SERA Year 5 Quarter 3 Report, April 1, 2016 – June 30, 2016

The project focuses on improving the policy environment for agriculture and developing individual and institutional capacity to undertake policy analysis and advocate effectively for policy reforms. The project began in April 2011 and completed the fourth full year of operation on September 30, 2015. This report covers the period from April 1, 2016, to June 30, 2016. The project's period of performance was originally set to end on April 6, 2016, but a request for a no-cost extension was approved by USAID, extending the period of performance through August 30, 2016. During the third quarter of the fifth year, several tasks were completed, including the presentation of the Close-Out Plan to USAID on April 18. The Business Environment Study was presented to stakeholders on April 20, and the Policy Brief (Annex 1) was completed. A Policy Brief on Policy Options for Food Security, Economic Growth, and Poverty Alleviation (Annex 2) was also completed, as well as the Rice Market Efficiency Study (Annex 3). A report on the impact of the Global Food Crisis, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), was accepted for publication in a forthcoming book on Food Security (Annex 4). The draft Maize Gender Study, undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank (WB)/International Finance Corporation (IFC), was presented at a workshop on May 23, and the report was finalized (Annex 5). The report on the Transparent Rules-Based System for Emergency Food Imports (Annex 6) was completed, as well as a training on a Healthy Food Basket to the staff of the Department of Food Security and Nutrition in Zanzibar (Annex 7). The training was conducted by Nancy Cochrane of the Economic Research Service (ERS) in collaboration with SERA staff and a nutrition expert. SERA project worked with the USAID ASPIRE Project to deliver training to over 40 participants from the Government of Tanzania (GOT) and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGOZ) on the use of STATA statistical software. SERA concluded its support to the Tanzania Seed Trade Association (TASTA) by hosting a one-day stakeholder workshop on June 3, 2016, in Arusha. The workshop was attended by 68 participants, including representatives from the private sector, government, and civil society organizations. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of TASTA to advocate for policy reforms that support the development of the seed industry in Tanzania. The project's activities are focused on three main components: Policy Research and Reform, Individual and Institutional Capacity Building, and Advocacy and Communications. The project's implementation progress is monitored through a series of indicators, including the reduction of binding constraints to private sector investment and the increase in agricultural productivity and profitability in targeted value chains. The project's financial summary for the third quarter of the fifth year shows a total expenditure of $1.2 million, with a balance of $2.5 million remaining in the project's budget. The project's performance management plan outlines the key performance indicators and targets for the remaining period of performance, including the completion of the project's close-out activities and the submission of the final report to USAID. The project's cross-cutting issues include the need to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Tanzania to undertake policy analysis and advocacy, as well as the need to improve the business environment for agriculture in Tanzania. The project's recommendations for future support include the need to continue to build the capacity of the Government of Tanzania to undertake policy analysis and advocacy, as well as the need to improve the business environment for agriculture in Tanzania.