To establish a functional and sustainable financing initiative, and integrated business plan to generate funding for Ya’axche’s conservation work in the Maya Golden Landscape while creating economic opportunities for community-based sustainable enterprises and supporting community livelihoods. Key strategies include increasing the core customer base, securing strategic partnerships, strengthening marketing, and building financial and operational autonomy.  

The management of the Kisite Mpunguti MPA is mandated to the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute. It was therefore critical to have buy-in from the managers of these institutions in the implementation of project activities including WIO-COMPAS. This ensured the endorsement of the WIO-COMPAS programme and its subsequent recognition for career development.

For this reason, the two institutions were included in the process from inception to completion. This ensured the MPA staff that this venture would add value, at individual levels, to their careers, and not just to the MPA management. This was crucial, as the WIO-COMPAS assessment preparation process is quite daunting, and a motivating factor is necessary to ensure their participation.

Communities and local stakeholders living adjacent to the protected areas were not aware of the importance of vultures. The capacity building involved raising awareness among communities on the value of vultures, the threats they face and their need for conservation. Repeated face-to-face formal meetings, informal meetings, and engaging the community in each step enabled the achievement of the results.

All employees received theoretical and practical training on sea turtle conservation practices prior to the initiation of foot and drone patrols. Training covered sea turtle biology, patrol protocols and tagging of turtles, followed by practical training on the use of GPS, track identification, turtle tagging, nest relocation and excavation. Continuous practical training was conducted throughout the season during patrols targeted at the employee’s experience. Those in positions such as team leader were also given continuous support and training to improve on their leadership skills.

Communication played a key role in the success of this project. KWCA held a number of virtual meetings from the planning stages to the assessment stage. The choice for virtual meetings was necessitated by the covid-19 pandemic and the associated government measures to control its spread including  country lock down thereby disrupting mobility and physical meetings. Some of the virtual calls included planning meetings, inception meeting with the conservancy members to enhance a shared understanding of the project scope and manage stakeholder expectation. Virtual meetings were also held to create awareness of SAGE to the key stakeholders, and to also collaboratively map out the conservancy stakeholders.

The lead consultant, with support from the assistant facilitators, spearheaded the translation of the SAGE principles and questions to the local language for wider uptake especially by the stakeholders who were only proficient in the local language.

SAGE is a relatively new tool for assessment of governance and equity in Kenya. The success of the deployment therefore depends on the stakeholders' understanding of the tool, its scope and application. KWCA recruited a trained and certified lead SAGE facilitator who spearheaded awareness creation about the tool to key stakeholders including KWCA, the managers of the two conservancies, and the Landscape Association representatives.  

The SAGE tool provides for the recruitment of assistant facilitators to support in SAGE facilitation and note taking. A total of 22 co-facilitators and note takers were recruited, trained and deployed to support the assessment and the synthesis workshop. Their training focused on understanding the SAGE tool, the various principles and the questions as well as basic facilitation skills. 

Issues of poisoning are sometimes sensitive and people might be reluctant to share much-needed information. To gain their trust, the implementer approached the local government authority and signed a Memorandum of Understanding which enables us to work in the area. Another engagement meeting was done with the local leadership (chiefs, headman) to discuss our intention in the area as a conservation organization. These steps increased our transparency as an honest organization. Building on these strong relations and trust with local communities is essential to ensure that they share such information.

Since inception in 1982 we have built strong relationships with local communities, conservation NGOs, Ministry of Environment, forestry & Tourism and Traditional leaders in the rhino landscape. 

Our work benefits the local communities through the creation of job opportunities as trackers and rhino rangers. By creating a healthy environment for rhino population growth, we have enabled custodian conservancies to sign agreements with tourism partners, this creates job opportunities in the community and additional income for the conservancies as tourism is the highest income generating industry for the majority of these conservancies.

While the WIO-COMPAS programme aims at improving the individual capacity of MPA professionals, it also has a compounding effect on the management effectiveness of an MPA. Therefore, a prior assessment on the different aspects of MPA management effectiveness is necessary for monitoring, evaluation, learning and adaptive management purposes.

It is thus recommended that the MPA implementing this process commences with at least one of the following assessments

• Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET) or Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT)

• Social Assessment for Protected Areas (SAPA)

Combined, these highlight gaps in the different aspects of an MPA, including management, governance, ecological health, and social wellbeing. These gaps can be used to tailor the WIO-COMPAS training programme towards addressing the gaps identified.

There were two important steps before starting the implementation of the project:

• The development of an Operational Plan, which consisted of Rat eradication Methodology, Team Roles, Schedules, List of Gear & Materials. 
• The development of a Biosecurity Plan, which was shared with the local owners of Kamaka. The plan describes preventive measures - what to do to avoid bringing back rats or other invasive species on the island.