FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET PROGRAMME (PSNP) IMPLEMENTATION AT LOCAL LEVEL: THE CASE OF WUCHALE WOREDA, NORTH SHEWA ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Food insecurity in Ethiopia is normally understood in terms of recurrent food crisis and famines, and responses to food insecurity have conventionally been dominated by emergency food-based interventions. In the ten years from 1994 to 2003, an average of five million Ethiopians were in need of emergency assistance, and since 1998 the numbers of food aid beneficiaries in Ethiopia fluctuated between 5 and 14 million every year (Devereux S, et al, 2006). In response to this, under the Food Security Programme, in 2005, the Government of Ethiopia started a major new initiative - the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) that distinguishes between chronic and transitory food insecurity and aimed to assure food consumption and prevent asset depletion for food insecure households in chronically food insecure woredas, while stimulating markets, improving access to services and natural resources, and rehabilitating and enhancing the natural environment (MOARD, 2006). This research report examines Factors affecting Productive Safety net Programme (PSNP) implementation at local level: the Case of Wuchale Woreda, North Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were used as major sources of data. Analysis was based on quantitative and qualitative data gathered from primary sources, using both structured and unstructured questionnaires, from 172 randomly selected beneficiaries (132 PW, and 40 DS), focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations. Secondary data were also collected from different sources. The study results revealed that the implementation of PSNP faced many challenges like poor geographical, administrative and community targeting. The process was also with corruption and nepotism as demonstrated by high rate of error of inclusion and error of exclusion. The other challenges that negatively affect the programme were lack of active community participation in decision making, and poor institutional arrangements.