Research being an important component of the FSS mandate, it will constitute one of the core activities of the organization in 2009. As a result of the retreat that the FSS Management organized in October 2008 for members engaged in past research activities of the organization, FSS has been able to design a research agenda for 2009, taking into account the implications of the new CSO legislation. In addition, FSS will continue with multilateral projects in which it has been engaged since 2007.

Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in Urban Households

This study focuses on the experience and human dimensions of food-insecurity in households in Addis Ababa arising from the significant rise in food prices that have been observable in Ethiopia in the last few years and has been especially drastic in 2008. High food prices, together with low and unreliable incomes, are likely to have a severe impact on the food-security and wellbeing of urban households. Popular discourse does indicate that they are indeed facing great difficulties in meeting their food requirements. The project uses qualitative methods to investigate subjective aspects of the state and impact of food insecurity in such households and the strategies that they use to cope with it. Inquiries will also be made into the types, effectiveness and impact of the mechanisms that households use to cope with worsening levels of food-insecurity. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with male and female household heads in selected kebeles of Addis Ababa will be utilized to collect the data on their perceptions and assessments regarding food insecurity.

The Socio-economics of Rural araké Production, Distribution and Consumption in Ethiopia

Araké (a type of homemade liquor) is the primary drug of abuse in rural Ethiopia. Yet, hardly any study has been undertaken on the patterns of alcohol making and drinking among rural people, and on the economic and social consequences thereof. Against this backdrop, the research project is intended to investigate the various positive and negative aspects of the socioeconomics of rural liquor. To that effect, it shall focus on processes and consequences of araké production, distribution, and consumption pertaining to: (a) household and local economy (b) food security (c) natural environment (d) health status (e) women (f) children, (g) family and community cohesion/disruption, (h) crime and delinquency, as well as (i) local, regional, and cross-country patterns of trade in araké. The study is expected to shade light on the contribution of homemade liquor to economic stagnation and social disruption in rural Ethiopia. The research project shall encompass three case studies to be conducted in three areas that are well-known for their araké production and consumption, namely, Debre-Berhan (Northern Shawa), Bechena (Gojjam), and Arsi-Negele (Oromia) and their surroundings.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Micro- and Small Enterprises Urban Development Package in Poverty Reduction and Job Creation in Selected Cities

To address the twin problems of urban poverty and urban unemployment, the Ethiopian Government’s PASDEP plans to reduce urban unemployment to below 20% in towns/cities with a population of at least 50,000 mainly through support for small and micro-enterprises and acceleration of the creation of urban-based employment. This is also reflected in the national urban development policy. While the government’s intention and policy are in the right direction, it is necessary to examine the effects of the policy and the extent to which the policy has achieved its objectives of employment creation and poverty reduction. Evidence in this regard is hard to come by. This research project hopes to fill this gap by answering questions pertinent to the issue of MSE development, unemployment and poverty reduction. The general objective of the research is to assess the effectiveness of the M & SE strategy in poverty reduction and job creation in selected major cities.

Research on the Quality of Basic Science Education in Selected Universities

Higher education in Ethiopia is faced with the dilemma of maintaining quality amidst an unprecedented level of expansion. On top of that, the Government is introducing a 70:30 percent undergraduate professional mix in favour of science and technology. The rationale behind this initiative is the belief that Science and Technology are the engines of development and that Ethiopia’s prospect for building a knowledge economy and propelling its economic growth hinges on the availability of a sufficient stock of experts in these fields, produced by its higher education institutions. But, unless the government is able to give priority to addressing the problem of quality, its planned reform in the professional mix of newly enrolling students is unlikely to achieve its intended target of producing the necessary stock of expertise that can transform the national economy. With this in mind, FSS proposes to conduct a pilot study of the quality of Basic Science education (focusing on the Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths Programmes) offered in Bahir Dar, Addis Ababa and Hawassa Universities, with the objective of providing baseline data as input into the government’s efforts to address the problem of quality either through its HERQA programmes or national policy reforms. The research project aims to assess the state of teaching-learning, student assessment, and adequacy of learning resources, and their impact on the quality of Basic Science education in selected HEIs and to identify the important factors that undermine the quality of education in the HEIs.

Improved Water and Land Management in the Ethiopian Highlands and its Impact on Downstream Stakeholders Dependent on the Blue Nile

FSS’s share in this multi-lateral research project led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has two components: research on the “benefit sharing” aspect of the Eastern Nile waters and training of a graduate student. The FSS researcher has finalized the theoretical framework for the study and is preparing to collect some trans-boundary project data from the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) to examine the applicability of the ‘Benefit Sharing Framework’ and the extent to which it has been employed in the design and implementation of trans-boundary projects. The graduate student, who is writing his thesis on “The concept of benefit sharing in the context of the Eastern Nile Basin”, has already submitted two chapters. A mid-term workshop described as “the Challenge Forum” is scheduled to take place in February 2009. Both the FSS researcher and the graduate student are expected to present their findings at this workshop. The research results are expected to be published in the form of a monograph (for the researcher) and a research report (for the graduate student). FSS will play a major role in organizing the mid-term workshop and disseminating the proceedings.

Diasporas for Peace: Case Studies from the Horn of Africa

This is an ongoing consortium research project, which started officially with a kick-off workshop in early May 2008. So far, most of the work has been on the European side of the partnership. In 2009, activity would begin with a workshop in January in Addis hosted by FSS, whereby the researchers who are going to be involved in the actual fieldwork in the two Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia and Somaliland) would meet to exchange preliminary findings and to synchronize their methodology. This would be followed by fieldwork through the first half of the year on Diaspora initiatives and their impact on conflict and peace dynamics as well as socio-economic development. The research activity is expected to result in two research reports and a peer-reviewed article.