ARIA (composed of Inter Aide and RCBDIA) provides Technical Assistance throughout the PROCEED program, with the aim of transferring the knowledge and experience gained from previous projects to Regional and Local Institutions.

The main objective is to support Local Institutions in implementing the PROCEED program and, more broadly, in delivering effective public services related to access to safe water and to soil and water conservation in rural areas. This support includes:

• Designing tools and defining processes,
• Developing training-of-trainers modules, designing training approaches, facilitating exposure and exchange visits, and supporting peer-to-peer activities,
• Facilitating program activities by providing targeted and tailored support to the various institutional levels involved in implementation.

ARIA is not responsible for directly implementing the activities described in the Technical Procedures. Its role is to support Regional and Local Institutions in carrying out these activities effectively.

Until June 2026, the operational costs of PROCEED will be covered by ARIA. This phase is dedicated to testing and consolidating the procedures set out in this Manual of Procedures (MoP).

From July 2026 onwards, ARIA will continue its support, with responsibilities including:

• Providing coaching and guidance to all staff involved in the PROCEED program,
• Supporting the preparation and analysis of activity and evaluation reports,
• Participating as an observer in all Steering Committee meetings,
• Offering technical expertise in response to specific challenges or requests.

To support Monitoring and Evaluation, ARIA will also carry out regular surveys and analyses. These findings will be shared with the relevant public stakeholders in order to help consolidate and adapt decision-making processes. In this observatory role, ARIA may conduct surveys based on its own initiative or at the request of RTFs or Steering Committees. The detailed role of the Technical Assistance regarding Monitoring and Evaluation is described in the Procedure “Annex GOV2: Monitoring and Evaluation”.

Additionally, ARIA will carry out action-research activities to promote continuous innovation. These will focus on farm diversification, resilience building, and water services, with a view to developing solutions that may later be transferred to Local Institutions. Once considered sufficiently mature, proposed innovations will be submitted to the relevant Steering Committee for potential integration into PROCEED program’s activities.

The Technical Assistance provided by ARIA is expected to contribute to:

• Strengthening and empowering Regional and Local Institutions to scale up best practices and efficient processes in soil and water conservation (SWC), livestock management, and sustainable water services,
• Consolidating bottom-up approaches to inform and support government strategies for SWC and access to potable water,
• Developing and testing approaches that promote women's empowerment,
• Evaluating successful innovations jointly with Regional authorities, with a view to potential future transfer and scale-up.

To carry out its role as Technical Assistance provider, ARIA is the recipient of a grant agreement with the AFD (CET 1129 01), which mirrors the agreement signed between the Ethiopian Government and the AFD (CET 1129 02).

A Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed between ARIA and the Regional Government. This MoU defines the division of responsibilities and activities, as well as coordination mechanisms between the parties.