Local | PANORAMA

Elaborate follow-up activities early in the process

Participants during group exercise

GIZ

The effectiveness of training is increased if follow-up with participants is ensured. This allows the organisers to check on the feasibility of follow-on activities discussed during the training and can account for the follow-up needs[NM1] of the participants. Follow-up activities can range from webinars to on-site activities in the respective countries

[NM1]Needs: unclear. = if something has not been understood or if there are follow up questions, or resources needed or something of the sort?

If so: see suggestion for possible re-formulation.

To design appropriate follow-up activities, the content of the training needs to be defined (see Building Block 2). The diversity of activities also depends on the support structure in the countries. If partner (health or climate) projects are in place in the respective participating countries, this allows for greater diversity in follow-up activities that can be conducted.

Consideration to possible follow-up activities should be given already during the planning process;
It is advisable to launch a survey to ask for participants interest and preference;
The creation of a What’s App Group is a quick, easy and cost-effective way to stay in touch with participants and continuously share relevant documents and news with them.

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

PPT on the Regional Training presented to GIZ colleagues from Health and Social Protection Network

First out of three follow-up webinaire with participants on specific topic of interest from the training

Be creative with the methodology

Participants during daily quizz

GIZ

Training on an intersectoral topic such as climate change and health is more challenging for participants because their academic and practical background knowledge might not cover both topics. The training will likely cover a lot of new information for each participant. Given the complexity of the topic, it is even more important to develop and utilise a wide range of methodological approaches to maintain energy levels and focus during the training.

Interactive and innovative methods require good preparation from the presenters. It is often necessary to prepare aids or specific content. Using some methods can be challenging for participants who have never encountered them before and may take more time than originally anticipated.

Add several animated or guided group work sessions
- For example: divide participants into different subgroups (i.e. by disease type: vector-borne, water and foodborne, airborne, zoonotic, direct impact) and have them work out which diseases to choose, how to investigate the link (vulnerability assessment), and how to adapt to climate impacts (national public health adaptation planning)
Refrain from lengthy reports that repeat the previous day's content; instead, ask questions in the form of a group game (quiz);
Share slides and summaries so participants can interact more freely and don't feel the urge to note everything down;
Use a different icebreaker each day so the group gets to know each other better;
Schedule site visits, guest lectures, and organise poster presentations to be held by participants.

formation-ccs_toolbox.pdf

Design tailored trainings to a specific purpose

Facilitator during one of the modules

GIZ

The relationship between climate change and health is very complex, as many different fields come together at this intersection. The training experience showed that there is a need to tailor the training to the participants. This should be based on the previous knowledge of the participants, their professional position and the general level of implementation of climate and health activities in their respective countries.
Based on the experience utilizing the training manual in practice, several customized formats are conceivable:

Beginner and advanced level training formats;
Thematic training: introduction to the scientific link between health and climate change;
Policy training: in-depth exercises to develop core policy documents such as a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and a national public health adaptation plan;
Climate governance training: analysis of the Ministry of Health's respective positions on climate – identifying how to integrate climate issues into health policy, how to develop climate policy documents, learning about possible coordination mechanisms, highlighting the international mechanisms on climate change, how to mainstream climate issues in the Ministry of Health

The success of tailoring the training depends on the information available at the preparation level and the skills and flexibility of the trainer. Prior questionnaires for participants can help determine their interest and prior experience. The trainer should have knowledge of climate change, health, hydrometeorology, and the environment, as well as being proficient in the core documents of the fields. Since this is a rare profile, determining the goal of the training early on also makes it easier to find a suitable trainer.

Potential instructors must be very experienced as the manual covers several different topics;
Using the 16 modules of this training in 5 days is too much content and leaves little time to apply more diverse training methods;
Objectives should be clearly stated from the very beginning of the process;
The preparation, coordination and implementation of the training requires a dedicated support team in the hosting country with enough time, personnel and budget resources.

Agenda of 5-day training

West and South Europe

Shelters for archaeological sites: protecting heritage and enhancing visitors’ experience

Ruben

Abela

Ensuring Justice-based Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Instead of top-down approaches, the project piloted mangrove conservation through a co-management agreement between local communities and authorities. Under the partnership agreement, resource user groups have the right to use natural resources sustainably on a defined area of state-owned land (protection forest) and the responsibility for sustainably managing and protecting those resources.

The project focused on getting the marginalised local population on board with the process and enabling to participate actively (recognition justice). For this, it was important to obtain acceptance of all stakeholders to pilot the co-management process. The other two major aspects of climate justice the project focused on were: (1) how to organise the process with different stakeholders (procedural justice) and (2) how to distribute the benefits and burdens or restrictions of co-management and find a balance between the protective function of the mangroves and production benefits (distributive justice). These resulted in a better collaboration between the local people and authorities. It also led to an increase in the area of mangrove forest which, in turn, protected protects the coast more effectively from erosion, flooding and storms, whilst increasing income from sustainable use of mangrove forest resources and from fishery.

Environmental awareness-raising, a shared understanding of the agreement and effective communication between stakeholders are prerequisites for successful implementation of co-management.
A participatory process involving all stakeholders can ensure a transparent, fair and informed decision-making.
The co-management board is the core decision-making structure, with responsibility for overall steering and conflict resolution

Addressing justice issues through co-management helps achieve a balance between improving the livelihoods of poor local people, whilst maintaining and enhancing the protection function of the mangrove forest.
To address justice issues, it is necessary to address the underlying socio-economic and political causes of vulnerability. These include poor governance, inequitable resource control and access, limited access to basic services and information and discrimination.
Empowerment of all vulnerable groups is essential for promoting a rights-based approach. Awareness raising, capacity development, meaningful participation in decision-making and the establishment of benefit-sharing mechanisms are therefore important features of justice-based EbA projects.
Sustainable mangrove conservation also requires enabling conditions, such as grounding mangrove conservation projects in local knowledge and leadership.
To sustain the co-management approach requires that power sharing as well as decision-making processes and structures be institutionalised in laws, decrees and standard operating procedures of the institutions involved.

Entirety

Local

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

For this purpose, the project contracted two international consulting agencies with a long-standing on-site presence. In the tender documents and selection process, GIZ focused on prerequisites such as expertise in conflict prevention and human rights-based approaches as well as gender justice in particular. Based on the terms of reference formulated by the project, the consortium contracted local employees, who serve as trusted brokers, possess the necessary language skills and cultural empathy as well as the required expertise and understanding of the project logic from the donor perspective. In addition, the project contracted national consultants to strengthen the capacities of the local population and their institutions.

GIZ held meetings at the village, territorial, and project area levels with appraisers of the new project. The results were synchronized with local development plans (planes de vida). Crucial factors had been the initial informed consultation and participation of the local population in designing micro-projects and employment opportunities for indigenous personnel. Another factor is the project's principle not to work with the population, building capacities on a local level in various aptitudes.

Project acceptance and success depend critically on an approach that is strongly oriented to implementation at the local level and is holistic in nature, in the sense that it is oriented to local needs.

Flexible project design is key to take into account suggestions of different stakeholders decisive for project implementation.

Capacity building in formal (i.e., diplomas) and informal (local “multipliers”, horizontal learning through structured experience exchange, etc.) ways is key to sustainability of actions.

Local

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

The project initiated various platforms for problem solving (e.g., one on delineation of borders between territorial units); the platforms serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building. When creating the platforms, the project appointed members from the different stakeholder groups, provided them with intensive training and guidance, and established complaint mechanisms.

GIZ considered the reality of marginalized groups within the Indigenous population and their development vision. To this end, it closely involved the local population in project conception, relying on Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) as a decisive principle for action. In addition, promoting dialogue between local communities, Territorial Councils, and Municipalities is necessary to minimize conflict and build trust between different actors.

Safeguard systems and conflict analyses can help identify risks and integrate appropriate measures into the project concept and implementation.

In the project planning phase, it is crucial to allow enough time and budget for participatory development of the project approach and for meaningful safeguards processes.

Local

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

In the project areas, the project launched an operational committee responsible for selecting local support measures (e.g., infrastructure and capacity development), based on mutually agreed criteria, such as women’s participation, interest in the measure and its chances of being sustainable.

This body included two representatives (at least one a woman) from each of the five territorial councils as well as representatives from the municipalities (two), departments of forestry and agriculture (two), local NGOs (two), a university (one), the World Food Programme (one) and the implementing organisation, GIZ (four). Meeting regularly every three months, the committee handles joint project management, including annual planning, project monitoring, and dealing with risks and conflicts.

A major demand was expressed for stronger participation mechanisms and increased efforts to improve local livelihoods, which meant that there was already support for the establishment of an operational committee.

GIZ has been active in the region for more than 15 years and thus has very good relations at the local level, which facilitate access to important information and information carriers. The cooperation by a consortium of an international Consulting and international NGO present in the area was another positive factor.

Governance should be a core element of every EbA project, if it is to follow best practices for justice-based EbA (i.e., strengthening the rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, in decision-making and in preventing or moderating conflicts). Very important in this respect is the awareness building in national institutions to adapt their norms and procedures to the needs of indigenous communities.

Early involvement of the local population in project conception together with the use of local experts and knowledge are crucial for gaining acceptance of the EbA approach. Moreover, in the appraisal process of new projects, it is essential for the local population to be properly informed and heard, so that it can adequately advocate and prioritize demands and needs.

Local

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)

Central America

Sustainable Natural Resource Management under Climate Aspects in Indigenous Territories in La Mosquitia’

Harald

Mossbrucker

1. Establishment of an operational committee with representatives of the Indigenous population, local authorities and other important stakeholders for joint project management

2. Installation of problem-solving platforms, which serve as working groups for conflict resolution and consensus building, especially on land tenure and resource use issues

3. Identification of flexible project implementation mechanisms, which can reflect demands at the local level (e.g., contracting of local employees from the Miskitu population)