Accelerating livestock interventions

We work to break down barriers to implementing successful livestock interventions in Low and Middle-Income Countries.

Poor animal health and productivity are a serious burden to livestock smallholders in low and middle-income countries, impeding efforts to increase incomes and improve the livelihoods. In some cases, research may not translate into action, due to limited resources by governments to take projects forward, low technical expertise or poor coordination. In other cases, promising technologies for improving animal health and productivity sit on the shelf and remain untested, often in countries where they are most needed.

We work to break down these barriers to implementation. We support governments to take effective steps towards operationalizing their livestock strategies. We also support project funders and others to evaluate emerging ideas and technologies to address complex technical or operational challenges, and open the door to evidence-based decisions and actions.

Livestock development partnerships (Ethiopia)

National governments in Low and Middle Income Countries may have ambitious livestock development strategies, but face challenges in implementing the right policies. They may also not have direct access to, or knowledge of, evidence being generated by disparate research teams working in their country. There is a significant need for good coordination and communication across the animal health research community as a first step to improving the evidence base for decision-making and implementation of livestock policies.

In Ethiopia, SEBI is support the government in implementing its national livestock strategy. With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we are helping to finance and manage policy implementation, coordinate trials of promising technologies, and get actions going on the ground. We will coordinate the animal health research community working in-country to work better together to address the government’s livestock policies and priorities and improve the evidence base.

To accomplish this, we apply our strong project management skills, good connections with in-country livestock experts, and our keen support for innovative solutions.

We will generate evidence from all activities, including results from trials and best practices for implementation, for use by the Ethiopian government, and also as a public good for the global livestock community, through the LD4D community and livestockdata.org.

Assess, pilot and analyse livestock options

Many technologies promise to improve animal health and productivity, but these are often untested in low and middle-income countries. This lack of evidence holds back investments into and distribution of vital technologies. The animal health industry and development partners may be reluctant or unable to run adequate trials, due to limited funding, insufficient expertise and a tendency to avoid risks.

We take the risk out of assessing emerging or neglected technologies. Our bespoke service guides project funders and other partners in livestock development who wish to identify and test promising or neglected technologies.

We provide a full-service evaluation process that follows three practical stages

1. Assess: Our rapid evaluation service assesses the viability of concepts, including the contractual and financial capacity. Within two weeks we can provide insights to funders about whether to take the initiative to the next stage. 
2. Pilot: We develop and fund trials of emerging technologies and generate high-quality insights on their safety and effectiveness for animal health and productivity.
3. Analyse situations and options: we provide reliable evidence of impact and value for money.

All non-proprietary evidence generated through this process will be shared with the global livestock community via the LD4D community of practice and livestockdata.org.