To build on previous investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors, particularly the Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (2007-2011) and the Liberia Forestry Support Program (2011-2012), USAID contracted Tetra Tech ARD in May 2012 to implement a new, five-year program (2012-2017) entitled People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER). The overall goal of the program is to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in targeted areas of the country. The three primary objectives of the program are:
- Expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
- Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
- Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.
This fourth quarterly report presents the activities undertaken and results obtained during the third quarter of fiscal year 2013 (FY13) which covers April 1 through June 30, 2013. Individual monthly progress reports were also prepared for USAID.
During the reporting period, PROSPER marked the one-year anniversary (June 18-19, 2012) of the holding of the program’s Inception Workshop. The 59 events organized by the program during the third quarter of FY13, involving over 3,933 participants (see Appendix 4), provide one measure of the scale and scope of the work PROSPER is engaged in 12 months into implementation. As the component summaries (pp. 8-18) make clear, PROSPER made good progress during the quarter in implementing its annual work plan and in achieving performance targets. The dominant activity of the quarter was the belated launching and rollout of the first annual Outreach Campaign aimed at strengthening the capacity of key Liberian institutions to improve environmental awareness, NRM, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance. The first campaign was very much a joint effort of PROSPER staff and dedicated members of the Community Forestry Working Group representing the FDA and CSOs active on forest policy matters. National, county, district, and community authorities who spoke at the well-attended outreach campaign launching ceremonies organized in Tappita, Sanniquellie, and Buchanan, reaffirmed the pertinence of community forestry and strongly endorsed the theme chosen for the first campaign (increased awareness of the laws and regulations that give communities rights to use and manage their forests).
The outreach campaign reinforced ongoing work conducted under Component 2 to lay the foundation in each of PROSPER’s 7 new sites for establishment of their community forests in FY 2014. This included meetings to familiarize community members with requirements and procedures for demarcating proposed community forest areas per the Community Rights Law (CRL) and training in conflict management and leadership. Although a moratorium on new community forest management agreements remains in effect, local government and community representatives from PROSPER’s 7 new sites traveled to Monrovia in May to deliver their applications to the FDA for forest community status. The delegations were received by the Managing Director of the FDA who made a personal pledge to prioritize the review and approval of the applications developed in full compliance with the spirit and letter of the CRL. As in previous quarters, PROSPER contributed to ongoing land and forestry policy discussions at the national level through the preparation of briefing notes and presentations to USAID, the US Embassy, the FDA and Land Commission that highlighted, in particular, the difficulties forest communities face in defending their rights and ensuring equitable benefits in their dealings with logging companies and mining and agricultural concessionaires.
While planned activities under the Livelihoods Component, including farmer field schools (FFS) and technical support for cassava and oil palm processing groups, moved ahead during the quarter, consultations within the PROSPER team and between PROSPER and USAID led to a decision to put more emphasis on the development of tree crop-based enterprises in Year 2. The shift in focus is justified in part by the comparative advantage that the Food and Enterprise Development (FED) program has to support the development of agricultural enterprises in the zones where PROSPER and FED both work. In June a home office expert of PROSPER livelihoods subcontractor, ACDI-VOCA, provided technical assistance to the program in assessing opportunities and approaches for supporting tree crop development in PROSPER’s work areas.
Deliverables Summary:
The following new contract deliverables were due during the third quarter of FY13 (Apr. – Jun. 2013):
- Tested environmental curriculum materials (#3)
- Tested public outreach and awareness approaches (#5)
- Community Forestry curriculum elements identified and teaching training needs assessment performed (#7)
- Series of brochures, radio programs, community theater and video products developed to educate the Liberian public on community forestry, LTPR and the environment (#11)
- Three policy briefs (#29)
Three deliverables originally due (by contract) in the third quarter of FY13 were approved (in PROSPER’s 2013 Annual Work Plan) for submission in the fourth quarter of FY13. They are:
- Community Forest Management Handbook (#12)
- Biodiversity Monitoring Handbook (#13)
- Education Review Workshop (#27)
One of the above-listed contract deliverables was submitted ahead of schedule (see FY13 Q2 Report):
- Community Forestry curriculum elements identified and teaching training needs assessment performed (#7)
The following deliverables were implemented at the field level but will be formally submitted to USAID in Quarter 4 of FY2013:
- Tested public outreach and awareness approaches (#5)
- Series of brochures, radio programs, community theater and video products developed to educate the Liberian public on community forestry, LTPR and the environment (#11)
One contract deliverable due in the third quarter of FY13 will be completed in the first quarter of FY14:
- Tested environmental curriculum materials (#3)
One contract deliverable due in the first quarter of FY13 was submitted for USAID review and approval:
- Ethno-botanical survey and Value chain study (#2)
One contract deliverable due in the first quarter of FY13 was implemented in the current reporting period:
- First outreach campaign launched to improve public awareness of natural resource and environmental management issues (#28)
One contract deliverable due in the first quarter of FY13 was re-submitted for USAID review and approval:
- Biodiversity assessments completed for new sites (#24)
One contract deliverable due in the first quarter of FY13 underwent substantial development or revision during the third quarter of FY13 but remains outstanding:
- Sector surveys and analyses for selected forestry and agricultural value chains (#2)
Outstanding contract deliverables to be completed in the fourth quarter of FY13:
- Three policy briefs (#29)
- Report on public outreach and awareness building approaches (#5)
- Submission of outreach and awareness materials (#11)