WEST AFRICA BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE (WA BICC)/THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS/GOLA RAINFOREST CONSERVATION, CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SIERRA LEONE/SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE OF LIBERIA COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE Final Report
(August 2020) This document was produced by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, in partnership with Gola Rainforest Conservation Ltd by guarantee, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia under Grant No. WA BiCC-G-RSPB-001, through WA BiCC through a Task Order under the Restoring the Environment through Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (REPLACE) Indefinite Quantity Contract (USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-I-13- 00058, Order Number AID-624-TO-15-00002) between USAID and Tetra Tech, Inc. For more information on the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program, contact: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Tetra Tech 2nd Labone Link, North Labone Accra, Ghana Tel: +233(0)302 788 600 Email: www.tetratech.com/intdev Website: www.wabicc.org Stephen Kelleher Chief of Party Accra, Ghana Tel: + 233 (0) 302 788 600 Email : [email protected] Vaneska Litz Project Manager Burlington, Vermont Tel: +1. 802.495.0303 Email: [email protected] Citation: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC)/Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), in partnership with Gola Rainforest Conservation Ltd (GRC LG), the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL). (2020). Community landscape management to reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss in the gola transboundary forest landscape: Final report, 2nd Labone Link, North Labone, Accra – Ghana. 137 pp. Cover photo: Group photo following the signing ceremony, February 2020, of the Revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone for the protection and management of the Gola Forest Peace Park. Photo by Jerry Garteh, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia. Authors: This report was written by Anne Gardner and Laura Beasley of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) based on reports from Moses Zombo of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG), Abdul Dumbuya of the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and Molly Koisee and Michael Taire of the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL).
CONTENTS CONTENTS ...... I ACRONYMS ...... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... VIII 1.0 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVES ...... 1 1.1 OVERALL GOAL OF THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS ...... 1 1.2 OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ...... 1 1.3 DELIVERY OBJECTIVES OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ...... 1 1.4 CONTRIBUTION TO THE WA BICC THEORY OF CHANGE ...... 2 1.5 EVOLUTION OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ...... 2 1.5.1 Changes in Project target area (PTA) and geographic focus ...... 2 1.5.2 Changes in Activities ...... 3 1.5.3 Changes in Schedule ...... 4 2.0 SUMMARY OF PROGRESS ...... 5 2.1 SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS ...... 5 3.0 PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ...... 8 OBJECTIVE 1. ENHANCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVED WELLBEING OF POPULATIONS WITHIN TWO MODEL SITES...... 8 1.1 Support communities with technical inputs to improve agricultural production including rainforest–friendly cocoa, beekeeping, intensified groundnut production, intensified rice production, vegetable production, improved fallow methods, milling, semi-intensive poultry production ...... 8 1.2 Use Farmer Field Schools and other extension methods to deliver training in rainforest-friendly agricultural practices, tailored to seasonal requirements and support intensification ...... 8 1.3 Establish and support savings and small loan schemes ...... 23 1.4 Identify opportunities and implement non-agricultural revenue generating activities, including beekeeping and other non-timber forest products ..... 31 OBJECTIVE 2. TWO MODEL SITES DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT THAT SUPPORTS HABITAT CONNECTIVITY ACROSS DIFFERENT TENURES AND INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES...... 38 2.1 Work with stakeholders to select a second model site in each of Sierra Leone and Liberia ...... 38 2.2 Define the rationale and feasibility for each of the second sites ...... 38 2.3 Work with relevant stakeholders to develop road maps for community forest management based on FPIC principles and legal frameworks in each country ...... 41 2.4 Work with relevant stakeholders in Liberia to implement the 9 steps to community forest management, based on the Community Rights Law ..... 41 2.5 Work with relevant stakeholders in SL to implement the road map defined in 2.3 above ...... 41 2.7 Develop a roadmap to scale up community forest management across the landscape ...... 41
i | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 2.8 Carry out biodiversity monitoring with community members to give indications of the abundance, diversity and distribution of species of high conservation value to support adaptive management of the model sites. See also Activity 3.5...... 41 2.9 Work with relevant stakeholders to develop community based land use plans at each site for the long-term sustainable management of community forests ...... 41 2.10 Work with GoSL and GoL and communities at model sites to establish appropriate community forest management systems...... 41 2.11 Produce the necessary forest features and resource maps on which management plans are based...... 41 2.6 Carry out exchange visits with existing community forests: FAO sites in SL, GolaMA in Liberia, SL to GolaMA ...... 46 2.12 Develop and implement local communications plans to support establishment of CFM...... 46 2.13 Ensure that community forest management plans include zoning for different uses, including strict conservation ...... 46 2.14 Liaise with REDD stakeholders to ensure lessons from this project strengthen national REDD initiatives in Sierra Leone and Liberia...... 46 OBJECTIVE 3. COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT BODIES (CFMBS), COMMUNITY MEMBERS, REGIONAL STAFF OF THE FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (FDA, LIBERIA), NATIONAL PROTECTED AREA AUTHORITY (NPAA, SIERRA LEONE) AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF, AND STAFF OF THE GOLA RAINFOREST CONSERVATION LG (GRC LG), CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SIERRA LEONE (CSSL) AND SCNL HAVE INCREASED CAPACITY TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY LAND USE PLANS AND COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS...... 47 3.1 Develop training plans for CSSL, SCNL, grc, local npaa, fd and fda staff and key communities as an output of training needs assessment for all .... 47 3.2 Carry out at least 3 training events for SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD and FDA staff on different aspects of CFM ...... 47 3.3 Carry out at least 1 training event for SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD and FDA staff on a landscape approach to forest management and its implementation in a trans-boundary context...... 55 3.4 Provide relevant training to community members on community forest management...... 57 3.5 Develop community-based biomonitoring system and carry out at least 2 training EVENTS for community members on biomonitoring...... 60 3.6 Support community engagement activities around Tiwai Island and the development of a management plan...... 62 3.7 Complete an evaluation with WA BICC, govts, partners and communities to refine collaborative management methodologies and approaches of sharing with future initiatives ...... 63 3.8 Undertake activities to ensure forest conservation, as need arises ...... 64 ii | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT OBJECTIVE 4. KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING ABOUT BEST PRACTICE AT THE MODEL SITES IS GENERATED AND INCREASES ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS IN CONSERVATION...... 65 4.1 Develop and implement local communication plans to support establishment of CFM (same as 2.12)...... 65 4.2 Monitor progress and capture lessons learned using focus group discussions with community members as well as sharing experience during quarterly PIT mtgs ...... 65 4.3 Create outreach materials, reports or other products to communicate success and learning stories. This will include posters, radio-shows about best practices for agriculture and forestry-related activities, road shows, school-based Nature Clubs, community youth volunteer programmes. ... 66 4.4 Organize study tours and exchange VISITS FOR community members and key stakeholders on specific themes related to the work of the project ...... 76 4.5 Ensure Mano River Union (MRU) is familiar with landscape approach through engagement with MRU on RECENTLY STARTED GEF project. . 80 4.6 Hold partner and stakeholder events to share lessons learned, joining them where appropriate with other events such as study tours and exchanges. (see activity 4.2) ...... 80 OBJECTIVE 5. LESSONS LEARNED FROM TRANS-BOUNDARY COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE, AND INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE...... 81 5.1 Support the development of a GoL and GoSL accord for trans-boundary collaboration and management that leads to joint patrols...... 82 5.2 Facilitate regular meetings with two governments to put accord into practice and explore evolving ways of collaboration, resulting in at least one roundtable between the two governments by EOP to share experience on trans-boundary forest management...... 84 5.3 Organise at least one exchange of FD and FDA staff to share experience on community forest management in the two countries...... 84 5.4 Support the development of policy on forest corridors and identify forest corridors around protected areas for CFM ...... 84 5.5 Develop a series of best practice guidelines on implementing CFM in forest corridors around protected areas ...... 84 5.6 Learn lessons from other trans-boundary programmes across Africa and beyond through dialogue...... 84 OBJECTIVE 6. THE PROJECT IS MANAGED EFFECTIVELY AND COLLABORATIVELY SO THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED, DELIVERING PLANNED BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOOD IMPACTS...... 85 6.1 Establish a well-defined management structure, including steering committee for the project ...... 85
iii | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 6.2 Put a sub-granting management and reporting structure in place for implementing partners ...... 86 6.3 Establish a system of regular communications among all project partners87 6.4 Design a project monitoring and evaluation system and implement ...... 87 6.5 Collate all existing baseline data, identify gaps and carry out studies to fill gaps...... 91 6.6 Develop a GESI to ensure that gender and social inclusion is embedded in all project operations...... 92 4.0 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT/POLICY ...... 93 4.1 POVERTY ...... 93 4.1.1 Under-resourced government departments ...... 93 4.1.2 Low priority for conservation ...... 93 4.1.3 Community Forestry Legislation ...... 93 4.1.4 Enabling environment ...... 94 5.0 LESSONS LEARNED, CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES ...... 95 5.1 MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES/BARRIERS ...... 95 5.1.1 Challenges arising from project design ...... 95 5.1.2 Challenges arising from a weak enabling environment ...... 95 5.1.3 Unexpected challenges ...... 95 5.2 LESSONS LEARNED AND BEST PRACTICES TO DISSEMINATE ...... 96 6.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS & SUSTAINABILITY ...... 100 6.1 LESSONS LEARNED AND BEST PRACTICE ...... 100 6.2 SUSTAINABILITY ...... 100 ANNEX A: MEP INDICATOR TABLE AND RESULTS ...... 104 ANNEX B: COMMUNITY FORESTS ...... 113
iv | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT ACRONYMS AGALS Access to Gender Action Learning Systems ASM Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining ASMSWG Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector Working Group BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BCC Behavior Change Communication CBFM Community-based Forest Management CDRO Community Development Relations Officer CF Community Forest/Community Forestry CFM Community Forest Management CFMA Community Forest Management Agreement CFMB Community Forest Management Body CFOC Community Forest Organizing Committee CFWG Community Forest Working Group CSSL Conservation Society of Sierra Leone DFO District Forest Office(r) DQA Data Quality Assessment EFA Environmental Foundation for Africa EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan EPA Environmental Protection Agency EU European Union FA Farmers Association FAO Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN FD Forestry Department FDA Forestry Development Authority FEC Forest Edge Community FFS Farmer Field School FPIC Free Prior and Informed Consent FPPA Foya Proposed Protected Area GACFA Gaura Cocoa Farmers Association GAP Good Agricultural Practice GBP Great Britain Pound GCDC GRNP Community Development Committee GEF Global Environmental Facility GESI Gender and Social Inclusion GFNP Gola Forest National Park GIS Geographical Information System GoL Government of Liberia GoSL Government of Sierra Leone GRC LG Gola Rainforest Conservation, Limited by Guarantee GRNP Gola Rainforest National Park HA Hectares HCV High Conservation Value
v | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT HDI Human Development Index HOG Head of Gola ICFMC Interim Community Forestry Management Committee INGO International Non-Governmental Organisation ISAT International Security Advisory Team IVS Inland Valley Swamp IWT Illegal Wildlife Trade KML Knowledge Management and Learning KWAMUFA Kwapita Multipurpose Farmers Association LRA Land Rights Act M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MACFA Malema Cocoa Farmers Association MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ME(P) Monitoring and Evaluation (Plan) MF Master Farmer MME Ministry of Mines and Energy MOU Memorandum of Understanding MRU Mano River Union NGCFU Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Farmers Union NGO Non-governmental Organisation NPAA National Protected Area Authority NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product PAPFor Support Programme for the Preservation of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa PC Paramount Chief PC-LIB Project Coordinator - Liberia PC-SL Project Coordinator – Sierra Leone PIT Project Implementation Team PLUP Participatory Land Use Plan(ning) PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal/Participatory Rapid Appraisal PTA Project Target Area R&M Research and Monitoring REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation RFA Request for Applications RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds SCNL Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia SL Sierra Leone SMART Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool SME Small and medium enterprise SOMUFA Sokpo Multipurpose Farmers Association SOP Standard Operating Procedure(s) TA Technical Advisor TOC Theory of Change TOR Terms of Reference TOT Training of Trainers
vi | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT UNDP United Nations Development Programme UOF Universal Outreach Foundation USAID United States Agency for International Development USD United States Dollar VADEMCO Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association WA BiCC West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change
vii | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OVERALL PURPOSE AND GRANT OBJECTIVES The Gola Forest, straddling the Sierra Leone - Liberia border, represents the largest remaining block of Upper Guinea Forest, covering over 350,000 ha and is a global biodiversity hotspot. The Gola WABiCC project built on and advanced the past efforts of government, communities and partner organizations in the two countries to protect this unique landscape. With national parks already established on both sides of the border, this project supported and empowered local communities in key forest corridor areas and in areas of high conservation value outside the protected areas to establish community- managed forests, thereby becoming active stewards of the natural resources which underpin their livelihoods. This project also worked with the communities to improve their wellbeing through activities that contribute to and support forest conservation. Importantly, the Gola WABiCC project supported the establishment of trans-boundary structures and systems to enable a landscape approach to management of the Gola landscape. These efforts have and will continue to improve the connectivity between forest blocks within and between the two countries and contribute to the improved well-being of community members. OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT Innovative collaborative management of key corridors within the Greater Gola Forest Landscape contributes to the long-term sustainable management of the Trans-boundary Peace Park and surrounding forests, and supports livelihoods, protects biodiversity and combats climate change. DELIVERY OBJECTIVES OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT Objective 1. Sustainable Livelihoods. Enhanced agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities contribute to the improved wellbeing of populations within two model sites. Objective 2. Two community forest model sites. Two model sites demonstrate effective community forest management that supports habitat connectivity across different tenures and international boundaries. Objective 3. Capacity building. Community forest management bodies (CFMBs), community members, regional staff of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA, Liberia), National Protected Area Authority (NPAA, Sierra Leone) and other local government staff, and staff of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG), Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) and Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) have increased capacity to develop and implement community land use plans and community forest management plans. Objective 4. Knowledge and learning. Knowledge and learning about best practice at the model sites is generated and increases engagement and support of local and national stakeholders in conservation. Objective 5. Trans-boundary collaboration and coordination. Lessons learned from trans- boundary collaboration and coordination contribute to the improvement of national policy and practice, and international best practice. Objective 6. Effective project management. The project is managed effectively and collaboratively so that implementation is successfully completed, delivering planned biodiversity and livelihood impacts.
viii | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS
Site 1 SL
Map illustrating the Gola WA BiCC area including the Project Target Areas (PTAs) for Sierra Leone (orange) and Liberia (blue) The map shows the geographic focus of the Gola WA BiCC project. Community forestry activities were initially focused on the model sites while other activities took place throughout the Project Target Area (PTA), outlined in orange (Sierra Leone) and blue (Liberia) on the map above. The project worked with seven chiefdoms in the Sierra Leone PTA (Barri, Gaura, Koya, Makpele, Malema, Nomo and Tunkia) and one clan in the Liberia PTA (Sokpo). The Sierra Leone PTA was increased in size at the start of the project from that in the original proposal. Four additional community forestry sites were added in Sierra Leone in the latter half of the project in addition to the original model site Bunumbu. MAIN RESULTS AND SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS The Gola WA BiCC project made significant achievements over the life of the project despite a slow start and despite the final months being adversely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. Objective 1. Livelihoods 4,871 people trained on agricultural intensification, including rainforest-friendly cocoa, lowland rice, groundnut and vegetable production, as well as beekeeping. Objective 2. Two community forest model sites 185,582 ha of forest under improved management, including 26,512 hectares under community management within 7 community forests plus trans-boundary structures and systems established for the trans-boundary Peace Park encompassing the Gola Rainforest National Park (71,070 ha) in Sierra Leone and the Gola Forest National Park (88,000 ha) in Liberia, plus a new management plan for Tiwai Wildlife Reserve (1200 ha). Objective 3. Capacity building
ix | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 212 institutions report improved institutional capacity, including government departments, loan groups, farmers associations and project partners. Objective 4. Knowledge and learning 185 NRM practitioners with improved capacity/engagement through a wide variety of workshops and learning events. 7,735 community members engaged in wide variety of conservation communication activities Objective 5. Trans-boundary collaboration and coordination Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee established with new terms of reference, working groups, and new action plan. Amended MOU to protect and manage the Gola Forest signed by the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Objective 6. Effective project management. DQA scores improved year on year for both GRC LG and SCNL LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS Learning was an important and continuous part of the work of Gola WABiCC project. This was reflected in the project design and in the large number of activities such as exchange visits, pilot activities, reflection periods, lessons learned summaries, livelihoods impact assessments and learning events. Learning was primarily used to inform decisions and adjust approaches throughout the life of the project; it was not so much disseminated as it was absorbed into the continuing work of all of the partner organisations. The learning events we held at the end of the project came up with a large number of lessons learned. Many of them are not new but are affirmations of what we already knew. The learning event reports can be found in the project Google Drive. The lessons shared here are those we felt most helpful for sharing with others. Livelihoods activities were generally very much appreciated by the communities and were essential for building strong relationships with communities for conservation activities. Forest and biodiversity conservation is dependent on community collaboration and cooperation and that is possible only when community concerns about livelihoods are addressed. We note that it takes time for new livelihoods activities to be assimilated and adopted and we recommend that new projects be designed to take this into account. Community members at the end-of-project learning events provided an important reminder about the importance of logistics when organising training for farmers. There was strong agreement among all participants (community, project staff, government) that exchange visits are very beneficial and it was therefore recommended to continue to include this activity in future projects. The inclusion of a reflection period at the end of the visit is also encouraged to enable participants to identify what they learned from the visit and how they will share that with others. There was also strong agreement that having staff based in the project communities contributed to building strong relationships with the communities and supported project implementation. As with any community development endeavour, the probability of success for community forestry is highest when communities lead the process, when they are engaged because they see the benefit for their communities of managing their forest. In all areas, staff found that the initial reaction to the idea of x | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT community forestry was fear and/or suspicion that this was just another way for the government to put community land into a protected area. It goes without saying that effective community engagement is critical to address this fear and suspicion. Some suggestions to build trust with communities include: • Be persistent. • Spend time with people and understand their needs. • Be clear about your objectives and continue to be clear and transparent throughout the process. Don’t make promises that cannot be kept. • Work with existing community structures, again ensuring that communities have ownership and that there is nothing hidden. • Videos can be a useful tool for capturing attention. In both Sierra Leone and Liberia, it was very important that the Paramount Chiefs support community forestry as their support can lead others to also support community forestry. It is important to remember that community forestry is a new concept and therefore communities do not have the skill sets needed to manage their forests. Capacity building is therefore very important. Staff noted that women’s empowerment work was successful, particularly in Liberia, at bringing diversity into leadership roles and should be encouraged in the future. All participants – community, project staff, government officials - found that trans-boundary collaboration was valuable and very helpful for learning and networking. However, participants suggested that the trans-boundary meetings needed to be more frequent and regular and therefore funding should be included for this in any future projects. As the Gola WABiCC project was the first USAID-funded project that the Gola WABiCC partners carried out together, staff found the heavy administrative load of USAID-funded projects to be a challenge. Initially, there was a lack of understanding of project rules, procedures and policies, especially around finance, which often led to confusion and additional time spent navigating the rules. A longer start-up period in which training could be done as well as a longer and more detailed start-up workshop are recommended for future projects. POTENTIAL IMPACTS The Gola WABiCC project is one component of a long-term, landscape-wide programme for the conservation of the Gola landscape of which the RSPB, GRC LG, SCNL and CSSL are also long-term stakeholders. Community forestry, capacity building and changes to greener methods of agriculture take time, and our partnership’s long-term commitment to the landscape reflects this. To achieve the long- term goals, we have planned projects that will continue a large number of the activities carried out under the WA BiCC grant – expanding and scaling-up activities that have been effective and building on lessons learned. Specifically, we have secured 7 grants in the last year that will continue, expand and build on the work carried out with WABiCC support. Specifically, we have secured funding to continue to support the establishment of community-managed forests in both Sierra Leone and Liberia and increase their numbers. Trans-boundary collaboration and coordination will continue building on the structures established with WABiCC support. Progress continues to be made towards the goal of organising joint patrols across the Sierra Leone/Liberia
xi | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT border. Livelihoods activities will continue and in the case of the small loan programme, will scale up significantly. Gender and social inclusion analysis is an increasingly important part of the partnership’s work.
xii | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 1.0 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVES The Gola Forest that straddles the Sierra Leone - Liberia border represents the largest remaining block of Upper Guinea Forest, covering over 350,000 ha, and is of global conservation importance. This highly threatened habitat is a biodiversity hotspot that encompasses the Gola Forest National Park (GFNP) and the Foya proposed protected areas (FPPA) in Liberia, and the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) in Sierra Leone. The forests are home to 60 species of global conservation concern. Over 899 vascular plants, including 232 trees (at least 21 threatened), 49 mammals (9 threatened), 327 bird species and 43 amphibians have been recorded and are dependent on this forest landscape. The forest plays a critical function through the range of ecosystem services it provides and contributes to the mitigation of climate change impacts both globally and locally. The Request for Applications (RFA) issued by the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WABiCC) programme in 2016 concerning conservation of the Gola Landscape was an important opportunity to integrate learning from both countries and bring a trans-boundary landscape approach to this area. In Sierra Leone, previous efforts to protect the Gola Forest focused primarily on protecting the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP), improving livelihoods, and meeting REDD+ commitments. In Liberia, previous efforts focused on developing a mosaic of protected areas and legally-recognised Community Forests (CFs). With support from the WABiCC programme, the Gola WABiCC project aimed to expand the scope of previous work by pioneering new community-based approaches to forest management in Sierra Leone and by adding two more Community Forests to the mosaic in Liberia, all within a landscape approach to forest management. 1.1 Overall Goal of the Request for Applications Conserve the unique biodiversity of the Trans-boundary Peace Park for Sierra Leone and Liberia and to sustainably manage the remaining natural forests surrounding the park. 1.2 Overall Objective of the Gola WA BiCC Project Innovative collaborative management of key corridors within the Greater Gola Forest Landscape contributes to the long term sustainable management of the Trans-boundary Peace Park and surrounding forests, and supports livelihoods, protects biodiversity and combats climate change. 1.3 Delivery Objectives of the Gola WA BiCC Project Objective 1. Enhanced agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities contribute to the improved wellbeing of populations within two model sites. Objective 2. Two model sites demonstrate effective community forest management that supports habitat connectivity across different tenures and international boundaries. Objective 3. Community forest management bodies (CFMBs), community members, regional staff of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA, Liberia), National Protected Area Authority (NPAA, Sierra Leone) and other local government staff, and staff of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG), Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) and SCNL have increased capacity to develop and implement community land use plans and community forest management plans. Objective 4. Knowledge and learning about best practice at the model sites is generated and increases engagement and support of local and national stakeholders in conservation. Objective 5. Lessons learned from trans-boundary collaboration and coordination contribute to the improvement of national policy and practice, and international best practice.
1 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Objective 6. The project is managed effectively and collaboratively so that implementation is successfully completed, delivering planned biodiversity and livelihood impacts. 1.4 Contribution to the WA BiCC Theory of Change The WA BiCC programme Theory of Change (TOC) focuses on strengthening the feedback loop at regional, national and local levels so that more relevant policies filter down from the regional level. Meanwhile, better practices developed at local and national levels are pulled up by regional institutions and subsequently integrated into relevant policies and disseminated through that same feedback loop. This fundamental approach—to identify, inform, and make explicit linkages between policy and practice, and increasingly applied research—underpins WABiCC’s activities and is central to its knowledge management and learning (KML) approach.
The Gola WABiCC project was designed to contribute to the overall WABiCC TOC both through the “pulling up” and the “filtering down” processes. With respect to “pulling up”, considerable resources were devoted to effective implementation of site-based practices, tools and approaches to improve livelihoods and to establish systems of community-based forest management, all informed by the exchange of learning and experience between practitioners in Liberia and Sierra Leone. With respect to “filtering down”, considerable effort was also devoted to establishing and strengthening trans-boundary structures that would facilitate an ongoing sharing of learning and experience as well as enable a trans-boundary landscape approach to management of the forest. 1.5 Evolution of the Gola WA BiCC Project No changes were made to the project objectives over the life of the Gola WABiCC project, however there was considerable evolution of the implementation details including project target area, activities, budget and project timelines. Most of the changes occurred as a result of the normal evaluation of a project responding to the realities of implementation however the last months of the project were significantly impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic which meant cancelling a number of activities, particularly those that involved travel between countries. 1.5.1 CHANGES IN PROJECT TARGET AREA (PTA) AND GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS In Liberia, it was quickly identified in Year 1 that an additional, second model site for community forestry was feasible. Therefore, by Year 2 a second site had been approved and activities were expanded to include both sites, thereby increasing the PTA and the number of beneficiaries. For various reasons (described in the body of this report) a choice of second model site was not possible initially in Sierra Leone. However, as the project progressed, so did community interest in
2 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT community forestry. Aided by regular Conferences of the Paramount Chiefs held by GRC LG, communities from four additional Chiefdoms agreed with GRC LG to establish their own community forests, albeit with more limited livelihoods activities than planned for the model site. This development increased the geographic reach and focus of the project. Additionally, the feasibility assessments of the model sites triggered a discussion about the details of how we define the Project Target Area in Sierra Leone, partly to ensure that we delivered what we said we would. Initially, WABiCC considered the model sites to be the PTA, however with GRC LG already present in a much larger area, and in order for the interventions to have an impact on the wider Gola landscape, it was agreed that the Project Target Area would include most communities within the seven Chiefdoms surrounding the Gola Rainforest National Park (Tunkia, Gaura, Barri, Makpele, Koya, Nomo and part of Malema). The model sites would be where community forestry was trialed in addition to all the other activities carried out in the PTA. In Liberia, the model sites and PTA did not change and consisted of the Upper and Lower parts of Sokpo Clan, Porkpa District. 1.5.2 CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES Year 2 saw the addition of a number of activities in response to engagement with communities and others over the first year of implementation: 1. Road rehabilitation to model site Bunumbu – to facilitate work at the model site, an existing unpaved bush road was rehabilitated to make it passable by motorbikes. 2. Eco-lodge rehabilitation at model site Bunumbu – to promote eco-tourism in the area, an existing building was rehabilitated to serve as accommodation for project staff and tourists. 3. Pilot semi-intensive poultry production – following success elsewhere, GRC LG piloted semi-intensive poultry production in Sierra Leone. 4. Improved fallow demonstration sites – to complement other agricultural extension work, GRC LG created six model sites to test and demonstrate different methods of improving soil fertility. 5. Rice mills – in response to repeated interest from communities, SCNL purchased a rice mill and worked with communities to develop a business model which included profits being used to manage the community forests. 6. Artisanal mining discussion forum – in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, SCNL organised a one-day discussion forum to explore issues relating to conservation and artisanal mining. 7. Illegal road meetings and tree planting – in response to the illegal construction of road inside the Gola Rainforest National Park, GRC LG organised community meetings to address the issue as well tree planting to rehabilitate the clearing. 8. Validation of GFNP management plan – SCNL organised a meeting of all stakeholders to validate the recently-completed management plan for the Gola Forest National Park. Year 3 also saw the addition of a number of activities: 1. Chocolate making – GRC LG organised the purchase of chocolate making equipment and training to begin chocolate production. 2. Adult literacy – following the success of adult literacy programming in Liberia, GRC LG trialed this in Sierra Leone.
3 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 3. Beekeeping – similarly, following the success of beekeeping extension in Liberia, GRC LG also trialed this in Sierra Leone. 4. Promotion of Gola as an eco-tourism destination – building on a growing interest in eco- tourism, CSSL carried out several activities to promote the Gola Forest as an eco-tourism destination. 5. Eco-guard training – SCNL trained eco-guards both for the Community Forest and the Gola Forest National Park. Sadly, because of the COVID 19 pandemic, Year 3 also saw the cancellation of a number of activities, including all trans-boundary meetings and exchanges planned for the last months of the project. 1. Trans-boundary learning exchange - instead of a meeting bringing all partners together, learning workshops were held with small numbers of people in each country. 2. Vegetable production - training on vegetable production in Liberia was postponed and eventually cancelled due to COVID 19 restrictions. 3. Chocolate making business and production training - the arrival of the chocolate making equipment was delayed due to COVID 19 transportation issues. All trainings dependent on the equipment were cancelled and no consultant hired to develop a business plan To address the COVID 19 pandemic, COVID 19 non-medical grade personal protection materials were distributed and community education carried out about the relationship between conservation and health. 1.5.3 CHANGES IN SCHEDULE The Gola WA BiCC project got off to a slow start partly due to difficulties in recruiting the Project Director. Sadly, in Year 2, the Liberia Project Coordinator passed away, further delaying implementation. Two other staff, a research technician and a finance manager also passed away during the course of this project, and a finance officer was unable to continue working after suffering a stroke. The 2 ½ - year project was originally planned to end in January 2020. After the slow start and related underspend in Year 1, WABiCC agreed to a no-cost extension to June 2020. A further extension was agreed to August 2020 once the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic was realized. In Year 3, due to WA BiCC concerns regarding underspending, we were required by the WABiCC secretariat to reduce our budget by $52,931, necessitating the realignment of some budget lines and the cancellation of a number of activities.
4 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 2.0 SUMMARY OF PROGRESS The Gola WABiCC project made significant achievements over the life of the project despite a slow start and despite the final months being adversely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. 2.1 Significant Achievements Objective 1. Enhanced agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities contribute to the improved wellbeing of populations of two model sites. Expected Result: More than 3000 people report their livelihoods are directly and positively impacted by the project as a result of agricultural interventions and support, awareness raising and benefit sharing agreements. Achievements: 4,871 people trained on agricultural intensification. • The Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy (VADEMCO) trained 756 community members on the intensification and improved sustainability of cocoa, rice and groundnut farming, thereby having a positive impact on a total of 3,870 people across 9 communities of Upper and Lower Sokpo Clan1, Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia. • Universal Outreach Foundation (UOF) trained 106 community members in beekeeping, benefiting a total of 530 people in 25 communities in Upper and Lower Sokpo Clan. • In Sierra Leone, the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG) trained 3,847 people on more intensive cocoa, rice, groundnut and vegetable production, thereby having a positive impact on a total of 21,543 people. • Rory’s Well trained 162 people on beekeeping in Sierra Leone • The Gola WABiCC project trained a total of 4,871 people (4,009 SL, 862 Lib) in agricultural intensification, thereby having a positive impact on a total of 26,760 people (22,450 SL, 4,310 Lib). 1: Average household size is 5 in Liberia and 5.6 in Sierra Leone, as per: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/household_size_and_co mposition_around_the_world_2017_data_booklet.pdf Objective 2. Two model sites demonstrate effective community forest management that supports habitat connectivity across different tenures and across international boundaries. Expected Result: At least 40,000 ha directly and up to 250,000ha indirectly of Upper Guinea forest landscape is under improved natural resource management. Achievements: 186,782 ha under improved management. • The Gola WABiCC project established 2 community forest sites in Liberia and 5 in Sierra Leone, encompassing a total of 26,512 hectares. • The Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) carried out community consultations and developed a management plan for the Tiwai Island Wildlife Reserve, encompassing 1200 hectares. • The Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone signed an amended Memorandum of Understanding, committing to jointly manage the Trans-boundary Peace Park consisting of
5 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone (71,070 ha) and the Gola Forest National Park (88,000) in Liberia. • The Gola WABiCC project supported the validation of the management plan of the Gola Forest National Park in Liberia. • Total area under improved management as a result of this project is 186,782 hectares. Objective 3. Community forest management bodies (CFMBs), community members, regional FDA/FD and other local government staff, and staff of GRC LG, CSSL and SCNL have increased capacity to develop and implement community land use plans and community forest management plans. Expected Result: Sierra Leonean and Liberian governments and local partner organizations have capacity to apply integrated landscape approaches to forest management and conservation. Achievements: 212 institutions report improved institutional capacity. • Staff from 212 institutions received capacity building support from the Gola WABiCC project, including government departments, loan groups, farmers associations, project partners. Objective 4. Knowledge and learning about best practice at the model sites is generated and increased engagement and support of local and national stakeholders in conservation. Expected Result: At least 200 NRM practitioners have improved capacity for global climate change and biodiversity conservation. Achievements: 185 NRM practitioners with improved capacity/engagement • 102 people - including community leaders, government officials, and staff of project partners - took part in end-of-project workshops to share learning from the project and ensure that the lessons learned are applied in future conservation work. • 26 government officials participated in the ceremony for the signing of the amended MOU between the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone, renewing the commitment of the governments to protect, conserve and manage the two national parks that form the trans- boundary peace park. • 50 government and civil society officials participated in a Discussion Forum on Artisanal Mining and Conservation to explore the relationship between the two in Liberia. 14 of the participants eventually became members of the Small Scale and Artisanal Mining Working Group established to advise the Ministry of Mines and Energy on issues related to small scale and artisanal mining. SCNL is the co-chair of the working group. • Conferences for the 7 Paramount Chiefs around the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone provided lesson and knowledge sharing opportunities which increased support for conservation and resulted in the commitment of four Chiefdoms to establish community forests. Expected Result: Further funding for climate change and biodiversity conservation equal to 50% of WA BiCC funding to help scale up this work. Achievements: $US3,861,979 secured from 7 new grants, 211% of WABiCC funding.
6 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • The Gola WABiCC partners secured a total of $3,861,979 from 7 new grants. Expected Result: At least 3000 people actively and directly engaged in Project communications campaigns Achievements: 7,735 community members engaged in conservation communication activities • A total of 7,735 people participated in conservation communications activities through the life of the project (6,723 in Sierra Leone and 1,012 in Liberia). • 161 Government staff participated in conservation communications activities on a range of topics, including community forestry, project management and planning, cocoa, mining and the national parks. Objective 5. Lessons learned from trans-boundary collaboration and coordination contribute to the improvement of national policy and practice, and international best practice. Expected Result: National systems are in place and support effective trans-boundary natural resource and protected area management. Achievements: Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee established with new terms of reference, working groups, and new action plan • The Governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia signed an amended MOU, renewing their commitment to jointly manage the trans-boundary Gola Peace Park consisting of the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone and the Gola Forest National Park in Liberia. • The Gola WABiCC project supported the establishment and first meeting of the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee. New terms of reference were approved, technical working groups established, and a new action plan developed. • Relationships between conservation partners from Liberia and Sierra Leone were strengthened through 13 trans-boundary meetings, workshops and exchange visits. Objective 6. The project is managed effectively and collaboratively so that implementation is successfully completed, delivering planned biodiversity and livelihood impact. Result: Project passes end of project evaluation with satisfactory or higher scores due to high quality activity, financial, HR management and monitoring systems. Achievements: Although unable to carry out an end of project evaluation because of the COVID pandemic, DQA scores were assessed and improved year on year for both GRC LG and SCNL DQA Scores GRC LG SCNL 2017 60% 57% 2018 65% 70% 2019 71% 73%
7 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 3.0 PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Objective 1. Enhanced agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities contribute to the improved wellbeing of populations within two model sites. 1.1 SUPPORT COMMUNITIES WITH TECHNICAL INPUTS TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION INCLUDING RAINFOREST–FRIENDLY COCOA, BEEKEEPING, INTENSIFIED GROUNDNUT PRODUCTION, INTENSIFIED RICE PRODUCTION, VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, IMPROVED FALLOW METHODS, MILLING, SEMI-INTENSIVE POULTRY PRODUCTION 1.2 USE FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS AND OTHER EXTENSION METHODS TO DELIVER TRAINING IN RAINFOREST-FRIENDLY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, TAILORED TO SEASONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT INTENSIFICATION The overarching aims of agricultural livelihood activities supported by the Gola WABiCC Project were to promote conservation through the intensification of agriculture and the adoption of rainforest friendly agricultural crops and practices as well as to increase the wellbeing of communities. Participants in the livelihoods activities reported both the direct benefits of the training and materials and broader positive impacts on their lives, particularly increased incomes that they used to invest in other parts of their lives. Members of groundnut groups in Liberia for example used the money to pay school fees for their children and to start small businesses. LIBERIA Agricultural livelihood activities VADEMCO were the implementing partner for agricultural livelihood activities in Liberia. Over the course of the project they implemented two sub-contracts, one for each of Upper and Lower Sokpo Clan. The aim of the sub-contracts was to enhance agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities that would contribute to the wellbeing of the target population in an environmentally sustainable way. VADEMCO carried out a Participatory Rapid Appraisal to determine the specific activities that most interested the Sokpo Clan which were cocoa, lowland rice and groundnut production. The work was implemented through farmer field schools (FFSs) and demonstration plots which focused on providing farmers with knowledge and skills in best agricultural practices. The seeds and tools needed for farmers to adopt the practices learnt in FFSs were provided to each community by the project. The Gola WABiCC project provided the first livelihoods extension work in the Sokpo Clan – no other organisations had ever worked there before. Whilst it is too early to see a conservation impact, the livelihoods work is incredibly important for generating support and understanding for conservation work and for building relationships between SCNL and the project communities that will enable efforts to continue and progress in the future. Rice Lowland swamp rice farming is more intensive than traditional upland farming and avoids the destructive slash and burn technique often used in upland rice farming. Intensification is enabled through the use of high yielding varieties and by the possibility of up to three harvests annually – improving food security and income for communities as well as decreasing pressure on the forest.
8 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT VADEMCO facilitated the establishment of four demonstration sites in Lower Sokpo in Year 1 for the communities of Kawelahun, Fornor, Gbanjue, Patrick Village, London Village, Ndomala, Korlah and Jedillah. Each site was made up of 10 plots and each plot assigned to a household for a total of 40 households. In Year 2 they established a further four sites in Upper Sokpo, in the communities of Soso Camp, Camp Israel, Green Bar City and Fula Camp, with the same setup of 40 households managing one demonstration plot each. Training was provided in: • Site selection • Land preparation • Nursery establishment • Weed management • Water management and irrigation • Drying and processing Lowland riricece participants learning irrigation tectechniqueshniques The intent was that the project beneficiaries would provide quality lowland rice seed from their plots to other community members and that surplus rice would be sold within the communities, providing the participating households with income. Responses to the livelihood impact assessments were that rice production was not increased enough to supply the wider community. However, the majority of respondents did report that they would not need to buy new seed rice for the following season, but had enough from their own harvest to supply their own seed next season. When Good Agricultural Practices (as taught by VADEMCO) are used the expected yield is 1,000kg – 2250kg per hectare. A yield assessment was completed at a sample of the plots in Upper and Lower Sokpo with the results below:
Upper Sokpo (400sqm sample) Lower Sokpo (500sqm sample) Expected Yield for Sample Plot Size 40kg – 90kg 50kg – 113kg Actual Yield 61kg 69kg VADEMCO did not take full attendance lists for the individual training sessions during Phase 1 so full details of the training sessions are not available. However, they followed the same system as in Phase 2, which is recorded in the table below.
Training Activity Date Location Indicator Lowland Rice Production Land Preparation Brushing of 8 Green Bar City Swamps Jun-19 Lowland Rice Production Land Preparation Brushing of 8 Green Bar City Field Jun-19 Lowland Rice Production Seedling Transplanting Sep-19 Soso Camp 8 Lowland Rice Production Transplanting Seedlings in 8 Soso Camp Rows Sep-19 Lowland Rice Production Field Layout Aug-19 Soso Camp 8 Lowland Rice Field Maintenance, Weeding and Plots Oct-19 Camp Israel, Soso 8 Lowland Rice Land Preparation De-Stumping Oct-19 Green Bar City 8 Lowland Rice Land Preparation Clearing Oct-19 Green Bar City 8 Lowland Rice Production Nursery Bed Marking and 8 Oct-19 Green Bar City Construction Harvesting Training Nov-19 Camp Israel, Soso 8 Transplanting of rice in fields Nov-19 Green Bar City 8
9 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Training Activity Date Location Indicator Transplanting in Swamps Nov-19 Fula Camp 8 Green Bar City, Fula 8 Transplanting in rows Dec-19 Camp Rice Mill Discussions about the possible purchase of a rice mill and its management started between SCNL, the Community Forest Organising Committee (CFOC) and communities in Upper and Lower Sokpo in Year 1 of the project. Originally SCNL planned to purchase two rice mills – one to be setup in Soso Community in Upper Sokpo Clan and the second in Patrick Village, Lower Sokpo Clan. However, limited time and resources resulted in just one mill being procured and set up in Soso Camp in Upper Sokpo. Procurement for the mill and delivery were completed in Year 3. The mill will reduce the workload of all rice farmers but in particular the mill is expected to reduce the workload of girls in these communities, allowing them more time to go to school. The management plan for use of the rice mill in Sokpo Clan was completed in Year 3. The plan describes how the mill will be used to pound and clean rice and to make this work more efficient, names the mill management team, and sets the schedule for the mill’s operational hours. The communities agreed that community members will pay to use the mill, and that money thus generated will be split between funding livelihood activities, servicing the mill, and paying those running the mill. The CFOC and communities were involved in developing the management plan, which was then written up by SCNL and taken back to the communities to review and confirm their agreement.
Activity Date Location Indicator Rice Mill Setup Meeting Oct-18 Upper Sokpo 25 Rice Mill Management Plan Jul-20 Upper Sokpo 10
Groundnuts In the Gola area, groundnuts are grown primarily by women, partly for consumption but also for sale. Traditionally, groundnuts are grown in upland areas and harvested annually. By preparing lowland swamp areas groundnuts can be grown more intensively with the potential for two or three harvests. Similarly to rice, VADEMCO supported the establishment of four demonstrations sites in each of Years 1 and 2, with 10 plots per site, one per participating household. The communities participating in the groundnut work in Lower Sokpo were Fornor, Jebbeh Fornor, Kawelahun, Nyenkehun, Patrick Village while in Upper Sokpo the communities were Camp Israel, Soso Camp, Fula Camp, Green Bar City. The primary purpose of the activities was to promote best practice for the production and multiplication of high quality seeds, as well as to increase the affordability and availability of seed to the communities, increasing food security and providing additional income. Training was provided in: • Harvesting • Land preparation • Pre and post harvest practices • Processing • Weeding and crop management • Rodent control
10 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The increase in yields enabled the participants to beging selling their crop at daily and weekly markets, as well as supplying affordable seed to their own communities. VADEMCO did not take full attendance lists for the individual training sessions during Phase 1, so full details of the training sessions are not available, however, they followed the same system as in Phase 2, which is recorded in the table below.
Training Activity Date Location Indicator Groundnut Production Field Layout Apr-19 Fula Camp 8 Groundnut Production Harvesting Sep-19 Soso Camp 8 Groundnut Production Land Preparation Apr-19 Fula Camp 8 Groundnut Production Sowing Seeds in Lines May-19 Fula Camp 8 Camp Israel, Soso 8 Introduction to Record Keeping Camp, Fula Camp, Aug-19 Green Bar City FFS Groundnut Field Layout lining and pegging Apr-Jun 2019 Green Bar City 8 FFS Groundnut Planting in Rows Apr-Jun 2019 Green Bar City 8 FFS Groundnut Marking in Rows May-19 Green Bar City 8 FFS Groundnut Harvesting and Data Analysis Aug-19 Green Bar City 8 FFS Groundnut Field Layout Jun-19 Camp Israel 8 FFS Groundnut Planting in Rows Jun-19 Camp Israel 8 FFS Groundnut Marking in Rows Jun-19 Camp Israel 8 FFS Groundnut Harvesting Aug-19 Fula Camp 8 FFS Groundnut Fencing and Weeding Jul-19 Fula Camp 8 FFS Groundnut Levelling May-19 Fula Camp 8 FFS Groundnut Harvesting and Data Analysis Aug-19 Camp Israel 8 Camp Israel, Soso, 8 Harvesting Groundnuts Nov-19 Fula, Green Bar City, Soso, Camp Israel
Cocoa Cocoa is a permanent tree crop of considerable interest to the communities in the Gola Landscape as a cash crop. While the sun-loving varieties common to the big cocoa-producing countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast can lead to the destruction of the rainforest, shade-grown cocoa can contribute to rainforest conservation and contribute to increased biodiversity. In the Sierra Leone part of the Gola Landscape, we have made significant progress in supporting the development of a rainforest-friendly cocoa value chain (see below) but are just starting this process in Liberia. The current work focuses on supporting farmers to rehabilitate existing farms (often abandoned during the wars), to increase production, and to grow rainforest friendly cocoa. WABiCC funding supported VADEMCO to carry out cocoa extension activities in both Upper and Lower Sokpo across 6 communities (Lower – Kawelahun, Fornor, Nyenkehun; Upper – Camp Israel, Soso Camp, Fula Camp) with 77 participants(53 males and 24 females) in Lower Sokpo and 105 (83 males and 22 females) in Upper Sokpo using a Farmer Field School (FFS) approach. Initially, they held a two-week training of trainers for 8 community members from which four (3 males and 1 female) were selected to be facilitators alongside VADEMCO staff in Lower Sokpo. The Farmer Field Schools then focused on improving the techniques, sustainability and yield of existing cocoa farmers. Lower Sokpo’s first cocoa nursery was established in Year 2, with 15,000 seedlings with a 98% survival rate. The seedlings were distributed to the participating farmers. The aim was to increase the income generated from rehabilitated cocoa farms, rather than clearing land
11 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT to create new farms which in turn protects the forest. VADEMCO estimates that with the proper implementation of the learned techniques with all the seedlings, the farmers will be able to increase their combined production by 14 metric tonnes annually, with the potential for total additional sales of $US24,500. However, cocoa is a long-term investment and the increased production and income have not yet been realized. At the start of the project there were no existing cocoa farms in the target communities in Upper Sokpo but there was interest from community members in establishing cocoa farms. VADEMCO conducted a training of trainers to recruit facilitators to work alongside VADEMCO staff. Of the nine participants, four were selected. Due to the very low literacy rate among women in the project communities all of the trainers were male. Whilst the training covered many of the same topics as in Lower Sokpo, there were additional, The first cocoa nursery was established in Upper Sokpo introductory trainings on establishing new cocoa farms and the cocoa ecosystem for the new cocoa farmers. A cocoa nursery was established in Upper Sokpo where farmers sowed 18,900 seeds. In July 2020 the seedlings were distributed to 95 of the FFS graduates, each receiving 150 seedlings to plant on their own cocoa farms. The breakdown of distribution was: 1. Fula Camp-29 farmers 2. Soso Camp-13 farmers 3. Camp Israel-53 farmer After 4-5 years of implementing the learned agricultural practices the Upper Sokpo cocoa farmers will be in full production. If good agricultural practices are followed there is the potential for a yield of 800-900kg/ha per season, generating a total potential income for all farmers combined of approximately $15-$20,000. Calculating Potential Total Income The potential total income of $ 15,000 to $20,000 is based on the following: • 100 farmers receive 150 seedlings each = 15,000 seedlings • 1,100 seedlings are needed for 1 hectare, meaning you will need 13.64ha to plant the 15,000 seedlings • On average, 800kg of cocoa beans are produced per hectare, so the 13.64 ha gives 10,921kg – 10.92 metric tonnes • The price at the farm gate is between $1,700 to $2,000 per metric tonne of cocoa beans • Multiplying the price at the farm gate by the metric tonnes gives the potential income
There were 13 training sessions for the cocoa FFS participants including: • Pests and disease control • Harvest and post harvest techniques • Breaking of cocoa pods • Fermentation, drying and sorting of cocoa beans • Nursery establishment • Seedling transplanting • Shade construction • Farm maintenance
12 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • Cocoa marketing Training Activity Date Location Indicator Training of Trainers April 2019 Weajue 8 Training of Trainers July 2018 8 Training of Trainers Aug-19 Soso Camp 8 Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Getting Started Jul-Aug 18 Nyenkehun Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Crop Husbandry Aug-18 Nyenkehun Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Crop Husbandry Aug-Sept 18 Nyenkehun Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Soil Fertility Aug-Sept 18 Nyenkehun Cocoa Quality and Post Harvest Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Operations Sept-Oct 18 Nyenkehun Impact of Shade on Humidity in 8 Cocoa Farms Oct-18 Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2 Pruning Cocoa Trees Aug-Nov 18 Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2 8 Rehabilitation Sept-Nov 18 Fornor, Kawelahun 1, Nyenkehun 8 Unwanted Shade Trees Oct-Dec 18 Fornor, Kawelahun 1, Nyenkehun 8 Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Land Preparation Nov-Dec 18 Nyenkehun Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Land Preparation Dec-18 Nyenkehun Sowing of Cocoa Beans Dec-Jan 18 Fornor, Kawelahun 1, Nyenkehun 8 Fornor, Kawelahun 1 & 2, 8 Nursery Maintenance Jan-19 Nyenkehun Pest and Disease Management Jan-19 Fornor, Nyenkehun 8 FFS Cocoa Nursery Establishing March – Dec Fornor, Kawelahun I & II, 8 2018 Nyenkehun FFS Managing Cocoa Pods and 8 Sep-19 Camp Israel Wood Ash for Soil Fertility FFS Cocoa Quality and Post Harvest 8 Sep-19 Camp Israel 1 Operations FFS Cocoa Fermentation Drying and 8 Camp Israel Sorting Oct-19 FFS Cocoa Nursery Establishment Oct-19 Camp Israel 8 FFS Cocoa Nursery Establishment II Nov-19 Camp Israel, Soso, Fula 8 Nursery Establishment and 8 Camp Israel Preparation Nov-19 FFS Sowing Cocoa in Polythene Bags Dec-19 Camp Israel, Fula, Soso 8 CSSV Oct-19 Camp Israel 8 Harvesting Cocoa Pods Oct-19 Camp Israel 8 FFS Cocoa Disease Infection Oct-19 Camp Israel 1 8 FFS Sowing Cocoa Seeds in Bags Dec-19 Camp Israel 8 Shade grown cocoa Dec-19 Fula, Camp Israel 1 & 2, Soso 8 Kawelahun 1 & 2, Fornor, 8 Cocoa Farm Maintenance Dec-19 Nyenkehun
13 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Farmer Associations VADEMCO organized farmers in Upper and Lower Sokpo into Farmer Associations, the aim being for the associations to provide peer support, for example labor services and knowledge sharing, as well as to provide central storage facilities for produce, and to sell the group’s produce in bulk to increase bargaining power and allow access to more competitive markets. VADEMCO supported the establishment of six associations, one association for each of the three livelihood components (rice, groundnuts and cocoa) in each of Upper and Lower Sokpo. The associations each developed by-laws and constitutions, elected leadership, and received training in leadership and business skills. The business skills training included record keeping, options for accessing the markets in Monrovia, and how to take advantage of weekly markets where business people from Monrovia come regularly. During the business training in Lower Sokpo, the groundnut association was linked with some businesswomen from Monrovia. As well as being an opportunity to make connections and build relationships to the market, the association discussed the different sales options of selling at the markets in Monrovia, at the farm gate or on the farm itself. No decision was made at the time, but it was agreed that they would continue the link between the association and the businesswomen and discuss this again during the next harvest. The farmers’ association are quite new and therefore have had limited impact thus far. However, the foundations are in place and with continued support should become an important vehicle for development in the area. In Lower Sokpo, VADEMCO supported the associations to form a larger umbrella organization known as SOMUFA – the Sokpo Multipurpose Farmers Association, which also developed its own by-laws, constitution, leadership and board of directors. Lower Sokpo SOMUFA membership is 58 (32 males and 26 females) across the communities of Korlah, Jebbeh Fornor, Kawelahun, Fornor, Nyenkehun. In Upper Sokpo the associations formed the umbrella organization KWAMUFA – Kwapita Multipurpose Farmer Association. KWAMUFA has 64 members, 42 males and 22 females, from Camp Israel, Fula Camp, Green Bar City and Soso Camp.
Training Activity Date Location Indicator FBO Rice – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Camp Israel 8 FBO Groundnut – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Camp Israel 8 FBO Groundnut – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Soso Camp 8 FBO Rice – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Soso Camp 8 FBO – Basic FBO Principles Aug-19 Camp Israel 8 FBO – Basic FBO Principles Aug-19 Soso Camp 8 FBO Rice, Groundnut – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Fula Camp 8 FBO – Basic FBO Principles Aug-19 Fula Camp 8 FBO Groundnut – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Green Bar City 8 FBO Rice – Intro to record keeping Aug-19 Green Bar City 8 Kawelahun, Fornor, 8 Jebbeh Fornor, Korlah, FBO – Loans and Business Transactions Oct-19 Green Bar City, Camp Israel, Soso, Fula Camp Israel, Soso, Fula 8 Farm production data collection training Nov-19 Camp, Green Bar City Adoption of by-laws and constitutions Nov-19 Camp Israel, Soso, Fula 10 Farmer leadership election Nov-19 Soso Camp 25
14 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT SIERRA LEONE Agricultural Livelihood Activities As in Liberia, the overarching aims of agricultural livelihood activities supported by the Gola WABiCC project in Sierra Leone were to promote conservation through the intensification of agriculture and the adoption of rainforest friendly agricultural crops and practices and increase the wellbeing of the forest-edge communities. As the GRC LG had an ongoing agricultural extension programme, the impact of WABiCC support was to increase the number of communities reached by the programme, to progress the work in existing communities, as well as to pilot some new activities. Most of the implementation was carried out by GRC LG staff with sub-contractors used for particular specialist training such as Fair Trade certification of cocoa. As in Liberia, most of the agricultural extension work was carried out through Farmer Field Schools (FFSs). Additionally, the GRC LG used Master Farmers (MFs) to increase the effectiveness of the FFSs. Master Farmers act as leaders within their communities, assisting GRC LG staff, and acting as a source of knowledge and support for other community members. Master Farmers are thus an important part of the long-term sustainability of agricultural activities in each Chiefdom. Livelihood Impact Assessment The livelihood impact assessments carried out in year 3 of the project aimed to find out how beneficial the agricultural intensification activities had been for participants, in what areas of their lives they had benefited, where improvements could be made and what further support would be needed in the future. The survey showed that uptake of the methods learned through FFS was good, with 96% of respondents saying that they had adopted new practices onto their own farms. 72 of 73 respondents reported establishing new farms since the training. 96% of those were farms established on land already cleared for agriculture – keeping clearing of new land for agriculture very low. Results from the livelihood impact assessments showed that the majority of participants in the agricultural intensification activities reported an increase in the yield of rice, groundnuts and vegetables. There was also high satisfaction with access to the markets, and improvement in food security was a commonly recorded benefit. Market access refers to various factors in the sale of products including farmers’ knowledge of the markets, ability to communicate with buyers, to transport their goods, and understanding of pricing. For the agricultural work (rice, groundnuts and vegetables) 80% of survey respondents were satisfied with their market access. The most significant challenge was transport and distance to the market which was reported by the communities further away from large towns where road conditions are poor. The project made a positive impact on knowledge and understanding of markets but the challenges in these more remote communities is significant and requires a different kind of investment to resolve. Food security, although reported as a benefit by respondents, is more difficult to define. The majority of respondents (74%) used their harvested crops or the money generated from sales of their crops to feed their families during the hungry months. That leaves 26% who appear to not have been able to provide their own food during hungry months. However, the majority of those who did not use their own food or income from agriculture to buy food, bought food with income from another source or with VSLA loans. Only 9 of 74 respondents supplied food by borrowing from family and friends, fishing, harvesting in the forest, or on credit.
15 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Inland Valley Swamp (IVS) Rice Work to encourage and train communities on more intensive sustainable methods of rice farming started in Year 1. The farmer field school (FFS) activities introduced farmers to IVS rice which has the potential to produce a higher yield than the traditional upland rice and can be harvested more than once a year. GRC LG established FFSs in 17 communities within Tunkia and Gaura Chiefdoms, arranged into six clusters. Each cluster established a demonstration plot and seeds were provided. In Malema 20 demonstration plots were established. Participants nursed one bushel of rice and transplanted it. An average of two bushels each were subsequently nursed at intervals to ensure that planting and harvesting were staggered. As a result of the trainings, 89% of respondents in the impact assessments reported an increase in their rice harvest. Ten demonstration plots were setup to start FFS which included the topics: • Land clearing and why use puddling • Why transplant rice • When and how to transplant • Planting space • Harvesting rice Feedback suggested that in the future more training on pest management would be beneficial, that support was needed to set up more swamp plots, and that storage facilities were needed to aid harvest and sales. In response to this request for support GRC LG supplied tarpaulin and bags to aid storage. In the final months of the project follow up support was provided to Master Farmers (MFs) in Tunkia Chiefdom on rice and vegetables. The support included distribution of seeds and tools that had been delayed reaching the communities due to COVID-19 and facilitated additional coaching on land preparation to assist the MFs to establish further demonstration sites.
Activity Date Location/Chiefdom Indicator Transplanting Seedlings to July 2018 Malema 8 Swamp Fields IVS Rice Land Clearing and July 2019 Gaura, Tunkia 8 Transplanting Nursery Establishment and June 2019 Gaura, Tunkia 8 Planting Harvest, post harvest and February 2020 Gaura, Tunkia 8 storage training
Groundnuts GRC LG carried out groundnut training in the Chiefdoms of Tunkia, Malema and Gaura. Groundnuts are an important addition to the staple rice crop in the Gola landscape as their price and demand tend to remain steady year after year, they improve soil fertility, and they can be used in crop rotation schemes which in turn can improve food security. The specific aim of the groundnut FFSs was to find out what problems farmers faced with groundnut cultivation and find possible solutions, to introduce new techniques that would increase yield and quality, and to encourage more farmers to take up groundnut cultivation. Some of the changes that were encouraged included: • Planting more than once per year
16 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • Planting in rows, rather than at random • Establishing good quality storage to protect the quality of the crops between harvest and sale • More frequent weeding • Pest management Forty-three demonstration sites were established in Tunkia and Gaura and a further 20 in Malema Chiefdom. Master farmer (MF) training on groundnut harvesting, processing, storage and marketing commenced in Malema in Year 1. A total of 80 MFs were trained, 40 male and 40 female. These MFs assisted in the FFSs, demonstrating techniques to the FFS participants. As a result of the trainings, 80% of those surveyed in the impact assessments reported an increase in their harvest. In addition to the demonstration sites and the master farmer training, the WABiCC project also supported groundnut production as part of a one-off response to the COVID 19 pandemic. The GRC LG distributed groundnut seeds to a total of 46 heads of households in Tunkia in Year 3, targeting individuals identified by the community as the most vulnerable in 23 communities. This included those with more than one vulnerability such as elderly single female heads of household, physically challenged heads of household, and heads of household who might have missed out on recent livelihood support interventions. Basic tools, including 138 cutlasses and 138 traditional hoes, were also distributed to the beneficiaries to aid their agricultural production.
Farmer Field School participants harvesting groundnuts Activity Date Location Indicator Master Farmer Training Aug-Sep 2018 Malema 8 Groundnut Harvesting Sept-18 Malema 8 Training Groundnut harvesting and 8 processing training Sep-18 Malema Groundnut land 8 preparation and planting training May-19 Gaura
17 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Activity Date Location Indicator Groundnut harvesting and 8 processing training Aug-19 Gaura Groundnut weeding and 8 pest management training Jul-19 Gaura
Vegetables Vegetables have important nutritional value as well as potential to improve dry season food security, so as part of the crop intensification work, GRC LG staff provided training on vegetable production to farmers in Malema, Tunkia and Gaura. The aims of the vegetable activities were to increase yield and income, to promote more sustainable farming practices, and to improve food security. Farmers in Malema had already been involved in vegetable production for two years at the start of the WABiCC project, so GRC LG staff provided training only to the 80 master farmers from this Chiefdom, no seed or equipment. Nurseries were established and training was provided on land preparation, nursery establishment, harvest and post-harvest practices and vegetable transplanting. FFSs demonstration sites included a range of crops including okra, garden eggs, pepper and maize. In Year 2, GRC LG expanded the vegetable activities into Tunkia and Gaura. They provided vegetable seeds to the farmers and training, including two additional sessions that focused specifically on cassava farming as this was of particular interest to these communities.
Activity Date Location Indicator Vegetable cultivation training Apr-18 Malema 8 Vegetable nursery establishment Nov-18 Malema 8 Vegetable harvest and post harvest practices 8 training Mar-19 Malema Cassava cultivation training May-19 Tunkia & Gaura 8 Cassava weeding and pest management training Jul-19 Tunkia & Gaura 8 Vegetable seedling transplanting training Jan-20 Tunkia & Gaura 8 Vegetable weeding and pest control training Mar-20 Tunkia & Gaura 8 Vegetable cultivation training Nov-19 Gaura & Tunkia 8 Vegetable nursery establishment training Dec-19 Tunkia 8 vegetable production training Oct-19 Gaura 8 Vegetable Garden Training Year 1 Malema 8 Vegetable Transplanting Training Jan-19 Malema 8 Malema, Tunkia, 8 Gaura, Nomo, Barri, Fallow Weeding and Pest Management Sept-19 Makpele, Koya Fallow Land Preparation and Planting April 2019 Gaura, Tunkia 8 Malema, Tunkia, 8 Gaura, Nomo, Barri, Improved Fallow Demonstration Sept-18 Makpele, Koya
Cocoa The GRC LG started cocoa extension work in 2013 and a successful rainforest friendly cocoa supply chain was already active at the start of the Gola WABiCC project. Three farmer organizations (FAs) - Gaura Cocoa Farmers Association (GACFA), Tunkia Cocoa Farmers Association (TUNKOCFA), and Malema Cocoa Farmers Association (MACFA) - were already active. However MACFA had only
18 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT received training in good agricultural practices at the start of the project, and were not involved in the business side of the cocoa work until WABiCC support enabled them to be incorporated. With WABiCC support, the three FAs joined together in Year 2 to form an umbrella organisation, Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Farmers Union (NGCFU). NGCFU is now exporting its cocoa beans globally for niche chocolate production. Cocoa extension work under the WABiCC project focused on bringing in new communities to the existing cocoa collective as well as increasing the cocoa supply from Gola to afford NGCFU greater bargaining power and thereby increased prices for their cocoa. With WABiCC support, GRC LG also worked with farmers already part of the collective, increasing the number of buying officers, further up-skilling those farmers, and helping them to achieve FairTrade certification. WABiCC support meant that more communities could be trained in good agricultural practices and as a result the quality and sustainability of their cocoa improved, allowing them to join their Chiefdom’s FA and sell their cocoa to NGCFU. In Malema, 243 members from 9 new communities joined MACFA, 4 new communities joined GACFA, and TUNKOCFA welcomed 2 new communities. The Gola WABiCC project supported approximately 1,093 farmers to join the associations over the life of the project, bringing the total number of members to 1,949. All of the ongoing cocoa work in Gola contributes to the establishment of a rainforest-friendly cocoa value chain, which is a wider goal of GRC LG, NGCFU and RSPB’s combined efforts to produce sustainably sourced cocoa. In Year 1, GRC LG established 47 cocoa FFS and seven one-acre demonstration plots across Gaura, Tunkia, Koya and Malema Chiefdoms, working with farmers new to GRC LG cocoa activities. The demonstrations were used for practical learning with, for example, four different pruning techniques employed in different parts of the site to compare their effectiveness. As with all its agricultural activities, GRC LG started by training Master Farmers (MFs). Eight MFs were trained in Gaura and Malema on a range of cocoa management techniques and the MFs went on to lead trainings alongside GRC LG staff. The GRC LG trained the 47 FFS groups in nursery establishment and cocoa farm rehabilitation. The aim of the training was to help farmers to better utilize and improve the management of existing and rehabilitated farms, rather than clearing land for new farms. In addition, to build capacity for the business side of the cocoa production, GRC LG conducted business training for farmer leaders during which medium and long-term business plans, costing, budgeting, and sales forecasts were discussed. There was further focus on the cocoa supply chain in Year 2 as GRC LG helped establish the umbrella organization NGCFU, bringing together the three existing farmer associations in Tunkia, Gaura and Malema. NGCFU was established through a two-day meeting of the farmer association leaders during which the NGCFU executives were elected. Not long after its establishment NGCFU participated in the second post-war Cocoa Produce Trade Fair in Kenema in order to raise the profile of Gola cocoa and were awarded the prize for the best cocoa beans in the fair. With NGCFU established, the next step was to become FairTrade certified. Jula Consultancy, a Kenema-based organization, was sub-contracted in March 2019 to build the capacity of the farmer associations and NGCFU and to guide them through the certification process. Jula’s work with the farmers included training on FairTrade principles, standards and roles; the importance of environmental, child labor and gender policies in their businesses; and updating the farmer association constitutions to reflect this. By the end of the six-month contract the FairTrade audit
19 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT had taken place and some adjustments were needed for the certification to go through. Jula took the farmer associations through the changes, and they gained FairTrade certification in 2019. With certification in place NGCFU will have access to FairTrade only markets and greater bargaining power in the general market. Whilst Jula were carrying out this work GRC LG continued with the FFSs, continuing to provide training in nursery establishment, farm rehabilitation and cocoa processing and quality control. As part of the training, GRC LG provided support to farmers to rehabilitate one acre of their farm. Through this training alone, 1,488 acres of cocoa farms were rehabilitated, with farmers ready to put improved, sustainable methods of farming into practice. The trainings, partly led by existing MFs, targeted cocoa farmers and youths who were not already part of a farmer association. This led to both more farmers using sustainable farming methods and greater membership for NGCFU, thereby increasing its business and ability to increase member incomes.
Cocoa being assessed for quality control An increase in NGCFU membership meant more buying officers were required within the communities to manage the purchase of all the members’ cocoa. The role of buying officers is to be the contact between the farmers and NGCFU. When a farmer takes his/her cocoa to the local buying officer to sell, the buying officer determines the moisture content of the beans, checks for mold, uses scales to weigh the beans, and if they are at the required quality will pay the farmer for their cocoa, based on the current market rate (which is displayed publically). The officer documents the purchase and manages the storage of cocoa at the community level. Buying officers are selected for their high degree of literacy, and are trained with all the other skills required to carry out the role. In total, the WABiCC project supported the training of 41 buying officers. The majority of participants in GRC’s cocoa work reported that their yield increased as a result of cocoa intensification activities and that they had had a positive change in their market arrangements as a result of the project. The three most reported changes were that farmers were receiving a higher price for their cocoa, that price was now based on the quality of cocoa, and that they sold only to the umbrella cocoa union NGCFU. The table below shows the percentage of people who reported these changes as part of the livelihoods impact assessment.
Change Malema Tunkia Higher price paid for cocoa 94% 72% Price based on quality 46% 48% Sell only to GOCFU 80% 93%
20 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Ever since the creation of NGCFU there was interest within the organisation of expanding into making chocolate. To do this, GRC LG staff organised a visit to a chocolate making enterprise in Liberia to learn exactly what equipment would be needed and how the work was organised. SCNL staff also took the opportunity to go along to build their own capacity. At the end of the visit the GRC LG team decided to procure two different sized grinders, an oven, and a variety of kitchenware, moulds and quantities. The items were procured, and after being delayed by COVID 19 travel restrictions, have now arrived at the NGCFU headquarters in Kenema. Plans to hire a consultant to help support a business plan had to be cancelled due to COVID 19 travel restrictions but will be followed up with other funding when travel restrictions permit. After the success of the first visit, the cocoa team also arranged a trip to Ghana, the second largest chocolate producer in the world, to attend workshops on chocolate production. The trip included: • Working with the CocoPreneurship institute in Ghana on business plans and market surveys, and the possibility of future training sessions in Sierra Leone • Demonstration event from Cocoatown on bean to bar manufacturing • Discussions with three manufacturers on sourcing cocoa, manufacturing, packaging and retail challenges/opportunities. Work is ongoing on the development of a business model and a plan for small scale chocolate making.
Activity Date Location Indicator Cocoa business training Nov-17 Lalehun 8 Refresher training cocoa Outplanting Jun-18 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema 8 Refresher training cocoa farm rehabilitation Apr-18 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Nursery establishment training Nov-17 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Refresher training processing and quality control Aug-18 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Roles and responsibilities in FairTrade Apr-19 Tunkia, Guara, Malema 8 Nursery establishment training Dec-19 Malema 8 Buying officer training Sep-19 Gaura, Tunkia, Malema 8 Refresher training processing and quality control Sep-19 Tunkia, Malema 8 8 Training of trainers master farmers Gaura, Malema Establishment meeting of Ngoleagorbu Nov-18 Lalehun 25 Cocoa producers trade fair Dec-18 Kenema 8 Nursery establishment training Nov-18 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Farm rehabilitation training Mar-19 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Internal control systems training Sep-19 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema, Koya 8 Trans-boundary visit to chocolate factory Oct-19 Ganta, Liberia 8 Cocoa Quality training Oct-19 Tunkia, Malema 8 FairTrade standards and principles training Jul-19 Tunkia, Guara, Malema 8 Pre-Audit for FairTrade audit Jun-18 Tunkia, Guara, Malema 25 Consultation to harmonize FA constitutions Apr-19 Tunkia, Guara, Malema 10, 25 Environment, child and gender policies training/ 8 Constitutional Sensitization May-19 Tunkia, Guara, Malema Contract registration/signing for FairTrade 8 certification Aug-19 Tunkia, Guara, Malema Buying Producers and Traceability Training Sept-19 Tunkia, Gaura, Malema 8
21 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Farmer Associations At the start of the Gola WABiCC project three cocoa farmer associations (FAs) were already active in the Sierra Leone project target area - MACFA, TUNKCFA, and GACFA, based in Malema, Tunkia and Gaura Chiefdoms respectively. Some of the key achievements with respect to these FAs included: • Those trained at the Farmer Field Schools were each able to share their learning with a further 5 members of their association. • The associations were brought together to establish the umbrella organization Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Farmers Union • Jula Consultancy did considerable work to build the capacity of the FAs, including training in environmental, child labor and gender safeguarding and the development of policies in these areas. • The FAs achieved FairTrade certification. • Gender and social inclusion training was provided by sub-contractor AGALS (more details below). • 1093 new members were trained and recruited to the FAs. Youth Women’s Leadership Training – December 2017 In Year 1, training for 15 young women on leadership skills was held for members of the cocoa farmers associations GACFA, TUNKOCFA and MACFA. With NGCFU and the FAs encouraging women to join, members understood that there would also be opportunities to increase the number of women in leadership roles. So the training was held to give the women the understanding and knowledge they needed to be leaders. The training included: • What is leadership? • Styles of leadership • Good and bad behavior • Conflict management Access to Gender Action Learning Systems (AGALS) Training – November 2018 Twenty gender facilitators (10 male, 10 female) were trained from the chiefdoms of Barri, Makpele and the model site (Bunumbu) in Tunkia Chiefdom. The aim was for the gender facilitators to eventually graduate as gender champions in their respective localities. The training subjects included: • gender justice • gender balance • vision and social empowerment. The training followed a period in which GRC LG’s Community Development Relations Officers (CDROs) from the various chiefdoms carried out gender monitoring to assess the situation of women in project communities as well as assessed the Jusu Sannoh from Boma in Barri Chiefdom facilitation of gender action after an initial training of presenting the Gender Justice Diamond
22 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT community gender facilitators. They found that those trained had been able to implement the learnings and share methodology with at least five other members of their farmer associations. The monitoring was conducted as group discussions with communities which received gender training. The groups discussed their achievements, challenges and potential resolutions, and learnings from the training and its use in practice. Success stories were also recorded for later use. AGALS Workshop – March 2019 Through group discussions, one-to-one interviews, and recapping AGALS methodology and tools the workshop aimed to: • Identify potential female leaders and encourage them to run for leadership positions during the next village, cluster and chiefdom level elections. • To determine an approach to forming a network of gender facilitators who will encourage the implementation of learnings from AGALS trainings. • To record further success stories since the initial trainings. GACFA Executives meeting – february 2020 In Year 3 it came to light that the Gaura-based farmers association GACFA had not been meeting on a regular basis, so GRC LG organised a meeting of the executive to find out why the FA were not holding the meetings, why the members’ contributions to the FA had not been made, and to discuss and agree on the way forward for the group, and new targets for 2020/2021. As part of the meeting by-laws were strengthened to ensure better compliance in the future. Cocoa Season Review Meeting – June 2020 The annual cocoa season review meeting took place in June 2020 with a total of 88 participants from GRC LG staff, buying officers, the NGOCFU board, Jula team, FA leaders, Premium Committee and CDROs. The annual general meeting reviewed all aspects of NGOCFU this past season including cocoa production, delivery and supply chain records, export and logistics, the cocoa market, certification updates, governance and planning for the 2020/2021 season. 1.3 ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT SAVINGS AND SMALL LOAN SCHEMES LIBERIA Small Loan Programme The small loan programme in Liberia was designed both to support women to increase household income and to generate income for the Community Forest Organising Committee (CFOC) to manage the Community Forest. Capital was provided to the CFOC who then made loans to groups of 5 women each. The groups were free to manage the loan as a group or to make loans to individuals. In either case, the group was responsible for repayment. In addition to the capital repayment, the women paid interest and a savings contribution. Once the loan
Loan group member giving presentatipresentationsons on was paid off, the savings contributions were group work during a training session returned to the women and the interest remained with the CFOC for community forest management costs.
23 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Led by the Community Forest Organising Committee the small loan programme started in Year 2, and over the final two years of the project 15 small loan groups were set up in Lower Sokpo with a total of 4775 members, and 17 groups in Upper Sokpo with a total of 85 members, for a total of 160 direct beneficiaries. Five training sessions were held for the groups which covered: • Starting a small business • The small loan programme and its connection to conservation • Effective small loan groups, working together • Managing savings and loans • Business management • Leadership training The loan groups received 12,000 Liberia Dollars (USD 60) to loan to each member (60,000 (USD 300 per group). The Cash boxes were provided to all loan groups loans were to be paid back within 6 months with a 5% interest rate (600 Liberian Dollars (USD 3)) and a 5% savings rate (600 Liberian Dollars (USD 3)). SCNL and the CFOC setup a bank account for which they are co-signatories where payments are deposited. Unfortunately problems with the bank and then COVID-19 meant that no loan cycles could be started in year 3, which is when the Lower Sokpo groups were due to start. Therefore only Upper Sokpo groups started a loan cycle, which was completed and all payments made on time and in full. Full details and total money saved per group is shown in the table below. The small loan scheme had a positive impact on the lives of the women involved. The small loan groups received training on business as a sustainable form of income, covering topics such as profit and savings, and how to select the right products. The livelihoods impact assessment found that 85% of respondents then used their loan to invest in existing or new businesses and put their training into practice. The loan programme was very successful, providing sustainable income for communities and increasing the role of women in household financial management. The programme will be continued and we are pleased to report that the Darwin Initiative approved a grant to SCNL that will significantly scale up the small loan programme throughout the Gola Landscape and enable collaboration with UK investment firm Environmental Finance to establish a 1.2 million GBP investment fund to capitalize loan funds for 12 Community Forests.
24 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Model Community Group Name Numbe No. Cycles Amount Interest Savings Total Total Savings per Site r of Completed Loaned per Repaid Repaid Interest Person Membe member per per per Loan for the rs Cycle Loan Group Upper Sokpo (Trained & given cash) 1 Camp Israel Doelakai / One Person 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & Cannot Make It group is 6,000 2 Camp Israel Kukaley Kuka Tono / 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & We Are All One group is 6,000 3 Camp Israel/ United Women for 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & Soso Camp Progress group is 6,000 4 Soso Camp Diayakpo Mawee 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & Anobelgu / God Bless group is 6,000 Us to Remain United 5 Fula Camp United Women group 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & group is 6,000 6 Fula Camp Sister Care 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & group is 6,000 7 Green Bar City Make Sure to Pay 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & group is 6,000 8 Fula Camp Women United Against 5 1 12,000 1,200 1,200 6,000 Person is 1,200 & Hunger group is 6,000 9 Soso Camp United Women for 5 1 Development 10 Varney Camp We will pay women 5 1 Upper Sokpo ( trained but didn’t receive cash) 1 Varney Camp Amuloma 5 0 2 Fula Camp Women of Success 5 0 3 Fula Camp In God We Trust 5 0 4 Soso Camp Struggle for Success 5 0 5 Camp Israel Creative Women for 5 0 Progress 6 Camp Israel Sisters United for 5 0 Success 7 Soso Camp Wah-Po-Lah 5 0 8 Soso Camp Lor-Kiah 5 0 9 Varney Camp United we stand 5 0
25 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Model Community Group Name Numbe No. Cycles Amount Interest Savings Total Total Savings per Site r of Completed Loaned per Repaid Repaid Interest Person Membe member per per per Loan for the rs Cycle Loan Group 10 Varney Camp WOMEN for SUCCESS 5 0 Lower Sokpo (trained but didn’t receive cash) 1 Fornor Town Muakumah / We Can 5 0 Make It 2 Fornor Town Goyiah 5 0 3 Fornor Town Women do not sit 5 0 down 4 Fornor Town Paijah 5 0 5 Fornor Town Women do not sit 5 0 6 Jebbeh Fornor Trust Yourself 5 0 7 Korlah Village Bila-wor-wor 5 0 8 Kawelahun United Women 5 0 9 Kawelahun United Sisters 5 0 10 Kawelahun Amulomah 5 0 11 Kewelahun Be Care 5 0 12 Island Comm. Mulomah 5 0 13 Island Comm. Women work Hard 5 0 14 Gbanju Kukalay Kukatunor 5 0 15 Mano River Gbatimah / difference 5 0 Kongo 16 Mano River Gbotimah/ Help Them 5 0 Kongo 17 Mano River Mutarja / Lets Go 5 0 Kongo Forward 18 Mano River Mulomah 5 0 Kongo 19 Jedillah Village Quawasia 5 0 20 Patrick Village Heidegela 5 0 Summary of the table: Total beneficiaries trained: 200 Total trained and given cash: 50 Total trained but not given cash: 150
26 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Training Activity Date Location 16-22nd Upper Sokpo Clan, Fula and Small loan training Dec Camp Israel Small loan training 2 Feb-19 Upper Sokpo Small Business Training Aug-19 Lower Sokpo Small loan training Mar-20 Sokpo Clan Business Skills Training Jan-20 Sokpo Clan
SIERRA LEONE Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) VSLAs are another long-standing approach to livelihoods and conservation used by GRC LG. The GRC LG provides support to create VSLA groups and carries out training on financial management, thereby giving group members access to loans to be used for a wide variety of purposes including personal needs and business development. The Gola WABiCC project supported 49 VSLA groups in total, including the establishment of 38 new groups over the life of the project communities. The groups supported by the Gola WABiCC project are listed below:
WA BICC Supported VSLA Groups New/ Total in Completed Chiefdom Community Males Females Existing Group Full Cycle Group 1 Malema Baikama 11 19 30 New No 2 Malema Banni Sillia 16 14 30 New No 3 Malema Butemba 15 15 30 New No 4 Malema Goli 16 14 30 New No 5 Malema Jagolahun 16 14 30 New No 6 Malema Kpandemie 9 21 30 New No 7 Malema Missila 14 16 30 New No 8 Malema Mogbeima 16 14 30 New No 9 Malema Patama 14 16 30 New No 10 Malema Yollor 15 15 30 New No 11 Malema Wagikoh 15 15 30 New No Incomplete Cycle 330 Total 157 173 12 Barri Boma 13 12 25 Existing yes 13 Barri Samatia 11 14 25 Existing yes 14 Barri Teyewoma 13 12 25 Existing yes 15 Barri Tokpombu 10 15 25 Existing yes 16 Barri Yogoiguihun 14 11 25 Existing yes 17 Makpele Bagoihun 12 13 25 Existing yes 18 Makpele Bayama 13 12 25 Existing yes 19 Makpele Dombu 16 9 25 Existing yes 20 Makpele Gbekpa 5 8 13 Existing yes 21 Makpele Nyeyama 11 14 25 Existing yes 22 Makpele Geneva 8 13 21 Existing yes 23 Makpele Giewumba 10 15 25 Existing yes 24 Makpele Matai 12 13 25 Existing yes
27 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT WA BICC Supported VSLA Groups New/ Total in Completed Chiefdom Community Males Females Existing Group Full Cycle Group 25 Makpele Pewa 9 16 25 Existing yes 26 Makpele Sendebuma 4 16 20 Existing yes 27 Makpele Vaama 10 15 25 Existing yes 28 Makpele Wonde 11 14 25 Existing yes 29 Malema Bandajuma 11 19 30 New yes 30 Malema Goyama 12 18 30 New yes 31 Malema Madina 15 15 30 New yes 32 Malema Malema Geiya 14 16 30 New yes 33 Malema Mayengema 15 15 30 New yes 34 Malema Saagoihun 15 15 30 New yes 35 Malema Takpoima 14 16 30 New yes 36 Malema Teyama 15 14 29 New yes 37 Malema Vaama 15 15 30 New yes 38 Tunkia Bunumbu 12 13 25 New yes 39 Tunkia Buwama 43 22 65 New yes 40 Tunkia Fargorlahun 7 7 14 New yes 41 Tunkia Gendema 11 14 25 New yes 42 Tunkia Golawoma 12 13 25 New yes 43 Tunkia Jorpowahun 3 5 8 New yes 44 Tunkia Matakahun 7 5 12 New yes 45 Tunkia Nemahugoima 15 10 25 New yes 46 Tunkia Njanema 7 8 15 New yes 47 Tunkia Semabu 10 15 25 New yes 48 Tunkia Tanyehun 12 13 25 New yes 49 Tunkia Vaama 8 11 19 New yes Full Cycle Total 455 501 956 All Group Totals 612 674 1286
12 new groups were initially setup in Tunkia. In Year 2, the VSLA activities were expanded into Malema Chiefdom where a further 20 VSLA groups were established and trained, while support was given to existing groups in Makpele (12 groups) and Barri (5 groups), with a total of 1286 members. Membership of existing groups increased by 50% in the first two years of the project as communities saw the benefits of the scheme. GRC LG were particularly successful in engaging women in the VSLA groups (55% of new group members in Tunkia are female), which, with improved knowledge of finance, can empower women to have a more active role in home finance
28 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT In Year 3 the VSLAs facilitated the signing of MOUs between each individual member and their respective associations. The MOU serves to record the wishes of the member in the event of his or her death or relocation from the community. In most cases the spouse of the VSLA member inherits the debts and savings of the member but there are cases where there are no clear heirs or where the member designates another next of kin. A total of 217 individuals (130 female, 87 male) in 7 groups from the chiefdoms of Tunkia and Gaura completed Small business training session this process. An additional 100 members in 4 other groups started the process but had not completed by the time this report was written. Data from the livelihoods impact assessment shows that the use of money for education/school fees and new businesses was common – 48% of respondents used the loan to setup a new business and 54% invested in education and/or school fees, demonstrating an interest in using the loans for long- term investment. 82% of respondents reported that the funds were either important or vital for them to be able to fund the activity they chose to spend the money on, showing that communities saw the scheme as high value and that the VSLA funds made a significant difference to individuals to achieve and invest in areas of life for which they may otherwise not have been able. 26 groups completed a full VSLA cycle over the course of the project (10 in Makpele, 5 in Barri and 11 in Tunkia). As an example Mumahungbay Development Association in Malema shared out an impressive Le 12,334,000 ($US1,255) plus a social fund of Le 660,000 ($US67) in their cycle. The group then resumed contributions ready for the next cycle. The table on the next page gives a breakdown of the cycle for 6 VSLA groups in 6 communities. The full breakdown of the members in this group and their loans is available as an attachment. The following method is used to work out the total for each member and group:
VSLA Group Loan and Share Out System Each group decides how much a single share in the group will cost – either 2,000 or 5,000 SLL. (??USD) Each person contributes their chosen amount to the group each month for 12 months – this is how they buy shares. At the end of the year, they can ask for a loan of any amount up to the value of their contribution, which has to be paid back within 3 months. For every 100,000 SLL they borrow, they pay 10,000 SLL in interest every month. The social fund is made up of each member contributing 1,000 SLL per meeting. At the end of the year the members decide what they want to do with the fund as a group. For example, they could choose to split the money equally between all members, or they could decide to give a bigger share or all the money to one or two people who are in the most need. The interest paid on the loans is also totaled for the whole group and shared evenly between members. The Total Received is the total loan amount, social fund and interest each member receives.
29 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Table showing details of loan amounts and shareouts for 6 VSLA in 6 communities
Total Social Total Total Share Contribution Share Loan Fund (24 Fines from Amount Group Members Value per Month TOTAL Value Received Loan Paid Loan Interest Times) Defaulters Received Barri Boma 52 2,000 836,000 10,032,000 104,000 12,480,000 12,480,000 3,780,000 1,248,000 75,000 15,060,000 Tunkia Gendema 25 2,000 392,000 4,704,000 50,000 6,700,000 6,700,000 2,010,000 600,000 0 7,314,000 Makpele Giewomba 25 2,000 336,000 4,032,000 50,000 1,275,000 1,275,000 540,000 600,000 0 5,172,000 Makpele Vaama 25 5,000 419,000 5,028,000 125,000 2,800,000 2,800,000 1,200,000 600,000 0 6,828,000 Barri Yogoihun 25 2,000 181,000 2,172,000 50,000 2,403,000 2,403,000 1,335,000 600,000 0 4,107,000 Makpele Dombu 25 5,000 549,000 6,558,000 125,000 9,900,000 9,900,000 2,970,000 600,000 0 10,158,000 Makpele Bangoihun 25 5,000 745,000 8,940,000 125,000 3,700,000 3,700,000 1,110,000 600,000 0 10,650,000
Activity Date Location Indicators Share out methodology training Apr-18 Makpele & Barri 8 Management committee training Apr-18 Makpele & Barri 8 Group management training Jun-18 Tunkia 8 Introduction to VSLA’s Sep-18 Tunkia 8 VSLA monitoring Oct-18 Makpele & Barri 25 Small business management training Nov-18 Tunkia, Makpele & Barri 8 Sensitization Feb-19 Malema 25 VSLA launch May-19 Malema 25 Introduction to VSLA’s Jun-19 Malema 8 Small business management training Oct-19 Malema 8 Management Committee Training Nov-19 Malema 8 Monitoring Training Dec-19 8 Personal Service Providers Training Jan-20 Malema 8 Management Training Mar-20 Makpele, Gaura, Barri 8 VSLA MoU Signing Jun-20 Tunkia, Gaura 8 VSLA Committee Management Training Sept-18 Malema, Tunkia, Gaura, Barri 8
30 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 1.4 IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND IMPLEMENT NON-AGRICULTURAL REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING BEEKEEPING AND OTHER NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS LIBERIA Beekeeping Throughout the world, honey production is a common income generating activity near forests. Liberia is fortunate in that Universal Outreach Foundation (UOF) have been working in the country for over ten years to establish a strong honey supply chain and have already developed strong systems for training, production, distribution and marketing. In Year 1, SCNL sub-contracted Universal Outreach to carry out a feasibility assessment of beekeeping in 32 communities in the model sites of Upper and Lower Sokpo. The assessment determined that beekeeping was feasible as a sustainable livelihood activity as the environment was suitable for beekeeping, communities were very interested in the opportunity, access to the area by car and motorbike overall was good, and there was demand in the market for honey. Two main challenges were also identified: 1. During the rainy season access to some of the villages would be difficult. 2. In mining communities a lot of the citizens were not permanent residents and therefore less interested in an activity such as beekeeping that requires long term maintenance of hives. SCNL started to work with mining stakeholders to address the second of these problems (see Activities 3.8 & 4.3) After the feasibility assessment found that there was great potential for beekeeping in the area, SCNL sub-contracted UOF to implement beekeeping training across 22 communities (Kepelleh Village, Gbanjala,Jebbeh Fornor, Kawelahun, Green Bar City, Fula Camp, Varney Town, Camp Israel, Mano River Kongo, Kissi Camp, Jandela, Patrick Village, Korla, Domala, London Village, Nyenkehun, Krahn Camp, Bassa Village, Gborbu, Seidu Camp and Borborbu). 103 participants made up of 83 males and 19 females were initially trained through five days of intense introductory training which covered every stage of the beekeeping process, from the basics of installing and maintaining a hive, to colonization, harvesting, sale of honey and the formation of beekeeping groups. They also issued 289 hives and shared tools and conducted monthly extension visits throughout the 11-month contract. Ongoing training through extension visits provided continued support for beekeepers, particularly in harvesting and marketing. One of the initial challenges was that not all participants installed and managed the hives they were provided, so the unused hives were redistributed to new participants. Community meetings were also increased to ensure unity and long-term commitment to the project, and more tool banks were setup to give participants easier access to the equipment they needed. Further challenges included obtaining the buy-in of the high population of miners in the project area as it can take a few years for beekeepers to begin making an income. UOF’s most recent visit to the project was in April 2020 where they found a total of 82 active beekeepers, 268 installed hives, 56 of which were colonized and only 6 abandoned. They also found that beekeepers had harvested their first honey. A total of 6.2 gallons was harvested which they sold for $108.50. The results of the extension visits are below. Note that not all communities were visited at every visit.
31 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Model Visit Date Active Active No. No. No. No. Gallons Sale Site male female Hives Installed Colonized Abandoned Harvested (USD) Beekeepers Beekeepers Upper December 23 4 108 103 32 3 0 0 Sokpo 2019 January 24 4 112 110 34 3 0 0 2020 February 22 4 106 103 31 5 0 0 2020 April 2020 4 0 17 14 5 0 2.5 43.75 September 22 0 96 92 48 0 0 0 2020 Lower December 44 12 181 165 24 3 0 0 Sokpo 2019 January 65 14 251 231 27 2 0 0 2020 February 38 9 175 166 40 5 0 0 2020 April 2020 4 0 19 15 2 0 3.7 64.75 September 34 7 142 142 61 0 0 0 2020
Overall progress of beekeepers: 95% of the hives were installed, and 21% of those installed were colonized whilst just 0.5% were abandoned. Beekeeping was repeatedly raised by community members during exchange visits and learning events as something of value that they would encourage more individuals to get involved in. Feedback from the livelihood follow up surveys supported this, with positive responses to questions about the benefits of training, materials and beekeeping as a livelihood activity. Specifically the benefits mentioned included that some had harvested their honey already and had benefitted from either the sale of the honey or use as food for their household and community, and that the training provided a new, easier method of raising bees for honey. The group setup also helped the farmers in this new venture as the groups supported each other, checking on others’ hives at the same time as their own, and supporting those who reached harvesting to carry this out. SCNL and UOF are continuing regular extension visits, providing support to beekeepers after the end of the WABiCC funding to keep this long-term livelihood investment progressing.
Training Activity Date Location Beekeeping Training Apr-19 Fornor Beekeeping Training Apr-19 Fula Camp Beekeeping Training Apr-19 Israel Camp Beekeeping Training May-19 Nyenkehun Beekeeping Training May-19 Patrick Village Mano River Beekeeping Training May-19 Congo
SIERRA LEONE Poultry Based on interest expressed by women plus knowledge of success pilots elsewhere, GRC LG decided to carry out a pilot to test the feasibility of semi-intensive poultry production in the Gola
32 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Landscape. They carried out an initial feasibility assessment and identified the communities of Golahun, Tunkia Chiefdom and Zimmi, Makpele Chiefdom as suitable. A group of 25 members was setup in Golahun (22 females and 3 males), and a group of 15 (13 females, 2 males) in Zimmi. Community leaders led the selection of members and the difference in choice of primary beneficiaries is significant for understanding outcomes at the conclusion of the pilot. In terms of social class, the women in Zimmi seemed to be drawn from a group of women with experience in business and of a fairly average social wealth standing in their community. In Golahun, the women were mostly subsistence farmers who tended to represent average and below average wealth standing. The Golahun group received 151 layer chickens, and Zimmi received 211 between November 2018 and April 2019. The flocks in Golahun and Zimmi were exclusively layers that produced table eggs, with the intent of piloting egg production as a business. Beneficiaries were taught the basics for the daily care and maintenance of the flock through the poultry management training completed in March 2019 and flock management training in November 2018. They learned to spot potential illness in a bird and how to protect the rest of the flock from the possible spread of a contagious disease. They also learned how to compose layer feed and to serve feed and water to the flock while maintaining biosecurity in the poultry houses. However, there was a tendency amongst participants to revert back to the style of management of free roaming chickens, and as a result the standards of water and cleanliness in the chicken houses suffered, which in turn affected the chickens’ health and stress levels and therefore egg production. However, there was only an 11% mortality rate in the Golahun group’s chickens – which is not a bad result for beginners. Although Golahun was found to be a good market for eggs, the group making 223,000 Leones (USD 23), the chickens were not producing enough eggs so as a result the group decided to sell their chickens. They sold 84 of the chickens for 30,000 Leones (USD 3) each, putting a total of 2,520,000 Leones (USD 258) in the community bank. In Zimmi, there was a strong market for meat, especially as the group targeted holidays and celebrations such as Ramadan, so with egg production again not strong in Zimmi, the group decided to sell their chickens for meat. The group made a total of 3,830,000 Leones (USD 392) which went into their community bank. The Zimmi group also registered their group with the council and purchased extra supplies for the project such as a ledger, padlock for the house and bucket, the costs of which came out of their overall profit. Although there was slow uptake of the poultry management techniques, the group members carried out the day to day maintenance themselves which gave them practice for any future poultry management and saved on the cost of employing staff to do this. The pilot showed that there is a market for poultry products within the communities, however a lesson from the pilot is that semi-intensive poultry management, which means permanently housed chickens, is different to the free-range style that the communities are used to, and more engagement is needed to ensure the participants understand and use the semi-intensive management methods in future. In addition to the pilot above, the project coordinator also worked with the women’s group in Golahun to support resilience building in the face of economic shocks that have resulted from the COVID 19 crisis. In two separate meetings the group discussed and reached an agreement on how to best maximise the impact of revolving internal loans to group members from the income previously generated from the sale of eggs and chicken. The group’s savings in the bank, built up
33 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT from interest repaid on the loans, is used to support its members’ small businesses. Only 20% of group members have taken the loan yet. But with business ideas coming thick and fast among the members, there is expected to be a high uptake of loans in the near future. The group already qualifies for bank loans as a result of their long term saving with the community bank. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Commercialising NTFPs is an obvious approach to adding value to rainforests and thereby incentivizing their conservation. As part of the Gola WABiCC project, GRC LG undertook NTFP activities in Makpele and Tunkia Chiefdoms, starting with information gathering and mapping in Year 1, looking at the occurrence and concentration of NTFP users within the project target area. Based on the information gathered about harvesting methods, marketing, and the seasonality of NTFP products, workshops were held to build capacity in sustainable NTFP use. GRC LG found that cane was the most viable NTFP for further development as it is widely distributed in the forest and can be harvested throughout the year. Once woven into baskets or used to make furniture it becomes an income opportunity. Although there were a number of cane craftsmen in the forest edge communities, the rural communities had difficulty accessing the urban markets where there is the greatest income potential. GRC LG also found that cane is traditionally harvested and woven almost exclusively by men. The aims of the NTFP activities then were shaped around this: to increase women’s involvement in NTFPs, to improve understanding of sustainable harvest methods, to connect communities to the markets in the capital city and thereby improve income from NTFPs. Consultations were held in Tunkia and four NTFP groups were established – two female and two male groups. The groups were set up to coordinate their harvesting activities to ensure sustainability and to support each other’s development as they shared skills and knowledge. GRC LG provided training in Year 1 on the markets and different styles of furniture/products, however support for the groups was not sustained and the groups did not become effective units. The remoteness of these particular groups meant that the limited access to market added a significant challenge to marketing NTFPs. In other Chiefdoms including Barri, Gaura, Malema, Makpele and Koya, harvesters began working together on NTFP’s but also chose not to form official groups. In Year 2, GRC LG provided training on sustainable methods of harvesting to each of the seven Chiefdoms. There was then a further, more in-depth 3-day training for communities in Nomo Chiefdom. Nomo warranted the extra training because of their position between two of the main blocks of the national park, so sustainable harvesting is particularly critical here for the long-term conservation of this important corridor. To connect NTFP users to the markets in Freetown, GRC LG and CSSL attended Sierra Leone’s biggest trade fair, the annual, month-long Tangains festival in Years 2 and 3. As well as using this platform to promote cane and rattan furniture made by craftsmen in the project target area, the festival was also an opportunity to raise awareness of climate change and conservation of the Gola Forest. Representatives of the craftsmen also attended the festival to engage with customers, sell products, and to learn about the types of products that were in demand. The learnings were taken back to the communities to improve the sales potential of their products. Although this was a great learning opportunity and helped to raise awareness of the Gola forest and climate change to the hundreds of visitors, sales were hindered as not every craftsman was there to discuss and negotiate prices for their own products. The total sales of products are listed below:
34 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Description of item Unit price (Le) Unit price Quantity (USD) sold Large rocking chair 1,000,000 102 1 Set of the single sitting chair 1,500,000 153 1 Camp bed 1,000,000 102 3
The Tangains Festival was also a good opportunity for craftsmen to develop autonomy in the transport and sale of their products, which should allow them to continue selling after the WABiCC project. NTFP harvesting has increased as a result of the Gola WABiCC project engagement and has proven particularly popular with youths who have limited options for income in rural areas. To capitalize on this interest, the GRC LG held meetings between harvesters, transporters, craftsmen and salesmen to strengthen the network between them. The network has been positive, increasing production and reducing costs. The quality of the products has also improved as a result of craftsmen’s involvement in the Tangains Festival. Project staff undertook periodic checks throughout the project to ensure sustainable harvesting practices were being used. Furthermore, to determine the intensity of the harvesting in Gaura, Makpele and Nomo Chiefdoms, NTFP activity was mapped in Year 3. Although called ‘mapping’, the activity did not collect GIS data or produce maps, it was focused on identifying if and where there are areas of overharvesting of cane and rattan, and whether restrictions were required in those areas.
Activity Date Location Indicator NTFP Workshop Jul-18 Tunkia 8 NTFP mapping and discussions Jul-18 Tunkia 25 NTFP Training Jun-19 Nomo 8 NTFP Training Mar-19 Gaura, Tunkia & Koya 8 Resource user group meeting Apr-18 Makpele 25 Tangains Festival Dec-18 Freetown 25 Tangains Festival Dec-19 Freetown 25 Mapping of NTFP Use Nov-19 Gaura, Makpele, Nomo 8 NTFP Mapping Feb-20 Barri 25 Harvesting NTFP’s Training Nov-19 Tunkia, Gaura 8 NTFP Consultations Dec-19 Tunkia, Nomo 25
Engagement activities at the Tangains Festival
35 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT
Beekeeping Giving the growing success of beekeeping in Gola Liberia, GRC decided to also try beekeeping in Sierra Leone, sub-contracting Rory’s Wells, a contractor who was already working in the area, to conduct a beekeeping pilot. Rory’s Wells conducted two trainings in 2019. The first introduced 12 potential beekeepers to beekeeping through theoretical training, an introduction to making beehives and suits, and how to make an income, as well as beesuit and hive making. After the first practical training on beehives, the second session trained the same 12 beekeepers from Tunkia and Barri, and 3 GRC LG staff in honey harvesting and processing, the manufacture and marketing of products and provided some equipment. The session also linked producers and potential markets. A second company, Melo Africa, was brought in by GRC Participants learn about the manufacture of products such as lip balm, body lotion and LG to support the beekeeping work in the project area in mosquito repellent. Year 3. Although WABiCC did not fund the training itself, they supported some of the engagement ahead of the training, so the report from the training is included here.
Activity Location Date Indicator Beekeeping Training Gaura Nov 2019 8 (Melo Africa) Beekeeping Training Barri, Tunkia Nov 2019 8
Eco-Tourism Eco-tourism in and around the national parks relies on the health of the forest and species, so for communities, eco-tourism is an income opportunity that directly relates to their protection and stewardship of the forest. In Years 2 and 3, GRC LG worked with the community of Bunumbu, the model Community Forest site, on several activities to promote eco-tourism in the area. In Year 2, GRC LG supported the community to rehabilitate a disused building as an eco-lodge. Once finished the lodge will be a community asset, supporting the long-term community forest management efforts of Bunumbu and Golawoma by generating income from eco-tourism. The materials were all sourced locally in Golahun Town, and labor completed by skilled community members – providing further income and support to the area through the project. In Year 3, steps were taken to establish a nature trail running through the model site. There is already a popular tourist route that starts in Sileti in Tunkia Chiefdom and connects to Tiwai Island, so the project staff remapped the route to incorporate Bunumbu and the new eco-lodge. Communities were also trained in how to host and interact with tourists. Although eco-tourism is still at early stages, opportunities were taken wherever possible to promote the benefits of tourism, for example at the Tangains Festivals. Tourism promotion also contributes to the aims of the Trans-boundary MoU signed in February 2020, which states that the NPAA and FDA will share experience and work together to ‘realize the full economic potential of the National Parks and surrounding areas from payments from…tourism…’. In February 2020 a stakeholders' field trip to the Gola Rainforest National Park took 47 CSSL and GRC LG staff and trustees, government officials, local NGOs and nature club pupils and teachers on a two- day visit to the park. The aim was to increase understanding amongst stakeholders of the
36 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT project’s activities and showcase the importance of the park as an eco-tourism destination. During the trip activities included how to use bird watching equipment, bird identification and hiking, distribution of stickers and posters, visit to eco-lodge in Kambui Hills. Feedback from trip participants included seeing and hearing new environments in the forest and learning about forest protection, and that the forest was in noticeably good condition as a result of rangers and interventions stopping deforestation and damage to the forest. In March 2020, CSSL organised a stakeholder engagement meeting in Freetown about promoting Gola as an eco-tourism destination and what more can be done to help it become a tourism destination. The meeting brought together GRC LG, CSSL, Government of Sierra Leone departments including the Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and Paramount Chiefs. Participants stated their appreciation for the work of GRC LG and CSSL in the landscape and recommended that capacity building for communities and stakeholders continue, that livelihoods support continue to be provided, that the community forest monitoring structures be established, that there should be advocacy for legislation supporting biodiversity conservation.
Activity Location Date Indicator Stakeholder Technical Freetown Mar 2020 25 Meeting Tourism
37 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Objective 2. Two model sites demonstrate effective community forest management that supports habitat connectivity across different tenures and international boundaries. 2.1 WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO SELECT A SECOND MODEL SITE IN EACH OF SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA 2.2 DEFINE THE RATIONALE AND FEASIBILITY FOR EACH OF THE SECOND SITES MODEL SITES SELECTION OVERVIEW A central focus of the Gola WA BiCC project was the development of model sites for community- based forest management. Originally there were to be two model sites, one in each of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Hence in Year 1, one model site was selected in each country in cooperation with stakeholders based on (but not exclusively) the following variables: population density, level of forest encroachment, level of poaching, high conservation value species distributions, accessibility, community interest and engagement, cost effectiveness and government priorities. Sokpo 1 was the selected site in Liberia and Bunumbu/Golawoma was the site in Sierra Leone. In Year 2, we concluded that there were sufficient funds and staff capacity to add a second model site in each country. A second site was chosen in Liberia, Sokpo 2, but given the paucity of intact forest outside the national park in Sierra Leone and some other factors it was more difficult to find suitable sites with important conservation value there. At the same time, there was a growing interest in community forestry among community leaders in Sierra Leone and at a Gola Paramount Chief Conference, the paramount chiefs present committed to establishing one Community Forest in each chiefdom around the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP). Rather than select a second model site, we decided to assist any interested chiefdom with the basics of establishing a Community Forest but in a more limited way than was originally planned for the model sites. In the end, the Gola WA BiCC project supported the establishment of 5 Community Forests in Sierra Leone. MODEL SITE SELECTION METHODOLOGY Sierra Leone In Sierra Leone, Nomo Faaima was originally identified as a suitable area for a model site because of its significant potential for creating connectivity between the different parts of the GRNP. However, after consultation with the communities in Nomo Faaima in November and December 2017, the area was not selected for two reasons: the ill health of the Nomo Paramount Chief (who eventually died in January 2018) and the power struggle behind it, and the communities’ non-acceptance of the concept of community forest management for conservation due to external mining interests. Other model sites within the Project Target Area in Sierra Leone were then considered and full details can be found in the feasibility assessment. As part of this process of site selection forest edge communities (FEC) within the Koya and Tunkia Chiefdoms were mapped and the jurisdiction of each village approximated. The amount of intact forest within each village jurisdiction was estimated using data from Global Forest Watch and the proximity to known records of chimpanzee, pygmy hippo and picathartes determined. We then identified those communities with whom we had good working relationships and areas that were important for maintaining connectivity within the wider landscape. High-resolution SPOT satellite data from 2016 also provided some information about forest cover. Field visits assessed the level of forest encroachment, level of poaching, accessibility, community interest and engagement, and cost effectiveness relative to each site.
38 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT We found that the Bunumbu and Golawoma forest area contained relatively large forested areas of high quality. There was a relatively high density of High Conservation Value (HCV) species and disturbance was low. The forest borders the National Park and the Moa River and creates a link to Tiwai – Jubui Islands. Importantly, the community was willing and welcomed the project. While accessibility was low it could be improved for motorbike access with relatively small investments and help of the communities. The WABiCC GESI guide encourages inclusion of vulnerable groups and one such group mentioned is people living in ‘hard-to-reach’ communities. Based on all of the above factors, it was agreed that Bunumbu/Golawoma would be the first model site in Sierra Leone.
Bunumbu Community Forest (light green on the map) in relation to Gola Rainforest National Park and surrounding leakage belt.
39 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT
Detail of Bunumbu Community Forest boundary. Two sites were considered for Site2 in Year 2 – one in Barri Chiefdom and one in Nomo. Unfortunately, the death of the Paramount Chief in Barri meant that all discussions were put on hold until after the selection of the new Paramount Chief. And in Nomo, ongoing tension between the GRC LG and the Nomo Chiefdom hindered discussions there. Therefore, as noted above, we decided to work with other interested chiefdoms in a more limited way. See Activity 2.1 for details of non-model site community forests. Liberia In Liberia, the Sokpo Clan pre-selected two sites as potential model sites during preliminary discussions about the Gola WABiCC project - both sites located in the Porkpa District, near the Kawelahun and Formor communities, south of the Gola Forest National Park (GFNP). Once the project started, SCNL held further discussions with representatives from the 37 communities that make up the Sokpo Clan at an inception meeting in October 2017. The first site was located closest to the Fornor Community in the Sokpo Clan, Porkpa District. The forest has an area of 10,810 ha and encompasses 7 communities including Fula Camp, Soso Camp, Israel Camp, Varney, Mafa Pea, Green Bar Village and Kpelleh Village. Except for Mafa Pea and Kpelleh Villages that were not assessed because the areas were abandoned by the citizens due to frequent visits by elephants, the remaining five communities were assessed, and the population found to be 6,566 persons. The site was occupied mainly by Sierra Leonean, Malian and Guinean people with very few Liberians. The most common livelihood activities included illicit mining for gold and diamond, uncontrolled hunting using snares and shotgun, bush meat trade, chain-sawing for domestic uses and shifting cultivation. Satellite imagery of the area showed forest cover was intact over a good portion of the forest and could provide connectivity between the GFNP and the Gola Konneh Community Forest. An eight- day assessment of biodiversity at the model site found the forest to be critical habitat for key landscape species such as Forest Elephants, Western Chimpanzee, Pygmy Hippo, and Jentink’s Duiker and therefore important for biodiversity conservation.
40 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The second of the two sites had less forest cover and a higher population density with correspondingly higher pressure on the forest. During the inception meeting, the communities expressed their support for the project and agreed to set aside Site 1, Upper Sokpo, as their first choice for a community forest and Site 2, Lower Sokpo as their second choice. In the end, SCNL worked with the communities in both sites. 2.3 WORK WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP ROAD MAPS FOR COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT BASED ON FPIC PRINCIPLES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN EACH COUNTRY A road map for the community forestry process in Liberia was not developed specifically for the Gola WA BiCC project given that the 9-step legal process in Liberia serves as the roadmap, with FPIC principles being followed. In Sierra Leone, which does not have a well-developed legal framework for community forestry, a road map for the establishment of community forests was developed as part of the initial CF training for GRC LG and CSSL staff. During the CF training, presentations were given about the community forestry experience in Liberia and a representative of the FAO gave a presentation about the FAO experience with community forestry in Sierra Leone. Following the training, GRC LG staff drew on this experience to develop a road map for the Gola area. 2.4 WORK WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS IN LIBERIA TO IMPLEMENT THE 9 STEPS TO COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT, BASED ON THE COMMUNITY RIGHTS LAW 2.5 WORK WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS IN SL TO IMPLEMENT THE ROAD MAP DEFINED IN 2.3 ABOVE 2.7 DEVELOP A ROADMAP TO SCALE UP COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE 2.8 CARRY OUT BIODIVERSITY MONITORING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GIVE INDICATIONS OF THE ABUNDANCE, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE TO SUPPORT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE MODEL SITES. SEE ALSO ACTIVITY 3.5. 2.9 WORK WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY BASED LAND USE PLANS AT EACH SITE FOR THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY FORESTS 2.10 WORK WITH GOSL AND GOL AND COMMUNITIES AT MODEL SITES TO ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. 2.11 PRODUCE THE NECESSARY FOREST FEATURES AND RESOURCE MAPS ON WHICH MANAGEMENT PLANS ARE BASED. As the activities to establish a community-managed forest are all interrelated, we have chosen here to give an overall description of progress with respect to establishing community forests rather than break up the description and potentially make the description less coherent.
41 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Liberia Model Site Progress SCNL started community engagement activities with Upper and Lower Sokpo in Year 1, including a project launch, visits from SCNL staff, and an introduction to VADEMCO and the livelihoods work which would be based in Upper and Lower Sokpo. SCNL also provided training to the Sokpo Clan leadership on the 9-Step community forest (CF) process required by law (see Activity 3.4).
SCNL holding a project update meeting in Kawelahun in 2018 Once the communities were familiar with the idea of community forestry and the legal framework in Liberia, SCNL provided technical and financial support to Sokpo Clan citizens to select the members of the interim Community Forest Organizing Committee (CFOC) in August 2018. The resulting committee is made up of 6 men and 1 woman and is an interim body that leads the implementation of the 9-step CF process as well as manages the small loan program. Eventually, the CFOC will be dissolved and the legally-recognized Community Forest Management Body (CFMB) will be appointed by the elected Community Assembly (Step 8). In this initial part of the process, SCNL also signed an MOU with the Clan covering the establishment of the Community Forest in which the Sokpo Clan agreed to designate part of the CF for strict conservation and SCNL committed to support the implementation of livelihoods activities. The MOU also included the establishment of a grievance mechanism. As part of the preparation for establishing a Community Forest, SCNL produced maps of the model sites detailing species of global conservation concern, the proposed boundaries of the community forests, and the areas assessed during the feasibility study. Upper Sokpo Clan and the CFOC completed Step 1 of the 9-step process at the end of Year 1 when they submitted the required letter of application and application fee. Unfortunately, because of concerns that the CF process was being exploited by logging companies to improperly access forest,
42 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT the FDA put a halt to new community forest applications at the same time that the Sokpo Clan submitted its application. The ban remains in place today as the 9-step process is reviewed. SCNL and the Sokpo Clan put a lot of effort into trying to find a way around the ban, trying various avenues and seeking advice from various stakeholders but were unable to find a way forward. While looking for a way forward despite the moratorium on new community forests, other work continued with the Sokpo Clan, principally on livelihoods activities including cocoa, rice, groundnut, beekeeping and the small loan programme as well as training for the CFOC and the leadership of the Sokpo Clan. Given that it seems unlikely that the moratorium on new CF applications will be lifted any time soon, SCNL proposes to instead support the Sokpo Clan to claim their land under the newly passed Land Rights Act (LRA). This involves developing a participatory land use plan (PLUP) that could set aside forest for conservation. If the CF moratorium is ever lifted, a Community Forest could then be created within the land claimed under the Land Rights Act. As the LRA and land use planning are new to Liberia, the first step in this alternate route to a Community Forest was to hold a training of trainers in Year 3 with SCNL staff (see Activity 3.3) that would then roll out the skills and knowledge to field staff. Recently, SCNL staff met with the Sokpo Clan to propose this alternate route to a Community Forest which was enthusiastically received. SCNL will continue the process started here with funding from two new projects, the Rainforest Trust-funded Community Forestry project and the EU-funded PAPFor project. Sierra Leone Model Site Progress The implementation of project activities differed between Liberia and Sierra Leone in that in Sierra Leone, livelihood activities were implemented throughout the Project Target Area whereas in Liberia all activities were focused on the area around the model sites. Nevertheless, the model site of Bunumbu/Golawoma was prioritized in a number of activities, including: • Three of the four NTFP groups were from model site communities • Participation in the AGALS (gender) training included participants from Bunumbu and Golawoma • VSLA groups were established • The eco-lodge was refurbished • The road was refurbished • Poultry management training was conducted After approval of the choice of model site, GRC LG held a project launch in the headquarter town of Tunkia Chiefdom, where the model site is situated, in June 2018. The event was attended by around 300 people including Paramount Chiefs, women and youth, and representatives of the Kenema District Council. The broad range of attendees made it a good opportunity to raise awareness of both the Gola WABiCC project itself but also community forestry in general. More localized community engagement activities followed in Year 1 (see Activity 3.4) with all stakeholder groups from those communities including miners, resource users, town chiefs, women’s leaders etc. The meetings went into more detail about the objectives of the project, why it was important for local authorities to be involved, the opportunities the project would bring for communities and the benefits of community forestry. At the end of the meetings the communities’ endorsement was announced by the Paramount Chief and agreed upon by all participants.
43 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Following the communities’ approval for the model site in Bunumbu, GRC LG staff carried out a participatory rapid appraisal (PRA) to develop a full understanding of the area, including the socio- economic, historic and bio-physical perspectives. GRC LG then provided further training on community forestry (see Activity 3.4). The trainings focused on the basic principles of CFM and engaged participants to reflect on their own roles, responsibilities and vision for their community forest. A significant concern raised during the training was that the model site would eventually be incorporated into the GRNP leading to good discussions about the difference between CFs and protected areas, particularly around laws made by Government and enforcement by rangers. The meetings were very valuable as a way to discuss these concerns and overall the communities’ response to CFM was positive. After these first initial engagement meetings with communities of the model site area, project staff expressed their concern about access to the area. In response, the GRC LG began working with communities to rehabilitate an existing old road to allow motorbike access. This was also highlighted as a priority by communities during engagement activities, and expectations were managed to ensure communities understood that no new roads would be built and the rehabilitation would only allow access by motorbike so as to minimize the environmental impact. As part of the community forest process, the GRC also provided other training to the model site communities including training to identify and monitor high conservation value species (see Activity 3.5). As well as laying the groundwork for future initiatives for community members to monitor wildlife within their CF, the training gave participants a new understanding of GRC LG’s work, and a greater appreciation for their local wildlife. This initiative continued in Year 2 with the recruitment and training of 40 community eco-volunteers (see Activity 3.5), mainly youths. The training gave the volunteers the skills to do basic wildlife monitoring, which will feed into a database of biodiversity in their community forest. Along with local leaders and landowners the group of volunteers also demarcated the community forest boundaries and high conservation value areas. In Year 2 an Interim Community Forest Management Committee (ICFMC) comprising residents and landowners of Bunumbu and Golawoma was formed. The 15-member committee is made up of 6 females and 9 males. The ICFMC’s role includes that of facilitating consultations with Bunumbu and Golawoma stakeholders and representing both communities in deliberations with the government forestry office and GRC LG around local land use plans and Community Forest Management Agreements. To further engage the model site communities in the CFM process an exchange visit took 15 community members from Bunumbu and Golawoma to a community forest site in Bo (see Activity 4.4). The meeting generated a lot of attention from the host community, and the opportunity was taken to raise awareness of conservation in general. Lessons and experiences were shared from the host community to the visitors so they could learn from the community in Bo who were at a more advanced stage of community forestry. Following the visit participants gave feedback that the experience was both inspiring and reassuring. Among the takeaways from the reflection meeting following the visit was the fact that participants saw that successful community forest management took discipline, as well as give and take. They were reassured by the challenges the Gbaima communities overcame to reach success. Like Gbaima, the Bunumbu and Golawoma people acknowledged that there are many reasons why they should preserve their forest, including their heritage and the sustainability of natural resources. Full details of the progress of the model sites can be found in Annex B.
44 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Non-Model Site Community Forests In Sierra Leone, the Project Target Area encompassed much of the Gola Landscape, beyond the model site, so that road shows and engagement with communities on climate change and community forestry were held across all the seven Gola Chiefdoms. In Year 2, GRC LG organised the first Conference of the Gola Paramount Chiefs. The conference brought together the Paramount Chiefs and senior leaders – something that the chiefs said had never happened before. During the meeting the Chiefs stated their support for community forestry. All participants in the conference saw clear benefits to bringing the group of leaders together to discuss challenges that affected all of their chiefdoms and to looking at the forest as a landscape rather than as individual Chiefdoms. Therefore the meetings continued regularly (June 2019, September 2019 & January 2020). It was at the second of these conferences that the four Paramount Chiefs present pledged their commitment to establishing at least one Community Forest in each Chiefdom. As noted previously, GRC LG agreed to support this initiative although in a more limited way than that originally planned for the model sites. Further signs of commitment came from the Paramount Chiefs’ statements that CFM was compatible with their livelihood aspirations, that soil and water quality was far better in forested areas, that Gola’s wildlife was valuable for tourism, that there was a need for ownership of the sustainable forest initiative, and that climate change is a global issue that Gola is a part of and so should be a part of the solution. As a result of these engagements GRC LG was able to start the process of establishing a further 4 community forests in addition to the model site. The two chiefdoms that advanced the furthest were Gaura and Koya. Following engagement with the communities by the chiefdom leaders and GRC LG staff, Gaya Yeyei in Gaura and Lukweh Island in Koya consented to establish Community Forests. By the end of the project they had identified areas of land for sustainable management and consultations held to establish their interim community forest management committees. In Year 3 these two Chiefdom committees, along with GRC LG staff, completed mapping and validating the boundaries of their proposed community forest sites. Although it was not possible to establish the second model site in Barri Chiefdom (see above), Barri was still committed to CFM. They decided to establish the Naiata Forest as a community-managed forest partly because of its importance for pygmy hippos. The community members have demarcated their forest and the next step is to establish the Interim Community Forest Management Committee. Makpele Chiefdom hosts the fourth additional community forest, Naflador, and is at the earliest stage of the process. While they have completed physical mapping and boundary demarcation of the community forest, community members have identified a need to better understand what community forest entails before establishing the Interim Community Forest Management Committee. As can be seen, each of the Community Forests is at a different stage of development. Work to establish these community forests will be continued as part of the EU-funded PAPFor project which started in January 2020. See Annex B for full details of each community forest. In June 2020, ahead of the end of the project, transition meetings were held in Barri, Gaura, Makpele and Koya to discuss the progress of each community forest, what the next steps are in the process and how that work will be continued under the new projects.
45 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 2.6 CARRY OUT EXCHANGE VISITS WITH EXISTING COMMUNITY FORESTS: FAO SITES IN SL, GOLAMA IN LIBERIA, SL TO GOLAMA Full details of all the exchange visits undertaken as part of the Gola WABiCC project are described below under Activity 4.4. Those relevant to Activity 2.6 include: • Oct 2018 – Community Forest Exchange Visit to FAO Site, Sierra Leone • June 2019 – GRC and CSSL staff visit to GolaMA and WABiCC Sites, Liberia • March 2020 – Community Forest Management Exchange Visit, Sierra Leone 2.12 DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT LOCAL COMMUNICATIONS PLANS TO SUPPORT ESTABLISHMENT OF CFM. This is the same activity as 4.1 – see Activity 4.1 below for a full description. 2.13 ENSURE THAT COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS INCLUDE ZONING FOR DIFFERENT USES, INCLUDING STRICT CONSERVATION As part of the feasibility assessments and mapping exercises of the model sites, areas of high conservation value (HCV) were identified. These will eventually feed into management and land use plans and inform any zoning that takes place. Learnings from the livelihood intensification activities, including mapping of NTFP products in Sierra Leone, will also feed into the management plans. Unfortunately the model sites did not progress as far as planned and CF management plans are not yet developed. As noted above, in Liberia, the process was hindered by the Government stay order on new community forest applications in Year 1 of the project. Although engagement with Government and communities continued, it was simply not possible to achieve the desired level of progress with the moratorium in place. In Sierra Leone, a high level of engagement with communities in Bunumbu was required before further steps towards establishing community forests could be made. Although there remains work to be done in Bunumbu, GRC LG gained the commitment of communities for an additional 4 community forests within the landscape – reaping the benefits of investment in community engagement and not rushing the community forest process. See Activity 2.1 and Annex B for more details. 2.14 LIAISE WITH REDD STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE LESSONS FROM THIS PROJECT STRENGTHEN NATIONAL REDD INITIATIVES IN SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA. REDD MOU Signing with Nomo Chiefdom The GRC LG has agreements with the seven chiefdoms hosting the Gola Rainforest National Park on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) concerning the area surrounding the park and serving as a leakage belt. The arrangement is voluntarily entered into by the communities and chiefdoms hosting the park. The REDD agreement is renewable annually and communities voluntarily sign up to the agreement with the GRC LG. Nomo chiefdom has held back on signing for a few years except for a solitary village. Under the Gola WABiCC project, GRC LG used several engagement approaches that resulted in additional communities of Nomo signing on to the agreement. As of January 2020, Nomo’s third largest town of Lowoma and a second community, Gbandalahun, had signed the REDD agreement with GRC LG. GRC LG continued its engagement with Nomo, one of the most important chiefdoms in the Gola landscape, and as a result we expect more communities within Nomo to sign up to the agreement during the implementation of the ongoing PAPFor project.
46 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Objective 3. Community forest management bodies (CFMBs), community members, regional staff of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA, Liberia), National Protected Area Authority (NPAA, Sierra Leone) and other local government staff, and staff of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG), Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) and SCNL have increased capacity to develop and implement community land use plans and community forest management plans. 3.1 DEVELOP TRAINING PLANS FOR CSSL, SCNL, GRC, LOCAL NPAA, FD AND FDA STAFF AND KEY COMMUNITIES AS AN OUTPUT OF TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR ALL 3.2 CARRY OUT AT LEAST 3 TRAINING EVENTS FOR SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD AND FDA STAFF ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CFM As can be seen by the large number of training events described below, the Gola WABiCC Project devoted considerable effort and resources to training staff of the local implementing partners and government colleagues. The impact of this is apparent in the quality of the ongoing conservation work of the partners. GRC LG staff completed capacity assessments individually for the Gola WA BiCC-supported trainings they participated in and gave examples of what they had learned and how that has benefited them in their roles, aiding their own development and confidence, and their organization as a whole. They reported that approaches to work changed and the increased skills of individuals make the work of the whole organization more efficient. The trainings funded by WABiCC covered a broad range of topics from photography to mapping and community forestry, which reflects the multi- disciplinary work needed for successful conservation. As such the capacity of the institutions has increased not just in technical activities for example, but in a broad range of skills. Some examples of this are: • Electronic data collection training gave them a skill that saves them time and makes their work more accurate. Since the training they have successfully completed the livelihood impact surveys on tablets. • Community forestry, PRA and FPIC trainings gave participants an appreciation for the importance of community ownership and joint decision making throughout the CFM process. Their approaches changed to integrate these principles into their work - being careful to involve all stakeholders and landowners, and reporting that participatory decision making with communities has been enhanced as a result.
• Management training and experience of PIT meetings helped staff to better plan their time to meet deadlines. PIT meetings were introduced in GRC LG and carried into new projects. • Learnings from the film and photo training were utilized when undertaking project activities. Staff reported feeling more confident behind a camera, more thoughtful in how they take pictures and aware of the benefits of this for promoting the organisation, projects and activities. • GIS and GPS trainings enabled staff to carry out mapping of the proposed non-model site community forests, and as a result all of the sites were mapped before the end of the project. With boundaries mapped efficiently teams can move onto next steps in the CFM process. Staff also reported the benefits for health and safety, with the ability to navigate on a GPS they are more confident that they will not lose their way when working in the forest.
47 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT One staff member also said that with this knowledge they noticed that their participation in their teams work increased when in the field. Transboundary Meeting on Community Forest Management – March 2018 Staff meetings focusing on community forest management (CFM) were held in Liberia, 5-9 March 2018, enabling an exchange of experience between those working in Sierra Leone and Liberia. CFM principles from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and experiences from Liberia were discussed in order to inform the development of an approach to community forestry in Sierra Leone. The meetings were also useful to build knowledge in both the technical and management teams that was then shared at senior management and departmental level once back in GRC LG HQ. Staff Training on Community Forestry, Liberia – July 2018 Training on community forest management was held in Kongbor, Liberia in Year 1, in July 2018. Participants included all the SCNL WA BiCC staff, 2 CSSL staff and regional FDA staff. SCNL staff of the GolaMA Project hosted the training and led some of the sessions. The team took part in six training exercises over the six days, which focused on: a) introduction to community forest management and its implementation in Liberia b) best practice for community forest management c) team building among staff d) implementation of livelihood and income generation with specific focus on groundnut, swamp rice, beekeeping & honey production e) how the community village loan system was being carried out in the GolaMA project communities By the end of the training participants had greater understanding of the nine steps required in Liberia for the establishment of Community Forests; what is required to build a strong staff team; and techniques for the successfully implementation of the livelihood projects specific to the WABiCC project. Of particular value to the visitors were the discussions with the members of the Tonglay Clan Community Forest Organising Committee who were able to share their experiences of establishing a Community Forest. Staff Training on Community Forestry, Sierra leone – august 2018 A two-day community forest management workshop was held in Kenema, Sierra Leone in Year 1. Staff from CSSL, GRC LG, SCNL, VADEMCO and the SL Forestry Department attended, and the workshop was facilitated by the Gola WABiCC Project Director. The National Project Officer of Community Based Forestry of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations based in Sierra Leone, Gbessay Ehlogima Sam Momoh, co-facilitated, and was a key reference point throughout the training. The workshop covered basic concepts of community-based forest management including recommended steps and best practices from pilots and studies in the country, the sub-region and globally. Experiences from four pilot sites in southern Sierra Leone were shared by the FAO while those from Liberia and other parts of Africa were shared by SCNL and the Project Director. The aim was to build capacity of the project staff and organizations as a whole in approaches to community forests.
48 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Adult literacy, training of trainers – July 2020 The GRC LG undertook an adult literacy pilot following the identification of low literacy levels as one of the challenges faced by farmers associations and VSLAs. The contract for the pilot was awarded to the Eastern Polytechnic College in Kenema in Year 3. Originally, Eastern Polytechnic were to hold a training of trainers for GRC LG staff, and to then hold a training session for community members alongside GRC LG’s newly trained staff. However, COVID 19 travel and social distancing restrictions held up these sessions and only a training of trainers was possible before the end of the project. Once it is possible to hold the training in the communities, GRC LG staff trained by Eastern Polytechnic will begin adult literacy classes as originally planned. Film and Photo Training – December 2018 A film and photo training was organized in Year 2 in the Gola Rainforest National Park. Organized largely for GRC staff, the Gola WA BiCC project supported the participation of participants from the other partner organizations and from government. The outreach and communications officer of the National Protected Area Authority was among the participants in the training. The training covered a range of subjects including planning, interviews and wildlife video shooting. Participants were trained in the use of photography equipment and their skills developed in areas such as framing and positioning the subject for effect, capturing and/or de-emphasizing atmosphere, and video editing techniques. Radio Drama Workshop – September 2019 This workshop led by the WA BICC Communications Unit was conducted to develop a 24-episode radio drama and call-in show and included participants from all WA BiCC grantees. The participants developed the storyline, character profiles and the plan for the call-in segment of the show, defined audiences, developed key messages, agreed on the languages that the radio drama will be broadcast in, and developed an M&E plan to ensure the dramas have the desired impact. Participants from each landscape also gave a presentation to introduce the different grantee projects to other grantees. Although the goal of the workshop was the development of a radio drama for target audiences in the Mano River Union Transboundary Forest Landscapes, the process of putting this together was a capacity building activity for participants. After the workshop, WA BiCC led the rest of the work to develop the radio series. SCNL assisted to test the radio dramas in forest communities in Liberia. The dramas were aired on radio and proved popular, with a Participants at the WABiCC led radio drama workshop request for further episodes. Electronic Data Collection Training of Trainers and field staff – March 2019 In Year 2, the WABiCC M&E team provided training for staff of SCNL, VADEMCO and RSPB in electronic data collection in response to an SCNL request for support to complete surveys on tablets rather than on paper, focusing on the upcoming socio-economic baseline survey.
49 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT This was a training of trainers style of training so that the team gained the skills to train the field staff in the use of the finished survey. The training, held over a week, covered: • Benefits and challenges of surveying on tablets • Survey programs • Phrasing of questions • Qualitative and quantitative data collection • Setting up a survey on KoboCollect • Sending the data • Data cleaning • Sampling • Livelihoods benefits follow-up surveys The second part of the training consisted of three of the staff (RSPB Project Assistant, SCNL Project Coordinator and SCNL M&E Officer) training the field staff in the use of tablets to conduct the socio-economic survey. The team spent three days training on the survey, which included: • Benefits and challenges of surveying on tablets • The objectives of the survey • Understanding each of the questions in the survey and accurately translating questions • Feedback on the survey from the team • Navigating the tablet • Familiarity with KoboCollect • Field practice The training was beneficial to all members of SCNL and RSPB staff who attended, giving them the tools to be able to design and implement surveys on tablets which they have gone on to do for other projects. KoboCollect training – October 2019 As part of the RSPB Project Assistant’s visit to Kenema in October 2019, she and two SCNL colleagues facilitated training for GRC LG and CSSL staff on KoboCollect. SCNL and the Project Assistant had been trained on KoboCollect by the WABiCC M&E team earlier in the year (see above), so this was an opportunity for them to pass their learning onto the Sierra Leonean team. The training was split in two. The first section was to develop livelihoods monitoring surveys (see Objective 6) with training on entering the questions on Kobo conducted as the survey questions were developed. GRC LG also set up an account on Kobo for this which could be used by anyone at GRC LG. The training was made as interactive as possible and each person had the chance to enter questions into Kobo and set up the different features of the survey. There was appreciation for the benefits of using electronic data collection, however weak computer skills proved to be a challenge in using the programme in practice. The second part of the training was on how to conduct the surveys in the field. There were some differences in the group for this second half as it was targeted to staff who would be in the field. This part of the training covered understanding of the survey questions, how to make the questions a conversation rather than a quiz, keeping tablets safe, and how to talk about the tablets to anyone in the community who asks. The surveys were taken to the nearest two communities for pre-testing, before returning to the office the following morning for a review of the training.
50 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT CSSL’s Learning Coordinator also attended the training. This was an opportunity for the then Learning Coordinator to see how trainings were run, to observe how participants interacted and learned, and to review the training at the end of the two weeks. Staff Training on EMMP – april 2019 The WABiCC Monitoring and Evaluation team organised a one-day training workshop at the Palm Springs Resort in Monrovia in Year 2. Training was conducted by EMMP Consultant, Mr. Bruce Bayle and assisted by Lamine Cisse, WABiCC M&E Specialist. Two SCNL and two GRC LG staff attended. The meeting brought together representatives of WABiCC project grantees and sub-grantees in Sierra Leone and Liberia and was intended to strengthen the capacities of WABiCC partners, grantees and staff to integrate environmental issues in the design, implementation, monitoring and review of their projects. In addition, the workshop was also intended to support grantees with environmental reviews, how to identify potential environmental risks, and define mitigation measures and monitoring actions. Specific objectives of the training were to: 1) increase understanding of USAID policies and mechanisms for environmental compliance; 2) raise awareness of the importance of managing and monitoring adverse impacts of development interventions; 3) provide methodologies and tools for the design and implementation of EMMP; and 4) to identify potential adverse impacts and define mitigation measures. It was expected that 1) grantee staff have a better understanding of the USAID environmental compliance policy and requirements; 2) the capacities of the grantees to use EMMP tools and methodologies would be increased; and 3) the projects would be reviewed, and ERF updated to integrate new possible identified risks and mitigation measures. The projects already submitted by the grantees were reviewed with the support of the consultant. GIS Training – April 2019 Staff from both Liberia and Sierra Leone attended GIS training in Monrovia during Year 2. The training was on the use of QGIS and GPS Babel to carry out the GIS and mapping functions most relevant to our work. Participants are now able to use way points collected on a GPS to produce a basic map and are also able to carry out basic GIS queries. The training was led by the field research advisor for SCNL’s GolaMA Project and was attended by 10 male staff from GRC, CSSL and SCNL. Biomonitoring Workshop – April 2019 On 13 April 2019, a meeting was held in Monrovia of all relevant staff from the Gola WABiCC partners to develop common Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for community-based bio- monitoring in the Gola Landscape. The meeting was an opportunity to share experiences of bio- monitoring in community forests in both countries and to determine the scope and methods available for community-based monitoring. The structure of bio-monitoring teams was discussed, as well as training and equipment needs to carry out the work. The meeting was attended by 7 men and 2 women from SCNL, GRC LG, CSSL and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation. By the end of the meeting a Basic Bio-monitoring Protocol for CFs in Liberia and Sierra Leone was completed. Training of community members on the SOPs was completed as part of the Eco-Guard trainings (see Activity 3.5). Staff Training on GPS Use – May 2019 The research department of the GRC LG trained 9 staff of the CD department and one staff of the District Forestry Office in the theory and practice of GPS use in Year 2. Project staff and
51 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT government employees now have another skill needed to carry out tasks related to land use planning and mapping. Training to use spatial monitoring and reporting tool (SMART) – July 2019 SMART training was provided to 33 participants in Liberia by a trainer from the Zoological Society of London. Trainees included staff from GRC LG, SCNL and the FDA. The aim is that the training will build the capacity of staff and organisations to manage protected areas more effectively, to promote good governance of protected areas and to offer the opportunity for collaboration amongst institutions working on similar conservation challenges. Gender workshop – September 2019 In Year 2, the Gola WA BiCC project organized a gender training workshop for all partners, led by the WABiCC gender advisor. The main purpose of the workshop was to provide participants with the knowledge and skills they needed so that each institution could develop an institutional gender policy. The content included an introduction to basic gender concepts, the importance of considering gender when doing conservation work, as well as an overview of what constitutes a gender policy. Feedback from participants was very positive with everybody going home with important insights into gender issues. At the end of the workshop, each of CSSL, GRC LG and SCNL constituted a working group with a lead staff person to develop an institutional gender policy. SCNL finalized its policy and conducted a workshop for all staff to introduce the policy. CSSL and GRC LG have completed drafts. Gender and safeguarding workshop – June 2020 As noted above, following the finalization of SCNL’s Gender Policy in Year 3, the SCNL held a workshop on gender and safeguarding for SCNL staff. The aim of the workshop was to ensure that all staff understood SCNL’s gender policy and how it should be integrated into their daily work. FPIC Training – September 2019 CSSL organized a training workshop on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Sierra Leone in September 2019, taking advantage of the presence of ProForest staff already in Sierra Leone to do FPIC and HCV training. Representatives from GRC LG, SCNL and CSSL attended the training. The training was seen to be incredibly useful by participants. Key learnings from the training included: a) Understanding of why staff sometimes find that community expectations of them is unrealistically high. FPIC training showed that it is important to clearly define roles and responsibilities early on in the relationship, to manage expectations. b) The training also highlighted that although communities are in a position of management of community forest areas and can decide how they are used, they also need to be aware of the government’s role in land management, and laws that the communities need to follow. From GRC, 4 men and 2 women attended the training; from SCNL 4 men and 1 woman attended; 3 women and 4 men attended for CSSL and one male Paramount Chief from Sierra Leone. Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP) workshop – June 2020 SCNL organized a train the trainer workshop on Participatory Land Use Planning in Year 3. As noted earlier, with a moratorium on new applications for Community Forests, SCNL decided to work with communities to develop land use plans under the newly passed Land Rights Act, incorporating conservation zones in the same way they would be in a Community Forest. Mr. Silas
52 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Siakor, currently working with IDH, provided the training. The knowledge gained at this workshop is currently being rolled out to staff in the field offices. Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) Training – July 2020 GRC LG field staff from the Community Development, Cocoa, Research and Monitoring and Park Operations departments were trained in PRA. The aim of the training was to give the staff additional skills to build good relationship with communities in addressing their needs, to increase listening skills and enhance staff understanding of basic concepts and principles of PRA tools and techniques. Staff were trained in how to assist communities to develop a common vision of the GRC LG’s aims and objectives by identifying, planning and addressing their livelihood needs. The training was conducted in Kenema over two days in July 2020. A total of 23 field staff were trained (21 male and 2 female) Training topics • Communication skills/ listening skills • Facilitation skills • Concept and principles of Participatory Rapid Appraisal/Participatory Needs Assessment/Participatory Learning and Action. • Concept/types of participation Eco-Guard training of trainers – October 2019 Eco-guards are community members who do patrolling, either with rangers in protected areas or in community forests, as well as carry out monitoring of wildlife. In Year 2, SCNL conducted a training of trainers of eco-guards, led by RSPB’s Technical Advisor and SCNL’s Science and Research Coordinator. 16 staff (13 males and 3 females) participated including SCNL Community Mobilization Officers, Research Technicians, and Project Coordinators as well as VADEMCO Field Officers. The training was made as hands-on as possible and was inclusive of all levels of experience. This was only a short introduction to the basics of GPS use, QGIS and SMART but provided a good base of understanding of why those tools are valuable, their history and basic functions. Communications workshop – December 2019 The WABiCC-led communication workshop in December 2019 strengthened the capacity of SCNL’s management and WABICC teams to prepare and submit effective reports. Additionally, institutional capacity was strengthened in the following areas: • Storytelling – Staff used the skills to– collate and write up other SCNL projects in Liberia, ready to be published on the organization’s website. • Social media – Staff learned the importance of social media and the knowledge gained at the workshop is being used regularly to update the SCNL social media pages including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and WhatsApp. • Photography – Staff learned about good photography techniques, including what makes an appealing photo. The skills and knowledge gained are being used to capture photos for publication on the SCNL website as a way of better informing partners, stakeholders, donors, etc. of SCNL’s activities.
53 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Species identification training – June 2020 The research and monitoring (R&M) department of the GRC LG completed a species identification training activity during Year 3. The training methodology combined workshop/classroom style instruction with field visits and audio-visual screening and viewing. The training covered identification of mammals, birds and plants. Using a staggered schedule to avoid crowding, the R&M department trained a total of 78 staff members, including 9 females and 69 males. Over a period of 2 days per group the participants learned to identify 10 birds, 10 mammals and 10 plant species. The training was hosted at the GRC LG’s Research Center in Lalehun, Gaura Chiefdom. The need for training of staff in basic species identification had been identified earlier by staff as among their capacity needs. Food hygiene and small scale chocolate training – July 2020 As described above, GRC LG purchased small scale chocolate making equipment with WABiCC support and aims to start small scale, high quality dark chocolate production and sales, targeting national hotels, supermarkets and tourists visiting the National Park. The cocoa will be purchased from NGOCFU, and produced into bars at GRC LG. In order to be able to meet the regional food safety standards, GRC LG organized a 4-day training workshop on “Food safety, Hygiene and Customer Care Service” in July 2020. The training was conducted at the cocoa warehouse Kenema. 10 participants (6 males and 4 females) attended the training which was run by staff from Njala University. Topics covered included: • Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling, Cross-contamination • Storing • Transporting • Personal hygiene • Understanding your product • Patience • Ability to communicate clearly • Attentiveness • Ability to read the customer • Time Management • Empathy • Closing ability • Literature on customer care With help of the training GRC LG will be able to promote their conservation work and the national park, creating awareness of the park whilst raising funds for its protection. GRC LG will also be able to begin selling their products on a national level. Chocolate will be made with cocoa sourced only from the farmers who are part of the farmers associations and NGCFU who work directly with GRC LG, so GRC LG know that the cocoa is coming from farms using sustainable practices. With more income from the small scale chocolate and with more demand for the cocoa as sales of the chocolate increase, more cocoa will be able to be purchased from the farmers which all contributes to the development of the single source, easily traceable green supply chain that GRC LG is building.
Activity Country Year Indicator Film and Photo Training Sierra Leone December 2018 8, 9 GPS Training Sierra Leone May-2018 8
54 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Activity Country Year Indicator Gender Workshop Sierra Leone September 2019 8, 9 EMMP Training Liberia April 2019 8, 9 GPS Training Sierra Leone May 2019 8, 9 Electronic Data Collection Liberia March 2019 8, 9 GIS Training Liberia April 2019 8, 9 Bio-monitoring Workshop Liberia April 2019 8, 9 KoboCollect / Electronic Data Collection Sierra Leone October 2019 8, 9 Training FPIC Training Sierra Leone September 2019 8, 9 Eco-Guard Training of Trainers Liberia October 2019 8, 9 Gender and Safeguarding Workshop Liberia June 2020 8, 9 Species Identification Training Sierra Leone June 2020 8, 9 Trans-boundary Meeting on Community Liberia March 2018 25 Forest Management Staff Training on Community Forestry Sierra Leone August 2018 8, 9 Staff Training on Community Forestry Liberia July 2018 8, 9 Adult Literacy Training of Trainers Sierra Leone July 2020 8, 9 Radio Drama Workshop Liberia September 2019 8, 9 Communications Workshop Liberia December 2019 8, 9 Food Hygiene and Small Scale Chocolate Sierra Leone July 2020 8, 9 Training SMART Training Liberia July 2019 8, 9 Participatory Land Use Planning Workshop Liberia June 2020 8, 9 Participatory Rapid Appraisal Training Sierra Leone July 2020 8, 9 Management Training Sierra December 2019 8, 9 Leone/Liberia
3.3 CARRY OUT AT LEAST 1 TRAINING EVENT FOR SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD AND FDA STAFF ON A LANDSCAPE APPROACH TO FOREST MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN A TRANS-BOUNDARY CONTEXT. Carbon enhancement training – October 2017 GRC LG led the training of four NPAA field staff. The focus was on the establishment of permanent circular carbon plots and the measurement of parameters relevant for initial carbon surveys. Some of these parameters are DBH (diameter at breast height) of trees, bole height, tree height ground slope, canopy cover, leaf-litter sampling, dead wood measurement and soil sampling. The NPAA staff and the ranger were trained in the theory and the practical use of these equipment and the REDD Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Later they were tested in equipment use and the practical aspects of the plotting of carbon plots in Gola Rainforest National Park. A theoretical test was also conducted for trainees. At the end of the training certificates were issued to all trainees. One of the GRC LG staff who carried out the training had earlier, before the start of this grant, attended a Forest Carbon training workshop organised by the WA BiCC Project in Kumasi, Ghana. Forest Landscape Management Training – April 2019 The Gola WA BiCC project supported the Head of Gola (HOG), GRC LG, to attend a two-week course on forest landscape management at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Having completed this course, we planned for the HOG to take the lead in organizing a trans-boundary training workshop on this same topic during Year 3 for partner and government staff. However, because of COVID 19 restrictions the trans-boundary workshop was cancelled.
55 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Key topics covered in the training at Wageningen included: • Stakeholder analysis • Landscape governance arrangement • Stakeholder empowerment • Conflict resolution Exchange Visit, Sierra Leone to Liberia – June 2019 To promote a greater appreciation of the whole Gola Landscape, staff from GRC LG visited Liberia 13-19 June 2019. SCNL staff took the team from GRC to both the GolaMA Project site and the WABiCC model site area, Sokpo Clan, to see how community forestry and livelihood activities were being carried out on the Liberian side of the Gola Landscape. The objective of the visit was to share ideas and methods which could be taken back to Sierra Leone, and to continue building on the growing trans-boundary partnership. Participants from SL and Liberia both gave very positive feedback of the exchange. Lessons included: a) VSLA: in Liberia the practice involves loans and loan collection, whereas in Sierra Leone individuals save their own funds. Both groups could see pros and cons in the two approaches. Although overall the Sierra Leone group still preferred their current approach, they acknowledged that growing businesses on exclusively local savings sometimes proves very restrictive for growth. b) The VSLA staff were impressed with the practice of excluding dealers in bush meat from the associations. Though adopted in Sierra Leone the process was better formalized on the Liberian side. However, they also observed that the risks of the use of funds for activities that go against conservation interests was also higher in Liberia. c) Agriculture: Agric staff observed that irrigation of swamps was a standard on the Liberian side. The system of making bunds and irrigation channels was seen to help with controlling water flow and supports year-round cultivation of the plots. In Sierra Leone the need for such irrigation is yet to be fully justified as there tends to be a culture in the rural areas of resting from intense work in the dry season. Vegetables are the main crops cultivated in the dry season and swamps in their non-irrigated state are still good enough for their cultivation. d) Conflict Resolution: The visiting staff witnessed a conflict management event in Liberia involving two local parties. They drew similarities and contrasts with the SL approach. Both teams acknowledged that the process of addressing conflict among local people is determined primarily by culture and that caution and discretion should be applied in adopting approaches from different localities. e) General: Staff from SL found that the road to GolaMA was lengthier and in worse condition than the roads they are accustomed to. Since the visit they have new appreciation for the challenges in Liberia and have since coped better with the state of the roads in SL.
Training Country Year Indicator Forest Landscape Management Training Sierra Leone April 2019 8, 9 Carbon Enhancement Training Sierra Leone Oct 2017 8, 9 Exchange visit to continue building on the Sierra Leone to Liberia June 2019 9 growing trans-boundary partnership
56 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 3.4 PROVIDE RELEVANT TRAINING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT. As community forest management was one of the key components of the GolaWABiCC Project, we devoted considerable effort and resources to training community members on community forestry as can be seen in the description of individual training events below. SIERRA LEONE Community Forestry Consultations – April 2018 In Sierra Leone, GRC LG began the community forestry process by holding initial consultative meetings about community forestry in three locations in Year 1: District Forestry Office Kenema, Chiefdom Headquarter Town (Golahun in Tunkia) and in Bunumbu/ Golawoma community (the model site location). At the district and chiefdom levels, the key stakeholders who were invited included: DFO, Paramount Chief, Section Chief of Golahun Section, Town Chief of Golahun, Town Chief of Bunumbu, Chiefdom Youth Leader, and Mamai Queen Landowners’ representatives: 1. GRC LG staff organised village consultative meetings in the Bunumbu and Golawoma communities. Relevant stakeholders who were in attendance included the District Forest Officer (DFO), Paramount Chief, Town chief, Youth and Women’s Leader, resource users, Iman, miners and other stakeholders. Staff explained the aims and objectives of community forestry and re-emphasised the reasons for the involvement of the relevant authorities. 2. Staff also organised a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on 18th April 2018 at Golahun, the headquarter town of Tunkia Chiefdom. The meeting provided a platform to explain to stakeholders the purpose of the project intervention, which was to create an opportunity for the communities to protect their own forest, with a focus on Bunumbu community, Model Site 1 in Tunkia Chiefdom. The meeting emphasized the great potential for community forest management in Bunumbu and sought the consent of the stakeholders for the implementation of the project. 3. The team also held a similar meeting on 20th April 2018 in Bunumbu village itself, with the objective to gain the endorsement of the community people residing in Bunumbu, regarding the approval obtained at chiefdom level about the implementation of the WABiCC project on community forest management. In addition, demographic information was collected in Bunumbu (e.g. no. of people in the village: 67; no. of households: 14; no. of dwelling houses: 8). The chief, on behalf of the entire people of Bunumbu declared their willingness, support and approval for the WABiCC project on community forest management be implemented in their community. The statement from the chief was supported, accepted and agreed upon by all the participants present in meeting, including the women and youth leaders. Community Training on Community Forestry – August 2018 Having gained the consent of the model site communities and more information about the demographics gathered, training on community forestry began in Sierra Leone. The first training was a one-day community forestry training workshop in Kenema for representatives of the seven Gola Chiefdoms. Each chiefdom was represented by its paramount chief, women’s leader, youth leader and the head of the Gola Chiefdom Development Committee. The town chief of Golawoma and a representative of the chief of the Bunumbu community also attended.
57 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The workshop was facilitated by the Project Director and the two Project Coordinators from Liberia and Sierra Leone. The workshop covered the basic concepts of community forestry and drew on examples from community forestry pilots in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The most significant question addressed in the workshop was how community forest management differs from the management of the Gola Rainforest National Park, specifically with respect to laws made by government and enforced by forest guards and the formal courts. It was evident from participants’ feedback that communities viewed the idea of managing their community forests positively and they were reassured that community forestry was not an attempt to take away forests from the communities or to increase the size of the government-controlled National Park. Community Training on Community Forestry – September 2018 The SL coordinator led a second workshop-style training in Golawoma for both communities of the model site in Year 1. The training activity introduced phases in Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) with a view to encouraging community members to reflect on their roles in the preparatory and planning phases. It also touched on some basic principles of CBFM implementation. A total of 45 adults (22 female and 23 male) participated in the training which also accommodated at least 18 children whose mothers were participating. By using diagrams which they drew on a flip-chart to convey their message, the community members, who are less than 10% literate, gave their vision of their community in the next few years including their roles in the Community Based Forest Management arrangement. Stakeholder Training on Community Forestry – September 2018 The project coordinator organized CBFM training for local authorities and representatives of various occupations in Golahun Town in Year 1. Key participants included the Paramount Chief’s representative, the town chief, section chief, youth leader and women’s leader of Golahun, head- teachers and teachers of the three schools in the town and representatives of landowners and farmers in the chiefdom headquarters as well as relations of residents of the model site. A total of 34 individuals participated in the training including 9 females and 25 males. The workshop introduced CBFM principles to the participants with emphasis on roles and rights of various stakeholders in the process of planning and implementation. The workshop was very interactive and allowed for stakeholders to voice their fears and apprehensions about the newly introduced practice. Community forestry exchange visit – October 2018 In Year 2, GRC LG organised an exchange visit between residents of the WABiCC model site communities and another Community Forestry pilot site in a different part of Sierra Leone for the visitors to learn about others’ firsthand experience in community forestry. Fifteen males and 5 females from Bunumbu and Golawoma visited Gbaima Songa in Bo Chiefdom of the Bo District. The visitors were reassured by the description of the challenges the Gbaima communities overcame to reach success. Like Gbaima, the Bunumbu and Golawoma people acknowledged that there are many reasons why they should preserve their forest, including their heritage and the sustainability of natural resources. See Activity 2.6 and Activity 4.4 for details. Community forestry training, non-model site communities GRC LG organised introductory training on community forestry in each of the four additional CF sites covering the basic principles of community forestry, focusing on the differences between community-managed forests and protected areas, the importance of biodiversity conservation and the role of forests.
58 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT In Barri, training was provided as part of the community forest mapping exercise in Year 3. The training included the steps involved in formal management of a community forest and education on protected species. In Koya, training was provided in Year 3 on the concepts and governance structures of community forest management as well as the steps involved in formal management of a community forest. The session was also an opportunity for community members to ask questions and raise any concerns. LIBERIA Community Forest Establishment Workshop – August 2018 The workshop, held in Fornor Community in Sokpo Clan, brought together 32 members of the local authority. The aim was to provide information on the community forest laws relating to the establishment of community forests in Liberia, to go through the 9-steps of the community forestry process, and develop a road map for those steps with the local authority which would then be used to track progress along the steps. In addition the workshop provided guidance on how to elect the CFOC and discussed the draft MOU between SCNL and the Sokpo authorities. By the end of the workshop there was good understanding amongst key community members of the CFM process and the CFOC had been elected. Sokpo Clan 9-Step training – august 2018 In Liberia, the Project Coordinator carried out training in Year 1 for the Sokpo Clan leadership on the 9-step CFM process. 32 people attended (27 male, 5 female). The aim was to build and strengthen capacity of local leadership in leading the 9-step process, understanding the role local leadership has in implementing the steps, and understanding SCNL’s role and the support that SCNL can offer. Community Forest organising committee (cFOC) CFOC Training – august 2019 Following the establishment of the CFOC for the Upper and Lower Sokpo Community Forests in Year 2, SCNL delivered a one-day introductory community forestry training to the CFOC. The training covered: • Community forests • Community rights laws • Role of CFOC • Communications and leadership skills By the end of the training the roles of the CFOC and its members were clearly defined, and members understood the organisation’s structure and role in communications and leadership. Community forest working group (CFWG) retreat – October 2018 The three-day retreat brought together 21 CFWG members and 50 representatives from civil society and non-governmental organizations involved in the forestry sector to review the work of the CFWG to date, and to develop solutions to the recent Global Witness report which accused the FDA and some concession companies of violating community forest policies and rights of communities.
59 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Activity Country Date Indicator Community CFM Training Sierra Leone August 2018 8 Community CFM Training Sierra Leone September 2018 8 CFM Consultations Sierra Leone April 2018 25 Stakeholder CFM Training Sierra Leone September 2018 8 Community Forestry Exchange Visit Sierra Leone October 2018 8, 25 9-Step Training Liberia August 2018 8 CF Establishment Workshop Liberia August 2018 8 Community Forest Working Group Retreat Liberia October 2018 25 CFM Meeting Mapuma, Sierra Leone Mar-20 8 CFM Workshop Makpele, Sierra Leone Mar-20 8 CFM Training Non-Model Site Communities Sierra Leone Feb-20 8 CFOC Leadership Training Liberia August 2019 8, 9
3.5 DEVELOP COMMUNITY-BASED BIOMONITORING SYSTEM AND CARRY OUT AT LEAST 2 TRAINING EVENTS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON BIOMONITORING. Bio-monitoring is a key component of forest management and will be part of the responsibilities of the Community Forest Management Committees (SL) and Community Forest Management Bodies (Liberia). Although monitoring will not start until the community forests are further along in their establishment, the Gola WABiCC project started to build community capacity to carry out bio- monitoring in anticipation of future needs. The goal is that bio-monitoring will enable communities to make adjustments to their management plans to improve the conservation impact. Standard operating procedures (SOP) for bio-monitoring in Community Forests were developed in April 2019 at a trans-boundary workshop in Monrovia (see Activity 3.2 above). Staff from all project partners and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation developed the procedures based on their experience, knowledge of the communities and resources, and the aims of bio-monitoring. The bio- monitoring SOP formed the basis of community trainings on monitoring described below. Community Training on Research & Monitoring – September 2019 GRC LG held a three-day introductory training to Research and Monitoring activities and field training in High Conservation Value Species identification in Year 2. A total of 17 forest community stakeholders participated including 4 individuals from Bunumbu (2 female, 2 male), 4 individuals from Golawoma (2 female, 2 male), one participant from Fatio, one from Niayama and 6 residents of Golahun who initially came from various forest edge communities. The training was facilitated by three technicians of the research and monitoring department of the GRC LG and included one day of workshop-style presentation utilizing audio visual instructional material and two days of hands-on field demonstration within the forest area. The activity served to introduce a formalized approach to monitoring of biodiversity for low-literacy-level residents of the project area. Feedback from participants was quite positive with some anecdotes stating that it marked a new level of understanding of the work of the GRC LG. Eco-volunteer Volunteer Training – July 2019 When establishing volunteer groups, investment in those volunteers is pivotal to winning communities’ trust and giving them a sense of empowerment for the management of their natural resources. Feedback from other communities where GRC LG have used volunteers in the past was
60 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT that training volunteers and recognising them as stewards of the community forest is reassuring for their long-term leadership of the community forest management effort. In Year 2, GRC LG recruited eco-volunteers from the model site communities Bunumbu and Golawoma, and delivered training to the group of 40 (9 female and 31 male, mainly youths). The volunteers were given training in the application of basic methods for community bio-monitoring to create an inventory and for the evaluation of biological diversity and the application of sound forest management strategies. At the end of the training the volunteers participated in the validation of boundaries using GPS coordinates collected at the start of the project. Local chiefs and landowners also participated in the activity, particularly in the demarcation of the area set aside for conservation. The joint group of researchers, community stakeholders and volunteers tagged trees to delineate the area set aside for conservation from the rest of the community forest. Eco-Volunteer Training – September 2019 Following the training in Bunumbu and Golawoma, GRC LG started training in Gorahun in September 2019. This initial session aimed to sensitize the communities to the idea of bio- monitoring in community forests. The first day included the presentations on: a) The history of bio-monitoring work that GRC LG had already carried out in the area, including the REDD project, the monitoring done, aims, techniques and equipment used. The attendees took particular interest in camera trapping work. b) The second presentation by GRC was to train participants on amphibian species, identification and monitoring methods and the participants were asked whether they would participate in data collection. c) The final presentation focused on birds found in the forest and identification by sight and sound, their habitats and forest dependency. Day two of the training involved field work in groups. The groups were split to focus on primate, amphibian and bird species identification, each alternating to cover all three taxa. The field work was followed by a presentation on primates. Camera trap training – june 2020 GRC LG trained members of the Interim Community Forest Management Committees (ICFMC) in Gaura and Koya on camera trap deployment in Year 3. With six individuals representing each community, a total of 42 participants were trained in seven communities, including 6 communities in Gaura and one community in Koya. The training enabled the ICFMC members to learn the purpose of camera traps, view data captured by camera traps, and learn how to deploy and retrieve the equipment. Local communities have struggled in the past with accepting their deployment in their community forests due to myths and misunderstandings around their use and purpose. Learning the purpose of and skills involved in camera trapping is part of capacity development for community forest management bodies. Eco-guard training in biomonitoring – October 2019, June 2020, July 2020 Following the training of trainers in October 2019 (see Activity 3.3.), SCNL staff trained 63 potential community Eco-Guards in Mano River Kongo during that same month. The aim of the training was to build the capacity of the volunteers in patrols, camera traps and bio-monitoring including the SOP developed under this project (see Activity 3.2). Specifically, the training covered: • GPS use
61 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • Setting of camera traps • Compass use • Patrols The training was led by the RSPB’s Research Technical Advisor, SCNL’s Science and Conservation Coordinator, and several SCNL staff members who had completed the earlier training of trainers. Key learnings from the training include the benefits of recruiting hunters and bush meat traders as Eco-Guards because of their knowledge of the forest and species as well as the opportunity this presents for behavior change. The subsequent training included an evaluation of the 63 candidates, resulting in the final selection of 40 volunteer eco-guards – 7 females and 33 males. The third stage of the eco-guard training in bio- monitoring was held in June 2020. The training brought together the 40 eco-guards, 10 eco-guards selected under the Liberian Forest Sector Project and 7 FDA personnel including the park warden. The 6-day training was lead by the FDA and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation and taught participants how to use GPS and compass, the different data entry procedures, species identification and the use of SMART tools to collect data. The final training in July 2020 was financed by the Social distancing was followefollowedd in training sessions as per Government guidance, as shown here in the Rainforest Trust Project, and was not a WA BiCC- third eco-guardsguard train traininging. . funded activity. Following the completion of this final training the eco-guards were deployed across the two model sites and the national park.
Training Date Location Indicator Eco-Volunteer Training Jul-19 Sierra Leone 8 Eco-Volunteer Training Sept-19 Sierra Leone 8 Research and 8 Monitoring Training Sep-18 Sierra Leone Camera Trap Training Jun-20 Sierra Leone 8 Eco-Guard Training Oct-19 Liberia 8 Eco-Guard Training Jun-20 Liberia 8 Bio-monitoring April 2019 Liberia 10 Procedure Bio-monitoring Training September 2018 Sierra Leone 8
3.6 SUPPORT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AROUND TIWAI ISLAND AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MANAGEMENT PLAN. The Tiwai Island Wildlife Reserve is part of the Greater Gola Landscape and a management plan for Tiwai is a requirement for the whole landscape to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) is the main NGO working with the communities around Tiwai Island, supporting conservation of this Wildlife Reserve and developing a strong eco- tourism enterprise. The EFA were sub-contracted under the Gola WABiCC project to develop a management plan based on consultation with the nearby communities. The activities undertaken as part of the sub-contract included:
62 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • Desk study • First round community consultations • Draft management plan • Second round community consultations, on the draft management plan • Revise draft management plan • Validation of revised draft management plan • Finalise management plan In Year 3 communities around the island were consulted to develop the first draft of the plan. A second round of consultation was then undertaken and the revised plan submitted to WA BiCC for feedback. The final step was feedback from stakeholders and validation of the plan. This was originally planned as a single collaborative meeting, however COVID 19 restrictions made this impossible and instead the plan was distributed to the stakeholders for individual feedback which took much longer. In June 2020 the final plan for the management of Tiwai Island was validated and submitted to WABiCC as the final contract deliverable. The new EU-funded PAPFor project will continue to support EFA to implement the management plan and they and the RSPB will revisit the World Heritage Site application. 3.7 COMPLETE AN EVALUATION WITH WA BICC, GOVTS, PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO REFINE COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES OF SHARING WITH FUTURE INITIATIVES The evaluation of collaborative management methodologies was planned as a trans-boundary exercise to be carried out in the final months of the Gola WA BiCC project. Because of the COVID19 pandemic we were unable to carry out this activity. However, even if the pandemic had not intervened this activity would have been limited in scope anyway because we did not progress as far as we would have liked to establish community forests and therefore the experience to assess would have been limited. Validation of GFNP Management Plan – April 2019 The validation of the GFNP management plan was supported by WA BiCC grant and although it was not the same as the planned assessment of collaborative management methodologies, it seems best to fit within this activity. The validation workshop led by SCNL and the FDA in April 2019 was an opportunity for communities to provide input into the GFNP management plan before it was finalized. Two workshops were held, one in Monrovia and one in Gbarma District. 45 people attended the Monrovia workshop, and 43 persons (34 males, 11 females) attended the workshop in the Gbarma District. Attendees represented the local community and authorities, NGOs, the FDA and members of Government. Community inputs were incorporated in the finalisation of the management plan.
Activity Date Location Indicator Land Use Planning Dec 2019 Liberia 25 GFNP Management Plan April 2019 Liberia 25 Validation Participatory Land Use June 2020 Liberia 8 Planning Training
63 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 3.8 UNDERTAKE ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE FOREST CONSERVATION, AS NEED ARISES Road Rehabilitation and reforestation – August 2019 In 2018 a privately-owned construction company cleared an illegal 3km road in the Gola Rainforest National Park. GRC LG responded strongly with a series of meetings to address the issue and ensure that this incident would not be repeated. In addition, GRC LG supported the establishment of a tree nursery of endemic forest tree species. A meeting was held with the communities in September 2018 to inform them of GRC LG and partners’ inputs and how the communities could contribute to rehabilitating and reforesting the road. Following the meeting, there was a call from Chiefdom leaders for all communities to provide a few people to contribute labour towards the road rehabilitation. And in 2019 the trees from the nursery were planted where the road was cleared. A combined team of the Forestry Division and GRC LG staff worked with community members to reforest the degraded area. Artisanal Mining Discussion Forum – March 2019 Artisanal mining is present in communities around the two model sites in Liberia, and there are a number of temporary residents working in mining in Sokpo Clan. The presence of mining and temporary residents is a challenge to successfully establishing community forests as large mining companies can have more leverage with communities, and temporary residents are not invested in the long-term sustainability of the area. SCNL is taking a leading role in Liberia on issues related to artisanal mining and conservation, and in Year 2 WA BiCC support enabled SCNL to collaborate with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to hold a successful one-day discussion forum on conservation and artisanal mining. One outcome of the discussion forum was the establishment of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector Working Group (ASMSWG) which will provide advice to the MME on issues related to artisanal mining. The MME chairs this working group while SCNL are the co-chair. FFI and WCF, both WABiCC grantees, are also members. The first meeting of the ASMSWG was held on 28 March 2019. Human and wildlife conflict mitigation meeting – August 2019 In August 2019, SCNL organized meetings that brought together community representatives, the FDA, WABiCC, Universal Outreach Foundation and SCNL to discuss human wildlife conflict around the Gola Forest National Park. Attendees listened to communities faced with human wildlife conflict around the Gola Forest National Park and jointly derived ways to mitigate the situations. They included discussions about the possibility of using beehives as a mechanism for keeping elephants away from fields. The meetings were held at Gbaima, Weajue District, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount, and were attended by 27 males and 7 females.
Activity Date Location Indicator Road Rehabilitation and August 2019 Sierra Leone 25 Reforestation Artisanal Mining March 2019 Liberia 25 Discussion Forum Human and Wildlife August 2019 Liberia 25 Conflict Mitigation Meeting
64 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Objective 4. Knowledge and learning about best practice at the model sites is generated and increases engagement and support of local and national stakeholders in conservation. 4.1 DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT LOCAL COMMUNICATION PLANS TO SUPPORT ESTABLISHMENT OF CFM (SAME AS 2.12). Communications plan In November 2018, an internal meeting of all communications and coordination staff from SCNL, CSSL, GRC LG and RSPB was held at which a draft communications plan for community forestry was developed. This was subsequently shared with the WA BICC Communications Team, all WABiCC grantees, and the FDA during the WA BiCC-led communications training workshop held in Liberia 3-5 December 2018 (see Activity 4.3). We received very useful advice to incorporate into the draft plan. Implementation of the plan started with the development of a draft CFM brochure, a CFM jingle, and a fact sheet and continued throughout the life of the project. Environmental Education Strategy Meeting – june 2019 Led by GRC LG, the 2-day strategy meeting was held in Kenema in Year 2. The meeting was attended by representatives from CSSL, SCNL, and GRC LG. The objective was to draft an environmental education work plan for the remainder of the WA BiCC project, including the creation of a comprehensive strategy for environmental education for both Liberia and Sierra Leone, with site specific work plans. During the meeting each organization gave a presentation on their current educational activities and experience. The team worked in small groups to focus on specific areas of environmental education, which were then amalgamated into the broader strategy.
Activity Date Location Indicator Communications Plan November 2018 Sierra Leone 10 Environmental Education June 2019 Liberia 25, 10 Strategy Meeting
4.2 MONITOR PROGRESS AND CAPTURE LESSONS LEARNED USING FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS SHARING EXPERIENCE DURING QUARTERLY PIT MTGS Partners implementing the Gola WA BiCC project used a number of different approaches to monitor progress and capture lessons. An important approach was to introduce a time for reflection after many activities. For example, after an exchange visit, before participants dispersed, staff would organise a discussion of what was seen and learned during the visit. The observations made during the discussion would be included in the activity report. In some cases, community meetings were organised to address specific topics. The Community Fears meeting (see Activity 4.3 below) organised by GRC LG was one such activity, organised to understand and address community concerns that Community Forests were a way to incorporate more land into the national park. Throughout the course of the project, we used Project Implementation Team (PIT) meetings to share experience and learning among the implementing partners. Sometimes sharing was about specific topics – for example, we used the December 2018 PIT meeting to gather lessons learned about bio-monitoring and community engagement in advance of a WABiCC-led Learning Exchange Workshop. At other times, we incorporated lesson sharing into our regular review of work plans
65 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT and activities by talking about challenges that were faced in carrying out certain activities and successes achieved. When planning for an upcoming year, we would start by reflecting on the challenges and successes of the previous one. We paid particular attention to capturing lessons towards the end of the project. In the case of livelihoods activities, both GRC LG and SCNL carried out a survey of those who participated in livelihoods activities and conducted focus group discussions with the groups to gather information about what worked and what didn’t as well as understand the impact of the livelihoods activities on community members. The results are incorporated into this report. (See Activity 6.4). Another focus for end-of-project learning was institutional capacity building. The CSSL Learning Coordinator and RSPB Project Assistant developed a self-assessment questionnaire that was completed by each of the implementing partners as well as the institutions with whom we worked – farmer associations, small loan groups, government departments, contracting partners. (See Activity 6.4). We had hoped to hold a common learning event at the end of the project, bringing together all those involved in project implementation. We were not able to do this because of the COVID19 pandemic and instead held a series of smaller learning events. Each of CSSL, GRC LG and SCNL held a learning event with staff involved in project implementation as well as government colleagues. Additionally, SCNL held a second event with field staff and community leaders. (See Activity 6.4). The results of these learning events are incorporated in this report with full details in section 5.0.
Activity Date Location Indicator PIT Meeting December 2018, August Sierra Leone 25, 9 2019 Learning Workshop December 2018, WABiCC led 25 September 2019 Community Forest Fears October & November Sierra Leone 25 Meetings 2018 Learning Workshops July 2020 Kenema & Freetown, 25 Sierra Leone, Monrovia & Mano River Kongo, Liberia
4.3 CREATE OUTREACH MATERIALS, REPORTS OR OTHER PRODUCTS TO COMMUNICATE SUCCESS AND LEARNING STORIES. THIS WILL INCLUDE POSTERS, RADIO-SHOWS ABOUT BEST PRACTICES FOR AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY-RELATED ACTIVITIES, ROAD SHOWS, SCHOOL-BASED NATURE CLUBS, COMMUNITY YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMES. LIBERIA Community Engagement Activities SCNL began carrying out engagement and sensitisation activities with the project target communities in Upper and Lower Sokpo from the outset of the project (see Activity 3.4), introducing the project and the idea of community forestry. At the start of the project, SCNL produced a project leaflet to raise the profile of the project. The brochures were distributed among representatives from INGOs, NGOs, government ministries and agencies, communities, radio stations, newspaper, etc. To engage youth in the project communities SCNL held a football tournament in Year 1. Information about the project was shared with the teams before the match and discussions held
66 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT about how young people could get involved in the project, particularly in relation to management of the community forest. More technical elements were also shared with communities including awareness raising of safeguarding elements included in the EMMP. Although the EMMP is a technical document specific to the project grant, the messages were made relevant to the audience with examples of how safeguarding is incorporated into community activities e.g. women receiving small loans through the Gola WABiCC project cannot be engaged in activities like bush meat trading that are harmful to the forest. Following the film and photo training (see Activity 3.3) and the discussion forum on artisanal mining (see Activity 3.8), SCNL’s Communications Officer worked with a sub-contractor to develop a video highlighting the impact of small scale and artisanal mining on the forest. The film was submitted to the WABiCC communications team for input, revisions were made and the film finalized in 2020. The film is used to raise awareness of artisanal mining on the environment. So far the video has been played during the breaks of meetings and training sessions. SCNL staff contributed to WA BiCC’s communications work by reviewing scripts for the WABiCC radio series “Forest Blessing” and assisted WABiCC staff in contracting Hard Work Station to broadcast the series in Year 3. SCNL staff also worked with Dr. Nouhou Ndam to develop a blog post about the relationship between livelihoods activities and conservation in the Gola Forest. In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, SCNL carried out COVID 19 awareness raising and distribution of health materials throughout the Gola landscape, including communities in Upper and Lower Sokpo. The awareness raising focused on the relationship between conservation and health in addition to the purely health-related such as hand washing and social distancing. The CFOC and other community leaders were involved in the messaging and distribution of materials including face masks, buckets, face shields, and hand sanitizer. Fliers were also put up in the project area using messages and templates provided by Government.
Activity Date Location Indicator Football Tournament 2018 Liberia 25 Project brochure 2018 Liberia 25 Project video 2020 Liberia 24 Forest Blessings Radio 2020 Liberia 24 Series COVID 19 Outreach June / July 2020 Liberia 25
SIERRA LEONE Environmental education Roadshows Road shows are a key sensitisation activity of GRC LG that has proven successful and so was carried on under the Gola WA BiCC project. Road shows are carried out once or twice yearly with a representative from every department of GRC LG travelling to each of the seven Chiefdoms to explain the activities carried out over the past year so that each Chiefdom is fully aware and engaged in GRC LG’s activities. Often a drama is performed by nature clubs on topics such as climate change or community forestry, t-shirts are provided to communities, and a Q&A session is held to give participants the chance to air any concerns or seek clarification on any of GRC LG’s work. The road shows provide a platform for communities to interact with staff and each other, to learn about climate change and GRC LG’s work, and to build stronger relationships between communities and the GRC LG.
67 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT
Nature Club members perform a play on carbon to road show attendees in Makpele in March 2018 WA BiCC- funded road shows were held in March and November 2018, March 2019, and January 2020. A total of 3,135 (1357 male and 1778 female) people attended road shows over the course of the project. NB: this total is without the March 2019 participants as there are no M&E documents available. Nature Clubs GRC LG have standing relationships with a number of nature clubs in the project target area, and engagement with those clubs continued under the Gola WA BiCC project. Engaging young people in the issues of climate change, sustainable landscapes, and wildlife conservation is not only a way of ensuring the next generation are well equipped to lead more sustainable livelihoods but it is also a great way to engage adults in the topics. Nature club members often feature in engagement events such as road shows, often performing dramas to share key messages about these topics. In Year 1, GRC LG organised a nature club leadership workshop to raise the capacity of the nature club teachers. The main objectives were to engage teachers with the GRC LG and GRNP, encouraging them to become ambassadors for the GRNP, and to build their understanding of the conservation and climate change issues facing GRNP so they are able to pass that onto their pupils. The session also covered discussion topics including ‘what is a nature club?’ and ‘what is the function of a nature club?’. Pupils were also part of these sessions and example activities from the nature club workbook were carried out. A refresher training for teachers was then held in year 2. Each year GRC LG also takes members from 10 nature clubs to the forest to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the forest to support their classroom learning. Between 2017-2020 three such field trips were funded by the Gola WABiCC project, in November 2018, October 2019 and February 2020. The groups were involved in identifying different species of plants and animals, listening to bird calls, and thinking about the different environments within the forest compared to
68 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT their home communities. The objectives were for pupils to learn more about the forest and to appreciate the differences between the forest and town, for pupils to know what activities are and are not allowed in the forest, and to encourage questions from pupils, triggering an interest to learn more. Nature clubs were also involved in the 2019 World Wildlife Week activities organized by CSSL (see Other Education and Outreach section below), for which youth and school pupils were one of the main target audiences. A conservation quiz was held with representatives from each of the nature clubs and films shown on conservation and climate change issues. On day 5 of the celebrations community stakeholders joined 30 nature clubs and 6 teachers on a field trip to the forest. Pupils were taught to use binoculars and the focus of this field trip was to look at birds and animal tracks and identify different species. In Year 2 GRC LG began an initiative to raise awareness of climate change in secondary schools. The two week initiative took documentaries and Q&A sessions into 10 schools in Gaura, Tunkia, Makpele, Barri, Malema and Nomo Chiefdoms, targeting both students and teachers. The initiative was considered a great success, with more pupils than arranged turning out to be part of the sessions, and schools pledging to play their part in the fight against climate change. Some of the suggestions to come out of these sessions were for GRC LG to work with schools to plant trees around the school, to engage the Ministry of Education and curriculum planners to include climate change in the curriculum, and to open the educational session to whole communities. Following the session in Kenema, all 8 schools in the Kenema district stated their commitment to establishing orchards or eco-gardens on their campuses. As a result of the above activity, the WABiCC project supported 8 schools with the revitalisation of their nature clubs and the establishment of orchards and eco-gardens. Four schools in Kenema and four rural schools from the chiefdoms of Makpele, Malema, Tunkia and Nomo were supported by the project and the District Forestry Office to establish gardens and orchards on the school property in July 2019. The activity involved the participation of the schools’ nature clubs. Nature clubs in schools are usually challenged with starting and sustaining activities to keep the clubs active over long periods. The activities related to establishing and maintaining eco-gardens and orchards in schools are envisioned to be among those with strong potential to maintain a high level of interest among nature club members. These school-based eco-gardens and orchards will also demonstrate the social, nutritional and environmental benefits of such assets for schools and communities. An average of twenty members per school participated in the plotting and planting of seedlings. The project implementers and the government forestry division will ensure continued extension support for the gardens’ maintenance in the future and ensure that pupils and teachers have hands-on knowledge on establishing and maintaining eco-gardens and orchards. In Kenema City, the activity was broadcast on radio and screened on television in order to maximize its education potential for the public. In Year 3, four of the nature club schools with 104 participants were trained in weeding and pest management of their gardens to support the upkeep of the eco-gardens. Pupils were trained on the importance of agro forestry, pests and management techniques and then taken into the field to try out the new techniques. Schools participated from Guara, Nomo, Makpele and Malema, training a total of 62 males and 42 females.
69 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Community forestry fears meetings As described earlier, misconceptions and concerns about community forestry and the relationship between GRC LG, GRNP and Government were common and addressing the concerns was an important part of outreach work on community forests. Given the central importance of the issue, GRC LG decided to hold community meetings to address this specific issue. The first meeting held in Tunkia in 2018 and was called a security meeting between GRC LG and community. The meeting brought people together to air concerns and worries. The communities' response was that they were grateful for GRC LG’s work but that they wanted more to be done – for example, increasing scholarships and employment opportunities for communities around the national park and at the research centres at Sileti and Lalehun for example. In Year 2 two community fears meetings were held in Gorahun, Bunumbu and Golawoma in Tunkia. The meetings included presentations about the aims and basic principles of community forestry and provided a forum for questions and discussion. Feedback included: 1. GRC LG’s work is not seen by the community because there is a lack of signs. 2. Concerns that not enough community members are recruited at GRC LG. 3. Expressions of commitment to the protected area and to follow the protection rules. 4. Representatives from logging and mining stated that there is bitterness towards GRC LG/the protected area due to restrictions on their activities but that with more such meetings greater understanding could be gained. 5. One miner said that they had received support for cocoa farming from GRC LG, which as a result had become his primary occupation. The meeting was a success, with all participants speaking openly and honestly and understanding the purpose of community forests. Lessons were taken from the meeting that communities often lack access to accurate information or the opportunity to ask questions, so meetings like this would be beneficial in future. Other Education and Outreach In Year 2, GRC LG held a meeting with the District Forestry Office (DFO) in Kenema to introduce the Gola WABiCC project. The meeting focused on Bunumbu and Golawoma as the model community forest site. The community development, livelihoods and co-management teams of GRC LG presented on their various areas of work and the importance of the DFO in that. In Year 2, GRC LG started educational activities with other stakeholders including the local council in Kenema. A meeting ahead of International Day of Forests brought together the waste management manager and the landfill site officer of the city council, the environmental and social officer and the development and planning officer of the district council, and the district forestry officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry amongst other council representatives. The education approach included screening documentaries and following it up with discussions. It helped create a sense of urgency to act on issues of sustainable management of forests in the locality and of urban and land use planning in the area. Participants expressed an eagerness to continue participating in activities that brought various agencies and departments together. Two community drama groups reached an agreement with GRC LG to prepare scripts, rehearse and do audio recordings of conservation themed radio dramas. The approach was expected to capture traditional practices relevant to sustainable forest management and wildlife
70 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT conservation as useful preludes to talk shows on the subject of Community Forest Management. The dramas were planned to be aired in the Project Target Area, with particular effort to maximize listenership at the model site. The two groups were based in Kenema and Koya, and had begun rehearsals when COVID-19 arrived in the communities and the groups stopped work. No scripts were finalized and so were not supplied to WA BiCC for approval. The work on the Forest Blessings radio drama led by the WA BiCC Communications Unit will provide important lessons for the continuation of this initiative in the future. To celebrate International Day of Forests in Year 2, GRC LG partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the District and City councils of Kenema, the Ministry of Education, and several civil society organisations to celebrate the International Day of Forests in Kenema on the 21st of March 2019. The theme for that year was Forests and Education. On the eve of the celebrations, a radio panel discussion was organised with the panel comprising the Kenema District Forestry Officer, a representative of the paramount chiefs of the Gola Chiefdoms and a representative of civil society organisations in the region. The panel discussed the subject of forests in the context of climate change and made a connection between education and forests with emphasis on the state of the nation’s major forests and the continuing threats to their sustainability. Five radio stations in the Kenema District broadcast the discussion simultaneously reaching an estimated audience of over 200,000 individuals. On the day itself, eight public secondary schools marched through the city’s major streets for one kilometre along with staff of GRC LG and partners. The marchers wore T-Shirts and carried banners celebrating the day. At the meeting hall schools performed a drama on forestry accompanied by much singing and dancing. Speeches were made by dignitaries including the Minister of State for the Eastern Region. There were a number of statements by the dignitaries present and the program was chaired by a 17- year old nature club pupil. Statements included acknowledgement of the challenges presented by climate change and in enforcing regulations on forest use, as well as pledges to use media to improve public education on climate change. International Women’s Day was also celebrated in Year 2. Women from the seven Gola Chiefdoms came together in March to join women all over the world in celebrating International Women’s Day. This was the first time many of the women had heard of the day. Celebrations started on the eve of the day with a candle-lit procession in Jojoima to commemorate those who had fought for women’s rights. The day itself included awareness raising of the importance of women in leadership, and in this context, the role of women in farmer associations. CSSL worked with GRC LG to lead celebrations of World Wildlife Week in Year 3 in Lalehun, Sierra Leone. The aims of the activities were to: • Increase awareness amongst communities and school pupils of the importance to protect and conserve wildlife. • Raise awareness of and discuss issues related to wildlife conservation and preservation. Activities were held in Lalehun with nature club groups invited from 6 different communities. A total of 71 participants came to the events which included: • A town hall meeting with community stakeholders to introduce the purpose of the visit and initial engagement in the week’s activities. • A wildlife and conservation-themed quiz for nature clubs. Stickers were given to all nature club participants.
71 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • A field trip for nature clubs where pupils and teachers were taught how to use binoculars and some basic bird watching skills. The pupils identified some birds in their local dialects, which were then also identified with their scientific and/or English name. • A conservation film showing in the evening for community members and nature clubs. • A radio discussion on wildlife conservation with officials from the District Forestry Office and the Ministry of Agriculture which included a phone in for community members to ask questions. The live show was hosted by Kambui Agricultural Radio and replayed by the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and Star Line Radio. During the discussions with community members it was noted that the community felt their awareness of wildlife conservation has increased thanks to the activities implemented by GRC LG and CSSL. The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone visited Kenema to see USAID grantees and projects located in and around Kenema in Year 2, which included a visit to GRC LG. The Head of Gola gave a presentation on the background of GRC LG and its work, and the Gola WABiCC project’s place within that, as well as progress achieved by the project so far. The ambassador then visited the cocoa warehouse in Kenema and met with members of the Cocoa Producer Organization. The final stop of the day was the Luke’s Commercial Secondary School in Kenema where three other schools were also in attendance. The pupils had prepared posters and signs with messages about the conservation of the Gola Rainforest. The ambassador presented gifts of books and mementos to the staff, pupils and management of the schools. The visit generated a lot of visibility for the project and the GRC LG’s conservation work and was reported in Sierra Leone news. Since the visit, project staff have observed a marked increase in interest on the part of the schools, most especially the host school, to partner with GRC LG on a range of activities. One of the biggest events in Sierra Leone supported by the Gola WABiCC project was the Tangains Festival in Freetown in Years 2 and 3. Tangains is the biggest trade fair in Sierra Leone and lasts the whole month of December. GRC LG and CSSL attended the event along with representatives of the communities and NTFP groups selling their products at the fair. The overall objective of this activity was to promote sustainable forest use by showcasing Gola as an ecotourism destination and the activities of CSSL and GRC LG in the Gola Landscape thereby raising the profile of Gola among the general public. In Year 2: • At least 760 individuals spent an hour or more in the education activities. • Twenty-one nature club members from the seven Gola chiefdoms also participated in the festival. In Year 3: • Over 850 individuals were spoken to throughout the month and spent at least an hour in education activities in the booth. • Nature Club pupils were invited to visit the booth, a total of 60 pupils attended in two groups of 30 pupils • Screening of project documentaries on community forestry and wildlife conservation attracted several people and triggered questions on the activities of Gola and CSSL.
72 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Just as with nature clubs, firsthand experience of the forest and national park are an effective way of engaging stakeholders of all ages, so in Year 3 CSSL organised a stakeholder field trip to the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP). The field trip to the national park included representatives from the National Protected Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Foundation for Africa, SCRN, EB, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone Trustees, GRC LG and Ministry of Energy, as well as nature club pupils and teachers. A total of 47 participants took part in the trip. The objective of the event was to increase awareness among relevant stakeholders about the activities of CCSL and GRC LG while showcasing the importance of GRNP in eco-tourism development in Sierra Leone. During the trip there was an opportunity for bird watching. Participants were able to learn the importance of bird watching and were able to see some birds including the green-tailed bristlebill and African green pigeon and were able to hear the calls of monkeys and baboons. Participants were also shown the track of mammals such as Maxwell duiker and brush tail porcupine. Wildlife education was targeted to Makpele and Koya Chiefdoms in March 2020. The month’s educational activities focused on mammal and bird species. Screening audio visuals and giving intermittent explanatory talks in the native Mende language proved to be quite effective for educating community members on wildlife. For example, there was expression of empathy when they were shown the white-necked picathartes Posters were used for outreach during colony on screen and given information such as that the the field trip male and female shared the time of sitting on the eggs equally and that the female was the nest builder while the male’s role is to provide food. Information and approaches like this resonate with rural folk. The discussions that ensued demonstrated that the community members could see for themselves how the loss of one adult bird could be damaging for the future population of the endangered birds, showing the approach proved effective for conservation. CSSL and GRC LG also undertook WABiCC-funded COVID 19 outreach work in June and July 2020. CSSL and GRC LG colleagues conducted COVID 19 sensitization and education about the connections between health and conservation, and distributed support materials in 5 greater Gola Chiefdoms. The materials that were distributed included: • 150 veronica buckets with taps • 300 tubes of hand soap • 1,082 face masks Communications Materials Radio is an important communications tool throughout rural West Africa. Therefore in Year 1, GRC LG collected information on listenership levels of various radio stations in the target communities with the aim of improving the efficiency of project radio messages. Radio programmes were produced for Nomo Chiefdom, in both Krio and Mende. The shows presented an overview of GRC LG Gola programmes in the Gola landscape, specifically addressing misunderstandings with regards to the REDD+ MOU with Nomo Chiefdom. The misunderstandings
73 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT addressed were that GRC LG programmes would limit community access and use of the non- protected forest outside the GRNP. There were also allegations made in Nomo Chiefdom that GRC LG was logging and mining inside the National Park which the radio show addressed. CSSL worked with the GRC LG Project Coordinator and Communications Officer to develop stories on important project activities for publication in CSSL’s newsletter. Three newsletters were produced over the course of the project including stories on community forestry, NTFPs, VSLAs and the Paramount Chief Conferences. In the final year of the project CSSL used their social media presence to showcase the work of the WA BiCC project in the 7 Gola Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone to a wide audience of supporters and stakeholders. To enhance the visibility of the community forestry work and the CF committee members, GRC LG designed maps, posters and T-shirts with messages agreed in consultation with representatives from the relevant communities. The T-shirts enhance visibility, whilst the posters contribute to information, education and communication on community forestry and species of high conservation value endemic to the forests. Community leaders demonstrated eagerness to put the posters on display in their communities, demonstrating that they realized the need for sustained awareness- raising. The deployment of the materials was selectively done to ensure messages that were most relevant for a given locality were deployed in that locality. The messages described pygmy hippos and their habitat, picathartes habitats, chimpanzees, elephants and threatened monkey species. The Jentink’s Duiker and the African Pangolin also featured prominently.
Activity Year Location Indicator Environmental Education Road show Mar-18, Seven Gola 25 Nov-18, Chiefdoms, Jun-19, Jan- Sierra 20 Leone DFO Meeting April 2018 Kenema, 25 Sierra Leone Nature Club Leaders Training May 2018 Seven Gola 8 Chiefdoms, Sierra Leone Nature Club Field Trips Nov-18, Seven Gola 25 Oct-19, Chiefdoms, Feb-20 Sierra Leone World Wildlife Week Oct-19 Seven Gola 25 Chiefdoms, Sierra Leone Secondary School Education Feb-2019 Gaura, 25 Tunkia, Malema, Barri, Makpele, Nomo Eco-Gardens Jul-19 Makpele, 25 Tunkia,
74 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Activity Year Location Indicator Malema, Nomo Weeding and Pest Management Training of Eco-Gardens Nov-19 Gaura, 8 Nomo, Makpele, Malema, Sierra Leone Stakeholder and GRC LG Security Meeting June 2018 Tunkia, 25 Sierra Leone Community Fears Meetings Oct & Nov Tunkia, 25 2018 Sierra Leone Environmental Education Local Councils Year 2 Kenema, 25 Sierra Leone International Day of Forests March 2019 Kenema, 25, 24 Sierra Leone International Women’s Day March 2019 Seven 25 Chiefdoms, Sierra Leone Teachers Nature Club Refresher Training July 2019 Gaura, 8 Makpele Tangains Festivals Dec-18, Freetown 25 Dec-19 Stakeholder Field Trip Feb-20 GRNP 25 Wildlife Education Mar-20 Makpele, 25 Koya Shows Year 1 Nomo 24 Project Jingle Year 1 Sierra 24 Leone Project Factsheet Year 3 Sierra 24 Leone CSSL Newsletters Throughout Sierra 24 project Leone CSSL Social Media Year 3 Sierra 24 Leone COVID 19 Outreach Stickers Year 3 Sierra 24 Leone Community Forestry IEC T-shirts and Posters May/June- Sierra 24 20 Leone World Food Day Oct-19 Sierra 25 Leone
TRANS-BOUNDARY In November 2018, the Gola WABiCC project organised an internal meeting of all communications and coordination staff from SCNL, CSSL, GRC LG and RSPB at which we collectively developed a
75 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT draft communications plan for community forestry (see Activity 4.1). Implementation of the plan started with the development of a draft CFM brochure, a CFM jingle, and a fact sheet and implementation continued throughout the life of the project. Communications staff from all partner organizations worked closely to develop a series of success stories about the Gola WA BiCC project. Success stories were also harvested from the implementing partners such as VADEMCO, and in Year 3 a WABiCC-sponsored a journalist worked with communities in Sokpo Clan, Liberia, to develop further success stories. The aim of the stories was to gauge the impact of project activities on individual community members and communities, and to share the positive impact that the project is having on lives and the forest. In Year 2, WA BICC led a workshop to develop a 24-episode radio drama and call-in show (see Activity 3.3) and included participants from CSSL, GRC LG and SCNL. The participants developed the storyline, character profiles and the plan for the call-in element of the show, defined audiences, developed key messages, and agreed on the languages that the radio drama is to be broadcast in. The dramas began airing on Liberian radio in Year 3 and are continuing today. Various communications materials such as T-shirts, stickers and banners were created to support activities throughout the project and are referenced in the activity descriptions.
Activity Date Location Indicator 24-Episode Radio Drama Year 2 Liberia 24 Communications Plan November 2018 Liberia / Sierra Leone 10
4.4 ORGANIZE STUDY TOURS AND EXCHANGE VISITS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON SPECIFIC THEMES RELATED TO THE WORK OF THE PROJECT Exchange visits that give people the opportunity to talk with others and see things concretely for themselves can have major impacts. Working in both Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Gola WABiCC project provided the opportunity for cross-border as well as domestic exchanges and learning for both staff and communities alike. Please note that this section describes only exchange visits while meetings and trainings with participants from both Sierra Leone and Liberia are described elsewhere in this report. Farmer Exchange on Good agricultural practices – July 2018 GRC LG organised exchange visits among cocoa farmer leaders from the chiefdoms of Gaura, Tunkia, Koya and Malema. 15 farmer leaders (5 female, 10 male) represented Gaura (5), Malema (5) and Tunkia and Koya (5). The farmer leaders travelled to the chiefdoms of Koya and Malema between the 5th and 6th of July 2018 to share experiences and learn about dealing with challenges from the hosting chiefdom’s cocoa farmers. One lesson that farmers took away from the visits was acknowledgement that producer organizations approached membership recruitment and retention differently from chiefdom to chiefdom. Lessons learned from the different approaches will help producer organizations to review their guidelines on membership, using the lessons from other groups to help them each work more effectively. Community Forestry Exchange Visit to FAO site, Sierra Leone – October 2018 In order for community members from Bunumbu and Golawoma to see community forestry in action, GRC LG organised an exchange visit to Gbaima Songa, Bo Chiefdom where the FAO had been carrying out a community forestry pilot. 15 males and 5 females participated and were hosted for a full day by the Paramount Chief and other traditional leaders, the Community Forestry Committee and general members of the Gbaima Community.
76 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Project staff used the opportunity of the joint gathering of 200 individuals to also show documentaries on wildlife and conservation. This was interspersed with discussions on Community Forestry in both communities on themes such as history, management structure, challenges, threats and lessons. The visitors learnt from their hosts who were at a more advanced stage of their community forest management process. Exchange visit of Learning Coordinator to Liberia – February 2019 A 2-weeks acquaintance visit by Winston Taylor (the then-WABiCC Learning Coordinator from CSSL) took place from 2nd-16th February 2019. The first 4 days were spent in Monrovia meeting with the SCNL staff and learning about the WABICC M&E documentation process. The remaining 10 days were in the field during which time he visited several of the project communities and held meeting with the residents to get to know the communities and better understand how they feel about the project. Additionally, he and the SCNL Communications Officer developed several success stories. CSSL Learning Coordinator Visit – October-November 2019 Following the departure of the previous Learning Coordinator (see above), the new CSSL Learning Coordinator visited the Liberian field site in Mano River Kongo along with SCNL colleagues In order to develop a full understanding of Gola WA BiCC activities. The aims of the trip were to meet the project communities and become familiar with the challenges and practicalities of work in the area, and to better understand the livelihood activities being implemented – all of which would inform the gathering of lessons learned at the end of the project. The trip started with a visit to SCNL’s head office in Liberia, and the WABiCC project sites in Sokpo Clan. An initial meeting was held in Monrovia with the Project Manager and Project Coordinators, before traveling to Sokpo Clan where meetings were held with five communities (Mano River Kongo, Camp Israel, Fula Camp, Korlah and Kawelahun). A total of 59 community members were spoken to during the acquaintance visit. Some key comments from community members included: • Thanks and appreciation for the team taking into consideration challenges in the network. • That cocoa farming was going well despite it being a new idea to them, and that the An example of challenges faced accessing the community was in full support to making cocoa communities in Liberia farming a sustainable way of living rather than depending on the forest. • A member of the beekeeping groups said that beekeeping was very important, and he wanted everybody to engage in bee-farming in his community and to construct at least 10 beehives. • Even though lowland rice farming was challenged by the late supply of seedlings and planting materials, they were able to complete 10 plots as recommended and even added 2 more plots. • That the communities would skillfully implement all the training received from VADEMCO/SCNL on their own even when the project shall have ended.
77 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Interviews with beneficiaries revealed that: • Initially, communities were highly dependent on the forest for their livelihoods but the intervention of SCNL through VADEMCO had helped ease pressure on the forest by communities. For example in Fula Camp, it was remarked by Tunta Faijue that support through the small loan group had helped the women in her group to enter into small businesses, which has given them a source of income that does not rely on the forest, therefore reducing pressure on the forest. • There was also high value placed on beekeeping implemented by Universal Outreach by most of the communities. Lessons learned from the visit include: • Timely disbursement of planting materials will help in improving yields and increases the quantity of production. • Practicing traditional means of lowland rice farming (burning and broadcasting of seedlings) is not environmentally friendly and therefore, communities should adopt the modern method of farming which does not include burning and is more intensive. • Providing necessary support to farmers is a key driving factor towards the success of every livelihood programs. • Diversification of livelihoods programmes in project communities will help reduce pressure on the forest. • For every community-based programme to succeed, communities must first express willingness and acceptance of the programme and therefore implementers must ensure they engage communities before actual implementation. Transboundary visit to chocolate factory – October 2019 As described earlier, GRC LG and the Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Farmers Union are exploring the possibility of small-scale chocolate production. GRC LG therefore organised a trip to a Liberian chocolate maker to learn about the process. Learning from this trip informed GRC LG’s decisions about chocolate-making equipment as well as the planning and business model. Two representatives from SCNL who also joined the group gained a better understanding of the whole chocolate-making process as they also continue to grow their cocoa livelihoods work. Exchange Visit, Sierra Leone to Liberia – June 2019 (See activity 3.3) Staff from GRC LG visited Liberia between the 13th and 19th of June 2019. SCNL staff took the team from GRC to both the GolaMA and WABiCC project sites to see how community forestry and livelihood activities are being carried out on the Liberian side of the Gola landscape. The objective of the visit was to share ideas and methods which could be taken back to work in Sierra Leone, and to continue building on the growing partnership between the organizations. Participants from SL and Liberia both gave very positive feedback of the exchange. WA BiCC Visit to Mano River Kongo – June 2019 In June 2019, SCNL took Dr Nouhou Ndam from the WABiCC secretariat to visit the communities of the two project sites in Upper and Lower Sokpo Clan. The aim was to introduce Dr Ndam to the project communities, collect feedback from beneficiaries of the VADEMCO- and UOF-led activities, and to speak to communities about the importance of conserving their forest. Highlights from the visit included:
78 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT a) Briefing with the CFOC b) Discussion on FDA stay order stopping any new applications for community forests, including advice from Dr Ndam on how to move ahead with this despite the stay order c) Visit to a farm where there was conflict with elephants d) Visit to groundnut demonstration sites e) Visit to beehives and cocoa nurseries The four-day visit ended with a debrief and recommendations to SCNL including for the CFOC to draft bylaws and constitutions, that the newly formed hunter and pepper seller’s unions should have work plans, and a cocoa farmers union should be created. Lead farmer exchange visit – December 2019 A group of seven lead farmers from the project area in Liberia visited project beneficiaries in the Sierra Leone project area for five days in December 2019. The three men and four women visited the chiefdoms of Gaura and Tunkia between the 18th and 23rd of December. The aim of the visit was to share experiences of different farming methods and loan associations. The visitors met beneficiaries in Sierra Leone including members of the village savings and loans associations, cocoa producer organizations, vegetable and rice farmers and Gola Chiefdom Development Committee members. The visiting team stayed at the Gola Conservation Center at Lalehun in Gaura Chiefdom. During their stay at Lalehun they also got the opportunity to visit a Picathartes colony and receive training in basic plant identification methods by the research and monitoring department. The visit concluded with a visit to the commodity trade fair in Kenema where the Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Farmers were showcasing their produce.
Participants of the exchange visiting a vegetable farm in Sierra Leone Specific learnings from this exchange were: a) Liberian farmers observed Sierra Leonean farmers planting cassava one stick, upright, at a time. This is a new method that the Liberian farmers took away to try.
79 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT b) VSLA/small loan methodology differs between the two countries. Liberian farmers took ideas back from their approach which will be suggested to the small loans team back in Liberia. c) It was recommended that exchange visits between the two countries’ farmer communities continue and that VADEMCO spend a week visiting Sierra Leone communities also.
Activity Year Location Indicator Farmer exchange July 2018 Sierra Leone-Sierra 25 Leone Community Forestry October 2018 Sierra Leone-Sierra 25 Exchange Visit Leone CSSL Learning October 2019 Sierra Leone-Liberia 25 Coordinator Visit Trans-boundary Visit to October 2019 Sierra Leone-Liberia 8, 9 Chocolate Factory Staff Exchange Visit June 2019 Sierra Leone-Liberia 9, 25 WA BiCC Visit to Mano June 2019 Accra-Liberia 25 River Kongo Learning Coordinator Feb 2019 Sierra Leone-Liberia 9, 25 Exchange Visit Lead Farmer Exchange December 2019 Liberia-Sierra Leone 25 Visit Community Forestry March 2020 Gaura 25 Exchange Visit
4.5 ENSURE MANO RIVER UNION (MRU) IS FAMILIAR WITH LANDSCAPE APPROACH THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH MRU ON RECENTLY STARTED GEF PROJECT. This activity had limited impact as the MRU GEF project had some teething pains. Partner staff in both Sierra Leone and Liberia met with the country directors and other relevant officials but project plans were not always clear. A chance meeting at the Coordination Committee meeting in Year 2 in Freetown provided some information but roles of the Gola partner organizations were still not well defined. In June 2019, WA BiCC, the MRU and the International Security Advisory Team (ISAT) organized a 2-day international conference on Countering the Illegal Wildlife Trade in the MRU countries. WABiCC support enabled participation in this important event by all Gola partner organizations as well as government colleagues. The conference enabled participants from the four MRU countries to exchange experience on the legal environment in each country as well as on law enforcement challenges. 4.6 HOLD PARTNER AND STAKEHOLDER EVENTS TO SHARE LESSONS LEARNED, JOINING THEM WHERE APPROPRIATE WITH OTHER EVENTS SUCH AS STUDY TOURS AND EXCHANGES. (SEE ACTIVITY 4.2) Learning events were held in Year 3 to review the successes and challenges of all aspects of the Gola WA BiCC project. Four workshops were held, one in each of Freetown, Kenema, Monrovia and the fourth in Mano River Kong with SCNL field staff. The workshops brought together all relevant stakeholders including project partners, sub-contractors and government representatives. We had initially planned one common learning event but the COVID 19 pandemic prevented this from happening and we had to change the format.
80 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The workshops were well attended and started with presentations giving an overview of the Gola WABiCC project. The day continued with structured discussions about what worked well, what did not work so well and what could be done differently in future. A section on the impact of exchange visits was also included which will provide information requested by the WABiCC secretariat on this topic. The learning workshops are written up as one report which is summarized in section 5.0. In Year 2, all Gola partners (RSPB, SCNL, GRC LG and CSSL) participated in two WA BICC- facilitated Learning Exchange Workshops. The first was in December 2018 held at the Millennium Hotel in Monrovia, Liberia. This workshop brought together all the grantee and sub- grantees from WABiCC projects to exchange lessons learned about community engagement, bio- monitoring and boundary demarcation. During the three days each of the grantees presented their approach to community engagement. GRC LG presented on their bio-monitoring methodology while SCNL gave a talk about their approach to community engagement. The second Learning Exchange was held in September 2019, this time in Accra. Representatives of CSSL, GRC LG and SCNL attended. This time the areas of focus were law enforcement, livelihoods and collaboration with government partners. GRC LG presented on their experience of working with government law enforcement officials to patrol the GRNP while SCNL presented on lessons learned from its livelihoods activities.
Activity Date Location Indicator WA BiCC Learning Exchanges December 2018 Liberia 25 September 2019 Accra Learning Workshops June 2020 Freetown & Kenema; 25 Monrovia & Mano River Kongo
Objective 5. Lessons learned from trans-boundary collaboration and coordination contribute to the improvement of national policy and practice, and international best practice. The intent of this objective was to facilitate ongoing communication and exchange between government actors from Sierra Leone and Liberia to assure that the vision of ‘trans-boundary’ management of the Gola Forest landscape goes beyond a written agreement and becomes a reality in spirit and in practice. The Gola WABiCC project achieved two very important results under this objective – the establishment and first meeting of the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee and the signing of a revised MOU concerning the management of the Gola Forest landscape. However we had hoped to do more, particularly towards the end of the project when we planned several bilateral meetings to look at policy recommendations with respect to community forestry and other aspects of forest management. Unfortunately the COVID 19 pandemic prevented the bilateral meetings from going ahead and we were unable to achieve everything we planned under this objective.
81 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 5.1 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GOL AND GOSL ACCORD FOR TRANS-BOUNDARY COLLABORATION AND MANAGEMENT THAT LEADS TO JOINT PATROLS. At the start of the Gola WABiCC project, the Governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia already had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in place (signed in October 2011) concerning the joint management of the Gola Forest Landscape. However, collaboration to manage the national parks and surrounding areas did not progress as there was a lack of resources to enable bilateral meeting. So one of the Gola WABiCC project aims was to reignite those relationships and re-start collaborative work on the Gola Forest landscape. In Year 2, the first trans-boundary meeting since 2012 was held in Freetown to bring together technical representatives of the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA), Sierra Leone, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Liberia. The purpose of the meeting was to reactivate the process for putting in place systems for managing the whole of the Gola Forest landscape. This included developing Terms of Reference (TORs) for the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee, as well as reviewing the bilateral MOU developed previously. In addition, an action plan for the committee was updated and potential funding sources identified. At the meeting Government representatives agreed several changes and updates to the existing MOU. These changes were subsequently approved at the first meeting of the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee (see below). The changes were then submitted to the respective Foreign Ministries for approval. Attendees to the trans-boundary meeting included: CSSL (1), GRC LG (3), SCNL (1), FDA (3), FD (1), Environmental Protection Agency (2), Sierra Leone Ambassador for Liberia (1), National Protected Area Authority (2), USAID (1), Mano River Union (1), Ministry of Internal Affairs (1), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (1). The first ever meeting of the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee was held in June 2019 at the Binumani Hotel in Freetown. The meeting was attended by senior representatives of the NPAA, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FDA, EPA(x2), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paramount Chiefs, CSSL, GRC LG, SCNL, RSPB, MRU GEF Project, USAID and WABiCC. Both the EU and MRU were invited but did not send representatives. The meeting approved the TORs for the Coordination Committee, updated the Trans-boundary Collaborative Action Plan, and received updates from all projects currently underway in the landscape. As expected, the meeting was very helpful in building working relations between staff from the two countries. It had been hoped that amendments to the current MOU governing trans-boundary work could be signed but approval from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs was not obtained until November 2019. With approvals received, the Governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia signed the amended MOU on the 18th of February in a well-attended ceremony in Monrovia. The document was signed by representatives of the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Sierra Leone), the NPAA, the FDA, Paramount Chiefs from each of the two countries, representatives of the park management institutions in both countries and it was all witnessed by the Secretary General of the Mano River Union. The document provides agreement for cooperation in management, research, protection and conservation of the Greater Gola landscape across the two countries. The signing ceremony was an enormously important success in re-kindling the commitment of the two governments to protecting and managing the globally important Gola Forest landscape. The ceremony also generated considerable interest among foreign representatives and remarks were
82 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT made at the ceremony by the British Ambassador to Liberia and the USAID Mission Director to Liberia among others.
The two foreign ministers signing the MOU at the ceremony in Monrovia, February 2020 The objectives for the management of the landscape included in the MOU were: 1. To guarantee the long-term protection of ecosystems and their services including, amongst others, carbon and water, and the conservation of the biodiversity in the Gola Forests which will help to maintain the integrity of the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem in West Africa. 2. To share and pool together expertise and experience between the NPAA and FDA; • To increase the local and international profile of this important conservation area; • To realize the full economic potential of the National Parks and surrounding areas from payments from ecosystem services, tourism, research and other sustainable management approaches that will bring economic benefits to Liberia and Sierra Leone and especially the local communities (both men and women) adjacent to the parks; • To comply with the requirements of national, regional and international law regarding the protection of the environment; • To integrate/ harmonize, as much as possible, the management, conservation, research, marketing and other systems of the NPAA and FDA in respect of the Peace Park; • To establish ecological corridors to facilitate the free movement of wildlife; • To facilitate the free movement of personnel assigned to work in the Forests by the parties. Activity Year Location Indicator Gola Landscape Technical Trans- Dec-18 Sierra Leone 25 boundary Meeting Gola Bilateral Coordination June 2019 Sierra Leone 25 Committee Meeting Trans-boundary MOU Signing Feb-20 Liberia 25, 10
83 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 5.2 FACILITATE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH TWO GOVERNMENTS TO PUT ACCORD INTO PRACTICE AND EXPLORE EVOLVING WAYS OF COLLABORATION, RESULTING IN AT LEAST ONE ROUNDTABLE BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS BY EOP TO SHARE EXPERIENCE ON TRANS-BOUNDARY FOREST MANAGEMENT. As described above, the first technical meeting of the NPAA and FDA since 2012 was held in Year 2 to restart trans-boundary work on managing the Gola Landscape. This was further developed at the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee Meeting later that same year (see Activity .5.1) and at the MOU Signing Ceremony in February 2020. Unfortunately, further bilateral meetings including the roundtable planned to share experience on trans-boundary forest management were not possible because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Once bilateral meetings are again possible, we are happy to report that funding from the EU-funded PAPF or project will enable these bilateral exchanges to continue. 5.3 ORGANISE AT LEAST ONE EXCHANGE OF FD AND FDA STAFF TO SHARE EXPERIENCE ON COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE TWO COUNTRIES. 5.4 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY ON FOREST CORRIDORS AND IDENTIFY FOREST CORRIDORS AROUND PROTECTED AREAS FOR CFM 5.5 DEVELOP A SERIES OF BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES ON IMPLEMENTING CFM IN FOREST CORRIDORS AROUND PROTECTED AREAS As noted previously, we had planned further bilateral meetings to be held in the last few months of the Gola WA BiCC project. In particular we had planned to hold one bilateral meeting focusing on community forest management that would address Activities 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 at the same time. Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, this was not possible. 5.6 LEARN LESSONS FROM OTHER TRANS-BOUNDARY PROGRAMMES ACROSS AFRICA AND BEYOND THROUGH DIALOGUE. Forest Landscape Management Training – April 2019 (See Activity 3.3) To facilitate the implementation of this activity, the Gola WABiCC project supported the Head of Gola (HOG), GRC LG, to attend a two-week course on forest landscape management at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Having completed this course, we planned for the HOG to take the lead in organizing a trans-boundary training workshop on this same topic during Year 3 for both partner and government staff. However, because of COVID 19 restrictions the trans- boundary workshop was cancelled. Key topics covered in the training at Wageningen included: • Stakeholder analysis • Landscape governance arrangement • Stakeholder empowerment • Conflict resolution Primatological Society Conference – august 2018 In Year 1 the then Research and Monitoring Technical Advisor at GRC LG, Benjamin Barca, was invited to submit an abstract for the Red Colobus Action Plan Symposium to be held at the Primatological Society Conference in Nairobi in August 2018. This was an opportunity to showcase partner activities and conservation successes within the Gola landscape as well as a chance to network with the different stakeholders involved in primate conservation globally in different landscapes.
84 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Outcomes of the event were: • Connection with some of the main people driving the Red Colobus Action Plan initiative. • Benjamin Barca, who represented GRC LC at the project, was approached to be the regional contact person for the western red colobus and there was interest to do a feature about GRNP to help with fundraising the action plan as well as an article to be featured on National Geographic voices blog. • Increased interest from researchers in coming to work in Gola. • Interest from private donor to fund research work on Pygmy Hippos. • Interest from Zoological Garden Ostrava to fund Diana Monkey conservation work. Activity Date Location Indicator Primatological Society August 2018 Nairobi 25 Conference Staff Training on August 2018 Sierra Leone 8, 9 Community Forestry Forest Landscape April 2019 Netherlands 8, 9 Management Training
Objective 6. The project is managed effectively and collaboratively so that implementation is successfully completed, delivering planned biodiversity and livelihood impacts. 6.1 ESTABLISH A WELL-DEFINED MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE, INCLUDING STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE PROJECT Project Implementation Team Changes in staffing and challenges in recruiting meant there was no Project Director for a significant part of Year 1. Project planning at the start of the project was therefore not effective and there was some confusion as to which activities should be carried out by whom. Establishing a Project Implementation Team (PIT) was therefore a high priority when a Project Director was eventually appointed. The first trans-boundary meeting of the Project Implementation Team was held at the SCNL office in Monrovia in Year 1. The meeting brought together representatives from the GRC, CSSL, SCNL and RSPB. The purpose of the meeting was: a) to develop an activity plan for Year two of the WABiCC project (2018/2019) b) to review the project budget c) to incorporate new activities to the budget in light of year 1’s savings in Year 1. Staff at the PIT meeting in Monrovia in August 2019 By the end of the three-day meeting a work plan was developed for Year 2 and budget adjustments were pinned down for new activities and adjustments in staffing made
85 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The PIT continued to meet quarterly in alternate countries (Sierra Leone/ Liberia) to plan and coordinate project activities. The PIT meetings were also used to systematically identify project learning and for group training. Meetings were held in July 2018, November 2018, February 2019, August 2019 and December 2019. Topics discussed over these meetings included: • Review and adjustment of the annual work plan • Organization of trans-boundary activities including government technical trans-boundary meeting in December 2018 and the organization of several exchange visits • Development of a training plan for project staff after completion of a capacity needs assessment • Discussion of options for a second model site in Sierra Leone • Internal learning reflection in advance of WABiCC Learning Exchange • Identification of priority activities for the Gola Landscape in anticipation of new funding sources • Review of learning from the FPIC workshop and discussion of the applicability to community forestry in the Gola Landscape • Sharing of draft institutional gender policies. • Introductory management training and identification of specific topics for further training. Gola coordination Committee We originally planned to establish a Project Steering Committee consisting of relevant government and donor representatives and some initial discussions were held with potential members. However, the Technical Manager for Conservation at the FDA suggested that it would be more helpful to have one Coordination Committee for the entire landscape to which individual projects could report rather than individual steering committees for each project. A Coordination Committee could act as the forum for providing senior government oversight of the project. All partners agreed with this idea and the Gola Coordination Committee was established and their first meeting held in July 2019 (see Activity 5.1). Staff retreat – January 2020 A four day retreat for WABiCC staff at SCNL and implementing partners VADEMCO and UOF was held in year 3 at a hotel in Bomi County. The aim of the retreat was to engage implementing partners in the project planning process, to take stock of project progress to date and agree on new action and review past mistakes. Over the four days staff from all areas of the project gave presentations on their work which was followed by a Q&A session, suggestions and recommendations which were written up into action points. 6.2 PUT A SUB-GRANTING MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING STRUCTURE IN PLACE FOR IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS Reporting RSPB had overall responsibility for producing the various reports required by WABiCC with the Project Assistant collecting, collating and coordinating the narrative reports produced by each of the three partner organisations, SCNL, CSSL and GRC LG. The reporting structure was monthly technical reports and more detailed semi-annual and annual technical reports. There were some challenges to the reporting initially as the whole team adjusted to the new structure, particularly with compiling M&E documentation on time for the semi-annual
86 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT and annual reports. However the monthly reports proved popular and were a good way for staff across the project, particularly those in the UK, to keep up to date with project progress and were used to track M&E. As a result the monthly reports are being carried over into the recently started PAPFor project. Similarly for the financial reports, RSPB had overall responsibility for producing these reports with the Finance Manager collecting and collating the individual reports from each of the partner organisations. Overall, we had some difficulties with the financial reports as the process of collecting all the needed information took much longer than anticipated. In response, additional finance staff were hired so that there was a finance officer in each partner organisation dedicated to the WABiCC project who was responsible for all WABiCC documentation. The reporting structure was also changed so that partner organisations produced their financial reports monthly instead of quarterly, providing more time to deal with queries on individual transactions or to track down missing documents. 6.3 ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS AMONG ALL PROJECT PARTNERS The key members of the management structure of the Gola WABiCC project were the Project Director and the three Coordinators. The four staff held Tuesday morning calls to touch base and ensure coordination among the partner organisations. It was not a perfect system given the unreliability of internet connections in Kenema, Freetown and Monrovia but the system was used when possible to ensure regular communication. In addition, the Project Director visited each partner organisation in-person about once a month and is based in the SCNL office in Monrovia. On a day-to-day basis, a project Dropbox was established at the start of the project, but was soon replaced by GoogleDrive once the M&E system was set up to centralise document sharing. Final versions of project documents such as the M&E plan and Annual Work Plans were shared. The system was accessible to everyone, aided in version control, and ensured that all partners had quick access to the documents they needed. In addition, a senior WABiCC staff WhatsApp group was set up where photos, successes and updates could be shared quickly between partners. This included all senior staff (Project Coordinators and Managers) working on the Gola WABiCC project. Within GRC LG, which has a large number of staff and different departments, the Project Coordinator held consultations with all project staff on the concept of a coordination forum involving weekly coordination meetings exclusively for WABiCC staff, and two separate monthly coordination meetings at the model site and in the chiefdom headquarter town of Golahun. Feedback was positive, and the forums were started. Both community-based coordination meetings involved a cross section of project staff and community members working together. The objective was to involve community members in the monitoring and tracking of progress of project activities and to increase transparency and accountability of stakeholders in the Community Forest Management process. 6.4 DESIGN A PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM AND IMPLEMENT Monitoring and Evaluation The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan was developed with input from all partners, feedback was received from the WABiCC M&E team and the plan was finalised. The WABiCC secretariat organized an M&E training session in Kenema at the end of Year 1 for all the Gola WABiCC partners. The purpose of the workshop was:
87 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT a) to increase knowledge of documents required for WABiCC for specific project activities b) to increase understanding of how to complete those documents c) to set up a cloud storage system where the project documents could be shared with WABiCC d) to improve understanding of project indicators, what could and could not be included As a result of the training the M&E plan was revised and an M&E Google Drive was established and is where all M&E documents were uploaded. In order to focus more comprehensively on the impact of Gola WABiCC activities, the RSPB Project Director organised an M&E workshop for all partners in July 2019. The aim of the workshop was to develop a method of data collection for indicators assessing project impact (predominantly indicators 12 and 9) and gathering feedback on project methodologies. By having all partners working together the group was able to develop methods for each indicator which were suitable for all partners and activities, making them usable across the landscape and increasing trans- boundary cooperation. The group also refreshed their memory on the project M&E system, assisted each other with challenges they were encountering, and discussed different data collection methods and tools. In October 2019 representatives from RSPB, GRC LG, CSSL and SCNL came together in Kenema to develop questionnaires which could be used to assess the project activities. This formed the context of the KoboCollect training (see Activity 3.3). It was decided to use both focus group and interview questionnaires for the assessment. Activities that were monitored were: • Small Loans / VSLA’s • Agriculture (rice, groundnuts, vegetables) • Cocoa • Beekeeping • NTFPs To make sure all activities within these groups were covered in the survey development, a representative from each GRC LG department attended the workshop. To develop questions the participants were split into small groups, each group with one of the above activities to draft questions for. Each group fed-back their questions to the rest of the participants and comments and suggestions were taken to finalize the questions. The questions were then entered into KoboCollect as part of the KoboCollect training which followed. Having been developed at GRC LG, the questions were taken back to Liberia and built upon for their own livelihoods monitoring surveys. Adjustments were mainly made to ensure the questions complemented the baseline survey conducted earlier in the year, for better comparison. Rather than sampling, for the majority of surveys all community members involved were approached to complete the surveys. This is only different for VSLA groups in Sierra Leone, where only group leaders were interviewed. This was decided with WABiCC M&E team in part because of the large number of groups and members that would be need to be interviewed, and partly due to restrictions on group numbers with COVID 19 it was decided that group leaders would be able to speak on behalf of the group. In preparation for the surveys, attendance or membership lists were collated for each area of livelihoods work in both countries and questions were entered into KoboCollect in Liberia. Surveys were then deployed to tablets and tested before being taken to the field.
88 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT SCNL completed the first set of livelihoods follow up surveys in December 2019. Interviews and focus group surveys of the small loan groups were completed in the four communities of Lower Sokpo Clan (Fula Camp, Green Bar City, Israel Town, Varney Town) where small loan activities are taking place. The team interviewed 42 women of the 50 involved in loan groups, and each of the 10 small loan groups had their own focus group discussions. The team’s main challenge in the field was not being able to edit the surveys due to internet connection, so more pre-testing needed to be done before completing the other livelihood surveys. In February the teams made progress in assessing agriculture, loan, NTFP and beekeeping activities. The results were intended to improve delivery of livelihood support by the relevant departments of the project as well as contribute to the assessment of indicator 12. However, due to COVID 19 restrictions completion of the final surveys in Liberia were delayed, and were completed only in July 2020. The data was analysed and initial write up completed by RSPB’s Project Assistant. The reports were then given back to the respective partner organisations for their input. Most importantly they provided insight into why the results were as they were using their knowledge and experience of the activities and project communities. Two reports, one for each country, were finalised and submitted to WABiCC in August 2020. EMMP The EMMP was developed and finalized in Year 1 of the project after a staff training and workshop for project partners led by WABiCC (see Activity 3.3). The plan was then revised in Year 2 to reflect additional project activities as well as recommendations from the WABiCC EMMP consultant. Further tweaks were made to reflect the setup of some of the project activities – for example farmers learning on agricultural demonstration plots rather than on their own farms in Year 3. Evidence for the EMMP indicators can be found in the EMMP folder of the GoogleDrive. Data Quality Assessments (DQAS) Annual Data Quality Assessments were carried out by WABiCC staff with GRC LG, SCNL and CSSL. The assessments were a way of verifying the M&E for results reported in the annual report, identified the strengths and weaknesses in each country’s M&E processes, and made recommendations for how they could be improved. Although the DQAs came at a high pressure time during the reporting period, they were overall a very useful process for learning, and definite improvements were seen with each DQA. Specific improvements that were recommended include: • Mandatory development of a concept note for each activity • Use WABiCC templates for attendance lists • Documentation to be uploaded monthly to the Google Drive with the monthly reports rather than left until the end of the year • Further M&E work that would benefit the project includes process evaluation – what is and isn’t working well in our activities, how we can use that information to improve systems and an end of project evaluation. The follow up for indicator 9 (institutional capacity development) was also discussed during the DQA. As a result of the recommendations:
89 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT • M&E staff at SCNL and GRC LG had more regular phone calls with the RSPB Project Assistant to ensure M&E reporting was on track through the final year • The follow up to indicator 9 was completed by CSSL’s Learning Coordinator, with the support of the RSPB Project Assistant • A new M&E tracking table was created to help compile the final documents needed from Year 1 and 2 • Refresher training was provided to staff and sub-contractors at SCNL and GRC LG on the purpose and requirements of M&E. SCNL completed this informally with their implementing partners VADEMCO and UOF and an improvement in M&E was seen in both partners’ second phase contracts. • M&E Officers started to use the note to file template to reduce the repetition of documents in the GoogleDrive Following the DQA in Year 2, the WABiCC M&E team visited Liberia in February 2019 to review the M&E process. Overall, the team was satisfied with the organization of the M&E documentation. During the review the team looked at how they could improve data quality by spot checking and determined that it was not necessary to print scans of documents but simply to retain the original hard-copy documents (for example attendance lists). The table below shows the overall DQA scores for GRC LG and SCNL over the three years of the project based on the institutions performance in M&E Resources and Capacities, Data Use and Dissemination, Evaluation, Data Quality Systems, Data Collection and Management, and M&E Operational Documents as assessed by WABiCC M&E staff during their visits.
DQA Scores GRC LG SCNL 2017 60% 57% 2018 65% 70% 2019 71% 73% biomonitoring surveys In Year 2 a meeting was held in Monrovia of all relevant staff from the Gola WABiCC partners to develop common Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for community-based bio-monitoring in the Gola Landscape (See Activity 3.2). The meeting was an opportunity to share experiences of bio- monitoring in community forests in both countries and to determine the scope and methods available for community-based monitoring. The structure of bio-monitoring teams was discussed, as well as training and equipment needs to carry out the work. The meeting was attended by 7 men and 2 women from SCNL, GRC LG, CSSL and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation. By the end of the meeting a Basic Bio-monitoring Protocol for CFs in Liberia and Sierra Leone was completed. Training of community members on the SOPs was completed as part of the Eco-Guard training in Liberia (see Activity 3.5). Bio-monitoring is part of the road map for community forestry, unfortunately CFM did not progress as far as anticipated in this project, so regular bio-monitoring has not started yet. However, we have laid significant groundwork towards this goal with the communities through the selection and training of eco-volunteers and eco-guards (see Activity 3.5). institutional capacity assessments CSSL’s Learning Coordinator and RSPB’s Project Assistant developed questions to assess the training activities provided to institutions in the first 2 years of the project. Questions for the
90 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT institutional capacity assessments were finalized and shared with staff of the key project partners (SCNL/GRC LG/CSSL) as well as the institutions we worked with, including farmer associations, small loan groups, government departments and sub-contractors. Not all the planned capacity assessments were completed due to time constraints and the logistics of completing the assessments with COVID-19 restrictions in place. In Sierra Leone, capacity assessments were completed for 10 VSLA groups in Malema and 5 in Barri, as well as with staff at GRC LG. The VSLA groups reported common capacity improvements such as the ability to manage conflict, which is a skill they also took back to their own households and communities, record keeping accuracy, and increased attendance as a result of the constitutions. GRC LG staff reported benefits for the organization including: • utilizing the GIS training for mapping which has been used for reporting and planning work in the project communities • the introduction of electronic data collection means time has been saved that used to be spent filing, filling in repeated information and data entry • PRA and community forestry trainings have taught staff techniques which have made them better able to involve community members in decision making and to encourage women in leadership roles 6.5 COLLATE ALL EXISTING BASELINE DATA, IDENTIFY GAPS AND CARRY OUT STUDIES TO FILL GAPS. Given the extensive studies that had already been completed in the project target area (PTA), the RSPB reviewed the data already available in order to determine if further studies were needed specifically for the Gola WABiCC project. The conclusions of the review in Year 1 were: a) There was extensive socio-economic data available for the Sierra Leonean part of the PTA. b) In Liberia a gap in socio-economic data in the model site was identified. Data was not collected during other surveys in the PTA completed in 2012 as relationships with the model site communities were not positive at that time. However, now that there was a good relationship between the communities and SCNL, SCNL was able to complete a baseline survey in this area. c) Biological data collected in both Sierra Leone and Liberia over several years was sufficient. Socioeconomic Baseline, Liberia SCNL carried out preliminary data collection for the baseline socio-economic assessment in the project communities in Upper and Lower Sokpo Clan from 26th September to 18 October 2018. The exercise was partly intended as a training exercise to ensure the team was fully equipped to carry out the full baseline survey. This preliminary survey was used for the planning and implementation of the baseline socio-economic survey. SCNL then worked with the RSPB Project Assistant to finalise the questionnaire for the socio- economic survey. SCNL had purchased tablets for electronic data collection so the WABiCC M&E team provided training (see activity 3.2) on the use of tablets in the administration of questionnaires ahead of the survey. The SCNL/RSPB team then trained the SCNL field staff in how to conduct the survey on tablets over the course of a week. During the initial training we set a sample size of 30% of the households identified in the preliminary data collection. This amounted to 510 households. Nine field staff completed the survey over two
91 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT weeks in Year 2. The data was collated by the Project Assistant and initial analysis completed and submitted to WA BiCC. 6.6 DEVELOP A GESI TO ENSURE THAT GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IS EMBEDDED IN ALL PROJECT OPERATIONS. Although work on formal gender policies did not start until Year 2, there was significant recognition of the importance of a gender analysis for conservation and livelihoods and it was incorporated into project activities wherever possible. In Liberia for example small loan activities were established for women, the aim being to improve their financial knowledge and independence. In Sierra Leone, income from NTFPs was found to be of interest to youth in the communities. Women and youth groups were generally encouraged in all activities from FFSs to community volunteers. Among the project partners, an understanding of gender analysis was most developed at the start of the project within the GRC LG. GRC LG endeavoured to mainstream gender, educating staff and farmers on human rights and trying to have a gender inclusive participatory approach where men, women and youth’s views were considered. Specific trainings for women and youth were implemented throughout the project when needs were identified e.g. inclusion of youths in trainings of master farmers and specific leadership trainings for young women. GRC LG had been implementing the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) in 4 Chiefdoms and continued to do the same with WABiCC support in the remaining 3 chiefdoms. In Year 2, GRC LG signed a sub-contract with NGO AGALS (Access to Gender Action Learning Systems) who were responsible for leading initial GESI training exercises (see Activity 1.2). In Year 2, the Gola WA BiCC project held a gender training workshop for all partners, led by the WABiCC gender advisor (see Activity 3.3). The workshop provided participants with the knowledge and skills they need so that each institution could develop an institutional gender policy. At the end of the workshop, each of CSSL, GRC LG and SCNL designated a lead staff person and working group to finalise their institutional gender policy. The SCNL policy was finalised and rolled out to all staff. The GRC LG and CSSL completed draft policies.
92 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 4.0 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT/POLICY 4.1 Poverty As readers of this report are undoubtedly aware, Liberia and Sierra Leone are among the poorest countries in the world, ranking 176th and 181st respectively out of 189 countries on the 2018 UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), i.e. they are the 14th and 9th poorest countries. Within Liberia and Sierra Lone, the forest and forest-edge communities, located far away from the centres of power and commerce in the big cities, tend to be among the poorest in the country, a fact reflected in the lack of infrastructure (roads, schools, clinics), very low levels of literacy, especially among women, limited access to markets, low levels of government services, poor communications facilities, among many examples. In implementing a project such as the Gola WABiCC project, this level of poverty has a profound impact on every aspect of implementation. Most importantly, it lies at the heart of the engagement with forest and forest-edge communities, pointing to why it is so important to address community well being through actions such as livelihoods activities and job creation among others. It often explains why progress is slow as under-resourced, under-staffed government departments and civil society organisations often struggle to carry out would be simple activities if they had more resources. And it is a contributing to factor to the relatively high cost of projects such as these as everything requires more time and resources to complete, even relatively basic items such as vehicle repair. 4.1.1 UNDER-RESOURCED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS As noted above, government departments in Liberia and Sierra Leone are often under-resourced and under-staffed. The total annual operating budget for the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Liberia, for example, was about $100,000 last year in addition to staff salaries. With that amount, the FDA is expected to carry out all of its responsibilities across the country with respect to commercial, community, and conservation forestry. Under such circumstances government actions are often slow and ineffective and corruption is not uncommon. At the very least, there is often considerable tussling over project-based resources like Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA) and fuel. 4.1.2 LOW PRIORITY FOR CONSERVATION Under such circumstances it is perhaps not surprising that forest and biodiversity conservation are not the highest priorities of the governments, conservation not being seen as an important source of income. To be clear, this is not to say that there is no support for conservation but that it is not among the highest priorities. This translates again into activities often requiring more time and resources to complete than desired. 4.1.3 COMMUNITY FORESTRY LEGISLATION In Sierra Leone, there is no specific legislation covering the establishment and management of community-managed forests although there is mention of community forests in the Forestry Act of 1988. An FAO project supported the development of community forestry in Sierra Leone and developed draft legislation that had reached the stage of review by parliamentary committee. However, the 2018 election led to a change in government and the draft legislation was put aside. Thus the community forestry work of the Gola WABiCC project was undertaken in a regulatory vacuum. To mitigate this we worked closely with the FAO so that our work would be aligned and we also worked closely with local Forestry Division officials so that no matter the legal framework, any community forests would be established with the support of the relevant authorities.
93 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT In Liberia, the 2009 Community Rights Law with Respect to Forest Lands provides a legal framework for communities to establish legally recognized community-managed forests and to benefit financially from the management from those forests. Regulations for the implementation of the Act were approved in 2012. Unfortunately, logging companies were able to exploit the law and take advantage of communities in order to gain access to forests they would not otherwise be able to log. As a result, the Government of Liberia imposed a moratorium on any new applications for Community Forests which, as described in the body of this report, had a significant impact on the Gola WABiCC project’s ability to achieve its objective of supporting the Sokpo Clan to establish two Community Forests. As also described previously, the passage of the Land Rights Act (LRA) in late 2018 provides an alternative route to establishing community-managed forests. The LRA enables communities to establish title to community land and requires the development of a land use plan. Within a community’s land use plan it is possible to create zones for forest conservation or logging just like any other land use and this is what the Gola WABiCC project partners now intend to pursue. However, land use planning is new to Liberia and therefore it takes time to develop the expertise and structures needed to carry this out. 4.1.4 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT As can be seen, the enabling environment in Liberia and Sierra Leone is not one that is conducive to forest and biodiversity conservation, especially community-managed forest conservation. The RSPB is grateful to its Sierra Leonean and Liberia partners for their perseverance and commitment in the face of such challenging conditions. The WABiCC Project and USAID are to be commended for supporting conservation work in this difficult environment and are encouraged to continue to support such efforts as solid long-lasting results require sustained effort over time.
94 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 5.0 LESSONS LEARNED, CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES 5.1 Most significant challenges/barriers As described above (see Section 4.0), the enabling environment in Liberia and Sierra Leone is not one that is conducive to forest and biodiversity conservation, especially community-managed forest conservation. It is therefore to be expected that the Gola WABiCC project encountered numerous challenges throughout its implementation, some of which could be anticipated, others not. 5.1.1 CHALLENGES ARISING FROM PROJECT DESIGN The WABiCC call for applications with respect to conservation of the Gola landscape was launched relatively late in the lifespan of the overall WABiCC programme, leaving little time for implementation of the Gola WABiCC project – originally the project implementation period was just over two years. Recognising that all projects need a period of time for project start-up - to hire staff, procure equipment, etc. - staff working with communities on agricultural activities found that they did not have sufficient time after providing training to do all the follow up necessary to ensure successful adoption of techniques that had been taught. Similarly, as community members saw what their neighbours were learning as part of Farmer Field Schools, there was growing demand for training, tools and materials that the Gola WABiCC project could not meet. A longer project implementation period could have helped. The Gola WABiCC project was the first USAID-funded project that the Gola WABiCC partners carried out together and staff found the heavy administrative load of USAID-funded projects to be a challenge. In retrospect, the project could have benefitted from a start-up period that focused on staff training, both internally and by the WABiCC secretariat. For example, M&E training of the implementing partners by the secretariat M&E staff did not take place until a year into the project resulting in a lot of catch up work. Similarly, more work upfront might have reduced the frustration due to various administrative requirements changing over the life of the project. 5.1.2 CHALLENGES ARISING FROM A WEAK ENABLING ENVIRONMENT There is no review of any conservation project implemented in Liberia and Sierra Leone that will not make mention of the challenge of bad roads and other issues related to weak infrastructure. While the observation is commonplace, the situation is bad enough that it warrants mention in a report such as this. It is worth remembering just how difficult the roads are and therefore how difficult it can be to reach certain communities and how costly it can be to maintain vehicles. Weak communication infrastructure and low education levels mean that something that should be simple, e.g. answering an email, can be a significant challenge. The other challenging aspect of a weak enabling environment is weak government capacity for forest and biodiversity conservation. Both the NPAA in Sierra Leone and the FDA in Liberia are under-staffed and under-resourced and lack capacity for many aspects of conservation work. 5.1.3 UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES As described earlier in this report, the decision of the Forestry Development Authority to impose a moratorium on new Community Forest applications had a major impact on the Gola WABiCC project. Despite the enthusiasm of the Sokpo Clan to establish two Community Forests that incorporated zoning for conservation, we were unable to find a way around the moratorium despite numerous attempts and reaching out to decision makers. By the time it was apparent that this route to a community-managed forest was just not going to work and we needed to try something else, there was not much time remaining in the project.
95 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT The other major unexpected challenge was (and is) of course the COVID 19 pandemic. We ended up having to cancel the trans-boundary events planned for the last few months of the project as well as modifying other activities to respect COVID 19 restrictions on travel and gathering. Additionally, we faced challenges in carrying out activities such as the end-of-project livelihoods impact questionnaires as community members were hesitant to meet with staff coming from outside their community, particularly those coming from Monrovia. 5.2 Lessons learned and best practices to disseminate As described above (See Activity 3.4), COVID 19 travel restrictions prevented us from organising a trans-boundary meeting of all partner organisations at the end of the project and we therefore did not benefit from the exchange of different experience that would have benefited our joint learning from the Gola WABiCC project. Each partner organisation did however organise its own learning event and CSSL then gathered the results of each event into one report. The report, which is available on the project Google Drive, includes all the observations from all participants, including staff, community members, and close government colleagues. We have not included all results in this report but have tried to distil those likely to be of most interest to others. Livelihoods activities Livelihoods activities were generally very much appreciated by the communities and are essential for building a strong relationship with communities for conservation activities. This is definitely not a new observation but is important enough to repeat whenever possible. Forest and biodiversity conservation is dependent on community collaboration and cooperation and that is possible only when community concerns about livelihoods are addressed. It takes time for new livelihoods activities to be assimilated and adopted. Again this is not a new observation but it is important when designing new projects to remember that farmers will not simply go to a training workshop and then go home and use the techniques that were taught. For subsistence farmers with few sources of income adopting new techniques is high risk – if the new techniques fail, there is nothing to fall back on. Therefore, it takes time for the new techniques to be tried in an incremental way and to see the results and for staff to provide ongoing support to ensure the new techniques are well understood. Community members at the Gola WABiCC learning events provided an important reminder about the importance of logistics when organising training for farmers. Agricultural work depends on the season and on the weather and it is therefore important to be well organised with tools, materials, staff so that the training can be done at the right time and materials are available when needed. There was strong agreement among all participants (community, project staff, government) that exchange visits are very beneficial and it was therefore recommended to continue to include this activity in future projects. The inclusion of a reflection period at the end of the visit is also encouraged to enable participants to identify what they learned from the visit and how they will share that with others. There was also strong agreement that having staff based in the project communities contributed to building strong relationships with the communities and supported project implementation. It was recommended that this practice continue in any new projects. Finally, the gender equality and social inclusion workshop that was organised with WABiCC support was very much appreciated by the participants and they were impressed by the training done by
96 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT AGALS and the work of the community-based gender champions and could see the benefits. It was recommended that future projects should scale up this gender work and further integrate the principles learned at the workshop into future projects. Community Forestry The community forestry work of the Gola WABiCC project benefited from the group of partner organisations working together. The new SCNL staff working on the WABiCC project, as well as GRC LG and CSSL staff, all benefited from visits to SCNL’s GolaMA project which had been working on community forestry in the Gola landscape since 2015. Staff working on the WABiCC project were therefore able to get up to speed quickly, learning from SCNL’s experience. As with any community development endeavour, the probability of success for community forestry is highest when communities lead the process, when they are engaged because they see the benefit for their communities of managing their forest. In Sierra Leone, this was most apparent in Gaura Chiefdom where the communities identified the need to conserve their forest in order to conserve their water supply and where the community forestry work therefore proceeded quickly and easily. In all areas, staff found that the initial reaction to the idea of community forestry was fear and/or suspicion that this was just another way for the government to put community land into a protected area. It goes without saying that effective community engagement is critical to address this fear and suspicion. Some suggestions to build trust with communities include: • Be persistent. The Sokpo Clan used to be strongly opposed to the creation of the Gola Forest National Park and to the idea of conservation. SCNL continued to respectfully engage them over many years and the Clan is now one of the strongest proponents of community forestry. • Spend time with people and understand their needs. What people say publically can be hiding the real situation. • Be clear about your objectives and continue to be clear and transparent throughout the process. Don’t create any reason for distrust. A simple act like asking the Chiefdom clerk to prepare any documentation related to Community Forests instead of project staff doing so means that the communities have ownership and know that there is nothing hidden. • Don’t make promises that cannot be kept. • Work with existing community structures, again ensuring that communities have ownership and that there is nothing hidden. • Videos can be a useful tool for capturing attention. In both Sierra Leone and Liberia, it was very important that the Paramount Chiefs support community forestry as their support can lead others to also support community forestry. In Sierra Leone, the periodic Conferences of Paramount Chiefs that were initiated with WABiCC support were a useful forum for the Paramount Chiefs to encourage each other. Feedback from Chiefdom representatives during the Kenema learning workshop raised the issue that there were land owning families left out of one forest management committee, illustrating the need to be very thorough when addressing such issues. It was also raised that it is vital for the
97 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT communities to take ownership of community forestry, rules on logging, mining and hunting. It is important to remember that community forestry is a new concept and therefore communities do not have the skill sets needed to manage their forests. Capacity building is therefore very important. Women’s empowerment work was successful, particularly in Liberia, at bringing diversity into leadership roles and should be encouraged in the future. Transboundary Coordination and Collaboration All participants – community, project staff, government officials found that trans-boundary collaboration was valuable and very helpful for learning and networking. There were several examples where the exchange of information at a trans-boundary meeting was very useful for law enforcement. However, participants suggested that the trans-boundary meetings needed to be more frequent and regular and therefore funding should be included for this in any future projects. It was easy to lose momentum on trans-boundary issues if there was too long a gap between meetings. Participants also suggested that it would be helpful to facilitate border crossings with a special pass if trans-boundary meetings were to be held more frequently. Capacity building Project staff suggested that if capacity building is a priority for local partner organisations, then more time and resources need to be built into future projects to facilitate this. Project management, coordination and administration The project management groups – Project Implementation Team, Gola Bilateral Coordination Committee - and having government staff serve as focal points for the project facilitated information sharing and made work planning easier as it was done jointly. However some opportunities for communication and collaboration slipped by, for example the FDA did not receive some project reports. Giving somebody the specific responsibility for liaison with government could have helped this. As noted above, the Gola WABiCC project was the first USAID-funded project that the Gola WABiCC partners carried out together and staff found the heavy administrative load of USAID-funded projects to be a challenge. Initially, there was a lack of understanding of project rules, procedures and policies, especially around finance, which often led to confusion and additional time spent navigating the rules. A longer start-up period in which training could be done as well as a start up workshop is recommended for future projects. This is particularly important for finance and for any M&E documentation that is required. This would also facilitate the early procurement of items needed for project implementation so that they are available when needed. This includes large items like vehicles which have long lead in times and smaller items such as seeds to avoid delays in supply to communities. At the same time, it is recommended that funders take into account the reality of working in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Often, the financial documentation requested was simply not available from vendors. While there was some initial resistance to the extra workload associated with monthly reporting that the WABiCC secretariat introduced partway through the project, we note that by the end of
98 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT the project, all partners appreciated the monthly reporting system for the way in which it facilitated the preparation of semi-annual and annual reports and we have adopted this same system for the recently started Gola PAPFor project.
99 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 6.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS & SUSTAINABILITY 6.1 Lessons Learned and Best Practice Learning was an important and continuous part of the work of Gola WABiCC project. This was reflected in the project design and in the large number of activities such as exchange visits, pilot activities, reflection periods, lessons learned summaries, livelihoods impact assessments and learning events. Learning was primarily used to inform decisions and adjust approaches throughout the life of the project. For example, challenges in developing market access and record keeping in farmers associations was addressed by sub-contracting Eastern Polytechnic to deliver adult literacy training in Sierra Leone. In Liberia, learning from the beekeeping pilot found that extension visits were beneficial to the beekeepers, and so they have been and will continue to be carried out by SCNL staff. Generally, learning was not so much disseminated as it was absorbed into the continuing work of all of the partner organisations. As an example, the livelihoods impact assessment reports were deliberately prepared by and in collaboration with the staff implementing the activities to give them insight into the results so that they understand what changes could be made to improve the livelihoods programming. Many of the staff involved in the Gola WABiCC project will be working on projects which will continue and extend activities started with WABiCC support. The experience and learning they gained from the Gola WABiCC project will be invaluable in guiding the work of the new projects. Similarly, in addition to the formal EOP learning events, opportunities to learn and share experience were built in to all PIT meetings and trans-boundary exchanges throughout the life of the project. We had hoped to carry out an external lessons-learned event for other organisations and stakeholders, however, this could not happen due to COVID 19 restrictions. Hopefully, the WABiCC secretariat will be able to organise something of this nature involving all grantees later this year. With the continuation of many WABiCC-supported activities within the recently-started PAPFor project, there are plans to share lessons beyond the Gola partners to other members of the BirdLife network. 6.2 Sustainability The Gola WABiCC project is one component of a long-term, landscape-wide programme for conservation of the Gola landscape of which the RSPB, GRC LG, SCNL and CSSL are also long-term stakeholders. Community forestry, capacity building and changes to greener methods of agriculture take time, and our partnership’s long-term commitment to the landscape reflects this. To achieve the long-term goal, there will be projects following WABiCC which will continue a large number of the activities carried out under this project – expanding and scaling-up activities that have been effective and building on lessons learned. We have secured 7 grants in the last year that will continue, expand and build on the work carried out with WABiCC support.
Grant Funder Grant Title Amount (USD) Country EU, Biopama Securing the future of 493,860 Sierra Leone Kambui Hills Darwin Initiative Linking food security and 565,460 Sierra Leone forest conservation under REDD+
100 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Grant Funder Grant Title Amount (USD) Country Darwin Initiative Building and investment 719,780 Liberia model enabling citizens to protect Liberia’s forests IDH Developing ‘forest 673,895 Sierra Leone friendly’, premium cocoa value chains from Sierra Leone EU, PAPFor Conservation of the Gola 3,939,670 Sierra Leone & Forest Liberia Rainforest Trust Empowering Communities 615,512 Liberia to protect rainforests in Liberia EU Strengthening local 1,630,500 Liberia communities and the law enforcement network to combat wildlife and forest crime in Liberia
Community Forestry We will continue the community forestry work under the EU-funded, trans-boundary Gola PAPFor project as well as under the Darwin Initiative Food Security project in Sierra Leone and the Rainforest Trust Community Forestry Project in Liberia. The projects will continue the process of establishing all 7 CFs started under the Gola WABiCC project as well as other CF sites. The timing of all three projects has allowed us to seamlessly continue the CF work, picking up where WABiCC support ended to establish interim management committees, develop by-laws, engage government and communities in land use planning, develop management plans, train management bodies and continue education on community forestry. Although CF progress did not go as far as hoped under the Gola WABiCC, the investment in community engagement created strong support for CFs within the Project Target Area which will serve as a strong foundation for the work of these new grants. Transboundary collaboration and coordination Trans-boundary coordination and collaboration which was quite active under the EU-funded Across the River Trans-boundary Peace Park project unfortunately became dormant due to a lack of funding when the project finished. We are grateful for WABiCC support to reignite trans-boundary collaboration, building relationships between the two governments and among conservation partners on both sides of the border. This culminated in the re-signing of the MOU between the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone to jointly manage the Gola Forest. The relationships that were built between the Gola WABiCC partners and between the two governments will enable the teams to continue working closely together, calling on each other’s expertise when needed regardless of formal projects. We are very pleased that meetings of the technical working groups and the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee will continue with support from the Gola PAPFor project. The addition of BirdLife International to the project partners brings in new experience of sustainable landscapes work across Africa. All of this will facilitate management of the Gola Forest on a landscape scale. The PAPFor work plan includes the development of a trans-boundary management plan, the establishment of a technical
101 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT working group to ensure coordination among the individual management plans, as well as the establishment of a landscape-wide bio-monitoring programme. Tiwai Island Under the Gola WABiCC project, the Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) carried out community consultations on Tiwai Island and developed a management plan for this Wildlife Reserve. The EFA is now developing a proposal for implementing the management plan that will be funded by a grant from the Gola PAPFor project. . With a management plan for Tiwai in place, the RSPB, GRC LG and EFA will now revisit the application for World Heritage Site status for the Gola Forest. This would afford the landscape more protection and potentially attract funding in the future. Agricultural intensification The livelihoods intensification work supported by the Gola WABiCC project provided training to communities for sustainable agriculture, beekeeping and NTFP’s. In Sierra Leone, master farmers and GRC LG staff will continue to support community members’ adoption of the techniques learned through FFSs, benefiting the forest as sustainable techniques are continued and benefiting the farmers as they gain more income through methods of intensification. The Gola WABiCC project also recruited more farmers to cocoa producer associations. The producer associations will continue to support the individual farmers, building their skills and knowledge in the long-term and promoting a sense of teamwork to continue sustainable cocoa farming. The umbrella organisation, Ngoleagorbu, will continue to benefit farmers with better access to markets and will continue to benefit the forest as members continue to produce cocoa in a forest-friendly way. GRC LG and CSSL will continue to support cocoa farmers and the development of a rainforest-friendly cocoa value chain with support from the Darwin Initiative Food Security project and the IDH cocoa project. In Liberia, SCNL will continue engagement with their farmer field school groups in Sokpo Clan through regular visits by the assigned Community Mobilization Officers and will also continue beekeeping extension visits started by Universal Outreach Foundation. VSLAs and Small Loans The loan groups have proven to be a very popular activity supported by the Gola WABiCC project, benefiting women in particular. The groups have been set up to continue with little project intervention. In Sierra Leone the groups are self-sustaining in that the pot of loan money is made up through contributions from all members, with no financial input from GRC LG. Over time, as groups strengthen they can therefore run independently of GRC LG input, and there have been some additional VSLA groups setup by leaders of current VSLA groups who have provided training and guidance to community members wishing to setup a new loan group. The loan groups in Sierra Leone will continue with support from GRC LG under the Darwin Initiative Food Security project as well as REDD+ funding. In Liberia, the small loan groups receive funding from SCNL to establish their initial loan fund, and build up their savings through the monthly repayments. The loan funds will continue to be managed by the CFOCs with support from SCNL. Eventually, the CFMBs will assume full responsibility for management of the loan schemes. We are pleased that SCNL obtained funding from the Darwin Initiative to scale up the small loan programmes in the Gola landscape, working with the UK-based investment firm Environmental
102 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Finance to establish a 1.2 million GBP social-environmental investment fund which will capitalize 12 loan schemes that will generate funds for community forest management across the Gola landscape, directly linking livelihoods and loan work with community-based conservation. Ranger patrols and eco-guards Unfortunately, we were not able to complete the necessary steps to enable joint Sierra Leone/Liberia patrols of the two adjoining national parks, the Gola Rainforest National Park and the Gola Forest National Park. We intend to pursue this objective under the Gola PAPFor project. Additionally, rangers in both countries will be continue to be trained in SMART monitoring and exchange visits for rangers between the two national parks will be held. Eco-guards recruited and trained with Gola WABiCC in Liberia have now been deployed to either the protected area or the two model sites. The Rainforest Trust Community Forestry project will fund stipends for the eco-guards here and in other parts of the landscape. Gender and social inclusion GRC LG, CSSL and SCNL developed gender and social inclusion policies with WABiCC support. As noted above, SCNL already finalised their policy and provided training to staff on the policy, while GRC LG and CSSL completed draft policies. With the policies and training in place, gender and social inclusion analysis will be more formally included in project activities and organizational processes such as recruitment. We recently submitted a grant proposal to a USAID call for a project that would extend the empowerment methodology used by AGALS in Sierra Leone throughout the Gola Landscape.
103 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT ANNEX A: MEP INDICATOR TABLE AND RESULTS
TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t 8 Year 1 Sierra Leone – 1730 Number of people (825m, 694f, 211 not trained supported 1910 3194 2985 8089 3183 580 5970 1226 disaggregated) by USG Assistance Liberia – 180 (141m, 39f)
Year 2 Sierra Leone – 2652 660 60 550 50 (1326m, 1286f, 40 not Men 966 1603 1541 4110 disaggregated) Liberia – 542 (277m, 265f)
Year 3 Sierra Leone – 2387 Women 733 1551 1361 3645 (1368m, 1019f) Liberia – 598 (173m, 342f) 9 No. of Institutions with improved capacity based on Number of the Institutional institutions with Capacity improved capacity Assessments: to address 19 2 16 1 39 87 86 212 1950 544 8600 1116 Sustainable Year 1 Landscapes issues MACFA supported by of TUNKOCFA USG assistance GACFA RSPB NPAA VADEMCO
104 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t GRC LG SCNL CSSL VSLA’s x30
Year 2 GRC LG CSSL SCNL FD FDA VADEMCO NPAA RSPB MACFA TUNKOCFA GACFA VSLAs x32 CFOC Small Loan Groups x40 FBO’s x3
Year 3 SCNL Small Loan Groups x40 VSLA’s x38 GRC LG CSSL RSPB FDA FBO’s x3
105 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t 10 Year 1 Sierra Leone NGOCFU Constitution
Liberia CFOC By-Laws
Year 2 Sierra Leone Farmer Association Constitutions x3 VSLA Constitutions Number of laws, x32 policies,
Regulations, or Liberia Standards GFNP National addressing Management Plan sustainable 8 0 7 1 1 74 13 88 100 1057 1300 1100 Small Loan landscapes formally Constitutions x40 proposed, adopted
or implemented as Communications Plan a result of USG Environmental assistance Education Strategy
Year 3 Sierra Leone CSSL Gender Policy GRC LG Gender Policy
Liberia CFOC/SCNL MOU KWAMUFA Farmer Based Organizations By-Laws
106 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t SOMUFA Farmer Based Organization By-Laws Gender Policy Rice Mill Management Plan
Trans-boundary MOU 11 Year 1 IDH - $673,895
Year 2 Amount of Rainforest Trust - investment $615,512 mobilized (in USD) $1 Darwin Sierra Leone - for Sustainable $250,0 $500,0 $250,0 673,8 1,180, 5,129, 6,984,66 millio 270 236 2,052 698 $565,460 Landscapes 00 00 00 95 972 793 0 n activities as Year 3 supported by USG PAPFor - $3,939,670 assistance Darwin Liberia - $719,780 Biopama - $470,343
12 Number of people The total direct receiving livelihood beneficiaries are co-benefits multiplied by the (monetary or non average household monetary) size for each country associated with the - - - 25,817 126 based on the UN’s implementation of 20,500 3000 8,750 8,750 2017 report which USG supported states 5 in Liberia and sustainable 5.6 in Sierra Leone. landscapes
activities Liberia Men
107 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t Direct Beneficiaries – 455 x5 TOTAL – 2275
Women Sierra Leone Direct Beneficiaries – 4204 x5.6 TOTAL – 23,542 20 Liberia Year 1 Upper Sokpo – 10,812ha Lower Sokpo – 14,386ha
Year 3 Number of Gola Forest National hectares of Park – 88,000ha biological significance and/or Sierra Leone natural resources 290,00 116,00 25,30 160,2 Year 1 58,000 58,000 1,212 186,782 44 2 138 64 under improved 0 0 0 70 Bunumbu – 102ha natural resource management as a Year 2 result of USG Naiati – 253ha assistance Gaya Yeyei – 828ha Lukweh – 28ha Naflador - 103ha
Year 3 Tiwai Island – 1,200ha Gola Rainforest National Park – 71,070ha
108 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t 21 Year 1 Capacity Assessments of Partners EMMP MEP BMP GoogleDrive
Year 2 KoboCollect Socio-Economic Baseline Liberia Bio-monitoring Number of tools, Standard Operating databases, Procedure monitoring
systems developed Year 3 or adapted to 13 0 11 3 5 4 10 19 100 36 333 146 Livelihood Impact analyze, organize, Assessment Surveys manage or share Liberia Cocoa data on climate Livelihood Impact change and Assessment Surveys biodiversity Liberia Rice Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Liberia Groundnuts Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Liberia Small Loans Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Liberia Beekeeping Livelihood Impact Assessments Sierra Leone Agriculture
109 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Sierra Leone NTFPs Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Sierra Leone VSLA’s Livelihood Impact Assessment Surveys Sierra Leone Cocoa Institutional Capacity Assessments 22 Year 1 Number of best Liberia practices and 7- Steps to Forming a approaches Farmers Association identified, Cocoa Cultivation 10 3 10 1 4 0 0 4 133 0 0 40 implemented, Manual and/or adopted as a Groundnut Cultivation result of USG Manual assistance Rice Cultivation Manual 23 Year 1 Number of NGOCFU networks
recognized at a Year 2 regional and Project national level and Implementation Team addressing climate Gola Bilateral change (mitigation 1 0 0 1 1 3 2 6 100 100 100 600 Coordination or adaptation) Committee and/or biodiversity Artisan and Small conservation Scale Mining Sector officially installed Working Group or strengthened as
a result of USG Year 3 assistance SOMUFA
110 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t KWAMUFA
24 Year 1 'The Environment and You'. Radio programme. This was a live broadcast, so the recording will be evidence of this airing and is available in the GoogleDrive. Number of audio- Predicted 150,000 visual programs listeners produced and broadcast on Year 2 climate change International Day of adaptation, Forests Radio 20 2 10 10 1 1 5 6 50 10 50 30 sustainable Discussion – five radio landscapes and/or stations in Kenema biodiversity District – 200,000 conservation with listeners the support of the project Year 3 24-Episode Radio Drama, ‘Forest Blessings’, Liberia – estimated 214,000 listeners World Wildlife Week Radio – 3000 listeners (across 3 stations), Sierra Leone
111 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT TARGETS Results PERFORMANCE (%)
No Life Performance Life of . Of the Year Year Year Year Year Year Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL the COMMENTS Projec 1 2 3 1 2 3 Project t VADEMCO Radio Report – 2 million listeners (two stations covering Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Ghana) Project Artisanal Mining Video Liberia Nature club eco- garden reports on radio and TV 25 Number of people participating in Year 1 community Sierra Leone – 791 mobilization 1,347 3,962 4,052 9,361 135 79 405 134 Liberia – 556 campaigns conducted as a Year 2 result of USG 7,000 1000 5000 1000 Sierra Leone – 3506 assistance Liberia – 456 Men Wom Year 3
en Sierra Leone – 2426 Liberia - 1626 Not
Disaggregated
112 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT ANNEX B: COMMUNITY FORESTS
Country Chiefdom Forest Host Size Conservation Value Threats Opportunities Community Communities Forest Progress Liberia Sokpo Upper 10,812 Provides connectivity The main livelihood Strong and supportive Applied and paid Clan Sokpo hectares between the GFNP and activities which also local leadership. for Step 1 of the 9 the Golakonneh serve as key threats Communities recognise Step process; Community Forest blocks. to the site are illicit potential of project boundary of CF mining for gold and interventions to identified; interim diamond, hunting address acute needs in community and bush meat areas of access to forestry committee trade. education, health and formed; local livelihoods population and services/interventions committee members trained on community forestry basics Liberia Sokpo Lower 14,386 Unsustainable Creates connectivity Applied and paid Clan Sokpo hectare hunting, rampant between the GFNP and for Step 1 of the 9 artisanal mining, Sierra Leone forest, Step process; shifting cultivation thus extending and boundary of CF and ongoing protecting that patch of identified; interim commercial cocoa land, and some key community plantation species of global forestry committee development conservation concern formed; local program. Hard as mentioned above. population and Work Company, committee which is a Liberian members trained registered on community company, has forestry basics acquired roughly 2,000 acres of land (1,000 acres from each of the Fornor and Kawelahun communities) in Sokpo Clan to establish a cocoa plantation. Sierra Tunkia Bunumbu Bunumbu & 102 ha Home to pygmy hippos. Threat level is Strong and supportive Process of Leone Golawoma Very rich in forest cover, rather low for local leadership. ensuring FPIC on contiguous to national park potential activities Communities recognise part of community and two riverine islands such as farming and potential of project members connecting Tunkia and artisanal mining. interventions to completed;
113 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Country Chiefdom Forest Host Size Conservation Value Threats Opportunities Community Communities Forest Progress Barri forests across the Remoteness and address acute needs in boundary of CF Moa River. Important for low population in areas of access to identified; interim enhancing connectivity, the host education, health and community therefore. community livelihoods forestry committee contribute to keep services/interventions formed; local threat levels rather population and low. The committee demographics for members trained the community of on community Bunumbu, the forestry basics primary host community, are disproportionately strangers resident in the community for mining purposes. Long- term ownership of the community forestry initiative depends on the more populated and demographically more balanced Golawoma community some two miles from the forest.
Sierra Barri Naiati Boma, Naiahun 253 ha Island is part of pygmy High threat level. Strong and supportive Process of Leone (Saahun hippo range; anecdotal Farming & annual local leadership. Fairly ensuring FPIC on community, 3 accounts that it is part of agriculture work; strong political will on part of community miles off, is western chimpanzee range artisanal mining part of local members significant for also; home to lots of moderate but population; have had completed; its long user endangered/threatened significant scale; benefit of some boundary of CF history) monkey and other species hunting and snaring experience with Tiwai identified; local shared with Tiwai major threat. management (TIAC) population and and are hoping to committee expand involvement in members trained echo-tourism. on community forestry; (ICFMC
114 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Country Chiefdom Forest Host Size Conservation Value Threats Opportunities Community Communities Forest Progress formation under consideration and appears to be close to being done) Note: The Naiati CF is probably the one forest that needs some measure of zoning as there is strong need to accommodate livelihood activities on the island with conservation of certain parts of the island.
Sierra Gaura Gaya Joru, Goumbu, 828 ha Home to colonies of Anecdotally farming Strong and supportive Process of Leone Yeyei Niawama, picarthartes and seasonally and logging; hunting local leadership. Fairly ensuring FPIC on Njagbwema, serves as part of & snaring; Perri strong political will on part of community Njala, Perri chimpanzees’ range poses the most part of local population members Host to reservoir supplying challenge to to support sustained completed; pipe-borne water to all six sustainable supply of pipe borne boundary of CF hosting communities. management of the water; communities’ identified; interim forest. awareness of community relationship between forestry committee forest cover and water formed; local availability a strong population and contributor to their committee positive will. members trained on community forestry basics
Sierra Koya Lukweh Mapuma 28 ha Is an island in close Hunting and snaring The benefit of prior Process of Leone proximity to Tiwai Wildlife are the foremost experience with EFA ensuring FPIC on Sanctuary and therefore threats to animal conservation work part of community shares most of its species wildlife. There is with Tiwai, have members including the pygmy hippo, risk of agricultural members of TIAC completed; the western chimpanzee, expansion into (Tiwai Island Admin boundary of CF the Red Colobus and island but risk level Committee) among identified; interim Diana monkeys. is rather low. local population. Strong community
115 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Country Chiefdom Forest Host Size Conservation Value Threats Opportunities Community Communities Forest Progress There is also risk of and supportive local forestry committee artisanal mining leadership. Local formed; local activities expanding population drawing on population and to island but so far traditional commitment committee appear to be rather to conserving island. members trained low. on community forestry basics.
Sierra Makpele Naflador Pewa, Palima, 103 ha Part of Gola South, the Anecdotal Strong and supportive Process of Leone Nyeyama, block most in need of chainsaw logging. local leadership ensuring FPIC on Joporwahun regeneration The threat level part of community was stated as low members as yet but was completed; predicted to boundary of CF increase with on- identified but going requires further improvements in validation; local the road network population trained in that part of the on community country. Hunting forestry but and snaring are also additional training among the threats required. to the forest’s wildlife. The hosting communities are not in as close proximity as most other community forests since original host community is today a vacated community. Ownership questions tend to be therefore complicated to resolve due to a history of community and family displacement coupled with
116 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT Country Chiefdom Forest Host Size Conservation Value Threats Opportunities Community Communities Forest Progress intermarriages over a long period of time. The consensus of hosting communities is that shared ownership of the four communities be agreed without recourse to determining specific owning individuals or families.
Total Hectares 26,409 Liberia: 25,198 Sierra Leone: 1,211
117 | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT
West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) Program Contacts: Stephen Kelleher Chief of Party [email protected]