TABI End of Phase 2 Report FINAL
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The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative (TABI) End of Phase 2 Report (July 2012 – March 2017) The Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI) is a SDC project implemented jointly by the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and NIRAS Sweden AB. The Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI)– End of Phase 2 Report (2012-2017) List of Abbreviations ABD Agrobiodiversity AES Agro-Ecosystems CBD International Convention on Biological Diversity CC Climate Change CDE Centre for Development and Environment (University of Bern) CU/SO Coordination Unit/Support Office DAFO District Agriculture and Forestry Office DFRM Department of Forest Resources Management (in MONRE) DOF Department of Forestry DOPC Department of Planning and Cooperation (MAF) FALUPAM Forest and Agricultural Land Use Planning, Allocation and Management FLUMZ Forest and Land Use Management Zoning GoL Government of Lao PDR IUCN The International Union for Conservation and Nature LNFC Lao National Front for Reconstruction LUP Land Use Planning LWU Lao Women’s Union MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MEA Multilateral Environmental Agreement MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment NAFES National Agriculture and Forestry Extension System NAFRI National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NGO Non-Government Organisation NTFP Non Timber Forest Product NUOL National University of Laos PAFO Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SP subProject SPA subProject Agreement TA Technical Assistance TAG Technical Advisory Group 1 The Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI)– End of Phase 2 Report (2012-2017) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 4 2 INTERVENTION STRATEGIES PHASE 2 .................................................................................... 5 3 KEY TABI RESULTS PHASE 2 ................................................................................................... 6 3.1 ABD LIVELIHOOD OPTIONS .................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.1 Income generation ........................................................................................................................ 7 3.1.2 Capacity development .................................................................................................................. 8 3.1.3 ABD awareness and education ..................................................................................................... 8 3.1.4 ABD Livelihood Options ................................................................................................................. 8 3.2 PARTICIPATORY FOREST AND LAND USE PLANNING ................................................................................... 10 3.2.1 FALUPAM Coverage and beneficiaries ........................................................................................ 11 3.2.2 FALUPAM Results and Impacts ................................................................................................... 11 3.2.3 Monitoring of plan implementation (FLUMZ monitoring) .......................................................... 12 3.2.4 Capacity development ................................................................................................................ 13 3.3 ABD KNOWLEDGE CAPITALIZATION AND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 13 3.3.1 Databases ................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Communication Materials .......................................................................................................... 14 3.4 ADVOCACY, POLICY AND MAINSTREAMING OF ABD .................................................................................. 14 3.4.1 GoL Policies, Strategies and Plans .............................................................................................. 14 3.4.2 Three categories of Forests review ............................................................................................. 15 3.4.3 Adoption of ABD tools and awareness raising ............................................................................ 15 3.4.4 International exposure ................................................................................................................ 15 3.5 DEGREE OF ACHIEVEMENT OF PLANNED OUTCOMES OBJECTIVES ................................................................. 15 3.6 DEGREE OF ACHIEVEMENT OF PLANNED OUTPUT OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 20 3.7 RESULTS REGARDING CROSS-CUTTING THEMES GENDER, ETHNICITY & INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE ..................... 20 4 MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ...................................................................... 22 5 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS ..................................................... 24 5.1 ACTUAL FUND UTILIZATION COMPARED TO PLANNED ................................................................................. 24 5.2 PARTNERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO TABI ..................................................................................................... 25 5.3 COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF ACHIEVED RESULTS ........................................................................................ 25 6 LESSONS LEARNT ................................................................................................................. 27 6.1 CHANGES IN IMPLEMENTATION CONTEXT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEGREE OF ACHIEVEMENT........................... 27 6.1.1 Evaluation of Assumptions/Risks ................................................................................................ 27 6.2 LESSONS LEARNED FROM TABI PHASE 2 ................................................................................................ 29 6.2.1 Main factors contributing to successes and failures .................................................................. 29 6.2.2 Key implementation challenges and efforts made to overcome these ...................................... 30 6.3 MOVING INTO PHASE 3 OF TABI ........................................................................................................... 33 APPENDIX 1: SUMMARY OF TABI SUBPROJECTS (SPAS) IMPLEMENTED FROM THE START OF TABI 34 APPENDIX 2: SUMMARY OF TABI SMALL ACTIVITIES (SAAS) DURING PHASE 2 ............................... 37 APPENDIX 3: DATA ON LAND USE CHANGES AFTER FLUMZ FOR ALL VILLAGE CLUSTERS ................ 41 APPENDIX 4: ACHIEVEMENT OF PHASE 2 OUTPUTS ...................................................................... 43 2 The Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI)– End of Phase 2 Report (2012-2017) LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Technical Assistance and staff provided by NIRAS (and CDE), in TABI Phase 2 .................................. 23 Table 2: Fund utilisation for TABI phase 2 ........................................................................................................ 24 Table 3: Government staff assigned to and working in TABI during phase 2 .................................................. 25 Table 4: Analysis of original risks at log-frame objective levels. ...................................................................... 27 Table 5: Challenges and efforts to overcome these ......................................................................................... 30 3 The Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI)– End of Phase 2 Report (2012-2017) 1 BACKGROUND The Agro-Biodiversity initiative (TABI) is a programme funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and implemented under the planning department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). NIRAS Natura1 has been entrusted with the responsibility to support and facilitate the implementation under mandate agreement with SDC. This is the final report for the second phase of the TABI programme. The aim of the AgroBiodiversity Initiative (TABI) is to leverage the country’s rich agro-biodiversity into a mechanism that realizes development goals in the near term without jeopardizing future capacity to do the same, based on the assumption that the concept and practice of agro-biodiversity can play an important role in supporting farmers to respond and adjust to the rapidly changing contexts. It seeks to conserve, enhance, manage and sustainably utilize the biological diversity found in farming landscapes in order to improve the livelihoods (being food, income and materials for use) of upland farming families in Laos. TABI phase 1 lasted from 2009 to 2012 and was designed on principles drawn from the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA), such as the International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The major thrust set out for in the start of TABI was to support the Lao PDR in implementing the specific CBD aspects related to food, nutrition, dietary diversity, hunger and poverty reduction. Phase 2 continued the work from phase 1 but with a slightly revised goal and focus: “To contribute to poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods of upland communities through sustainable management and use of ABD in multi-functional landscapes”. The refocus consisted of working more with the integration of ABD principles into national strategies and plans, rather than CBD and other