2. Identification of the key areas of concern (Data Collection/ SAGE process)

The main SAGE workshop started with pre-workshop orientation of participants and facilitators followed by two days assessment. During these sessions participants were provided with an initial overview of the SAGE process through presentations, followed by printed score cards for each of the 39 SAGE questions based on the ten principles of good governance and equity, from which each stakeholder group discussed the question, scored the results and presented to the plenary. The major differences in opinion between the different stakeholder groups could likely indicate governance challenges therefore these differences were well noted and justifications of their scores were provided.

 

This process continued by provision of ideas for action from each stakeholder group on the areas where the major differences occurred. For example, differences of opinion on benefit sharing among different actor groups may occur because the different stakeholder groups may have different information or different understandings of the available information. Therefore, for this to be easily resolved, recommendations for better transparency and sharing of proper information among stakeholder groups could be identified as a recommended solution as well as the plans for its implementation put in place.

Assessing the governance and equity at the site level can be a complex task that requires careful consideration of several factors so as to ensure its success. Based on the SAGE assessment done, consideration of the following made the SAGE process successful;

 

  • Proper identification and engagement of key stakeholders.
  • Openness and transparency of key stakeholders during the whole assessment process.
  • The willingness of key stakeholders to address the identified disparities and inequities, and be willing to take the necessary corrective measures.

SAGE methodology covers a gap in the conservation toolbox, providing self-assessment, multi stakeholder opinions, and a platform to iron out strengths and weaknesses of protected areas in a safe and participatory manner

 

SAGE provides information for planning, strategy, reporting and policy development at system, national, and global levels. Honeyguide has incorporated SAGE as the main tool to initiate discussions, assess, diagnose and inform governance capacity building initiatives of WMAs in Tanzania

 

Like any other participatory approaches, advanced planning is required to make SAGE useful and successful. This includes advance invitations and follow-ups, careful venue selection, as well as choosing appropriate facilitators with a balance between experience, credibility, language, familiarity of the local context, non-conflicts of interests and other logistical planning

 

We also learned that the success of the assessment depends much on the familiarity of the facilitators to the assessment questions. Sufficient time needs to be invested in preworkshop orientation of facilitator

Partnership and collaboration

Since the software being deployed (SMART) was not being developed but rather an implementation, there existed other organizations that have used it. It was necessary to adapt and capitalize on the experience of other partners for a smooth process. This project engaged Space for Giants (SFG) who monitor large mammals in the landscape to provide guidance, templates and training. The training of trainers was conducted by SFG who also offered support in the development and configuration of necessary databases, online platforms and data collection models.

 

Two years before the project was conceived, a collaboration between Ol Pejeta and Vulcan Inc. through the Tech Lab saw the creation of an online visualization platform, EarthRanger that has since been used to integrate reports from various sources within the organization and from partners.

  • Landscape level information sharing - Organizations in Laikipia have partnerships which facilitate collaborative monitoring of particular aspects of biodiversity and preparation of landscape reports. This enables easy collaborations in capacity building and innovation.

  • Common goal - OPC has established a Conservation Technology Lab for developing, testing and monitoring technologies for the benefit of all players in the landscape. SFG also provides a centralized database for wildlife monitoring to some conservancies in Laikipia.

  • Collaborations help reduce costs - The partnership with SFG in this project significantly reduced the cost of developing SMART data collection models and training of staff which would otherwise require the hiring of a consultant(s).

  • Past and current partnerships have future benefits - The collaboration with Vulcan Inc which was developed 2 years earlier became beneficial to this project where SMART was integrated with EarthRanger to enhance visual analysis and sharing.

Infrastructural development

Installations such as electricity provision, servers and computers are necessary to rollout such technological solutions. In the current project, 35 ranger outposts were equipped with solar chargers and inverters to keep the mobile phones charged; a server and air conditioner were purchased and installed at a central server room; and two computers were purchased to support data processing and configuration of mobile devices. Further, the servers and computers were configured to facilitate creation of SMART databases (desktop and connect) and enable the rollout of data collection using SMART Mobile, submission through the server, processing at the desktop and sharing over SMART Connect.

  • Existing infrastructure - Establishment of infrastructure related to the project was complementary to existing installments such as, server room where the server was installed and usable buildings in ranger outposts for solar powering

  • Internal capacity - The organization had capacity in information technology (IT) and electricity to undertake installation without contracting external party

  • Take inventory and analyze gaps at the planning stage - To avoid gaps in equipment and facilities, it is necessary to have a complete list while designing the project. In the current study, additional costs were incurred to acquire electricity  inverters which were not included in the original plan for solar power provision in ranger posts.

  • Internal capacity - Where possible, organizations can continuously enhance their capacity to absorb technological innovations. This reduces costs of installation and maintenance while ensuring sustainable management of adopted technologies.

  • Piloting before actual implementation - Most technological solutions will evolve based on gaps identified in the course of implementation. It is therefore important to conduct a trial to identify such gaps in time for appropriate action. In this project, internet coverage was found to be inadequate and a decision was made to use the GSM network by providing data bundles through SIM cards in the mobile phones.

Education and training of direct beneficiaries
  • This was meant to give hands on knowledge to the beneficiaries in accordance with the activities engaged in. The main targets were those who would benefit from alternative sources of income. already existing practitioners in aquaculture, apiary etc and the new ones alike were taken into consideration. Individuals, homesteads, member groups/associations were trained in categories; Fisheries, Apiary development, and Crop growers. different training sessions were organised for each category.
  • This helped members to know what awaits them, how to plan and manage it sustainably to improve their livelihoods.
  • Education and training was a continuous process throughout the implementation cycle of the project.
  • The technical team of the project included experts or officers in the respective areas/fields namely, The Entomologist for Apiary development projects, the Senior Agricutural Officer for crop growers and the Fisheries Officer for the Aquaculture projects.
  • The grant budget had sections of these trainings well facilitated.
  • There were already existing organized groups and individuals in the respective categories and some members were already involved in the ventures like aquaculture and apiary development.
  • Some members attended the meeting out of curiosity knowing that the project activities may negatively impact on their activities in the wetland since they were involved in illegal and destructive activities.
  • Expectations in terms in the beginning were so low, and the mood changed gradually after learning of the several benefits that the project was coming along with, including alternative sources of income.
  • There was a considerable number of individuals who showed interest in joining groups if there were any or just sharing on the benefits on individual benefit.
Sensitisation of potential beneficiaries and affected persons

The purpose was to bring together all the affected persons, the potential beneficiaries and all the concerned community members, partners to introduce to them the project idea, its anticipated impacts both negative and positive, whilst explaining the responsibility of the community members their roles during the implementation. This was also meant to get the different views and ideas of members to aid the successful implementation of the activities of the project. It was also meant to share with the community members the relevant knowledge required to utilize the wetland and its various resources/products  sustainably in order to live in harmony with nature. The engagement involved teaching the members the need for their participation for each step during implementation. Different individuals or households were engaged in different activities in the wetland. This sensitisation meeting further explored how each activity in the wetland can be carried out to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts both economically and environmentally. A call for a community meeting was announced on radio, church gatherings and other media. This was a continuous activity throughout the implementation of the project.

  • The grant budget took into account communication expenses, plus conduction mass sensitization meetings.; refreshments were catered for.
  • The ability to reach every member of the community through local council leaders, mass gatherings including the initial project launch event that was used as another platform for passing the information.
  • The willingness of most members of the community to conserve natural resources especially those who were already organized in the community based environmental conservation organisation.
  • Some members attended the meeting out of curiosity knowing that the project activities may negatively impact on their activities in the wetland since they were involved in illegal and destructive activities.
  • Expectations in terms in the beginning were so low, and the mood changed gradually after learning of the several benefits that the project was coming along with, including alternative sources of income.
Gender Equality/Mainstreaming

Female rangers play an important part in the conservation of black rhinos in the Kunene and Erongo regions of Namibia. They are equally willing and able to conduct patrols and are fully supported by the custodian conservancies.

  • Capacity building opportunities
  • Knowledge exchange with partner conservancies
  • Supportive management and employment policies

We have learned that female rangers are willing and able to conduct patrols together with their male counterparts.

Compliance with health and tourism safety requirements for reopening

After staying afloat and fulfilling government health requirements, the island was reopened earlier than expected to ecotourism. Staff were trained by health officials on maintaining safety during visits, and signage directing visitors to observe hygiene and other protocols put up. The entire team on the island was vaccinated. As part of a digitization process, Nature Seychelles provided an online payment option for ease of ticketing. Tour operators were contacted and apprised of the health authority's requirements before the reopening.

  • Staff were vaccinated and taken through new health protocols for visitors
  • Nature Seychelles/Cousin Island management worked hard to successfully complete all requirements and to get certified as safe.
  • An online payment system was put in place to supplement physical transactions
  • Adaptive management to quickly find ways in which to operate during times of crisis was required
  • A proactive management that worked outside the conservation box and worked with all authorities to ensure species conservation was given priority
Partnerships for conservation

Additional manpower was provided by students from two institutions - the Seychelles Maritime and Seychelles Tourism Academies - on work-based attachments. A total of 10 students came to the island. They were extremely useful, taking the place of paying volunteers from the Conservation Boot Camp, which also collapsed in the wake of Covid-19 restrictions for travel. One of the students was eventually employed. Another budding partnership was formed with the Seychelles Coast Guard to whom the staff reported illegal fishing boats. And finally, once the government allowed for a resumption of ecotourism, partnering tour operators began to bring visitors back to Cousin Island.

  • Nature Seychelles’ training program already in place known as the “EnvironMentor” and a long-term relationship with the placing schools. Most of the staff on the island have come from these institutions
  • A long-term relationship with tour operators who have been bringing visitors to the island for decades

Trust built with tour operators over the years played an important role in the resumption of ecotourism, but new tour practitioners (small scale) have begun to come to the island probably as a result of diversifying incomes during and after the pandemic.

Management planning (informed by assessments)

In the case of Sehlabathebe National Park, the analysis of the data and the priority actions for improvement  identified during the processes are feeding directly into the management plan for the area. This gives the outputs from the assessment more legitimacy, as they are 1) jointly identified by all relevant stakehodlers and 2) embedded in the formal government processes of managemen planning. The management plan can be used as a tool for resource mobilisation amongst donors and priority actions can then also be monitored through the monitoring of the management plan implementation.

  • Relevant data becomes available through the assessment process 
  • Analysis of the results can be completed during the workshop
  • EXisting planning processes allow formal uptake of results of the assessments
  • Communities expect immediate implementation of the plan, once they ahve shared their views and a joint analysis ahs identified priorities
  • The action plan needs resource mobilization for implementation and this should already be considered in the planning of the assessment - to at least implement the first few priorities.
PA Effectively manned - "The last band on the titanic"

The effective management of the Reserve depended on the willingness of core staff - 8 wardens and 1 science officer - to remain on the nature reserve despite the countrywide lockdown and restrictions. This staff chose to stay on the island to carry out MPA activities instead of being at home with their families. For context, Cousin Island is relatively remote. Staff live on the island without partners or families, and have the opportunity to get off the island over the weekend. However, during the Covid-19 lockdowns, their limited movement was further curtailed by restrictions.

  • Available donor funding to retain core staff
  • Committed staff
  • A committed team that goes beyond the call of duty is required to run an MPA. However, they must also be remunerated for their work
  • Management effectiveness can plummet depending on capacities to cope with extended periods of financial difficulties
  • We need to continue to safeguard strategic natural assets and the essential services they provide so that resilience is maintained to help us bounce back from crises