FY 2012 ANNUAL REPORT Education and Research in Agriculture (ERA)

The program supports the objectives of President Obama's Feed the Future Initiative, climate-resilient agriculture through research and innovation, and improved training and employment opportunities for women and youth. The initiative is part of USAID's development priorities. The program's focus is on high-impact human capacity building and outreach interventions. USAID/ERA executed a series of activities for the benefit of its core constituencies, including instructional faculty, researchers, students, AETR partners, producer organizations, the public and private sectors stakeholders. Four activities were carried out to coincide with the March 8, 2013 International Women's Day celebration, centered around the "Women's Entrepreneurship and Partnership" and benefiting 103 participants from all 12 AETR partners of the project. The results for the quarter touched on the three components as well as cross-cutting areas of the project. International Women's Day 2013 was marked by four key activities implemented by USAID/ERA, benefiting 103 key constituencies, including 73 women food processing workers from 25 GIE in the Casamance region, faculty and researchers from the 12 AETR partners of the project, and key stakeholders from Ziguinchor. Component 1: Strengthening Agricultural Education and Training System, supported the following interventions during this period: institutional capacity building, where USAID/ERA organized a ceremony marking the transfer of capacity-building goods and equipment to its AETR partner institutions. The ceremony highlighted USAID/ERA donations of vehicles, computer hardware, office equipment, and laboratory equipment, which will enable students, faculty, and researchers to conduct site visits, perform field demonstrations, and engage in distance education programs. Institutional capacity building through syllabus development was also supported at UT (ENSA and ISFAR), LTAEB, CFPH, CNFTEFCPN, and UZ. This involved collaboration with faculty from the U.S. university to develop syllabi for agricultural education and training programs. The goal of this intervention was to enhance the quality of agricultural education and training in Senegal. Component 2: Strengthening Applied Research and Outreach, focused on promoting innovative research solutions to public and private clients and providing outreach services and technical support to clients in farming communities and the private sector. USAID/ERA supported the development of research proposals and the implementation of research projects in collaboration with AETR partners. Component 3: Management and policy support, focused on supporting AETR institutions to elaborate strategic documents. USAID/ERA provided technical assistance to AETR partners to develop strategic plans and policies that align with the program's objectives. Cross-cutting and project management achievements included the third ERA/USAID steering committee meeting, scholarship recipient selection, monitoring and evaluation, project management, and communication. The project management indicators achievement showed progress in implementing the project's activities and achieving its objectives. Lessons learned from the quarter included the importance of collaboration with AETR partners and the need for continued support to enhance the capacity of AETR institutions. Constraints faced by the project included limited resources and the need for more effective communication with stakeholders. Activities planned for the next quarter included continued support to AETR partners, implementation of research projects, and development of strategic documents. The project's performance monitoring plan (PMP) was also updated to reflect the progress made during the quarter and the activities planned for the next quarter.