Abstract:

This Inception Report for the Livestock Systems Research Programme (LSRP), a
component of the Agricultural Sector Programme Support (ASPS) to Uganda, details
activities of the six months programme inception period front October 1998 to March
1999. For the LSRP, this was a period of transition from the 1997-1998 Project
Preparation Facilitation (PPF), to initiation of the LSRP itself. During PPF the Royal
Danish Embassy granted 3,000,000DKIC to the National Agricultural Research
Organisation (NARO) towards conclusion of various on-going livestock research
activities and preparation of the main program.
The component was thus in some ways provided a head start, and the inception period
has in many instances witnessed a continuation of already initiated activities (research
proposal writing, first year work planning, team formation, etc.). Development of
organisation and management structures has built on already established structures,
and implementation has been relatively straightforward. A series of planned activities
have already been initiated and completed, including an Inception Seminar, the
initiation of the LSRP diagnostic phase, refinement of research concept notes,
procurement of various items, and training. Other activities have been delayed for
various reasons, such as: inadvertently/understandably high expectations during
planning of the component; problems encountered in procurement of equipment; and
workload in NARO and PCU that retarded processing of requests, information flow
and implementation of decisions.
The inception phase has been a period of substantial and to some extent unanticipated
administrative work overload, especially with respect to the preparation of budgets,
work plans and monitoring indicators. These activities were important noting the need
to tone down the component budgets and work plans to realistic expectations, and
time/experience required within ASPS management to develop clear guidelines. The
component emerged from the PPF phase with conspicuous fatigue and frustration due
to prolonged planning. However, the general mood is rapidly recovei ing, the
appreciation of systems research is deepening, a sense of direction is emerging, and
team spirit is building among collaborating institutions. Towards the end of the
inception period field activities got off the ground, with the initiation of the next phase
of the programme - the Diagnostic Survey/Needs Assessment phase which will help
focus the LSRP research agenda through direct consultations with stakeholders and
beneficiaries in the field.
The monitoring indicators document currently stands at 67 pages, detailing more than
250 activities. The majority of these activities are directly related to research plans,
which at this stage can be tentative only. The specific demands for research inputs
will emerge as the programme evolves. The monitoring indicators document will be
adapted accordingly, and should be considered a flexible and dynamic document.
The 1999 budget was recently revised downwards from around 2,1 billion Uganda
Shillings, to approximately 1,25 billion Uganda Shillings. This followed a
recommendation from the PCU, in view of the fact that the component so far (for
reasons mentioned above) has been unable to meet all of its targets and projections. If
the component, however, is capable of fulfilling work plans and consume the budgeted amount before the end of 1999, additional finds can be advanced according
to the PCU.
The five-year budget for 1999-2003 reveals a shortage of finds in three areas: 1)
Secretariat, Library and Publishing, due to the unanticipated expenses associated with
the deployment of component staff; 2) Transportation, due to more vehicles- being
needed on the component than initially planned and budgeted for, and due to an
underestimation of the cost of servicing and maintaining all vehicles, and; 3) Masters
degree students. It had previously been anticipated that the costs of post-graduate
students at Makerere University, would be very small. This, however, is no longer the
case, and the component now expects to meet fees and all operational costs. All three
areas of likely fund shortage were discussed with the PCU and the component has
been assured that additional funds can be made available in due time as necessary.
The LSRP plans to initiate on-station and on-farm research around a series of research
themes: Smallholder dairy systems; Pastoral and Agro-pastoral systems; Small
ruminant (goat) systems; Free range poultry systems; and development of Diagnostic
tools (for feed and disease analysis). Within these themes, projects will concentrate on
feeding, breeding, diseases, natural resource management, marketing and training of
field staff and farmers. Given the demand-driven nature of the programme, it is at
present unclear as to where the emphasis will put, with respect to thematic areas and
also to which extent emerging themes may replace existing ones.
NARO operates under a nation-wide mandate, and the six LSRP pilot districts
(Mbarara, Masaka, Sembabule, Jinja, Mbale and Soroti) are only to some extent
coincident with the ASPS target districts. It is anticipated, however, that research
findings shall be extrapolated from the LSRP pilot districts and solutions applied
within the ASPS target districts where feasible. Collaboration and co-ordination with
the other ASPS components has not yet moved beyond the intention and planning
stage.
A number of potential risks and pertinent issues are listed towards the end of the
report. Among these are issues which the LSRP Co-ordination Unit recommends
should be addressed up front in order not to jeopardise and delay (further) programme
implementation on the ground. The issue of staffing and remuneration within NARO
and LSRP; the issue of information/communication flow within and between NARO
and the PCU; the issue of vehicle procurement; and the issue of establishing the CCU
office in particular need urgent attention.