Regular Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) Assessments are becoming an integral part of the annual management cycle in the organizations managing the Protected Areas in the WPA. The METT is being established as an important decision-support tool enabling more transparent, evidence-based, and adaptive management, tied to the annual management cycle. It helps the managers to organize and streamline annual cycles of reporting while its findings and results help determine preferences among options in preparing the operational plan for the subsequent annual cycle.

METT assessments are an integral part of PONT’s monitoring and evaluation system at both program level and individual grants. Grantees managing protected areas are required to use METT to assess the impact of PONT’s grants on management effectiveness and track progress over time.

The baseline  survey on the Kikuyu Escarpment watershed to develop hydrological maps for the area was conducted. The survey identified hotspots that needed intervention and also the hydrological maps showing the linkage between upstream and downstream, moreso indicating the catchment areas for major rivers used by most water service provider. it aslo identified potential bussineses target for the PES schemes.

To engage the bussineses, KENVO sought strategic commitments from  downstream users of water resources to support upstream catchment management and protection by the community.The community institutions and businesses were brought to negotiate and agree on their respective roles and responsibilities. Each of the parties had to commit to his or her contribution.  

In addition, a business platform through which the upstream community engaged downstream communities was established. In this platform, the communities negotiated agreement with businesses to commit to protect and maintain ecosystem values of an agreed acreage of 3,000 hectares annually. 

We have identified clean water access as a key goal. Clean water access for humans, livestock, and wildlife will prevent wildlife-related injuries and deaths. In September 2012 IFAW conducted research and helped the county secure funding to rehabilitate the Northern Water Pipeline, which supplies water to communities living in the north of Amboseli. When the project is completed by the end of 2019, it is expected to reliably provide water to 300 homesteads, 3,000 people, and more than 6,000 herds of livestock. By rehabilitating the pipeline, the project ensures availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for the Maasai community, and thus, reducing human-elephant conflict due to water access.

IFAW is increasing wildlife security in the Amboseli landscape by equipping community wildlife rangers with expertise and skills through training in human wildlife conflict mitigation and providing operation resources such as rations, salaries, GPS-equipment, uniforms and a patrol vehicle for use by the rangers.

IFAW also initiated an education scholarship to offer financial support to 60 students to pursue studies in high school, tertiary colleges and universities, and 50 community wildlife scouts. By providing education scholarships and wildlife ranger capacity building, IFAW ensures inclusive and equitable education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities and alternative livelihoods for the local community. 

IFAW is also working with local women to develop markets for income-generating activities such as beadwork and livestock management. By creating a boarding secondary school for girls and facilitating income generation among women, the project promotes gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls in Amboseli, thus, leaving no-one behind.

Amboseli National Park is home to some of Kenya’s largest elephant populations which depend on the surrounding community land for migration. In 2008, the land stakeholders recognized that the habitat loss threats, degradation, and fragmentation would lead to the loss of livelihoods and tourism revenue and opted to ensure the ecosystem’s sustainability. IFAW therefore partnered with relevant stakeholders to secure critical corridors and dispersal areas for elephants in community areas of the Amboseli landscape. To achieve this, IFAW implemented a multi-year commitment to secure 26,000 acres as wildlife migratory and dispersal land in the Amboseli landscape (the Kitenden Corridor, one of the last remaining elephant migratory corridors connecting Kenya and Tanzania).

To engage the downstream communities,  KENVO prepared pitch documents in form of facts sheets and documentaries  to use  to talk to potential downstream buyers. KENVO met buyers at their own offices and also invited them to come to the KBA and the forest catchments. This was to show them where the water came from and what needed to be done to maintain its flow and quality. This helped the buyers to get a better understanding of the importance of the PES scheme. KENVO identified potential buyers among them industries and water companies and tea estates. 

 
A business case for the site was developed  in a participatory process. Negotiation teams for the community were trained in negotiation skills to build their capacity to engage the bussineses. 

KENVO mobilized the community institutions (CFAs and WRUAs) into an organized group and built their capacity to engage in PES. Further, awareness on policies was raised among the community upstream. To strengthen the CFAs and the WRUAs, they were trained in all aspects related to PES – policies, practices, rights, responsibilities, fund management, monitoring and compliance. 

Community consultation engagements were held with CFAs and WRUAs and produced actions plans. The main objectives of the action plans was support land use practices that improve water quantity and quality and capacity build the local community to secure catchment restoration through water payment services scheme.