The Tanzania SERA Policy Project (SERA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future (FtF) Initiative began in May 2011 and completed the second full year of operation on September 30, 2013. Feed the Future seeks to improve food security in Tanzania by increasing agricultural production and nutrition. SERA Project is primarily focused on improving the policy environment for agriculture and on developing individual and institutional capacity to undertake policy analysis and advocate effectively for policy reforms. Improving agricultural policies is accomplished by working with the Government of Tanzania (GoT) and other stakeholders to identify important policy constraints to growth in the agricultural sector and helping to alleviate these constraints through policy reform. The SERA Project conducts and commissions evidence‐based policy research and develops the capacity of individuals and organizations to engage in policy analysis and advocate for policy change. At the conclusion of the project, we expect USAID will leave behind an improved policy environment and a legacy of enabling the GoT and other stakeholders to initiate, develop, and utilize evidence‐based research in policy decisions and implementation.
Year 3 of the SERA Policy Project will see the conclusion of a number of important policy studies that are expected to influence GoT and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGoZ) policy decisions. In Year 3, SERA Project will also continue the capacity building activities to strengthen the institutions that implement policy reforms. For individual capacity building, we will continue the activities already initiated and will provide new support to selected activities that address important policy issues. Greater focus will also be directed to measure the impact of policy reforms and capacity building activities.