Prior to the implementation of the Fourth Livestock Development Project (FLDP) the World Bank had assisted three livestock development projects in Ethiopia. The first had concentrated on dairy development and milk processing, the second on livestock marketing and domestic abattoirs and the third on rangeland management; all had enjoyed some limited success but their achievements had been dissipated by socio-economic and political circumstances. In the wake of the drought and famine situation of 1984, it was considered appropriate to focus livestock development attention on peasant areas, where livestock and crop production are intimately interdependent. In this respect the Fourth Livestock Development Project was prepared, appraised and implemented from1987-1994. The primary objectives of the FLDP were to increase livestock and agricultural production by improving animal health and nutrition. Project components comprised: animal health; animal nutrition; pilot – range land management; credit for livestock development; institutional development and a livestock export trade development. At project implementation the project has generally achieved it broad objectives, but the experiences and results differed between components. The paper provides the details of FLDP's implementation experiences, results and lesson learned.