ORDA launched Consultative Meeting with State Universities and Development Actors
In an initiative taken by ORDA, development actors and universities found in Amhara region launched joint consultative meeting on tapping the potentials of working together in partnership and collaborations with a view to bring about rapid incremental changes to the regional development.
Dr. Ambachew Mekonnen, Executive Director of ORDA, while opening the consultative meeting at Management Institute of Amhara Region informed the participants that the significance of the launching of the consultative meeting is to coordinate and utilize the development opportunities and potentials of scholars capacity of the region in a bid to bring about rapid change to the region as well as to the country.
The meeting further raised and discussed on the following questions: “If we work in partnership what can we contribute to the regional development? Since all universities currently have community services how can we make linkages with these structures and consolidate development efforts of ORDA and other developmental actors’ potentials into a consolidated team how can we contribute towards facilitating and achieving research based development?
Accordingly the regional universities presidents and higher officials of developmental organizations underpinned that working in partnership should not only be a matter of responsibility but should also be a matter of obligation and commitment.
The participants discussed that, consolidating and sharing the experiences and knowledge of universities and development actors of the region in order to contribute to the development efforts of the region and realize the benefits of the rural community in particular and that of the country in general they agreed to work on issues including but not limited to production and productivity improvement, marketing research, and promotion, value addition, and similar engagements were advised to be exercised by the participants.
The presidents of the regional universities and chief executives of the development organizations underpinned that, even though they are convinced that they have no capacity to solve all the problems at once, it is advisable to prioritize the problems, and work on selected burning issues exerting concerted and joint efforts to register tangible results.
They also expressed that they have firm conviction that by strengthening their organizational partnership and collaboration into a consolidated capacity could enable them to realize and implement successful developmental activities and by integrating the potential capacity resources of universities like libraries, laboratories, research documents available among universities thereby consolidating the existing potential with development practitioners vowed to contribute their own share to the development endeavors.
Moreover ORDAs management team on their part explained that, since universities are centers of knowledge and creativity, they could collaborate on creating new innovative strategies and appropriate technologies and in providing professional support and partnership as may be necessary, and when programs need research interventions supporting the developmental activities on the ground, etc. are identified as partnership agendas for working together in partnership.
Besides the team further noted that there are opportunities of partnership involving university students in multi faced projects and programs of ORDA and though limited in internship programs, conducting original and action oriented researches could be potential agendas for partnership.
In general the participants after having made intensive discussions on partnership issues they have underlined their concern that, even though several similar platforms have recently been organized they failed due to lack of sense of ownership were left in vain without any impact.
Dr Ambachew Mekonnen believed and indicated that such forums should not be made for the sake of exercising, but should be functional forums. He also underlined that today’s gathering is an indication for a success story by itself enabling the participants to exchange basic ideas and information as well. He further affirmed that if they continue to strengthen their relations in line with these ideals he has firm conviction that they have the interest and the capacity to work together in partnership. Accordingly, Dr Ambachew requested the participants to propose on the strategies for achieving the partnership ideas that has been discussed.
Based on the recommendations, it was suggested and agreed that inventory of the capacity of all development organizations and ORDA, and the kinds of activities that each organization performs should be identified. It was also suggested that a technical committee shall be organized constituting heads of universities presidents, development organizations, and heads of agricultural research centers. Moreover it was decided that the committee shall develop its own memorandum of understanding and shall present it to the organizing committee and after having it endorsed shall make it as a guideline for its activities.
Finally Dr Ambachew was also unanimously elected by all participants as Chairperson of the coordinating committee. Accordingly the chairperson is assigned to make the necessary arrangements and follow ups creating enabling environment to start up practical activities within a shorter period of time and shall effect the minutes to be prepared and disseminate the minutes of the discussions and recommendations to the participants of the meeting.
The participants of the consultative meeting were represented from Woldya, Debremarkos, Bahir Dar Universities, Amhara Development Association (ADA), Amhara Management Institute, Agricultural Research Centers and ORDA management team.