Institutional strengthening & sustainability

The ACReSAL project collaborates with three key ministries: Environment, Agriculture, and Water Resources. It operates across multiple institutional levels, including state, national, local, and community levels. This approach ensures that project implementers at all ministerial levels have their capacities strengthened, thereby sustaining the project's investments and efficient landscapes management.

  • Effective collaboration across the three Ministries and the Institutions that are implementing the project through regular stakeholder engagements.
  • Technical support from the World Bank, the team provide support across project activities and ensure impactful project implementation.

The synergy between the Ministries and institutions is key to producing results, because for impactful results for the project it is key that all Ministries must work closely together. The synergy has provided more innovative and collaborative ideas for effective project delivery.

Implementation and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

Effective policy lobbying and advocacy must address the implementation of both existing and newly finalized policies to ensure they meet their intended goals. This involves continuous monitoring to track progress and assess the effectiveness of policy implementation. All partners involved in a program or policy must participate in this ongoing process to ensure alignment with objectives and adapt strategies as needed.

  • Regularly assess and compare the goals and objectives to evaluate progress and identify gaps. Research and analysis support this comparative review
  • Working through coalitions enhances policy advocacy efforts by uniting diverse voices, amplifying impact, and strengthening influence
  • Policy implementation is a lengthy process involving diverse stakeholders with varying priorities. Patience and persistence are crucial
  • Initially, we overlooked sectors like tourism that have significant stakes in natural resource management. Including all relevant sectors can reveal important interests and enhance advocacy
  • Engaging a wide range of stakeholders is essential. Excluding key players can hinder progress and make achieving objectives more challenging
Capacity building and awareness creation

The natural resource sector in Kenya is governed by a complex web of laws and policies that directly impact community lifestyles and livelihoods. However, many community members lack knowledge of these laws, leading to confusion, especially when different government departments enforce contradictory regulations. 

NACOFA has taken on the responsibility of informing and educating communities about the relevant laws that affect them. By doing so, NACOFA helps protect communities from unwarranted actions by government officers. An example is the development and implementation of Participatory Forest Management Plans (PFMPs) and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs). Despite these agreements being signed between KFS and various CFAs, there are instances where KFS fails to honor the commitments, making community awareness critical for accountability.

  • CFAs trust NACOFA, and the strong relationships NACOFA has with KFS and the Ministry are crucial
  • Strong connections with civil society organizations help build broader relationships and ensure grassroots support for policy advocacy
  • Empowering communities to lead the policy process from a bottom-up approach is essential, ensuring continued pressure at the local level
  • Capacity building and awareness creation are continuous as new strategies emerge, new officers assume roles, and leadership changes occur within community groups like CFAs
  • When communities understand the benefits of the issues, they are more likely to support and engage in policy advocacy
  • Policy advocacy is long-term, requiring flexibility to adapt goals in response to changing government priorities while keeping the community's interests at the forefront
  • Successful advocacy requires engaging with the political climate effectively, with proper timing being crucial
  • Advocacy is time-consuming and expensive, needing significant financial support, expertise, and champions to push the agenda at all levels
  • The organization must foster trust among all stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes
Policy formulation and development process

Policy formulation and development is a complex, time-consuming process requiring support from communities, government, politicians, external partners, and the public, including investors and beneficiaries. It demands patience and flexibility, often facing resistance from those benefiting from current policies.

NACOFA's experiences highlight these challenges. Developing the Forest Act 2005 and revising it to the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016 each took four years. The Forest Incentives and Benefit Sharing Regulations have been stalled for 14 years, and the Natural Resources and Benefit Sharing Bill has been in Parliament since 2014. These critical policies, essential for ensuring community benefits from conservation efforts, face significant delays due to competing interests.

NACOFA has learned that patience and adaptability are crucial in policy formulation. This process often begins with a community's need to address environmental challenges and aims to tackle root causes, ensuring a stable supply of environmental goods and services for future generations. It must align with current political directions, national and global commitments, and garner stakeholder support.

NACOFA has also faced challenges implementing Transition Implementation Plans (TIPs) at the county level, providing opportunities to address these issues through county-specific NRM bylaws, forest management plans, capacity building, and guidelines for conserving fragile ecosystems and developing nature-based enterprises.

  • Stakeholder buy-in is crucial for success, ensuring vested interest in the policy
  • Timing is vital for achieving long-term impact and success
  • Availability of resources, both financial and human, is essential
  • NACOFA's success is due to strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, CSOs, and community groups
  • Capacity for dialogue with politicians and policymakers is also critical
  • Community goodwill and support are indispensable
  • Developing a long-term advocacy strategy is essential for sustained impact
  • Donor and stakeholder fatigue can occur if the process takes too long, so it's important to maintain momentum and avoid burnout
  • Flexibility and adaptability must be integrated into the advocacy strategy
  • Being included in government technical working groups strengthens influence and viability in policy creation
  • Policy formulation is a lengthy, often tedious process that requires adaptability to changing governmental interests while maintaining a focus on the end goal
  • Funding and stakeholder support may wane over time, but the lead organization must persist, seeking additional support to achieve the final goal
  • Communities and partners may lose hope, but it's crucial for the leading organization to remain steadfast in its advocacy
Review current laws & policies and stakeholder mapping

Stakeholder mapping involves reviewing the diverse interests of stakeholders across various sectors at both local and national levels. This process should be as comprehensive as possible, mapping out existing influence and power structures to determine who to engage directly or indirectly. Prior to stakeholder mapping, a thorough analysis of existing policies is conducted to fully understand the issues and why they matter to the community. This understanding then informs the stakeholder mapping activity, making it clearer who to engage with.

  • A clear understanding of relevant laws and policies related to the issue
  • Identification of specific policy gaps that need addressing
  • Accurate identification of target government organizations and officers
  • Proper selection of partners and civil society organizations
  • Ensuring community support and representation in the process
  • Understanding stakeholder interests and the impact of legal changes on those interests is crucial for effective engagement
  • It’s important to identify ongoing processes related to specific laws and policies to ensure inclusive and thorough mapping
  • Consolidating efforts through coalitions is essential to avoid parallel efforts and enhance impact
  • National coalitions can align efforts for greater policy influence
  • Building and strengthening networks should be prioritized over individual program objectives to achieve broader policy goals
Participatory research to identify local environmental challenges

The first step involves identifying local environmental challenges at the community level, such as water shortages, diminishing grazing areas, food scarcity, soil erosion, landslides, or flooding. NACOFA gathers community input on possible solutions and explores the links between these challenges and forest or environmental degradation.

Next, NACOFA studies the existing laws and policies that could address these issues, identifying any gaps, or determining if enhanced implementation or enforcement is needed. This process allows NACOFA to pinpoint the responsible government institutions, key officials, CSOs, partners, and community groups to collaborate with.

  • Clear understanding of the local or national issue and its impact on people and the environment.
  • Centering community and environmental well-being in the research approach.
  • Engaging with local leaders to ensure full community participation.
  • Collaborating with research organizations to align with current research policies.
  • This approach fosters informed policy development that centers on community needs.
  • Broad stakeholder engagement is crucial for policy advocacy success and enhances government accountability in service delivery.
  • Community ownership of the process is vital, leading to higher participation and long-term success.
Indigenous Tree Species
Participatory research to identify local environmental challenges
Review current laws & policies and stakeholder mapping
Policy formulation and development process
Capacity building and awareness creation
Implementation and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning
Advancing Red Pod Terminalia Propagation Techniques

This building block focuses on refining the techniques for propagating Red Pod Terminalia (T. brownii) and ensuring stakeholder engagement throughout the process. Identifying and involving relevant stakeholders—ranging from local communities to research institutions—was key to the successful planning, implementation, and dissemination of results.

Effective seed extraction is vital for successful propagation. T. brownii fruits have a distinct structure, with the seed located more broadly at the proximal end. To extract the seed without damaging it, incisions are carefully made on either side of the fruit near the proximal end using hand secateurs. The distal and proximal sides are then gently pulled apart, revealing the seed, which can be removed intact. Avoid making cuts near the distal end, as this can cause the seed to break during extraction. Properly handling and processing seeds significantly improves germination rates, contributing to the species' successful propagation and conservation efforts.

Key factors enabling the success of this building block include the availability of mature and dry T. brownii fruits, appropriate equipment for seed extraction, and experienced staff to handle the process. Strong market demand for T. brownii seeds, seedlings, and products like carved wood, firewood, and honey also drives community participation. Additionally, community involvement in tree planting initiatives and the ecological suitability of T. brownii in drylands are crucial for ensuring the species' successful propagation and long-term impact.

Critical lessons learned include the importance of properly identifying and engaging stakeholders throughout the process to ensure inclusivity and community buy-in. Mobilizing the community for the agreed-upon solution is essential for successful implementation, as is conducting community meetings to raise awareness and gather support. Experience and training in seed extraction and tree management have proven vital for maximizing the benefits of T. brownii. Overall, these elements combined have facilitated the effective propagation and widespread adoption of this resilient tree species.

Enhancing Alternative Livelihoods for Dryland Communities

The Red Pod Terminalia (Terminalia brownii) plays a crucial role in improving alternative livelihoods for dryland communities by providing essential resources and environmental benefits. This tree is a vital source of firewood and charcoal in regions with limited energy options. Additionally, it produces non-timber forest products, including medicinal compounds and honey, which can be sold for income. Its leaves and pods serve as valuable animal fodder, especially during dry seasons, and the tree offers shade, shelter, and erosion control, thereby enhancing land productivity. By integrating T. brownii into agroforestry systems, farmers can diversify their crops and reduce risks. The tree's carbon sequestration potential also opens opportunities for participation in carbon trading schemes, providing another income stream.

Involvement in T. brownii propagation and conservation fosters partnerships with research institutions and NGOs, offering training and capacity-building for community members. This knowledge not only supports sustainable practices but also boosts overall community resilience by equipping individuals with skills applicable to various aspects of life.

Key enabling factors include the strong market demand for firewood and honey, which provides economic incentives for communities. Partnerships with research institutions and NGOs facilitate training and capacity-building, while the tree’s ability to thrive in harsh conditions ensures its viability as a long-term livelihood resource.

We learned that promoting T. brownii as a source of alternative livelihoods requires understanding market demands and community needs. Proper training in seed extraction and tree management is crucial for maximizing the tree's benefits. Ensuring community involvement from the outset helps to foster ownership and long-term commitment to conservation efforts. Additionally, the integration of T. brownii into agroforestry systems has proven effective in diversifying income sources and enhancing food security. Finally, participation in carbon trading schemes has shown potential, but it requires careful planning and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to be successful.

Indigenous Trees for Climate Resilience in Drylands

This building block focuses on identifying and utilizing climate-resilient tree species, particularly the Red Pod Terminalia (T. brownii), in dryland restoration efforts. Extensive research has shown T. brownii’s exceptional survival rate and growth potential in arid regions. A screening trial in Baringo, Kenya, demonstrated a 97% survival rate for T. brownii within two years, outperforming other indigenous and Australian Acacia species. These promising results highlight T. brownii's suitability for dryland restoration, making it a prime candidate for combating deforestation and climate change in Kenya's drylands. Our goal is to scale up the use of T. brownii and other drought-resistant species to enhance reforestation efforts. The research also explored effective seedling production and improved germination techniques to ensure the successful establishment of these trees in harsh environments.

 

Key enabling factors include selecting T. brownii as a resilient species based on extensive research trials. Collaboration with researchers and communities ensured the identification of viable provenances and effective seed handling techniques tailored to the Kendu Bay, Baringo, and Kitui regions. We conducted germination trials to optimize seed treatment methods, such as nipping, dewinging, and extraction, which significantly enhanced the species' germination rates.

We learned that rapid germination of T. brownii seeds occurs within 10 days, allowing for multiple nursery rotations per year. Ensuring that fruits are fully mature and properly dried simplifies seed extraction and improves germination success. Synchronizing planting programs with seasonal cycles is crucial for maximizing survival and growth. There is also a need to train communities and stakeholders to promote T. brownii as an alternative species for agroforestry, afforestation, and reforestation programs in drylands, leading to more impactful and sustainable outcomes.