Capacity building for biodiversity conservation among Community Based Organizations projects funded under the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund’s Small Grants Program in Guatemala

Project title

Capacity building for biodiversity conservation among Community Based Organizations projects funded under the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund’s Small Grants Program in Guatemala

Implementing Institutions

Fundación para la Conservación de los Recursos Naturales y Ambiente en Guatemala - FCG - Guatemala, Guatemala.

Country/Countries

Guatemala

Abstract

To build capacities among community based indigenous organizations stakeholders, on gathering, use and management of data and information on BD conservation indicators; and the practices that made possible their achievement. These results have its base on an user-friendly, on-line, program monitoring system that allow CBO stakeholders, projects’ and SGP/FCA program’s management to align CBO projects’ results to BD national strategy and identify BD conservation best practices and knowledge gathering for establishing processes for use of indigenous and local knowledge on BD conservation.

Project Description

Guatemala was included among the planet’s megadiverse countries on CBD, COP10, Nagoya, October 2010. A multicultural and pluri-lingual country that has poverty and lack of sustainable options for biodiversity (BD) conservation as the main drivers for BD loss and increased rural communities’ vulnerability to climate change. To address the causes of these drivers, Guatemala have established actions, which translate into national commitments to CBD, programs, and projects that foster sustainable management of BD resources. FCG, as appointed manager of the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund (FCA), provides funds to BD conservation projects implemented by local community based organizations (CBO). Using the Small Grants Program/FCA scheme, in four highly biodiverse regions, in partnership with five sub-regional NGO, that are locally experienced and knowledgeable, to secure transparent allocation processes, avoid socio-cultural equity issues and contribute to poverty alleviation. After funding one full SGP/FCA program cycle, the need for a bottom-up approach, for data and information gathering on BD indicators, through an user-friendly, on-line, program monitoring system that allow CBO stakeholders, projects’ and SGP/FCA program’s management to align CBO projects’ results to BD national strategy was identified. This system will allow identifying BD conservation best practices and knowledge gathering for processes to use indigenous and local knowledge on BD conservation through participatory experiences’ exchanges promoting sustainability by including local resources mobilization.

Project Objectives and expected Achievables

Project objectives:

- To design and implement a Small Grants Program/FCA monitoring system that allow the use, management and gathering of data, information and knowledge on BD conservation indicators of CBO funded projects to all stakeholders involved on program implementation.

- To build local CBO stakeholders’ capacities to manage and implement participatory processes for use of indigenous and local knowledge on best BD conservation practices and their links to actions and policies that foster their sustainability.

Expected achievables:

At end of 1st year: 1 monitoring system designed to run on-line, and in real time, for SGP/FCA, FCG, NGO and CBO implementing partners grants field BD conservation indicators monitoring and results verification.

At end of 1st year: Monitoring system have allow identification of BD conservation best practices, indigenous and local people knowledge (ILK), information and their sources for establishing a CBO participatory capacity building plan for experiences exchanges and its systematization and sharing with potential interested parties (national and local governments and institutions, NGO) (Initial report delivered at FCA/FCG level).

At 3rd implementation semester end: CBO stakeholders capacity building (CB) plans and strategies for BD conservation ILK and best practices/lessons learned exchanges, traditional knowledge sharing and systematization on BD among regional indigenous communities/organizations, established through participatory workshops to include local and institutional co-financing to foster their sustainability. One plan adapted for each implementation region’s social and cultural characteristics, five documented CB plans and their strategies in total.

At 4th implementation semester end: Two ILK and/or experiences exchanges implemented and systematized in each work region, ten documented events and their systematization in total at national level, including incorporation of adapted ILK/experiences at CBO project level implementation and interested parties informed through FCA/FCG official means. External financial audit conducted for the whole project (Report delivered).

At 5th implementation semester end: One participatory evaluation process of capacity building plans results achieved for each work region, five documented processes in total at national level, providing comments, recommendations, and corrective measures if needed, on CB plans implementation. One formal revision of on-going monitoring system inputs to maintain CB plans towards end of project and follow-up actions after project completion (Report delivered).

At 6th implementation semester end: Two additional ILK and/or experiences exchanges implemented and systematized in each work region. Ten documented processes in total at national level, including incorporation of adapted ILK/experiences at CBO project level implementation and interested parties informed through FCA/FCG official means. One participatory evaluation process conducted by an externally appointed evaluation team. (Final evaluation report delivered). End of project external audit (Report delivered).

Timeframe

3 years

Geographic Scale

National

Seeking Resources for:

Project implementation

Type of Resources/Support needed:

Financial, Technical