Official launching, activities planning for 2017 and 1st Steering Committee of the the project : « Sustainable farming and critical habitat conservation to achieve biodiversity mainstreaming and protected areas management effectiveness in Western Cameroon – SUFACHAC»
BUEA : 29th to 31st March 2017
The Terms of Reference for the Inception Workshop
Context
The Project sustainable farming and critical habitat conservation to achieve biodiversity mainstreaming and protected areas management effectiveness in Western Cameroon (SUFACHAC) has as main objective conservation and development. The SW Region, in which the Project is situated, is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance that supports a high diversity of animal and plant species, large numbers with restricted ranges, and many of which are threatened. The project area is part of the volcanic mountain chain that connects Mount Cameroon with the Adamaoua massif. The mountain chain protects a densely forested and undulating landscape that covers much of the South-West Region. This set of characteristics have made the South West the subject of long-term interest for foresters, and scientific researchers, who over the last century have developed a network of Forest Reserves, logging Concessions (Forest Management Units) and more recently Protected Areas in the Region. Today, the South West hosts six of Cameroon’s 35 Protected Areas.
The GEF funded project will build on the baseline of activities : (i) expand (through acceleration of gazettement of the Technical Operation Unit (TOU) and the new PA which was initiated since 2005 and delayed due to lack of financing) and ensure effectiveness in the management of existing and proposed protected areas and / or high conservation value areas (through support for the development of management and business plans) ; (ii) support biodiversity mainstreaming into land use planning and the planning of public and private sector initiatives in the vicinity of the Protected Areas, and its consideration in the social and environmental impacts assessment of Protected Area (PA) creation and management through the development of stronger social safeguards to ensure that any negative social impacts are adequately mitigated by improved livelihood activities outside the PAs. By doing so, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding will significantly influence both public, private and donor funding in the region to better prioritize the limited funds available to avoid and/or offset the environmental impacts of development projects; and support social groups affected by Protected Areas to adapt and improve their livelihoods to more sustainable activities.The project aims to address the underlying causes of Biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society. By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values would have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes that will be incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate and reporting systems by developing policies considering biodiversity and ecosystem service in environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment (a Category C, national-level indicator).
The project also recognises the existence of a draft Rural Development Strategy which puts strong emphasis on: food security as the top priority; a green and equitable agricultural development; improving the effective management of protected areas and on improving the implementation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments for both private sector and protected area management.
A fundamental objective of this workshop will be to help the project team to understand and take ownership of the project’s goal and objectives, as well as finalize preparation of the project's first annual work plan on the basis of the project results framework and the GEF Tracking Tool. This will include reviewing the results framework (indicators, means of verification, and assumptions), imparting additional detail as needed, and on the basis of this exercise, finalizing the Annual Work plan (AWP) with precise and measurable performance indicators, and in a manner consistent with the expected outcomes for the project.
Program breakdown
- 29th of March: planning of project activities for 2017
- 30th of March: Launching session and finalization of the Annual Work Plan for 2017
- 31st of March: Meeting of steering committee
Overall aims:
- Launch the SUFACHAC project
- Review of project outputs, activities and budget (if necessary) with UNEP and project partners
- Plan the activities for the first year of project implementation (2017)
- Adopt the first year work plan
Objectives:
The purpose of the inception workshop is to create a common understanding and support of the project, its vision, goals, objectives, budget and plan and adopt the activities for the first year of the project implementation.
The specific objectives are to:
- Launch the SUFACHAC project
- Conduct a detailed review of the project goals, objectives, outcomes and activities
- Discuss on the activities to be implemented on 2017
- Define roles and responsibilities of project partners
- Hold the first project technical steering committee
- Discuss and adopt the project work plan for 2017
Outputs:
- Partners have a shared understanding of the project and their respective roles/responsibilities
- Partner input enhances project direction and plans
- Project goals, objectives, outcomes, activities and budget are validated
- Project work plan is validated
- Project technical steering committee is organized
- The project is well positioned for efficient implementation
- Clear roadmap for 2017
- Workshop report and meeting notes
