At this week’s LIVES project (Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders) ‘Commodity Value Chain Development Inception Workshop in Addis Ababa, Fanos Mekonnen, Knowledge Management and Communications Expert explained how knowledge management and e-extension will contribute to the project.
The main components planned include: agricultural knowledge centers, online platforms, offline platforms, e-extension through the use of information and communication technologies (e-readers, videos, cellphones,….), as well as training, coaching, and skills development.
By the end of the project, she hopes to see:
- Strengthened knowledge sharing and learning processes – in which knowledge and information is packaged in different formats that are appropriate to the needs and interest of its stakeholders, and thus have greater utility; and enhanced staff capacities on knowledge sharing and learning
- Increased impact of the project’s intervention, research and capacity development activities – greater engagement, linkage and collaboration of partners as well as evidence that facilitates decision making on Livestock and irrigated value chains development
- KM and communication approaches, methods and tools are tested, proved and taken up to be institutionalized
The Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project contributes to enhanced income and gender equitable wealth creation for smallholders and other value chain actors in Ethiopia through increased and sustained market off-take of high value livestock and irrigated crop commodities.
LIVES is jointly implemented by by ILRI (the International Livestock Research Institute), IWMI (the International Water Management Institute), the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural research (EIAR), the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and regional Bureaus of Agriculture, Livestock Development Agencies, Agricultural Research Institutes and other development projects.
