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Recommendations
(1) COMPASS should consider mounting short courses for clients and partners on computer skills relevant to information access, such as e-mail, Internet and web browsing.
(2) A case is made for a separate project of GIS training that can be in form of a COMPASS grant to a University College for setting up computer hardware and software to ensure sustained capacity building in this area over the next two years.
Public Awareness
Public awareness activities have involved setting targets and monitoring articles on CBNRM appearing in Daily Newspapers and programmes aired on National Radio and TV station, and establishing contact mechanisms for reaching out to schools particularly through distribution of the Nantchengwa magazine.
About 30% of Malawians have occasional access to newspapers. The NSO’s figure from the 1998-population census on ownership of radios is 49.6%. The TV has an even greater limitation in accessibility, being mainly an urban and peri-urban communication facility. This shows that both the print and electronic media in Malawi are still limited in their outreach to the majority of the communities. Additional avenues for campaigns are, therefore, needed.
Recommendations
(1) COMPASS has set the targets for the above indicators. Except for the Nantchengwa magazine, all the targets that COMPASS has set appear rather ambitious and may need revising. Regarding outreach through newsletters, COMPASS early in the project decided to use well established partner publications on an as-needed basis to promote CBNRM, for example, through CURE, WESM, TSP, Blantyre Synod etc. Now that COMPASS has many CBNRM-related materials, these efforts should be strengthened.
(2) There is scope for the making of documentaries of COMPASS Best Practice Sites for more publicity of CBNRM activities for broadcasts on TV-Malawi or video distribution to partners and schools.
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While communication by e-mail and Internet is fast and convenient, the limited availability of computers especially in Government institutions suggests that more conventional methods need to be used also. COMPASS should strengthen collaboration with avenues that already exist in partner organisations for the dissemination of CBNRM activities.
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In the COMPASS focal districts, integrating training of grantees with mounting of awareness campaigns can increase impact.
Workshops and Conferences
A “Media Training for CBNRM Public Awareness Partnerships) sponsored by COMPASS, aimed at providing practical, hands on training to 21 participants in developing public awareness campaigns and Action Plans, was held from March 21 – 27, 2001. The Fisheries Department successfully completed formulation of its Action Plan and was funded by COMPASS. A professional firm was contracted to develop 5 jingles and 10 poems that were subsequently broadcast by the Fisheries Department in the Usodzi Walero programme on the national radio. The Department now proposes intensification of the campaign.
Recommendations
(1) COMPASS has evidently considered proposals from NGOs aimed at increasing public awareness on natural resource management but it has only been possible to support one of these because all of them had large overhead costs and the geographical and technical scope of the campaigns was very limited. The mission observes that COMPASS support to the Fisheries Department was most appropriate and wishes to suggest that a further COMPASS grant could be used to buy airtime to secure prime slots for messages by the Fisheries Department. Acknowledging COMPASS’ sponsorship will also be possible – something that could not be done under “Usodzi Walero” that was already sponsored by another donor.
(2) There were 21 participants at the “Media Training for CBNRM Public Awareness” session. A number of these could develop a similar programme to that done by the Fisheries Department for further campaign development, especially focusing on targeting rural communities. COMPASS should make follow-up contacts with these partners to assess, on a demand-driven basis, whether other broad-based programmes can be supported or mounting of another media training session should be considered.
3.3 The Small Grants Programme
3.3.1 TR5: CBNRM Small Grant Management Services to Finance Special CBNRM Opportunities Established
The objectives of this targeted result are:
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to promote the sustainable use of natural resources;
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to develop replicable models for promoting sustainable CBNRM initiatives; and
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to provide assistance to viable natural resources management proposals that are not likely to be funded by other programmes.
The grants are given to community groups, local associations, private enterprises, national and international NGOs and Government agencies. Priority grant activities are in two categories: Natural Resource Management and Capacity Building.
According to COMPASS, 36 grants have been awarded so far, which is 80% of the target number (45) of COMPASS Small Grants. The grants can be grouped into 11 categories: 11 grants were afforestation, 5 Capacity Building, 3 beekeeping, 3 alternative energy, 2 aquaculture, 4 wildlife management, 1 mushroom production, 2 fruit tree nursery, 1 organic farming, and 3 other types. COMPASS set the target of 187 Expressions of Interest and 76 proposals to be received by 2004. So far, 144 concept papers and 73 letters expressing interest in applying for a grant have been received. A total of 252 applications have been treated as fully-fledged proposals. The 36 grants make up a total disbursement of US$340,475.00 (MK22,026,459.00), which is 62% of the budgetary provision of US$550,000.00 for Small Grants to be disbursed by 2004. By the October – December 2001 quarter, the number of grants fully disbursed was 23 (i.e. 64% of the awards made so far), but three of these had been terminated before the end of their funding period: two owing to lack of capacity to implement the project effectively (Ndirande Mountain Rehabilitation and Liwonde VNRC) and one (LOMADEF) owing to disbanding the organisation. In addition to the disbursements, the total money obliged is US$167,000.
Many lessons were learned and conclusion drawn from the 30 grants visited. The following recommendations are made:
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