Research

Ethiopian agriculture employed more than 80% of the population. The smallholder agriculture accounts for over 95% of the cultivated land and production. Production system is characterized by subsistence orientation, dependency on rainfall, and limited integration into the market. To challenge these prevailing problems encountered by smallholders, government has attempted to expand agricultural universities, national and regional agricultural research institutions, agricultural TVET colleges, farmer training centres, among others. All these efforts are supposed to boost agricultural knowledge in the sector since the development of competence (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and the general potential of the human resources in the sector is supreme important to improve farm productivity and achieve food security at both community and household level. Nonetheless, empirical studies stated that the hitherto studies conducted by many agricultural scientists are giving much attention to crop and animal production diffusion than introducing rural development innovations. Higher institutions and ATVET colleges are also accused of being slow responsive to agricultural reforms in the context of the changes in the agricultural and economic sectors and are producing graduates and trainees with less technical competency. In spite of the efforts made and the attentions given by policy makers, numerous studies still report that smallholders are vulnerable to the vagaries of nature.

This project aims at:

• Analyzing the international scientific literature particularly with due focus about competence needs for higher agricultural and ATVET education in the context of the changes in the agricultural sciences and economic sectors;
• Investigating the main competence domains that are addressed by intermediary organizations in West Gojjam Zone to increase farm productivity;
• Examining the extent of services of intermediary organizations from the view point of competence-based thematic focus;
• Comparing the effects of competence-based rural development innovations with that of non-competence-based rural development innovations in the West Gojjam Zone.

About Chalachew Aniteneh

Chalachew was born in 1973 in Ethiopia. He has earned his Bachelor of Education Degree (BED) in English Language from Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia and MA in Political Science (Major) and Public Administration and Development Studies (Optional), from University of Delhi, India. He has worked as English language teacher in the Ethiopian high schools. He also worked as public relations officer and planning and programming senior expert in different public sector institutions in Ethiopia. Up until he came to Wageningen for his PhD study, he has been working for Bahir Dar University, Faculty of Social Sciences with academic rank of Lecturer.

Keywords

• Competence Development
• Competence Domains
• Human Resources Development
• Rural Development Innovation
• Technical Competency

Project team

• Chalachew T. Aniteneh
• Dr. Renate Wesselink
• Dr. Harm Biemans
• Prof. dr. Martin Mulder

Publications

• Chalachew Tarekegne et al, (2014) "Smallholder Household and Farming Practices under Climate Change Pressure: A Case of Gusha Shinkurta Area, Awi Zone, Ethiopia", International Journal of Research in Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 1 Issue: 2, pp.70 – 81.
• Chalachew Tarekegne et al, (2014) "Analysis of Rural Livelihood Challenges and Options under Climate Change Pressure: Case Study from Potato Producer Localities in Awi Zone, Ethiopia", International Journal of Research in Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 1 Issue: 2, pp.60 – 69.
• Chalachew, T., Wesselink, R., Biemans, H., Mulder, M. (2017). (Submitted). Developing and Validating a Competence Profile for Development Agents: An Ethiopian Case Study
• Chalachew, T., Wesselink, R., Biemans, H., Mulder, M. (2017). (to be submitted soon). Developing and Validating a Productivity Improvement Job Profile for Smallholder Farmers: An Ethiopian Case Study