Page|0

Page| 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ThisreportwasproducedbyRegreeningAfricateam.SpecialacknowledgementstothestaffofCatholicReliefServices(CRS)ledbyTadeleMalefiaandtheWorldVisionEthiopia(WVE)staff ledbyAsfawMariame,theICRAFprojectmanagementunit,theSHAREDteamMiekeBourneandSabrinaChesterman,and ICRAF-EthiopiastaffKirosHadgu,HagaziNiguseandGebrehiwothailemariamfororganizingtheJointReflectionMeeting.Specialthankstothefield officers in all the sites for organizing the field work and the communities for theirreception and useful interactions. We would like to thank Professor Mitiku of Mekelleuniversity, theNOCCmemberspresentduring theworkshop,projectpartnersandprojectactivitycomponentleadersforprovidingusefulfeedbackduringboththefieldvisitandtheworkshop.TheSHAREDteamappreciates theuseful reviews fromCRS,WVE, ICRAFglobalofficeandICRAF-Ethiopiaofficeonthedraftreportwhichsignificantlyimprovedthequalityofthefinalreport.

Disclaimer ThisreporthasbeenproducedwiththeassistanceoftheEuropeanUnion.ThecontentsofthisreportarethesoleresponsibilityoftheauthorsandcaninnowaybetakentoreflecttheviewsoftheEuropeanUnion.

Page|0

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................................................0

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................................................................................................1Disclaimer...........................................................................................................................................................................1

TableofContents.......................................................................................................................................................................01.INTRODUCTIONANDAPPROACH...........................................................................................................................................02.ETHIOPIAPROJECTBACKGROUND.........................................................................................................................................23.IMPLEMENTATIONUPDATE...................................................................................................................................................33.1Keyprojectachievementsduringthereportingperiod...................................................................................................3

4.REFLECTIONMEETING............................................................................................................................................................44.1FIELDVISITSUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................................44.1.1Keylearning,reflectionsandrecommendationsbasedonfieldvisits......................................................................4

4.2REVIEWINGTHEKEYPROGRESSDURINGTHEWORKSHOP.............................................................................................74.2.1LandDegradationDynamics......................................................................................................................................84.2.2DesignandTechnicalImplementation(DTI)Component.........................................................................................94.2.3Monitoring,EvaluationandLearning.....................................................................................................................114.2.4RegreeningApp.......................................................................................................................................................19

5.STRATEGICCOMMUNICATIONSANDBEHAVIOURCHANGE............................................................................................206.AGREEDACTIONSANDNEXTSTEPS.....................................................................................................................................247.LINKSTOREPORTS...............................................................................................................................................................27

Page|0

1. INTRODUCTION AND APPROACH ThejointreflectionandlearningmissionsweredesignedusingtheStakeholderApproachtoRiskInformedandEvidenceBasedDecisionMaking(SHARED)methodology(seefigure1),tocreateaninnovativemonitoring,reflectionandlearningopportunitybetweenimplementingNon-GovernmentalOrganisations(NGOs),WorldAgroforestryscientistsandotherpartnersengagedinimplementationoroversightoftheRegreeningAfricaprojectatthenationalandlocallevels.

The mission design incorporated two days of field visits to project locations in order tomonitortheprogressandupdateonprojectimplementations,tounderstandkeychallengesandtoidentifywhataspectsoftheprojectcouldbescaleduporleveragedoralignedwithsimilar efforts, programmesor initiatives in different parts of the country. The field visitsincludedinteractionsanddiscussionswithfarmers,whoaretheprimarybeneficiariesoftheproject,onopportunitiesandbarriersforadoptionofthevarioustechnologiesandpracticesbeingpromotedbytheproject.

Thefieldvisitswerefollowedbytwodaysofintensivediscussionsbasedontheexperiencesandobservationsinthefield,existingscientificevidence,andsupportofICRAFscientistswhowerealsoabletoguidetheprojectinterventions,nationallyledandimplementedbyNGOs,within each country context on key ways to enhance the Regreening Africa projectapproaches.

In Ethiopia, Joint Learning and Reflection (JRLM) events conducted by CRS,WVE, ICRAF,resource persons (e.g. Prof.Mitiku from theMekelleUniversity) and other implementingpartnersselectedfromtheRegreeningProjectsites.TwodaysfieldvisitswereconductedinaroundAdamaarea(coveringDodotaFMNRsite,Sireenclosuresandbeekeepingproject,andAwashBisholanurseryinOromia).From6thto8thMay2019, anothervisitwadmadearound Aksum area (covering (Limanet village andMai-Mizan restoration demonstrationsites;FMNRonFaidherbiaAlbida,treenurseriesandsoilwaterconservationtechnologies).

Reflection discussions were conducted in Addis during 9th to 10th May 2019. There wasconsensusthattheprojecthadgainedtractiononthegroundinEthiopiaandtherewasneedtokeepupthemomentumonprojectimplementationtocompensatefortimelostinyearoneof theproject period, increase field activities andburn rates of project budgets, andconsolidateworkplansforyearthreewhichisdueinSeptember2019.

Page| 1

Theobjectivesofthejointreflectionandlearningmissionswerethefollowing:

• Provideaframeworktostrengthenplatforms(atnationalandprojectsitelevels)toguideandenhanceco-learningandreflectiononwhatisworkingandwhatcouldbeimprovedintermsofimplementation;

• Reviewdata/evidencesfrommultiplesources(includingcompletedstudiesandfieldexperiences)whichmaycontributetoenhancedprojectplanningandimplementationforimprovedoverallprojectimpact;

• Discussallissues(bothtechnicalandmanagerial)thatremainunclearandfindawayforward;and

• DiscussandagreeonactionpointsandactivitiestobeincludedintheYear3ActivityPlansandbudgets.

Figure1:DesignofjointqualityandreflectionmissionsusingtheSHAREDmethodology.

Page|2

2. ETHIOPIA PROJECT BACKGROUND Ethiopia’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture. Land in rural Ethiopia is thefoundationforfoodsecurity,humanwell-beinganddevelopment.However,thecountryischallengedby landdegradation,climatechange, frequentdrought, flooding,anddecliningsoilhealth.InEthiopia,despitethechallenges,encouragingresultsonrestorationofdegradedlandsareevidentinvariouspartsofthecountry,evidencingit’spotentialtorestoredegradedlands, improve land productivity and create resilience to climate change. The RegreeningAfricaprojectwillbuildontheselocallyavailablebestpracticestoaccelerateongoing,scalingouteffortsinmappedsitesinEthiopia,seefigure1andresultsscaledupandout.

RegreeningAfricawithtreesisafive-yearproject(September2017-September2022)fundedbytheEuropeanUnion.ItisimplementedbyCatholicReliefServices(CRS)asthecountryleadNGO, World Vision Ethiopia (WVE), and the Ethiopian Catholic Church - Social andDevelopmentCoordinatingOffice (ECC-SDCO)ofAdigrat,MekelleandMekibranches.TheWorldAgroforestry (ICRAF)Ethiopiacountryofficeprovidestechnicalsupport.Theprojecttargetstoregreen200000haofdegradedlandbyreachingoutto120000households.

Theprojectwillcontributesignificantlytotheachievementofthegovernment’sambitioustargettorestore15millionhectaresoflandinthecontextoftheBonnChallengeandAfricanForest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). By the end of the project, 120 000householdswilladoptEvergreenAgriculture(EGA)bestpracticesonatotalareaof200000hectaresin25districtsacrossfourregions.ToachievethesetargetstheprojecthasdevelopedanimplementationroadmapoutliningthescalingstrategiesandTheoryofChange(ToC).

Figure2:LocationofRegreeningAfricaprojectsitesinEthiopia.

Page| 3

3. IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE 3.1 Key project achievements during the reporting period Theprojecthasshowneffectiveimplementationoftheproject.Start-upworkshopsatworedalevelandregional“kick-off”workshopsweresuccessfullyconductedatallprojectsites.Highlevelregionalandzonalgovernmentrepresentativesattendedtheworkshopsandpledgedtosupporttheprojectimplementation,monitoringandevaluationprocess.

Amulti-stakeholderworkshopusingtheSHAREDmethodologywasconductedinAddisAbabafromNovember19th -23rd2018,which involvedameetingofthesteeringcommittee.Thestakeholder’s workshop brought together national and regional government officials,researchers,donors, INGOs, localNGOsandfarmerrepresentatives.Duringtheworkshop,the national agroforestry platform was introduced, and the benefits associated withintegratingtreesintoagriculturalandcommunallandscapeswasreviewed.

Duringthefirstsixmonthsofyeartwo,severalprojectstart-upsandactivityimplementationswereundertakenacrossallareas(exceptinChilgadistrictwhereconditionswerenotsafe).Someofthekeyachievementsincludedthedevelopmentofparticipatorycommunityactionplansatallsites,capacitybuildingtrainingsincorporatingsessionsongenderquality,genderintegration, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) protection and strengthening nurseriesthroughtheprovisionoftree-seedsandnurserytools.Additionally,FarmerManagedNaturalRegeneration (FMNR)andconservationgroupswereestablished,exchangevisitsbetweenDevelopmentAgents(DAs)andVolunteerFarmers(VFs)wasorganised,trainingofnurseryserviceprovidersandVFsaswellastheproductionofavideoonthebestpractices.

Moreover,communitysensitisationandmobilisationsessionsareunderway,andpartnersareusingtheannualgovernment-ledsoilandwaterconservation(SWC)campaignasaplatformtosensitiseandcreateawarenessonFMNRandotherregreeningpractices.

Therewereafewchallengesinthefirstsixmonthsoftheyear.Theseincludeddelayedstaffrecruitment in two sites, staff preoccupation with the annual SWC campaign, securityproblemsinChilgadistrictandthelackofsuppliersforqualitytree-seeds.Addressingthesechallenges includeddiscussionswith implementing partners, engaging ICRAF for technicalsupport, and the government sector office, and making plans to speed up projectimplementation.ConsideringthesecuritysituationatChilgadistrict,thesitewaschangedtoAmbasselWoredainAmhararegionwhereWVEhasconductedprojectstart-upworkshops.

Page|4

4. REFLECTION MEETING 4.1 FIELD VISIT SUMMARY Descriptionoffieldsitevisit

Fieldvisitswereconductedbetween6th–10thMay2019inOromiaandTigrayRegions.

DodotaandSireWoredasinOromiaRegion-visitstotreenursery,FMNR,areaenclosuresandbeekeepingsitesinDireKeltuKebeleaswellasinteractingwithleadfarmersineachsite.

MedebayZanaandAsgedeTsimblaWoredas inTigrayregion-visitstoFMNR,soilwaterconservationsiteandagovernmentownednursery.

Figure3:Photosfromthefieldsitevisits;photocredit,MayMuthuri/ICRAF

4.1.1 Key learning, reflections and recommendations based on field visits IMPLEMENTATION

• Accelerateactivityimplementation.• Leverage on existing projects such as the safety net programs and watershed

managementprograms.• Strengthenpartnershipinprojectimplementation.• Identifysuitablesitesforruralresourcecentres(RRC)s.

Page| 5

TREE/SEEDLINGSINPUTS

• Prioritize tree species, considering the needs of the farmers, ecological needs andexpertknowledge.

• Improvenurseryinfrastructure.• Addressseedprocurementchallenges.• Diversifytreespecies.• Developatreeseedlingcalendartoensureearlyprocurement,nurseryestablishment

andhardeningofseedlingsbeforeplantingtoincreasetreesurvival.

VALUECHAINSANDMARKETS

• The value chain prioritisation studied for Ethiopia were completed and separatereportsontheseshared.

• Valuechainteamsshouldinvestinbehaviouralchangeforexample;o influencemindsetchangestoencouragetreesaleandrelatedbusinesses.o Changeperceptionthatindigenous/naturaltreescannotbesold.o Showvalueof trees for example farmersbuyeucalyptus seedlingsbecause

theyappreciateitseconomicvalue.• Projectimplementerstoseekentrypointstoaidinintegratingvaluechainactivities

intothesafetynetandwatershedmanagementprograms.• Ensurechoicesofvaluechainsfactoringinbudgetaryconstraints,communityneeds,

genderaspects,sustainabilityissuesanddiversityatkebelelevels.• Develop amethodology to capture nonemonetarizedbenefits derived fromvalue

chaindevelopmentforexample;timberforconstruction,domesticfencingandtreebranchesgiventocommunitymembersfreeofcharge.

• Gesho value chain offers opportunities to support women, can we strengthenpenetrationtomainstreambeveragemakingmarketsinTigray?

• Diversifyvaluechainstoincludeshorttermenterprisessuchasvegetables,poultry,onions.

• Linkvaluechainwithotherprojectcomponentworkinvolvinggenderinclusion,treemanagementandgovernance.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Clarityonterminologies(direct,leveraging,intensification).• Localleadershipisnotonboard.• Comeupwithlearningsthatcanenlightenfarmersandtechnicalteamsonsuitable

approaches.• FMNR has been readily accepted by the communities (these stories need to be

shared).• Weneedtodocumentevidences.

Page| 6

GOVERNANCEANDINSTITUTIONSATLOCALLEVEL

• IntegrationofprojectwithWoreda.• Considerotherleveragingsitesbyotherprojects.• DifferentgovernancestructuresinDodotaandAwash.• Linktonationalinitiativesneeded.

TECHNOLOGIESANDPRACTISES

• Treeregrowth’sarrangementtomaximizecropandtreeproduction.• Scaleoutareaenclosuresintootherareas.• FactorinharshenvironmentalconditioninDodotawhendecidingonwhatregreening

initiativestopromote.• Diversifytreespeciesinenclosuresandonfarmlands.• Decideonoptimumtreedensityonfarm.• Promotealternativesourcesofenergy.• Differentiateimpactsfromdifferenttechnologiesandpractisesandassessitimpacts

onlivelihoods.

CAPACITYDEVELOPMENTANDEXTENSION

• Buildmomentum andmotivatemore farmers - leverage on the driven farmers toinfluenceothersintheWoreda’sorKebele’s.

• Take up the indigenous innovations by farmers e.g. letting the stumps grow thendecidelaterwhichtreestoremove.

• Need todetermineparameters tomeasurenewknowledge generated and sharedwithfarmers.

• Trainingshavecontributedagreatdealtotreemanagementanddiversity.• Experiencesharingiskey.• Ruralresourcecentre(RRC)inclusionandstrengtheningwillbevitalgoingforward.• Attitude changeneeded, especially inDodota– yet todeterminehow tomeasure

changeinthelivelihoodsofpeople.• Capacitybuildingoftechnicalteamsisrequired.• Farmertofarmertrainingapproachiskey.

INCLUSIONOFGENDERANDYOUTH

• WomeninvolvementislowinDodota.• Needgenderintegrationatprojectsitelevel.• Womenareinvolvedinsavinggroupswhichisakeyentrypointtoleverageon.• Green job creation –women are keen to be included, therefore, need to ensure

technicalsupportandqualityseedlings.

Page|7

4.2 REVIEWING THE KEY PROGRESS DURING THE WORKSHOP To support the project, data collectionactivities were conducted prior toreflection missions. To ensure thisinformationwas shared in an accessibleform and that project partners couldunderstand and interrogate thisinformation, it was displayed in a datawall, where maps, graphs and otherresultswere printed and pasted aroundthe meeting room walls. The data wallprovidedanopportunityforscientistsanddevelopment partners to discuss therelevance of the data, validate thefindingsandensure it ispresented inanunderstandableformat.Theyarealsoabletodiscusshowthefindingswillbeusedtoinformthe project planning and help communicate with partners, including the community andgovernment.

Datawas presented from various project-supporting components (see Figure 4) includingbaselinedatafromtheMonitoring,EvaluationandLearning(MEL)team,landhealthmapsandfielddatafromtheLandDegradationDynamics(LDD)componentandfeedbackfromthevaluechainscopingstudiescompletedbytheDesign,TechniquesandImplementation(DTI)component.Thecommunicationscomponentsharedsomeinsightsanddroveadiscussion

Figure4:Aphotographofpartofthedatawalldesignedbasedonthevariousdiscussionsduringthereviewworkshop

Page| 8

around these. During the sessions on scaling through wider practice and policy, theStakeholder Approach to Risk Informed and Evidence Based Decision-making (SHARED)componentshowedinitialstakeholdermapsandoutputsfromapolicysynthesisandnationalstakeholderworkshop.

Figure 5: How key supporting components from ICRAF assist in an approach to scale upregreening?

4.2.1 Land Degradation Dynamics TheLandDegradationDynamics(LDD)componentaimstoequipEthiopiawithsurveillanceandanalytictoolsonlanddegradationdynamics,includingsocialandeconomicdimensionswhichsupportstrategicdecision-makingandmonitoringinscalingupevergreenagriculture.

Duetobudgetlimitations,nonewLDSFsiteswillbesetupundertheprojectinEthiopiabutexisting data from other ICRAF led projects will be used to inform LDSF indicators inEthiopia, combined with household survey data collected during baseline and end linesurveys.

The component identifiesandmeasureskey indicatorsof landand soilhealth inorder tounderstanddriversofdegradation,prioritiseareasforinterventionandmonitorchangesovertime. Indicators for the assessment andmonitoringof landdegradationmust be science-based,easyandquicktomeasureandbasedonfieldassessmentsacrossmultiplescales.Itisimportantthattheyrepresentthecomplexprocessesoflanddegradationacrosslandscapes.Examplesofbiophysicalindicatorsoflanddegradationinclude:

1) Soilorganiccarbon(SOC). 2) Trendsintreecover.3) Herbaceouscover.4) Soilerosionprevalence.5) Biodiversity.6) Soilsalinity.7) Soilcompaction.8) Waterinfiltrationcapacity.

The project uses the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF)methodology. TheLDSF provides a field protocol formeasuring indicators of the “health” of an ecosystem,including vegetation cover, structure and floristic composition, historic land use and landdegradation. It alsomeasures soil characteristics, including soil organic carbon stocks forassessing climate changemitigation potential and infiltration capacity, whilst providing amonitoringframeworktodetectchangesovertime.

TheLDSFwasdevelopedbytheWorldAgroforestryCentre(ICRAF)inresponsetotheneedforconsistentfieldmethodsandindicatorframeworkstoassesslandhealthinlandscapes.Theframeworkhasbeenapplied inprojectsacrossthetropicsand iscurrentlyoneof thelargestlandhealthdatabasesglobally,withmorethan30000observations.

Page| 9

This projectwill benefit fromexisting data in the LDSF database,while at the same timecontributingtothesecriticallyimportantglobaldatasetsthroughdatacollectioninEthiopia.

KEY CHALLENGES HIGHLIGHTED (by farmers that need to be addressed for effectiveimplementationoflandrestorationoptionsinSamreWoreda).

• Someinterventionsalreadyimplementedarenotsuitedtothelocalconditionsandfarmerslackthefreedomandskillstomodifythese.

• Landandlabourshortagediscouragesomefarmersfromimplementinginterventionsthatoccupyspace.

• Surface runoff from untreated/ poorly restored upslope enclosures destroysdownslope farm interventions. Also, ineffective gully treatment leads to gullyexpansiondownslope.

• Failure to combine biological and physical structures makes interventions lesseffective.

• Lackofawarenessbysomefarmersonthefullbenefitsoflandrestoration.

• Lackofknowledgeintreemanagement.• Lowskillsandresourcesinlivestockproduction.

• Lackoftrainingskillsonrestorationfordifferentcontextse.g.slopegradient,soiltype,etc. Project farmers are trained based on intervention location and non-projectfarmersarenottrainedatall.

• Machineryandtoolsareneededforimplementationandmaintenanceatinterventionsites.

• Lowtreesurvivalduetopost-harvestfree-grazingoflivestock,theftanduprootingofseedlings.

• Lackofqualityanddiversityoftreeseedlings.

• Water shortage due to inadequate water harvesting structures (check-dams) andstoragetanks.

• Lackofwaterpumpsandgeneratorsforpumpingwatertofarmsupslope.

• Lackofregularfollow-upsandmonitoringofinterventions.

4.2.2 Design and Technical Implementation (DTI) Component TheRegreeningAfricaProjectDesignandTechnicalImplementation(DTI)componentroleistoprovideoverall technicalbackstoppingon theproject implementation involvingvariouspracticesthataresuitable for landrestoration indifferentecological,economicandsocialcontexts.Theseincludefarmermanagednaturalregeneration(FMNR),treeplantingoptions,soilandwaterconservation,addressingchallengesrelatedtoextensivecharcoalburning,freegrazingetc.Thisisachievedthroughseveralinterlinkedactivitiescovering:

• Advisoryonpriorityregreeningoptionsindifferentcontexts.• Capacitysupporttoimplementappropriateregreeningoptions.• Scopingassessmentsandtechnicalsupportonpromisingvaluechainoptions.

Page| 10

• Promotingknowledgeandmaterials(germplasm)sharingviapeerlearningactivities,refinementandpreparationoftechnicalmaterialstosupportimplementation.

During year three of project implementation, the componentwill focusmore on refiningtechnicalbackstoppingactionsforimprovedscalingbypartnersthroughleadfarmers,fieldstaffandlocaladvisoryservices.Someofthekeyareasrequiringimmediateattentioninvolve:

• Increased access to quality, disease free planting materials and associatedpropagationskills.

• Sharinganddisseminationofmoreextensionapproaches&materials.• Supporting community value chainsdevelopment e.g. preparationof community

enterprisedevelopmentplan(EDPs).• Documentingandsharingco-learningfromvariousprojectinterventionactivities.

Discussionswith lead implementorsCatholicReliefServices,WorldVisionand ICRAFteamcoveringneedsforgreatercollaborationwereidentifiedandkeyactionpointsidentifiedtohelp accelerate milestones achievements going forward. See detailed summary of thetechnicalimplementationplansinthislink.Keyfeedbackonthevaluechainfindingspresentation:

Findings from the value chain scoping assessment covering three project regions werepresentedinteractivelyonthedatawalls.Resultsonconstraintsandopportunitiesprovidedthe basis of the next step to conduct value chain development. The following discussionpointswererecorded:

• Therewasarequestfortrainingonvaluechaindevelopment.• Anotherissueishowtoselectonevaluechainpersite/Woredaandlinktofinancial

institutionsasthisisaconstraint.• Givendelaysinavailingfindingsfromthescopingassessment,partnershadconducted

ownassessments;theresultswerenonethelessinagreementwiththescopingsurveyfindings.

• Key entry points to accelerating implementation work involve commodityidentificationpermajorprojectsite/regionaswellasmappingofkeyactors.

• CRShasprovidedfeedbackonthevaluechainsandactivitiesreportforrevisions.• Value chain validation forum was requested to address value chain options and

evaluatestrengthsandconstraints.• Akey consideration iswhether theproject can identify anexisting value chain for

support.• Therewasemphasistoapply‘genderlens’ondifferentvaluechainsoptionsalready

identified.• Consider incentive for diversifying species and therefore regreening for example

throughbee-keepingenterprises.

Page| 11

Recommendationstoimprovetreeproductenterprisedevelopment

• Promote better market linkages and networks - Focus on market access for treeproductsandcapacitybuildingonvalueadditionoftreeproducts.

• creatingawarenessontreeseedlingraisingandplantation,managementandgrowth,andvalueadditionoftreeproducts.

• Trainfarmersonforestmanagement.• Engage with government and other development agents to promote community

guardingofforestedlands.• Build on the work done by world vision and other development organization on

alternativesourcesofenergytoreducelanddegradationresultingfromunsustainablewoodfuelproductionandutilization.

• Diversifyfodderoptionsforlivestockfarmers.• WorldVisiontoplantogetherwithlocal/Woredagovernmentactivityplansbyaligning

theroadnetwordactivitywiththelocalgovernmentannualimplementationplans.• Buildlocalcapacititiesintermsofimprovednurseryestablishmentandmanagement

to improve access to quality seedlings and other demand driven services.Developwatershedgroupstoaddresschallengesassociatedwithwatershortages.

• Stengthen youth and farners awareness on production of poles and other treeproducts.

4.2.3 Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning TheMELcomponentservestwokeypurposes:

• Tosupport themaximizationof theproject’sdirect impactbyprovidingactionablefeedback on intervention delivery, stakeholder engagement, EGA uptake, and thecost-effectivenessofdifferent,yetequallypromisingscalingapproaches;and

• Togeneratecredible&actionableevidencetosupportfurtherscalingupofEGAandcomplementary land restoration interventions in general and those scalingapproachesthatdeliverthegreatestvalueformoney.

Given thatRegreeningAfrica ispromoting regreening throughboth itsdirect interventionworkatthecommunitylevelandbyinfluencingwiderpolicyandpractice,wehavedefinedtwotypesofadoption:directlyfacilitatedandleveraged.DirectlyfacilitatedadoptionwillbemeasuredprimarilythroughtheuptakesurveysandcomplementedbytheRegreeningAfricaApp.Leveragedadoption

InRegreeningAfrica’sCountryPlanningGuidelinesleveragedadoptionisdefinedas:

….anevidenced-basedprojectionof such adoption that is expected (or known tohaveoccurred)followingtheimplementationoftheProject’sprovenEVAscalingapproachesbynon-project related initiativesand investmentsknownandunderwaybyproject closer.‘Leveragedadoption’couldbeasaresultofsomethingassimpleasa‘sisterproject’being

Page| 12

implementedbyoneoftheiNGOsparticipatinginthecountryconsortiumthatisusingtheProject’ssamescalingapproaches.However,itcouldbelessdirect,forexample,anotherorganization or government institution pursuing the same scaling approaches asdevelopedundertheProject.

Followingengagementwithcountryteamsandotherprojectstakeholders,itwasclearthatthisdefinitionrequiredfurtherelaborationandthatspaceshouldalsobeopenedforcountryteamstoexploreotherpathwaysforachievingleveragedadoption.DuringJRLMs,guidelineson leveragedadoptionwere sharedanddiscussedandeach country team then tasked tocome up with their levering plan and methods of assessing the leveraged targets.Furthermore,someoftheleveragingplansproposedthatlargelyinvolvepolicyandbehaviourchange may be difficult to assess numerically but can and will be documented throughoutcomemapping.

ICRAF MEL and SHARED teams will remain at hand to guide partners in assessing andreportingleveragedadoptiontargetsbasedonagreedplans.Baselinesurevyreports

Key data that was presented comes from the baseline survey is an essential part of theRegreening Africa’s impact assessment strategy and critical to enable reporting on theoutcomeandimpactlevelindicatorsofitsoveralllogframe,aswellastoestimatemanyoftheproject’sotheroutcomesandimpacts.

Villageclustersthataretargetedearly(Year1)bytheprojectwillbecomparedwiththosetargetedinitslastyear(Year4).Thiswillensurethatallcommunitieseventuallybenefitfromtheproject,butinasystematicwaythatallowsanimpactstudytobecarriedout.

KeydatapresentedbytheMELteamincluded:

• TheimpactevaluationstrategyshowingvillageclusterstargetedinYear1andYear4oftheproject;

• Explanationofthecomponentsoftheregreeningindexandtheirderivation;• Regreeningindexresultsforeachindividualindicatoranddimension;

• Diversityoftreespeciesfoundinsurveyedsitesandtheirprevalence;• Agroforestryproductsobtainedbyhouseholds;

• Agroforestrymanagementpracticesundertakenathouseholdlevel;

• Access to agroforestry information through extension, training and advice; andsourcesofsuchinformation;

• Approximate numbers of trees on farms and homesteads in the surveyedregions/districts/communes;

• Householdparticipationincommunity-levelregreening;and

• Analysisofgenderinclusioninagroforestryrelatedactivities.

Page|13

RegreeningIndex

Theactofregreeninghasdiverseelements,andthecombinationoftheseelementswillvarybycontext.Tocapturethisdiversity,a‘multi-dimensionalRegreeningIndex’wasdeveloped.TheRegreeningIndexcomprisesfourdimensions,withfourtofivebinary(yes-no)indicatorsfallingundereach.Themoreahouseholdengagesinthevariousdimensionsofregreening,thehigheritsscoreonthe0to1index.

The first dimension - Extent of practice—pertains to the extensiveness of a household’sregreeningeffortsoverthepastfouryears.MaximumpointsareawardedifithasengagedinFMNRand/ortreeplantingonitsmainfield,atitshomestead,andonanyotherofitsotherland use areas (e.g. secondary field) during this timeframe, as well as participated incommunity-levelregreeningactivities.Partialpoints,ifany,areawardedotherwise.

The second dimension - Intensity of practice—relates to the intensity of the household’sregreeningpractices.Thenewertreesand/orshrubsestablished,thehigherthescore,withhigherpoints still if agroforestryproductsproducedon farmwereusedby thehouseholdand/orifanyoftheseproductsweresold.

The third dimension - Diversity of practice—measures the diversity of a household’sregreening activities. Themore agroforestry practices inwhich a householdwas engagedand/oragroforestryproductsproduced,thehighernumberofpointsawarded.Thesameistruefordiversityoftreespeciesonfarmoratthehomestead,withhigherpointsforhavingatleasttwonativespecies.

Thefinaldimension-Intrahouseholdequity-gaugestheextentahousehold’sengagementinregreeningcanbeconsideredasequitablealonggenderlines.Ifagroforestryestablishmentactivitieswereundertakenwithfemaledecision-makinginvolvementand/ortheassociatedworkwasundertakenbybothwomenandmenofthehousehold,thehigheritsscorewillbeonthisdimension.Thesameistrueforthemanagementofalreadyestablishedtreesonfarmandifwomenwereinvolvedinspendingdecisionsofanyagroforestryproductssoldbythehousehold.

Figure6:ComponentsoftheRegreeningIndex.Theregreeningindexwillbeusedtocomparetheelementsattheonsetoftheprojectandafterfiveyearsofimplementationtobeabletocapturesomeoftheproject’sregreeningimpacts.

Page| 14

Theoriesofchange

AreviewoftheTheoryofChange(ToC)fordirectscalingencouragedparticipantstothinkabout the approaches to reaching the target farmers in a meaningful way. The groupdevelopedascalingapproachoutliningthe institutionsengagedinthescalingprocessandtheir relationships. A discussion on the scaling modalities including the numbers to bereached,incentivesforscalingandthelevelsatwhichtobringindifferentinterventionstookplace.

The group then reflected on the wider practice and policy influence work that is a keyopportunityandauniquefeatureoftheproject.Discussionofthepartnersandprojectsthatwouldbereachedforleveraging,principlestoguidethis,andtheapproachwerediscussed.Intermsofwiderinfluence,asecondtheoryofchangewasreviewedorbuilttoidentifythekeyactionsandactors.

Discussiononthepolicy-relatedbarrierstoscalingregreeningpracticesformedthebaseforoutcomemapping.Groupsworkedoneachofthebarrierstoidentifywhomustbeengagedto overcome the challenge, how the project can engage them, and the change expectedthroughthisengagementintermsofbehaviour.

Ethiopiatheoryofchangefordirectscaling

The goal of the project is ‘Improved livelihood and resilience of smallholder farmers intargeted areas. Livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers will be improved whenproductivityofsmallholderfarmingsystemsandlandscapesisincreased.Inordertoincreaseproductivity, degraded lands need to be rehabilitated by adopting and promotingEvergreeningAgriculture(EGAs)(andmoistureharvestingpractices).AdoptingandpromotingEGApracticesatscalewillbeachievedbystrengtheningthecapacityoflocalorganisations,communitiesandserviceprovidersthroughtrainingsandcreatingmassawareness.ItisalsoimportanttoidentifyanddocumentedscalableEGAinnovationsandbroadlycommunicateRegreening successes to communities and stakeholders. Finally, strengthening/developingEGA-relatedcomplementaryvaluechainsandsupportingsmallholderfarmerswithviableandinclusiveEGAoptionswillensureadoptionofthesepractices.

Page| 15

Figure6:EthiopiaTheoryofchange(ToC)forcommunity-levelscaling.

Figure7:ThegenericInterventionmodelatsub-watershedlevelfortheRegreeningAfricaprojectinEthiopia.

Page|16

Scalingstrategy

• Byusingtheexistingcommunityorganisations,thedirectcommunity-levelintervention

willbeachievedthroughsensitising,mobilisingandtrainingthecommunitytoadoptregreening best practices. Farmers' field days and experience sharing visits will beorganisedtofacilitatefarmer-to-farmerextensionsofEGApractices.Theprojectwillalsousevideoshows,radiobroadcastingandpostersonbestpracticestoinfluencethecommunityandfacilitatewideradoption.Videostoshowbestpractices,successstories,and to train farmers in implementationof re-greeningpractices,wouldbe themainscalingstrategytoaccelerateadoptionofregreeningpractices.

• The projectwill support establishment of FMNR community groups and strengthenexisting conservation groups, Farmer Training Centres (FTCs) and/or Rural ResourceCentres (RRCs) as learning and demonstration sites. Furthermore, government andcommunitynurserieswillbesupportedandstrengthenedtofacilitatetreeplanting.

• Farmertofarmervisitswillbeusedasakeyscalingstrategytointensifytheoutreachandimpactofchampionfarmers.

• Theprojectwillinfluencethewiderpolicy,practiceandinvestmentdecisionsthroughengagingpolicymakers,governmentoffices(includingallrelevantMinistries),throughorganising regular meetings and participation in already existing relevantnetworks/platforms (e.g.NationalAgroforestryPlatform)at all levels to getbuy-ins,synergisewithallexistingwork,andinfluencerelevantpolicies.

• Through active engagements with policy makers, the government is expected toincorporatetheprojectstrategiesandtheoriesofchangetoitsgovernmentplansatall

Page| 17

levelsandfacilitatethedirectcommunity-levelEGAadoptionswithinandoutsidetheprojectinterventionsites.

• Thecommunicationstrategiesthattheprojectplannedtousetoengagewiththewiderstakeholder community (that is, outside the direct intervention regions) isdisseminatinginformationonEGAthroughNationaladvocacyplatforms/networksuchastheNationalAgroforestryPlatform,participatinghigherofficialsondifferentevents(field days, jointmonitoring visits), and through providing communicationmaterials(flyers,brochures,posters,successstories,technicalreports).

• The project will strengthen existing platforms and networks to leverage regreeningapproachandinfluencehigherofficialsandpolicymakerstoincorporateagroforestryandregreeninginitiativesintothegovernmentstrategicandannualworkplans.

• CapacitybuildingtrainingwillbegiventorelevantWoredaandKebelepartners,localNGOs,CBOs,FBOsandserviceproviders suchasnurseryoperators to facilitates thescaling out implementation process and sustain project successes after the projectends.

• Theprojectwillsupportgovernmentandcommunitynurserieswithspecialemphasistonurseriesrunbyyouthandwomengroupstoovercomestructuralbarriersassociatedwithprovisionoftreeseedsandseedlingsshortage.

Figure8:Mapofintensification,scaling-out,andleverageEVAadoptionlocations

Page|18

Widerpracticeandpolicyscaling

EGApracticesappropriateforthefarmingsystemandlandscapeswillimprovethelivelihoodsand resilienceof farmers.Toensureadoptionof thesepracticesbycommunities, supportfromEGApracticesneedstobegivenbythegovernmentandotherinfluentialactors.Fromhere,EGAcanbescaledup,influencingcommunitiesfurtherafield,buildingtheirresiliencetoclimatechangeandincreasingtheirincomethroughtree-basedvaluechains.

The first task is to establish a strong relationship between CRS/WVE/partners and thegovernment,regardingEGA.Todothis,CRS/WVE/partnerswillregularlyengagewithpolicymakers and government offices through meetings and joint monitoring visits to createadequateunderstandingonEGA,andstrengthenrelationshipswithhigherofficialsatnationalandregional level.Moreover,policymakersandgovernmentofficesatdifferentlevelswilldevelop adequate understanding of the regreening approach when discussionforums/platformsarecreatedatdifferentlevels,andgovernmentofficesatregional/nationallevelsareinformedonthemultiplebenefitsoflandrestorationandagroforestry.

Figure9:TheoryofChange(ToC)forinfluencingwiderpracticeandpolicyscaling.

Feedbackfromthedatawallsession:

Itwasnotedthatanuptakesurveyneedstobeconductedintheprojectsites.Additionally,adecision has beenmade to assess the data at the kebele region and not at the scale ofWoredas.Acoupleofquestionsarosewhichneedtobeaddressed:

• Whatisthevalueofthebaselineassessmenttodecisionmaking;and• HowappropriateistheRegreeningIndexforthebaselineassessment(boxplotsarenot

wellunderstood)?• Whenwillthefinalbaselinereportbesharedwithpartners?

Page| 19

4.2.4 Regreening App TheRegreeningAfricaAppisafreemobile-basedandroidapplicationdesignedanddevelopedbyWorldAgroforestry(ICRAF),tohelppartnersandusers(leadfarmers)collectinformationonhowfarmersaremanagingandprotectingtreesontheirfarms.TheApphasfourmodulesthatfocusontreeplanting,nurseryestablishment,Farmer-ManagedNaturalRegeneration(FMNR)andTraining.

theAppaimsto;

1. Tofacilitatetheevidencing,reportingandverificationofthenumberofhouseholdsreachedandthenumberofhectaresregreened,tothedonor.

2. Toenablemonitoringofreal-timeprogressoftheprojectbyallprojectmanagers(e.g.trainings conducted, tree nurseries supported in their jurisdiction, farmer groupssupported,etc).

3. Tobridgedatagapsfromexistingdatacollectiontoolsandmethodsfortriangulation.

Features

• TheAppallowsentryofsimpletextandnumericdata,images,andlocationdataoftreesandnurseries.

• Facilitates the reportingof thenumberofhouseholds reachedand thenumberofhectaresregreened.

• Allowsmonitoringofthereal-timeprogressoftheproject(trainingsconducted,treenurseriesandseedlingsdistributed-numbers,andspeciesdiversity).

• Itallowsuserstocollectdataofflineandupload it totheserveroncethedevice isconnectedtoamobilenetworkorWIFI.

• Userscanviewthedatatheyhavecollectedbyclickingviewdatabutton.

Figure10:RegreeningAppavailablefreelythroughGooglePlay

Page| 20

5. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE The role of communications was discussed within scaling, leveraging and the Theory ofChange(ToC)oftheprojectactivities.ThecommunicationsupportunitfromICRAFbroughtouttheideathatcommunicationsisacriticalmethodwithintheprojectandtheconceptofstrategiccommunicationsrelatestousingcommunicationexecutionmethodstobringaboutdesiredbehaviourchangeinthetargetaudience.ForRegreeningAfricaNGOimplementers,keyquestionsarevaluableforcommunication.

Keyquestions

• Whoisthetargetaudience?• Whatisthemosteffectivewaytogetamessageacrosstothem?• Is the message you are delivering clear and being delivered in a simple and

encouragingwaytomakebehaviourchange?• Isthetoolyouhaveusedtherightone?Forexample, isanationalradiobroadcast

goingtoreachthetargetaudienceinselectedscalinglocations,orisbudgetbetterspentondedicatingthistowardsaleadfarmeradvocacytoolkit,postersandabicyclesotheycandirectlyinteractwithfarmerstodeliveracompellingmessage?

• Howdoyoutailoryourmessagetotheaudience?Forexample,whenlookingatpolicyandtheenablingenvironment,isthereaspecificpolicymakerorfocalpointyoubuildrelationships with rather than just publishing a policy brief for a wider policyaudience?

Strategic communicationsaredesigned tobringaboutbehaviour change.Thereare threecorecategories.

1. Massmedia–toolslikeradio,newspaper,televisionandinternet.2. Interpersonalcommunication–approacheslikefarmer–farmersensitisation

andleadfarmers.3. Communitymobilisation–approacheslikenurserydemonstrationdaysand

farmerfielddays.

Thesethreecategoriesallaimtobringaboutchangesinknowledge,attitudesandbehaviourintheintendedaudience.

Page| 21

KeyfeedbackfrominteractivedatawallPROPOSEDACTIVITIES

• Drama• Songs&poetry• Scientificpublications/

technicalreports/journals• Flyers/posters/brochures• Roadshows• Socialmedia• Ruralresourcecentres• Exhibitions• Exchangevisits/fielddays• Trainings• Radioshows• Videos/videoshows• Notationaladvocacy

platformse.g.nationalagroforestryplatform.

• Workshopswithhighlevelgovernmentofficialsandotherstakeholders.

Governance• Fieldexperiencesaretobesharedintheagroforestryplatform.• Takesomerecommendationsfromtheplatformandimplementtheseinthefield.• MinistryofAgricultureSafetyNetProgrammes(SCM)(agroforestryteam).

o Intentiontogobeyondo Developaprogramo Directorateorsecretariat(agroforestrytaskforce)

• Actionplansandreporteachquarter.• Platformwillmakeareportonkeyissuesonagroforestryinregions.

o PASDIP-Leverage?o MOA

• Dashboard• Commissionplantoplantseedlings-Strategyonthis?

Page| 22

AgroforestryPlatform• Whatarewecontributingandwhatarethetimelines?

o Coordinationinthefieldforregreeningactivities.o Landusesystems–issuesonintegrationanduseoftreesinthesedifferentparts

ofthelandscapes;farmerled/participatorylearning(canweinfluencethisatthelocallevel?).

o Treediversityanddiversityofpractice(FMNR).o FMNRpolicybriefs(capacity).o Materialdeliveringsystem.o Localleadershipandgovernance.

ActionPoints:

• Developa1pager–ledbyICRAFwithinputsfromCRSandWorldVision.• SharefindingsontheagroforestryplatformbyJuly.

o Identifyinputsandamend.

AccessingEvidenceandPolicyLeveragingThroughDashboardsOnline web-based dashboards are being co-designed through the project to make datarelevanttoregreeningeasytoaccessand interpret.RegreeningdecisiondashboardswereintroducedduringthenationalSHAREDworkshopstodetermineinterestindevelopingonefor the country. A team of project partners including implementing NGOs and relatedstakeholdersidentifiedimportantindicators,somedisplayfeatures,dataavailableandendusersduringaninitialdiscussion.Onlineconversationsandsharedworkingspaceswerethenusedtoreceivefeedbackoninitialdesignideas,receivedataandinput.Thedashboardsarenowbeinggraphicallydesignedandprogrammedwiththeprototypeduetobeavailablebytheendof2019.Oncethedashboardisavailable,itwillbeusedtotargetandmonitorprojectactivitiesaswellasfeedintonationalleveldialoguesonregreening.

Page| 23

Figure11:TheRegreeningdecisiondashboardforEthiopia.

Page| 24

6. AGREED ACTIONS AND NEXT STEPS Throughout the joint reflection discussions, actions and next steps were agreed uponamongstprojectpartners.Thesewerecapturedandreviewedbythegroupasoutlinedbelow.Theseactionswillbeundertakenbeforethesecondyearoftheprojectisfinishedorwillbeincludedintheplansandbudgetsforthethirdyear.

CapacitydevelopmentandextensionJune–endofAugust,year2

• CRSandWVEwithsupportfromICRAF-ReviewToC• Includenewactivitiesinactivityplanyear3fromupdatedToC

Q2–Q4,year3• Incentivesforvolunteerfarmertrainers

MonitoringandevaluationByendofMay,year2

• Feedbackonregreeningapp.• BaselinereporttobesharedbyICRAF.• GuidingdocumentonleveragetobesharedbyICRAF.• UptakesurveydecisionandbudgetbyCRSandWVEwithinputsfromICRAF(HHand

institution).June–endofAugust,year2

• Countryleveragestrategydevelopment.• Vegetationtreesneeddifferenceshown(LDD).

Q2–Q4,year3• Howtocapturethestories-Behaviourchangecollectivelyagree.• Monitoringingovernment(stories).

Valuechain/marketsByendofMay,year2

• Updatedvaluechainreportshared.June–endofAugust,year2

• ICRAF-Valuechainvalidation2-daytrainingforCRSandWVE.• Agreeonvaluechainstobestrengthened(genderconsidered).• Getlistofspeciesandensureaccesstoseeds/seedlings.

Q2–Q4,year3• Youthandgenderintegration

GovernanceinstitutionsJune–endofAugust,year2

• Strengthengovernancestructuresatalllevelsandlinkgroupstothelocalgovernance

Page| 25

• Supportgroupstogetrecognition• Collectiveactionleadershiptraining• Crosslearningonclosuresystemstoidentifybestpracticesandgapsforstudies• Mastersstudentstosupportbiophysicalsocioeconomicdatacollection(evidence)• Asklocalstudentstosubmitproposals

Q2–Q4,year3• Localleadership

PolicyinfluenceByendofMay,year2

• ICRAF-ReviewToCtoinfluencepolicyandpracticebasedonthediscussion(ICRAF)June–endofAugust,year2

• AgroforestryplatformmeetinginJuly• OnepagerfromRegreeningICRAFleads• Keytopicsforinputbyproject(coordination,density)(localleadership)• Outcomemapping–shareslides,supportifneeded,completebyJuly)• Dashboarddatasourcing(ICRAFled)

Q2–Q4,year3• Dashboardprototype• Timberpolicyissues

Tree/seedlingsinputsByendofMay,year2

• SeedsourceanddiversitydiscussedbyICRAF,CRSandWVEJune–endofAugust,year2

• RRCdevelopment–womenledinOromia(CRS)

Q2–Q4,year3• Cooperativedevelopment

CommunicationsByendofMay,year2

• CRSandWVE-Pressandinformationofficer(detailsfromEUdelegation)• CRSandWVE-Posterandleafletsintolocallanguage

June–endofAugust,year2

• Billboardstobeestablished(CRSandWVE)• Promotionalmaterialsensitivetogendertobeproduced• Producemonthlynewsletter

Q1,year3

• Videoproduction

Page| 26

Page| 27

7. LINKS TO REPORTS 1. EthiopiaSHAREDReport2. MELReversing LandDegradation by Scaling Up Evergreen Agriculture (Regreening

Africa),BaselineSurveyReport(Ethiopia_Working_Draft)3. EthiopiaValueChainReport4. TechnicalSupportPlan