A multi-stakeholder participatory pilot study of the data demands of the future Ethiopian dairy sector

Ethics and consent

No animals were involved in this work. Initially, on conducting the study, it was felt that due to the data collection being of a relatively impersonal nature, ethical approval was not necessary. The type of data participants were expected to provide related to the performance of different components of the dairy sector in Ethiopia, and no health or otherwise sensitive personal information was collected. However, on further consideration, full details and supporting documentation of the study were submitted for retrospective ethical review on 21^st February 2022 by the Human Ethical Review Committee, University of Edinburgh, the outcome of which stated that had the study been reviewed prior to commencement, ethical approval would likely have been given.

Study design

The purposive study commenced in April 2018, involving three visits to Ethiopia (9–15 May; 28 May-2 June; 5–11 August 2018) by the first author. A literature review was conducted, followed by stakeholder focus group discussions and key informant interviews, all of which helped to inform the structure of a stakeholder workshop, which was the culmination of the study. A total of 45 participants were involved.

The researchers present for the stakeholder discussions and interviews were Brian Perry and Yacob Aklilu, and for the workshop also included Getachew Legese, Solomon Hailemariam and Azage Tegegne, all Ethiopian, male scientists with long standing experience of the Ethiopian livestock sector. Brian Perry designed and facilitated the workshop, with long-standing experience of Ethiopia and its livestock sector (he led the Independent Evaluation or the Programmes of the FAO in Ethiopia in 2010; Perry et al., 2011). Whilst all researchers were known professionally to the stakeholders, and therefore had built up trust, they were not known personally, with regards to bias.

Literature review

An extensive review of the literature was conducted, to assess past and current research and development in the Ethiopian dairy sector, however there is very little available literature on the performance of the dairy sector. Sources were multiple; initially Google scholar and PubMed electronic databases were used to search for Ethiopian dairy milk production constraints which duly led on to reports and articles, and also documents were made available to the team in Ethiopia, including non-published governmental and other grey literature reports. Findings were collated in a Microsoft Word folder. Relevant literature included research articles, government documents, including the LMP, GTP-I and II and their reports, dairy sector plans and other documents to understand development efforts and plans in the sector.

Stakeholder scoping and mapping

Stakeholder mapping and cluster identification was carried out in three regions of Ethiopia: Addis Ababa (and its surrounds); Tigray, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). This geographical spread was undertaken in order to ensure as comprehensive engagement as possible, to pick out the key stakeholder clusters involved in dairying. Clusters were identified according to key roles undertaken by the various actors with dairy value chains in Ethiopia. Within each stakeholder cluster - government, research, feeds, genetics, health, processing, marketing, and producers - key informants were identified. Contact details were provided by the stakeholders in each of the clusters, complying with data protection legislation and ethical approval. The individuals and/or organisations operating in each cluster were identified through networking as well as the local authors provided lists of suitable participants, based on their local knowledge. Whilst there was the potential for bias, this was addressed by ensuring the widest range of participants possible.

Checklist

After consulting previous research and better understanding the sector and major stakeholders, a checklist was developed, for use in key informant interviews and focus group discussions in order to capture key issues in line with the study objectives. The checklist was developed using past research, and was supplemented extensively from discussions with the different stakeholder representatives. Checklists provided reminders of basic issues and questions, and were amplified depending on responses obtained during interviews and discussions. The checklist is included in Extended Data.

Consents and approval

Securing the consensus of relevant government officials was important in facilitating the study. The study objectives and relevance were explained to officials in relevant institutions, to aid ‘buy-in’ of the ideas, and permission to work was granted. Additionally, a clearer picture of the major actors in the dairy sector was achieved, as well as the challenges in gaining access to data for informed decision-making.

Consent was obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoALR), and the Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Industry Development Institute (EMDIDI) to identify and contact key informants within stakeholder clusters. These stakeholders were involved in the scoping and mapping process and in the stakeholders’ meeting and focus group discussions. Participants were informed of the project background, research purpose, and what would be involved, in the participant invite as well as verbally at the events. Written consent was not deemed necessary as the data collected was not relating to individuals or personally sensitive, but rather was regarding the needs of a much wider group (the dairy sector). Participant willingness and voluntary choice to attend was their consent to participate.

Stakeholder focus group discussions and interviews

Focus group discussions were conducted with the identified stakeholders in the three regions identified above, and in-depth interviews were held with key informants.

In Addis Ababa a total of 17 focus group discussions and interviews were held, with one participant per interview and approximately three or four participants per focus group. A total of three discussions were held in Tigray and three were held in SNNPR. Focus groups and interviews were held at the workplaces of the relevant participants e.g. Ministry offices or at research institute premises. No participants declined to take part or dropped out. Focus groups and interviews lasted between one and two hours, with field notes taken to document the responses. Documentation and aggregation of common themes was conducted, with no further analysis at this stage. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted in English and or Amharic. Interviews are included in Underlying data.

The purpose was to gain information on several issues:

•   major constraints and opportunities in the dairy sector

•   major stakeholders in the dairy sector, their current sources of data for important decision-making, and challenges they have in data availability and quality

•   strengths and weaknesses of existing data and data sources, and their implication for the development of the sector

•   mapping of the interaction between different stakeholders involved in collection, maintenance and dissemination of data in the sector

•   coordination of activities of the different actors involved in the collection and maintenance of data in the sector

•   central data storage and dissemination for dairy stakeholder issues, related data protection and property right in pooling data into a central hub and data sharing system

•   existing mechanisms of the dairy sector data sharing and dissemination, strengths and weaknesses and capacity building needs for better future services

•   key data needs for different dairy stakeholders

•   existing government policies on the collection, maintenance and dissemination of data for the dairy sector stakeholders, policy gaps (if any) and power vested on different institutions in this regard

•   existing capacity in data analysis and modelling to support informed interventions in the sector and who is doing what, and gaps in capacity

Stakeholder workshop

A two-day workshop was held at the ILRI campus, Addis Ababa on 8^th and 9^th August 2018, involving 37 stakeholders representing the different actors in the Ethiopian dairy value chain, to discuss data needs. The workshop was structured in order to achieve a consensus of data needs while attempting to address any biases brought by the stakeholders; an itinerary was sent out to participants in advance, and discussions were based on open questions and gathering available data. A combination of talks given by participants and participant discussions were used in the workshop sessions. The workshop itinerary and a workshop report are presented in Extended data.

As well as the initial focus group discussions, additional group discussions were integrated in the workshop, designed to build on the stakeholder mapping and scoping processes carried out in the study. The key players and key issues regarding data needs that were identified in the mapping and scoping process contributed to the design and structure of the workshop.

The focus groups were made up of between four and seven participants in each of the five stakeholder groups (see Participant invite with workshop itinerary, Allan, 2022), and the discussions lasted 1–2.5 hours. Researchers present were Brian Perry, Yacob Aklilu, Getachew Legese, Solomon Hailemariam and Azage Tegegne. As before, field notes were taken to document the discussions, which were conducted in English and or Amharic. The workshop intended to identify and characterise current and future data needs by types, availability formats, level of detail, methods of dissemination, uptake and use, and institutional arrangements of handling, storing and accessing data, and the different roles of public and private sectors in decision-making processes. Stakeholders were classified into five groups, identifying their different data needs (the inputs and services stakeholders - feeds, genetics and health - were clustered for organisational purposes, bringing the eight clusters to five):

The groups were asked to identify the different data needs, consolidating them under the following headings:

•   What are the data needs?

•   Why do you need the data (purpose)?

•   In what format do you need the data (qualitative, quantitative or both)

•   In which categories is quality essential?

•   What level of resolution is required (geography, scale, region etc)

•   What are the major data gaps?

•   What is the time scale required for the data?

Data needs. Information on data use and application was collected; how will you use the data; who else will use the data; will there be a cost to the data; how will it be stored; where will it be stored; how will the data be accessed?

Data use and application. Information was requested about data collection, quality control and management; how is/will the data be collected; how will the data be managed; how important is quality, and how will that be managed; how important is ease of use, and how is/will this be managed; how will data be disseminated and to whom; who will access the data; are there intellectual property issues?

Institutional data use. Institutional issues regarding data use, availability and access were also discussed; who will be responsible for responding to the data needs; is there adequate capacity to meet these needs, uses and access requirements; what should be the milestones for follow-up and actions following the workshop; what are the technology needs to ensure the data needs can be met; what are the communications needs required to ensure appropriate data access; what are the accountability needs?

Synthesis of outcomes

Based on the outputs of the five stakeholder discussion groups, a synthesis of data needs by the different stakeholder clusters was conducted. All stakeholders were consulted on the findings and plans. Recommendations presented are those generated by the participatory processes i.e. are those of the participants.

Literature review

The review of the literature highlighted the long-standing interest in the potential for greater productivity in the Ethiopian dairy sector, and identified many of the challenges to overcome these (Guadu & Abebaw, 2016; Mihret et al., 2017; Ndambi et al., 2018; Yilma et al., 2011). Challenges included the types of cattle, the limited production capacity of these cattle types, the vegan diet of 50% of the population, the poor coordination between producers, marketers and processors, and the inadequate feed resource for dairy animals. It also illustrated the lack of attention to the role of data in development and policy interventions by the government and development partners, as well as informing planning and decision-making for the different actors in the dairy sector. It also helped to understand the opportunities and constraints in the dairy sector, the major actors in the sector, their strengths and weaknesses, and interactions between different stakeholders.

Stakeholder interactions

The process involved extensive dialogue and interaction, including travel by team participants. Stakeholder mapping and scoping identified the key players in different stakeholder categories, and the key issues regarding data needs; this helped to inform the ensuing structure and format of the workshop. Sector participants in Addis Ababa included two from government, five from research, one from feeds and two producers, amongst others. In Tigray there was one participant from the processing and two from the producer sectors, and in the SNNPR, there was one from each of the producers, feeds and processing sectors. A total of 37 participants attended the two-day stakeholder workshop. The participants included 32 males and five females.

Data needs. Based on the outputs of the discussion groups, a synthesis of data needs by the different stakeholder clusters was conducted, and categorised under headings (Table 1). A methodological approach was taken, which was refined during the workshop process.

Defining data use and application. All stakeholder groups indicated that the use of data was to make evidence-based decisions. More specifically, data were used for production planning, marketing and investment decisions, policy formulation, system harmonisation, allocation of resources to their best use, and improving the production and productivity in the dairy sector. They were also used for proper monitoring and evaluation by the regulatory system.

Forms of access to data were discussed and included the use of websites, mobile phone text messages, printed and electronic mass media, monthly bulletins and annual reports. In discussing the high costs associated with data collection, management and dissemination, subscriptions, memberships or direct payments were considered.

Exploring data collection, quality control and management. It was agreed that data collection, quality control and management should follow standard procedures. The frequency of data collection depended on the types of data since some required regular collection and updating, depending on the required level of resolution (individual animal, district, zonal, regional and national levels). Some data required daily recording, for example, milk production by individual animals, whereas others only required recording on event occurrence, such as births and deaths. It was agreed that data collection required periodic updating, depending on its nature and purpose.

Different organisations were suggested as responsible for collection and management of dairy related data: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources Development; Central Statistical Agency; National Animal Genetic Resources Improvement Institute; National Dairy Board; universities; and an independent institution to be established for this purpose. Intellectual property rights would be assigned to the designated organisation and adherence to the data laws and general principles of seeking permission of owners/creators of data to acknowledge data sources in any form of use would apply.

Exploring institutional arrangements. It was reported that there was a lack of clarity in the institutional arrangements for generating, ownership and sustainable management of the dairy sector data, presenting a substantial challenge. A summary of the different institutions and stakeholders is shown in Table 2.

There was no current viable institutional arrangement to address the data needs in the dairy sector, which was reported to be due, in part, to poor communication and linkage between institutions, as well as due to a lack of coherence and complementarity in the data categories generated by different organisations.

Regarding the existing limitations in capacity – human, technological and institutional – participants suggested that an inventory of existing capacities be created, in order to understand and quantify the capacity requirements. A variety of initiatives had previously been tried to develop livestock information systems. Although these attempts had been unsuccessful, unused facilities existed within institutions, therefore it was suggested that a thorough inventory of the technological facilities be conducted, to help in proposing alternative capacity building interventions to address the existing gaps. It was indicated by some participants from the MoALR that there was the intention within the Ministry to establish their own livestock database, as well as a national dairy sector policy and the workshop was considered supportive and complementary to their work. The deficiencies of the Ministry, with respect to data, were acknowledged and praise was given to the pilot study and workshop for being timely and a legitimate response to the lack of appropriate and reliable data for planning, policy, investment and development activities in the dairy sector.

Where a dairy sector database should be housed and managed. A number of institutions were suggested to take the leading role in the hosting (development and management) of a dairy sector database, demonstrating a lack of unanimity. The National Animal Genetic Resources Improvement Institute (NAGII) was suggested, based on its experience and current responsibility in managing the database for livestock genetic resources. It was, however, suggested that the focus on livestock genetic improvement by the NAGII, may result in other issues such as input service, production, feeding, animal health, dairy production, processing and marketing, and consumption being overlooked. The MoALR was suggested, however there was concern that there may be a lack of capacity to develop and manage such datasets. Despite this concern, it was intended to establish a unit within the sector for livestock resources, to handle the dairy database.

It was suggested by the policy and regulatory stakeholders group that CSA and MoALR would be appropriate organisations for developing and handling a dairy sector database. The dairy inputs and services stakeholders group also suggested CSA, with strong technical support from MoALR. This would improve on the current sample survey data approach. The research and extension stakeholders group suggested MoALR should take sole responsibility with its regional bureaus. The dairy producers and processors suggested that a new independent organisation be established, such as a National Dairy Board, to work with government institutions to develop and handle a database.

With regards to the establishment of a National Dairy Board, it is important to note that there have been several failed attempts over more than a decade. Such an initiative has also encountered hurdles in other countries of eastern Africa, even in countries with a much higher dairy production per cow (Kurwijila & Bennett, 2011). Ironically, it is thought that inadequate data for policy makers to make evidence-based decisions resulted in failure to give permission for establishment of such an organisation. It has been observed that officials have questioned the purpose of establishing a dairy board in a country where there is no milk. As such, two important points were highlighted; i) there is a lack of reliable data on the performance of the dairy sector and the needs of the sector, in order to create the appropriate organisation, and ii) a variety of factors have held back the development of the sector, namely the lack of strong associations (producers cooperatives) that promote development, and the differing views on the role of government leadership.

Underlying data

Harvard Dataverse: Replication Data for: A pilot study of the data demands of different stakeholders for the future Ethiopian dairy sector https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PMKXOQ" https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PMKXOQ (Allan, 2022)

This project contains the following underlying data:

Due to the full data containing identifiable information, it has not been made publicly available. Researchers in a similar field can request further details of the interviews and discussions from the corresponding author, prof.brianperry@gmail.com.

Extended data

Harvard Dataverse: Replication Data for: A pilot study of the data demands of different stakeholders for the future Ethiopian dairy sector https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PMKXOQ" https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PMKXOQ (Allan, 2022)

This project contains the following extended data:

Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Zero "No rights reserved" data waiver (CC0 1.0 Public domain dedication).