The SAGE Assessment is a participatory process involving all the key stakeholders of the conservancy. Identification of stakeholders was carried out at the planning phase of the assessment. This stakeholder mapping was spearheaded by the SAGE consultant and involved Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA landscape level Association working within Tsavo Landscape) and Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (KWCA Landscape level Association working within Amboseli Landscape). The following stakeholder groups were identified and invited for the assessment workshops: Conservancy management, Conservancy Investors, Youth, Men, Women and Board. The assessments were attended by a total of 99 participants.
Each assessment was followed by a synthesis workshop where each group selected two to three representatives to attend the synthesis workshop. The findings of the assessment workshops were presented at the synthesis workshop and ideas for action were discussed. A total of 46 stakeholders from two conservancies attended the synthesis workshop.
The engagement of all relevant stakeholders in the SAGE ensures that stakeholders are all heard and invested in the actions that they collectively decide on.
- The collaborative identification of the stakeholders made it possible to exhaustively map all the key stakeholders
- Clustering of stakeholders according to common interest created safe spaces for all (especially women and youth) to openly and productively dialogue on the governance status of the conservancies
- The self-assessment character of SAGE tool fostered community ownership of the process and the identified actions for implementation
- Effective stakeholders engagement plays a key role in ensuring shared understanding of project scope as well as fostering a collaborative approach to project implementation
- Clustering stakeholders according to interests is a key ingredient to unrestricted and productive discussions especially by those who may be marginalized in terms of governance and decision making processes
- Effective stakeholders engagements enhances ownership of project implementation processes and products