Kenya: Training of Natural Resource Management Institutions on Sustainable NRM Management Bylaws Development & Governance

May 3, 2020 | Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany
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VSF Germany is an international Non-Governmental Organization, providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to pastoralists and vulnerable communities in areas where livestock is of importance. In the region, VSF Germany implements activities in Southern Sudan, Northern Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. VSF Germany focuses on Livestock, Food Security and Livelihoods, Natural Resources Management, Peace and Conflict, Good governance, Disasters & Emergency, and Agriculture.

Omo Delta Project

VSF Germany is the lead agency in a consortium comprised of six organizations namely VSF-Germany, Mercy Corps, VITA, CIFA, EPArDA and TUPADO implementing Omo Delta Project: Expanding the Rangeland to achieve Growth & Transformation in cross-border areas of the Horn of Africa Region: the Southwest Ethiopia (South Omo, Bench Maji) and Northwest Kenya border (Turkana, Marsabit) for a duration of 40 months, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The concept of expanding rangeland is applied to realize the overall objective of the procedure to address the drivers of instability, irregular migration and displacement in Cluster I: The Southwest Ethiopia-Northwest Kenya border.

Specific objective(s)/outcome

The project has one main specific objective - to promote economic and private sector development, and greater resilience, particularly among vulnerable groups (e.g. youth, women, and displaced people), this has three outcomes which the project seeks to deliver on the overall objective:

  • Increased wealth of young people in particular and especially young women
  • Accelerated trade and collaboration nationally and across-borders
  • Increased stability through linkages to legal, policy and social protection mechanisms that promote growth and protect gains

Main outputs/activities

Related to the three specific outcomes, the Project main outputs are:

  • Op1.1. Technical and business skills for young men and women to enhance their employment and entrepreneurship capacity enhanced.
  • Op1.2. Access to business incubatory services (finance, entrepreneurial skills training and mentoring, advisory services, and technical assistance for diversified businesses), with particular focus to youth and women groups, supported.
  • Op2.1. Support to public and private institutions to improve access to animal health services delivery in cross border areas.
  • Op2.2. Technical support to enhanced commercial production and productivity of the productive sectors in cross-border areas (specifically livestock, fishery, fodder, staple, and horticultural crops) for local and export markets.
  • Op3.1: Support to integrated and sustainable Natural Resources management.
  • Op3.2 Support for the development of Strategic water points shared by cross-border communities.

Rationale for training tots on development of by-laws to govern utilization of cross-border natural resources and facilitation skills for cross-border reciprocal agreement

The customary institutions play a significant role in natural resource management, conflict resolution or prevention, and political and administrative matters in the ODP project target pastoral areas. These roles are governed by indigenous norms and values that enable the smooth operation of the pastoral system in the drylands. To strengthen the customary institutions for sustainable use of natural resources in the cross border areas, NRM By-laws/constitution will be developed to ensure sustainable use of natural resources (pasture and water), mitigate resource competition or conflicts, and build resilience. The ODP project supported the communities to form NRM Committees to manage the utilization of natural resources and reseeding of degraded rangelands. The committees lack strong by-laws to govern the pastoralist to share natural resources is a peaceful and sustainable manner. Recurrent droughts threaten and force cross border communities to compete over the available but ever-diminishing natural resources often resulting in conflicts; especially over water and pasture. Proper Natural resource management is important in minimizing such competitions and enhancing the resilience of livestock dependent communities through improved rangeland productivity, availability, and access to pasture and water; which are key natural resources for livestock production among cross-border pastoral communities. The ODP project will support target communities to hold intra- and inter-community dialogue meetings and develop plans to foster reciprocal natural resource utilization agreement, especially among cross-border communities to guarantee mutual access rights by communities across the border in both countries. The agreements will be signed and implemented jointly by the cross border communities to enhance access and responsibility. There need to train the NRM committees facilitation skills to effectively negotiate during inter-community peace dialogue and develop reciprocal grazing agreements.

Scope of the consultancy

The purpose of the training consultancy:

  1. Facilitation of NRM committee’s reflection process on existing NRM practices, gaps, and recommendations for the development of sustainable NRM management and governance
  2. Develop community-based sustainable resource management and reciprocal agreements facilitation guidelines for NRM committees.
  3. Enabling the NRM Committees to acquire skills and approaches to sustainable natural resources management, governance, and enforcement.
  4. Provide appropriate skills to develop sustainable natural resource use plans and effective governance.
  5. Enhance skills of the NRM committees to facilitate and enforce community-based natural resources reciprocal use plans rand by-laws for local and cross border rangelands.

The consultancy service to provide technical support will be undertaken through two BLOCKs assignments as described below;

BLOCK 1 – Strengthen capacities of exiting customary institutions and community NRM structures/systems.

The BLOCK 1 of the technical support consultancy will focus on strengthening the capacities of existing customary and Natural Resource Management institutions (customary and traditional NRM management and community institutions for sustainable use of natural resources in the cross border areas. The institutions include: water user, grazing, leaders, Local Authority, and NRM Committees for sustainable use of natural resources locally and cross border areas. The consultant will review and critique the existing NRM practices and governance systems and provide support to the institutions on how traditional NRM practices/plans will be integrated into formal NRM plans within their respective Counties in order to enhance their legitimacy in managing cross-border shared resources and for sustainability. The key issues are:

  1. Critique of exiting NRM practices - NRM Committee's review of existing natural resources, use, management, and role of existing community institutions. – 1 days
  2. Training guideline - Develop a guideline for institutions to organize communities to effectively participate and develop sustainable rules and regulations for managing their natural resources and the enforcements while ensuring peaceful coexistence – 2 days
  3. Reflection meeting – Review and document existing natural resources use management practices and enforcements, role of existing community institutions and linkages with County NRM management structures - The process is to examine how the communities are using the natural resources under traditional leadership to generate income in both countries – 1 day
  4. Training of NRM institution members – on sustainable NRM use management (approach concepts, principles, and tools), governance (how to manage a successful and functional community-based NRM committee), by-laws (development, implementation, monitoring, enforcement) and field practicum - 4 days

BLOCK 2 - Strengthen cross border natural resource management and utilization capacity” The key issue is to support target communities to hold intra- and inter-community dialogue meetings and develop plans to foster reciprocal natural resource utilization. The integration of natural resource use plans is aimed to minimize competition of shared resources and enable sustainable inter-community resource sharing.

The focus should be on pasture (in grazing areas) and water sources to ensure amicable cross-border coexistence and access to specific shared community dry season grazing areas

The process is to examine how the communities are using natural resources under traditional leadership to generate income in both countries.

  1. Train 30 members (selected NRM officials and local relevant government officers) on facilitation skills to strengthen customary institutions, negotiation skills on grazing and water sources, developing local and cross border reciprocal grazing agreements to ensure amicable cross-border coexistence and access to specific shared community dry season grazing areas 4 days
  2. Mentorship –Field practicum support to guide NRM committees to understand how to develop resource use plans and enforcement action plans – The process to enhance the quality of facilitation, community participation, community ownership of plans and by-laws (legitimacy in managing cross-border shared resources and for sustainability) – 1 day

Deliverables: Develop a context-based community-based NRM training manual, Training report, and by-laws development and monitoring plan

Location and Timing: The location for the training will be at Lokamarinyang Centre in Kibish Ward. The duration of the training workshop will be 22 days as shown below; **

  • Literature review – 1 day
  • Dialogue with Communities to establish existing gaps in NRM - 3 days
  • Development of simple training manual – 2 days
  • Training – 10 days
  • Report writing – 2 days
  • Field travels – 4 days

VSFG Responsibilities

  • Training facilities, venue, LCD projector, writing materials, will be availed by VSFG as necessary.
  • Training Materials/Reference copies to be provided by the consultant
  • Transport, food, and accommodation for the facilitator will be covered by VSF Germany.

List of Participants: To be provided by VSF Germany in collaboration with County Director of Livestock Production.

Required Expertise:

The consultant must meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications:

  • At least Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management or its equivalent, Livestock production or Conflict Resolution and Peace Building with proven experience participatory training methodology.
  • Certification as a trainer in Participatory Epidemiology from a recognized institution.
  • Past experience of working in Turkana County would be an added advantage.
  • Previous and/or current experience in similar assignments with the Government of Kenya and/or NGO preferred.
  • Experience of working in an environment with multi-stakeholders implementing coordination, collaboration, and joint planning.
  • Experience in donor reporting standards and guidelines.
  • Good knowledge and experience in community resilience building.
  • Excellent analytical, presentation, and writing skills.

How to apply

Application:

  • Interested persons/firms should send their application as follows;
  • Cover letter
  • Technical proposal outlining methods and tools to be used in the training
  • Financial Proposal quoted in Kenya Shillings (KES).
  • Work plan for the consultancy period; showing how available time will be utilized.
  • Updated CV of the consultant(s) or a profile of the firm plus CVs of the experts who will do the training.

The proposals should be placed in a sealed envelope marked: “OMO DELTA PROJECT” and addressed to Head of HR and Admin, VSF Germany, P. O. Box 25653-00603, Nairobi Kenya; or sent to the email address: recruitment@vsfg.org not later than Thursday 14th May 2020. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis and selection will be done once a suitable candidate is identified.