The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency. What it is, and what it does

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1 The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency What it is, and what it does October, 2017

2 Outline Overview o Description o Rationale o Model Evolution Organization 2

3 Overview: ATA is a time-bound, government agency with a specific mandate Mandate Establishment To catalyze transformation in Ethiopia s smallholder agriculture (crop, NRM and livestock) from a low input-low output, subsistence oriented production system to a fast growing sector that is fully integrated into the national economy supporting the country s aspirations to become a middle income country by 2025; while maintaining environmental sustainability and ensuring inclusiveness. To support key public sector actors to develop and implement innovative approaches to address systemic bottlenecks hindering real change in the agricultural sector ATA was established as an agency through public proclamation, on December 2010 It was made accountable to an Agricultural Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister with the Minister of Agriculture as Deputy Chair and the CEO of ATA as secretary Members of the Council include the Minister of Finance, Presidents of Regional States, DG of the Ethiopian Agriculture Research Institute, etc. Timeline 15 to 20 year phase out plan, with a three distinct phases 3

4 Overview: ATA s rationale Why ATA Establishment of the ATA grew out of a concern that management of the agricultural sector was not based on strong evidence and analytics and that there was insufficient focus on change; and, A recognition that o managing change is complex and requires dedicated attention as well as capacity for developing solutions on systemic bottlenecks and policy constraints in the sector o there was limited capacity for both managing change and for effective coordination and implementation of a holistic set of interventions to transform the system and bring impact at scale Following diagnostics by the Bill & Melida Gates Foundation, the ATA was established to address 2 high level problems identified as critical challenges in transforming Ethiopia s ag. sector 1. Lack of capacity for developing solutions on systemic bottlenecks in the sector 2. Limited capacity to effectively coordinate and drive the implementation of a holistic set of interventions to bring impact at scale 4

5 Overview: ATA s Model includes a 3 pronged approach to catalyzing transformation Dev t of a Transformation Agenda Tracking and Reporting Works with partners to define a set of priority interventions that can catalyze change based on consultations as well as identification and analysis of key program areas (often develops a targeted strategy) Once a Transformation Agenda has been defined and agreed upon, MoANR, MoLF and MoT assume full ownership of its deliverables. The Transformation Agenda is imbedded within national strategies, particularly the Growth and Transformation Plan Responsible for tracking progress on the Transformation Agenda and has developed an online tool following a simple traffic light system to track performance against pre-identified milestones Pulls together quarterly reports for the Transformation Council and Parliament that include summary of progress and highlight achievements, challenges and issues that require high level decision Periodic assessments are undertaken against indicators and targets Implementation Support Different kinds of support are provided to the implementation of the Transformation Agenda 5

6 Overview: Implementation support is central to ATA s Model and has various dimensions Technical and analytical support Operational support and execution Real time problem solving to address issues identified during implementation of TADs as they arise In depth analysis of complex issues as they pertain to the implementation of agreed upon interventions or for exploratory work to generate new ideas and innovations. Engagement as a thought partner in consultations and policy dialogue as this relates to the Transformation agenda For some, strategically selected deliverables, ATA takes on implementation and would own the deliverable When requested, ATA also takes on some operational functions for deliverables owned by partners this would consist of organizing, facilitating and contributing to workshops, field supervision, leading exposure visits, etc. Operational support has been discontinued Capacity building Targeted capacity building through training and special assignments to the implementers of the transformation agenda deliverables 6

7 Evolution: The creation of the ATA is the result of a process that lasted nearly two years Late Prime Minster Meles meets with Melinda Gates and requests a review of Ethiopia s ag. extension systems by BMGF Seven diagnostic reports and an integrated report on a mechanism to implement the recommendations submitted to Prime Minister Council of Ministers pass federal regulation establishing Agricultural Transformation Agency Jan 09 Sep 09 Aug 10 Oct 10 Dec 10 Aug 11 Request for a more holistic approach: based on review of diagnostic on extension, PM requests support for a more comprehensive set of studies (seeds, soils, irrigation, rural finance, and key VCs) Government decision to create an independent organization modeled after Taiwan and Korean acceleration units as recommended by the Gates Foundation reports 1 st Transformation Council (Board) meeting held, inaugurating ATA s program operations 7

8 Evolution: Once established, ATA s approach has been flexible and pragmatic, its direction evolving over time ATA s approach has evolved particularly in two areas 1. Concept: understanding of what comprises agricultural transformation has been refined 2. Model: from focus on strategy development to implementation support and coordination to phase out 1 Initial focus on accelerating production by smallholder farmers through the promotion of improved technologies with a heavy emphasis on cereal production While focus has remained on smallholder agriculture, the concept of agricultural transformation increasingly emphasized commercial orientation as well as the production of high value crops Currently, ag. transformation is conceptualized more holistically, including accelerated growth (cereals, HVCs, and livestock), commercialization and issues of sustainability and inclusiveness 8

9 Evolution: Once established, ATA s approach has been flexible and pragmatic, its direction evolving over time ATA s approach has evolved particularly in two areas 1. Concept: understanding of what comprises agricultural transformation has been refined 2. Model: from focus on strategy development to implementation support and coordination to phase out 2 Phase 1: Intensive strategy development and identification of high-impact interventions, building partnerships with various public and private sector organizations and capacity building support for the then MoA, implementation of stand-alone projects to test new ideas Phase 2: Development of a comprehensive Transformation Agenda and focus on (a) tracking of the Transformation Agenda, (b) technical/analytical and CB support for implementation of TADs, (c) execution of key interventions within a coordinated framework in geographies based on commodity commercialization clusters Phase 3: Establishment of a delivery unit within MoANR and MoLF and knowledge centers within ATA 9

10 Evolution: Currently focus is implementation of a comprehensive Transformation Agenda across 30 agricultural programs/systems 1 Pillars of the Transformation Agenda Increase crop and livestock production and productivity Environmental sustainable and inclusive growth Crops Livestock Crops & livestock 4 Enhance implementation capacity Seed supply and distribution Fertilizer supply & distribution Livestock breed and genetic improvement Livestock marketing Demand-driven research Market-oriented extension Irrigation and drainage Watershed & agro forestry development Program Areas 2 Market services (incl. food safety, Commercial orientation of quality, assurance, traceability & smallholder agriculture others) and market development Market infrastructure development Cooperative development 3 Natural Resource Mgt. Inclusive Growth Targeted livelihood support (for selected population groups initially focused on youth employment) ICT for agricultural services Organizational and human resources capacity Crop protection and health Livestock feed and feeding Livestock health Rural finance Mechanization Agro-processing & VA Domestic & export market development Private medium and large scale farm development Soil health and fertility Rural land use & administration Climate change adaptation, mitigation & risk mgt. Bio-diversity Gender equality Nutrition sensitive ag. Evidence-based planning and M&E Private sector development Anchor Initiative The Agricultural Commercialization Cluster Initiative as a means of integrating the solutions within the 30 Program areas. Focus on measurable impacts on smallholder farmers working on specific high priority commodities in clearly identified geographies. 10

11 Evolution: Implementation support is provided through Delivery Units, Knowledge Centers and Project Teams Delivery Units: Delivery specialists and technical resources are placed within delivery units in the MoANR/MoLF to support: Planning of transformation agenda deliverables, sub-deliverables and work streams as well as developing a related budget Implementation of TADs through identification of and developing solutions to critical challenges, providing technical input on day-today implementation problems Tracking and reporting on progress in implementation of TADs Escalation of implementation issues to senior staff where appropriate Knowledge Centers Knowledge Centers are established within ATA for selected programs to Provide strategic thought partnership and analytical support on key issues Generate new ideas for taking the transformation agenda forward and to a new level Participate on annual planning process to ensure systemic issues are being correctly identified and prioritized, including for GTP III Design specific projects that can drive tangible results and impact Project Teams Project teams are established for the execution of selected, strategic TADs

12 Organization: To deliver on its mandate, ATA has a unique organization that has evolved over time Catalyzing transformation in Ethiopia s smallholder agriculture Delivery Units within partner institutions, delivery unit management/ support team at ATA Program Teams including KCs, crosscutting teams, and project teams Analytics Team Regional offices and ACC coordination Operations Teams and Strategic Services

13 Organization: Attracting and retaining a high-quality, diverse staff is a key to the ATA s near-term and long-term success Staff composition Capabilities & skill sets Hybrid nature: The ATA currently has a hybrid staffing model with a combination of local content experts, local analytical staff, international content experts, and management consultants; senior management are a blend of top local and international leaders Transition planning: The ATA has also put in place a transition model to long-term local staff, to ensure a sustainable high-performing public sector agency is created to serve Ethiopia s agriculture sector Geographic focus: The ATA s staff are located in both Addis Ababa and in the Regions, in order to support both federal and regional stakeholders ATA s analytical and program staff bring a blend of capabilities : Leadership has strong international and domestic experience; International mmgt. consultants from top firms bring strong analytical and problem solving abilities, and work closely with program teams to support program activities and blend analytics with technical skills Content experts bring strong technical knowledge and understanding of the local conditions, they are the backbone of the organization Local analysts support international mmgt consultants and are groomed to take over from them 13

14 Organization: Strong systems and processes are instrumental to ATA s effective functioning Finance Procurement Human Resources Information Technology Managing the financial resources and ensuring consistent liquidity Ensuring timely and accurate tracking of source and use of funds, as well as internal and external reporting Assisting the CEO/SMT in making strategic decisions, in respect to liquidity, and source and use of funds Adherence to clearly-defined donor procurement processes Adherence to pre-established government procurement processes Facilitating efficient program activities Recruiting and talent headhunting of high-quality, diverse staff Development and training of staff capabilities Managing transparent and timely staff performance management, reviews, and feedback Maintaining effective staff promotion, compensation, and retention mechanisms Providing hardware, software, and networking to integrate ATA s data and information Creating and managing backup and remote access to data 14

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