On 16 August the State Minister for Livestock Resources Development, HE Dr Gebregziabher Gebreyohannes visited ILRI with Dr Bewket Siraw ( Head, Animal Health Directorate) and Ato Tadesse Sori (Head, Animal Production and Feed Directorate). He met several members of the Institute Management Committee, including Jimmy Smith and senor members of ILRI in Addis. We discussed ILRI’s strategy, our work in Ethiopia and plans for the future. It was a very positive and constructive meeting. The Minister welcomed ILRI’s commitment to expand its program in Ethiopia and we discussed how ILRI can support the work of the Ministry, especially in the development of the export opportunities in the beef sector, including the challenges of Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures, and improving feed supply for livestock, including forage seed supply. We undertook to work with the Ministry on these as well as other areas (more in this news story).
The Institute Management Committee along with Peter Ballantyne, Susan MacMillan, Boni Moyo and Iddo Dror spent a week in Addis working on developing the Critical Success Factors which were identified as necessary if we are to deliver on our new strategy. These are:
- Get the science right
- Influence decision makers
- Grow capacity
- Ensure ILRI is fit for purpose
- Secure sustainable and appropriate funding
We developed the key elements for each of those topics and identified some priority actions. These will be presented at the next Institute Research Management Committee in October for comment.
The Town Hall on 15 August comprised two parts. Firstly a meeting of all ILRI staff followed by a meeting with NRS staff in Addis. At the NRS meeting I was very encouraged by the open and frank way in which staff expressed their views, even when they were being critical of management. I encourage people to tell me and the management team what you think, if you agree, disagree, what we can do better, what ideas you have and so on. Jimmy and I encouraged the NRS staff to re-form the Addis Staff Council as a very important means of communication between staff and management. Please consider this very seriously. I would really like to have an active NRS Staff Council with an Executive Committee that is representative of the whole staff with which I and other members of the management team can discuss areas of common interest , where staff and management can put forward ideas to enrich the working environment and get a better understanding of each other perspectives.
I chaired a meeting of the Addis Health and Safety Committee on 29 August. We had a full agenda and made a lot of progress on a number of issues. As well as receiving reports on a number of topics we agreed to hire consultants to help us design an effective fire detection system and firefighting equipment (fire hydrants, fire reels, fire extinguishers etc). We also decided to construct a new oxidation pond and carry out an energy audit. We reviewed draft guidelines for dealing with wildlife on the campus and agreed to draft new guidelines dealing with children’s safety.
We received notification that a research proposal led by Texas A&M University and involving ILRI, IWMI and IFPRI was successful. This $12M project funded by USAID aims to increase food production, improve nutrition, protect the environment and accelerate economic development through improved access to small-scale irrigation technologies. It will work in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Ghana. The team from Texas, including Neville Clarke (former ILRI Board Chair) and Hank Fitzhugh (former ILRI DG) will be in Addis in September for the planning workshop.
Till Next Month
Iain
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