledge has been used and how, but also to use this knowledge in future designs if applicable • Change attitudes & build skills of project engineers for this

4. Community Capacities (2) • Develop a mechanism for WUAs to formally approve the design and construction works. WUA members have a strong interest in ensuring quality work as their livelihoods will be dependent on its quality. Empowering WUAs should make the contractors more accountable to the ultimate beneficiaries • Invest in capacity building of WUAs to work on input supply, to adapt and improve their management of water when they shift to different crops, and to engage with upstream and downstream farmers to design ways in which to identify and solve conflicts and problems

5. Community Capacities (3) • Train users on SSI O&M for sustainability and to reduce dependence on external support. SSI schemes should be designed to be easily maintained by the users • Train WUA members in financial planning and budgeting so that they can plan ahead and use the funds they raise for improved investments • Consider preparing formal agreement for government assistance to address problems beyond community capacity to solve • Encourage sharing of experiences among farmers (farmer to farmer learning) and staff at wereda and regional levels with other parts of the country to learn promote learning

6. Creating More Opportunities for Women • Experiment with ways to include women’s perspectives and views in WUA decision-making • Design methods beyond setting targets for membership in WUAs or WUA committees. • E.g., form women’s interest groups within WUAs to enable them to present their views with greater security • By-laws could be designed whereby consultation with these women’s sub-groups becomes a stipulation for any decision-making for the WUA • Devote funds for capacity building of women (in input use, agricultural and financial planning, marketing skills, etc.), in particular female-headed households. Greater economic empowerment has been shown to increase women’s confidence to participate in wider decision-making bodies • Develop improved M&E systems that include a component of community monitoring and evaluation (with indicators that communities have designed)

7. Market Access • Improve market linkages for farmers in irrigation schemes by promoting off-season, high-value crops; providing market information to farmers; and linking farmers to specific markets • Coordinate more closely with the Agricultural Marketing Improvement Program (AMIP) to look for markets, prices in nearby towns and cities, and providing information on planting seasons of some crops and vegetables in other areas that compete for markets

8. Thank You!