Consulting Services for strengthening the Global Crop Diversity Trust capacity to implement project activities in Africa
The Seeds for Resilience project is supported by the Federal Government of Germany (BMZ) through the German Development Bank (KfW).
Partners: 5 National Genebanks of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia
Duration : October 2020 – May 2025
The challenge
The project aims to strengthen national seed collections (NSC) that are not part of the Plant Treaty’s Global System, recognising the complementary role of these collections outside the global system to improve the availability of diversified and climate-resilient crop varieties to farmers in least developed countries (LDCs).
The approach
The role of Rutger Persson has been to assist and facilitate the partners in strengthening their capacity to better acquire, maintain, characterise and promote the sustainable utilisation of the crop diversity conserved in genebanks.
The goal
The direct goal of this project is to strengthen selected African NSCs in their ability to fulfil their national and global responsibilities to conserve living samples of their countries’ crop diversity and enable its effective use now and in the future.
Examples of our success
Safety duplication of the germplasm conserved in their genebanks, at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV):
Voices from the field
“SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM S4R PROJECT IN NIGERIA
1. Capacity building on basic genebank operations that led to the development of seven SOPs
2. New approaches to utilization of genebank materials through Users Engagement with farmers
3. Upgrading of critical facilities to enhance quality of seeds conservation and support systems for safety duplication of important accessions in other genebanks as well as Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
4. Efficient data management for Internal and External access to relevant information on PGRFA in Nigeria genebank through GGCE and Genesys respectively.
Project Manager in the SDC funded Markets and Seeds Access Project (MASAP) in Zambia and Zimbabwe during First Phase December 2021-June 2025
The Project Manager is providing strategic leadership during the implementation of the first phase of the MASAP project in Zambia and Zimbabw. The PM is responsible for the progress reporting to SDC as well as conducting semi-annually the Steering Committee and Stakeholder meetings. The PM role is to ensure timely achievement of project deliverables and outputs. Rutger Persson is managing two core Teams in Lusaka and Harare and has the overall coordinating role of the project activities in Zimbabwe/Zambia as well as in the wider SADC region. The Market System Development Project is engaging the private sector players to work closely with the farm communities and associations. Catalytic funding (grants) is being provided to the private sector companies and farm communities to grow the market in the targeted crop value chains. Rutger Persson has taken an active role in developing networks with key stakeholders and stimulate cross-border collaboration. Besides the PM duties, Rutger Persson is Leading the Policy dialogue on national seed policies and regulations in SADC and COMESA. Website: https://masap-zimzam.com/
Services in the SDC Markets and Seeds Access Project (MASAP) in Zambia and Zimbabwe during Inception phase July -November 2021
The overall goal of the MASAP project is to improve resilience in food security of smallholder households (especially women and youth) by increasing adoption and utilisation of improved open and self-pollinated varieties of small grains (sorghum and millets) and legumes (cowpeas and groundnuts). This will be made possible through strengthening the seed and commodity value chains in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project’s broad three outcomes include:
(1) sustainable community owned enterprises and associations provide services that lead to smallholder farmers – in particular women and youth – having higher and diversified incomes resulting from adoption, utilisation and sales of small grain and legume seeds and commodities;
(2) sustainable and predictable availability of Early Generation Seeds (EGS), access to affordable quality seeds of small grain and legume and related services by smallholder farmers through increased engagement of the private sector;
(3) national agricultural and food security policies, as well as private sector plans, supportive of small grains and legumes sectors’ needs and interests, and that are gender and youth responsive, are developed and implemented.
The main purpose of the MASAP inception phase, between 20th July-30th November 2021, is to develop a credible and feasible ProDoc that clearly defines the project objectives and targets and how the project will be implemented to reach these. The MASAP Core Team members will contribute to the development of a comprehensive document that establishes the basis for SDC´s invest and it is from the data in the ProDoc logframe that the MASAP achievements will be measured.
The tender for implementing the SDC funded Markets and Seed Access Project (MASAP) was awarded to NIRAS A/S in Denmark. Their sub-contractors are Community Technology Development Organisation (based in Zimbabwe) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) based in Switzerland. Svalöf Consulting is contracted by NIRAS A/S as sub-consultant for the services of the Project Manager.
Consulting Services for Strengthening the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) capacity to implement project activities in Africa
AFC has been contracted by GCDT for the project ” Consulting Services for Strengthening the Global Crop Diversity Trust capacity to implement project activities in Africa” (Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia). Svalöf Consulting as sub-contractor of AFC provides the Team Leader (Rutger Persson) for the Project, during 3 years (November 2020-October 2023).
The Capitalisation of the Endowment Fund of the GCDT and Strengthening of National Genebanks project aims to empower national seed collections by safeguarding them in perpetuity through through the endowment fund, documenting and managing them appropriately for conservation and use, promoting their use, as a basis for climate adaption of vulnerable African cropping systems. The project is supported by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW.
The project consist of three outputs:
- Essential operations of national seed collections in 5 African countries safeguarded in perpetuity through an endowment fund.
- National seed collections are managed and documented appropriately for conservation and use
- Use of national seed collections for increasing the diversity of varietal options with which farmers can respond to climate change.
Mid-Term Evaluation of the WB Agriculture Commercialization Project (ACP) in Tajikistan
“The objective of the mid-term project review was to take stock of the project progress at midpoint of its implementation and evaluate progress achieved. The Project has taken upon itself a challenging task of addressing some the most important demand and supply side constraints, with some notable progress acheived to date. The Project has developed a comprehensive approach to determine, support and invest in value chains. Engagement of NIRAS that invest time and effort to think about the content, delivery approaches rooted in building local capacity, transferring knowledge and being close to beneficiaries is rather refreshing. This approach seems to have posetively impacted farmers and ACP´s ultimate objective of improving both the commercialisation and knowledge base of small-scale farmers who are in the greatest need for support. Four value chains have already been selected (apricot, milk, apple and lemon) and another two are currently under review, having already covered over 6 000 beneficiaries across three provinces and formalized skill development in the form of designing and delivering Farmer Field School (FFS) that has already provided nearly 30 000 hours of training and advisory services to beneficiaries through national and regional service providers.Overall, training delivery and monitoring is now being implemented at a very high-quality level and should be a point of pride for the Project. Staff of NIRAS (Team Leader and the technical assistance team) are now integral and de-facto part of the PMU (Project Management Unit), allowing for efficient day to day coordination of the activities and troubleshooting.”
Value Chain Development and Training/ Advisory Service Provider to TACP in Tajikistan
NIRAS Indevelop has been contracted to provide Technical Assistance to the Tajik Agriculture Commercialization Project (TACP) which is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture through the PMU and funded by the World Bank. The objective of the TA is to contribute to Value Chain/ Productive Partnership Development through and advise of relevant stakeholder in selected value chains. The specific tasks for the TA support are to 1. Provide Support to identification and development of Value Chain Development Activities; 2. Capacity Building through Training and Advisory Services; and 3. Support to the development of the commercial grant program. Svalöf Consulting has been subcontracted, making Rutger Persson available in carrying out the services as Team Leader and Expert on Value Chain Development. The service will be delivered between October 2016 and December 2020.
Business Development services to 54 Private Seed Companies in 11 African countries
Rutger Persson has been engaged by AGRA during 18 months ( 1st September 2015- 28th February 2017) as Business Development consultant, in developing the ability of 54 African seed companies to manage their business growth and provide improved seeds to small-scale farmers, in eleven African countries, on a sustainable basis.
Methodology to be deployed would be a combination of personal meetings with the management teams of the beneficiary companies and supplemented with online interactions on a regular basis with the nominated members of the beneficiary companies.
Personal meetings with the beneficiary companies under this assignment would be in two phases
- Introductory & exploratory with all the companies in the first 22 calendar weeks with a view to establish channels of communications
- Mentoring and guiding management teams in implementing the proposed improvement plans over rest of the assignment period of about one year.
Under the phase I of interactions, round of meetings with all the companies will focus on understanding and identifying needs, drawing suitable plans for each company in the areas of
a) Strategy and operational matters of the companies, constraints and opportunities as seen by the Management team,
b) Management processes of planning & review, policy formulation, risks management and market response capabilities,
c) Organisation structure, clarity of JDs, performance management system- goal setting, identify training needs of professionals,
d) Supply chain management- quality control measures for achieving consistent standards, inventory management, machinery & equipment and facilities, information systems for effective monitoring of progress,
e) Market planning capabilities, review spread & strengths of product portfolio, Brand building plans,
f) R&D plans, maintenance and multiplication plans for commercial & pre-commercial products, g) Financial accounting system, MIS, cash flow planning including capital expenses,
g) Application of the 52 tools in the “African Seed Company Toolbox”
Recommended interventions for the common problems would be developed and presented to the management of AGRA for further implantation which would be supported during the phase II of this assignment, for one year.
Monitor in the Seed Sector Development for South Sudan program
Svalöf Consulting has signed an agreement with the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Juba, to monitor the Seed Sector Development for South Sudan (SSD4SS) program, implemented by AGRA. The external monitoring will periodically appraise the progress and developments of the Dutch funded program and contribute to the overall objective , providing a second opinion on the progress made. The first mission was conducted between 8-17th June 2015, assessed and advised on:
AGRA´s capability to establish working methods that are flexible and adaptable to the evolving context, based on AGRA´s ability and willingness to carry out methodological revisions from time to time and the development of robust mechanisms to measure performance
Review AGRA´s work in the broader sectorial context and assess to what extent AGRA´s approach and performance results in AGRA assuming a lead role regarding the introduction and increase of locally grown quality seeds, also at farmer´s level, in South Sudan.
Assess the expected output, outcome and impact of the program
Specifically SSD4SS aims to:
- Create increased capacity for research, seed testing and release and certification through short and long term training of crop and seed technical specialists
- Facilitate the strengthening elements within Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperatives and Rural Development (MAFCRD) related to crop improvement research, seed testing for release to private sector and certification activities, as well as improvement of seed testing laboratory infrastructure
- To create an emerging private commercial seed sector through the multiplication of quality seeds and dissemination of these seeds of the new, improved crop varieties;
- To organize, train and support farmer groups to enable them to produce seed as outgrows for seed companies and for local distribution;
- To create awareness of the developed crop varieties among farmers and other stakeholders through awareness-raising activities including on-farm demonstration plots and as a result the adoption of quality seeds by farmers.
Second mission to Ethiopia in the ISSD program, 9-20th April 2015
In agreement with the Centre of Development Innovation at Wageningen, Rutger Persson conducted his second mission to Ethiopia in the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) program, 9-20th April 2015, with the following agenda:
- The website of the Ethiopian Seed Association
- Training material/ guides in business management, seed marketing, seed production, post harvest handling, warehouse management, seed quality control
- Seed Code of Practice
- Strengths, Weaknesses and Actions reported by Evaluation Team
- Preparations for a one day awareness creating workshop for agricultural input suppliers, vegetable seed importers and CGIAR centres (to be conducted by ESA)
- ESA´s News Letter
Assisted the Ethiopian Seed Association in finalizing the design and content of their new website, which was launched on www.ethiopianseedassociation.wordpress.com.
The final stage of editing the Business Plan template, prior to printing and dissemination among ESA´s members, as a practical and useful working tool in planning and optimizing the company earnings.
Worked on the specific task in developing a Seed Code of Practice for the seed sector, in order to safeguard the seed quality, creating confidence among the Ethiopian small-scale farmers in certified seed of improved varieties.
Assisted ESA in planning for another workshop in create awareness among input suppliers, vegetable seed importers and CGIAR centres working in Ethiopia, to become members of the Association, attracting them to advertise on the ESA website and work closer with their members who are engaged in producing and marketing seed.
The observations by the ISSD evaluation team were taken into consideration in the discussions with ESA, how to further improve the Associations mandate by:
- Focusing on development of services before further actions to attract more members
- Financial sustainability is less important than service development (in the short term perspective)
- Identify relevant business linkage between company and Local Seed Business and facilitate that linkage.
National Workshop of ISSD Ethiopia; ESA Strategy Plan; training in business management, marketing, quality control and warehouse management in 2015
Rendered the following services as Private Seed Sector Consultant in the Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) Program in Ethiopia:
Facilitated during the National Workshop of ISSD program in Hawassa, SNNPR, 26-30th January 2015.
Advised the Ethiopian Seed Association (ESA) in strengthening their organisation and management, making the association more visible and effective through a number of measures stipulated in a Strategy Plan. Planned for new staff development and training programs during 2015, focusing on the knowledge gaps, such as business management, marketing, quality control, warehouse management. Furthermore, ESA´s mandate to introduce a Code of Practice, working across the boarders, networking with other associations and seed companies in Africa, Europe and Asia, was also given high attention during the mission, in order to create trust among farmers and strengthen ESA´s PR-activities across the boarders during 2015.