The REDD+ Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in South-West Ethiopia (REPAFAMA-SW Ethiopia, Phase III) project has been implemented since 2021 as part of Norway’s International Climate and Forests Initiative (NICFI) for the period 2021 - 2025. The overall objective of the project is to contribute towards reduced and reversed forest loss in Southwest Ethiopia. The project is implemented across 14 woredas housing a contiguous forest block of high conservation significance covering parts of Oromia, Gambella and Southwest Ethiopia Peoples Regional States. Specifically, project implementation areas include Kefa, Sheka, and Bench Sheko Zones of the South-West Ethiopia Peoples Regional State, Ilubabor zone of Oromia Regional State, and Agnwa zone of Gambela Peoples’ Regional State. The areas of project intervention fall within one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots and constitute Ethiopia’s largest remnant forest blocks and home to important plant genetic materials such as the wild varieties of Arabica coffee. The project is implemented by Development Fund (DF) in collaboration with Ethio Wetlands and Natural Resources Association (EWNRA) and the Alliance of Bioversity and Centre for International Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). DevPact was commissioned to conduct a mid-term review (MTR) of the project with a focus on assessing and documenting performance and the extent to which the outputs and outcomes had been achieved, determining coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of project outputs and outcomes. DevPact enumerators conducted key informant interviews and focus group discussions in Massha, Gesha, Sheko, Gambella, Nono-Sele and Halu, encompassing federal and regional government offices, forest management groups, forest management cooperatives, forest product marketing cooperatives, forest management associations, other donor funded forest management initiatives and private sector. The findings of the review were used by DF and its implementing partners to make necessary adjustments to the project for the remaining grant period, therefore, the review provided actionable recommendations for improvement and identified important areas for learning.

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