Framework of on-going EU support to rural development in South Sudan

South Sudan Rural Development Group: http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/sorudev/dashboard

After the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the challenge was building new institutions and policies. International assistance was directed towards infrastructure development and livelihoods support. Then a new crisis in December 2013 changed the operating context. The Programme framework of ongoing EU support to agriculture sector development and the enhancement of food and nutrition security in South Sudan has a continguous and integrated agenda including:

• Institutional development
• Sector transformation
• Economic growth
• Food and nutrition security
• Relief and recovery

The Programme pursues the following strategy:

• Focuses on rural communities
• Intends to increase agriculture production and marketing, and income to farmers 
• Targets farmers with high production or potential
• Does not have relief actions
• Oriented towards increasing self-sufficiency

1./ Broadening extension to farmers (focused on knowledge, skills and technology) through strengthening of NGO ongoing extension efforts, developing and implementing a system of training accrediting and licensing of categories of community based extension workers, and supporting the creation of a rural financing network that is farmer focused and locally adapted.

• Farmer/community contacts
• Providing extension kits
• Demonstration and observation
• Linkages to research and universities

2./ Improving the availability and accessibility of inputs (supplier/agro-dealers and their agents) through the creation of an expanded network of vetted agro-dealers linked to accredited suppliers of inputs that meet specific needs of farmers (specification and price) to increase production and marketing. Supporting local production of inputs, in particular seeds and tools, by investing in actions aimed to create sustainable seeds production centres and new capacitated artisans able to supply the required tools.

• Suitability
• Variety
• Availability
• Terms of trade
• Quality and specialization

3./ Stimulating market demand for products (selected value chain activities) and increase farm earnings through raising the quality/value of product at source and reducing losses and wastage. 

• Cereals and grains
• Groundnuts
• Livestock
• Hides and skins

4./ Increasing marketing and reducing cost of access to markets (key infrastructures) through improving feeder roads that pass through production areas so as to link them to markets close to intersections with trunk roads.

• Feeder roads
• Warehouses
• Processing facilities
• Information

It targets the three greater regions of South Sudan (referred to as Three Zones) with different types of assistance. In Equatoria where the situation is more stable, programs are investment led.  In Greater Bahr el Ghazal, where it is less stable, programs are targeted at transitional assistance.  In Upper Nile where critical emergency situations dominate due to conflict, the programs are focused on life saving support.

The Programme structure has three major components:

• Zonal Effort for Agricultural Transformation (ZEAT)
• South Sudan Rural Development (SORUDEV)
• Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP)

FSTP (annual funding cycle) is concerned with the timely and sustainable reduction of food insecurity among groups of people in circumstances of transition and fragility who are vulnerable to internal or external factors. FSTP makes provisions for linking the recovery and rehabilitation of beneficiaries to the development of their livelihoods. There are four priority on-going FSTP projects in the GBEG region being conducted by the following non-Governmental organisations:

1)    People in Need (PIN) – Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State;

2)    Concern Worldwide (CWW) – Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State;

3)    World Vision Germany (World Vision) – Warrap State; and

4)    Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany (VSF-G) – Warrap State.

 The EU Delegation (EUD) has also allocated funds under the 2015 FSTP to focus on the Greater Upper Nile states affected by the current ongoing conflict in the country.  From this stem four new projects (PRO-ACT):

5)    Cordaid – Upper Nile State;

6)    IRC – Unity State;                                                                                                               

7)    OXFAM – Jonglei State;

8)    ZOA – Jonglei State.

SORUDEV (which started in August 2012) is concerned with increasing the production and income of smallholder farmers in South Sudan through the strengthening of extension services, increased access to markets and improved links between value chain actors. The programme is orientated around community-driven development and mechanisms for the full cost-recovery of farm inputs such as through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The smallholder component (which started in February 2014) is implemented by four NGOs. Moreover FAO is managing the Agricultural and Food Security Information System (AFIS) and WFP is implementing the feeder roads component. 

1)    Concern Worldwide (CWW) – Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State;

2)    Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) – Warrap State;

3)    Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) – Lakes State; and

4)    The Hope Agency for Rural Development (HARD) – Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State.

ZEAT-BEAD (which started in January 2015) is concerned with sustainably increasing the food security and well-being of the population of the Republic of South Sudan through the development and enhancement of capacities to deliver agricultural inputs, supplies and services throughout the GBG region. ZEAT-BEAD is implemented by one Government Cooperation Agency, three United Nations (UN) Specialised Agencies:

1)    German International Cooperation (GIZ) – GBG region;

2)    The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) – GBG region;

3)    The UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) – GBG region; and

4)    The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) – GBG region.

In addition 4 NGOs will be selected in the course of the programme to facilitate access to financial services in order to strengthen value chains and enhance local value addition in the Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal area. The EU places significant importance on both coherence and collaboration among implementing partners (IPs) and their coordination.

To ease the burden of farmers and improve market interaction, several rural road rehabilitation and construction interventions are also funded by the EU. Under the ZEAT-BEAD programme UNOPS is working on the development of priority roads in the four States, which builds on an activity being conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) under the SORUDEV programme for the improvement of roads linking Warrap and Western Bahr-el-Ghazal. GIZ is active under ZEAT-BEAD in the development of selected infrastructure, such as slaughterhouses/stores and livestock auction markets.

Conclusion

In Wau (2014) and Rumbek (2016)  implementing partners had focused discussions on BENEFICIARY DEPENDENCY and cited area based programming coherence and targeted actions and delivery options as priority issues.

• International community must start to work on sustainability and not only limited humanitarian response
• Pending a peace agreement, a new political framework needs reactivation with building of institutional resilience
• A supporting environment conducive to collaboration and coordination among multiple agencies is needed
• Forums need to be designed and developed, and information and lessons learned shared
• Coverage and breadth of information systems needs to be expanded and records of results improved.