Simret+Yasabu+and+Zelalem+Lema)

Participants were asked to introduce themselves using the River of Life approach which enabled them to introduce their background and what they expect at the end of the training: Expectations: • Properly understand livelihood indicators • Use the SLATE tool • More experience from participants • To get familiar with Benchmarking tool(SLATE) • Familiarizing with SLATE tool for sustainable livelihoods asset evaluation • Common understanding on the objectives of Africa RISING and NBDC • Experience sharing from different locations • To Well understand the SLATE tool and date collection and interpretation • To clearly understand the objectives, principles of the sustainable livelihoods approach • To learn a new tool • To learn what benchmarking tool is • A good background on livelihoods characterization • Common understanding about Africa RISING project • Experience sharing • To look at ways to integrate tool with ICRAF approach (for Africa RISING) • To potentially use tool in CRP1.2 • Learn more from the experts(farmers, development agents and participants about farming system in Ethiopia ) • How can we improve SLATE, combine it with other approaches to get closer to what we need? • Learn about whether the assumptions we have in developing SLATE work • Practical experience in the use of the tool • Revision of the applicability of the toll after the field work • Will be able to train other on how to use the benchmarking tool • Come to a common understanding after the field work • To know the techniques of how to collect ,analyse and evaluate livelihoods researches or assets with in a community ,as well as major challenges of obstacles and possible opportunities available for the community • Strong partnership • Feedback on the strong and weak side of the SLATE tool • I also hope to gain useful lesson from Jeldu field experience • To well introduced to the concept of farm-benchmarking needs and techniques