Strengthening Capacities for Collaborative Landscape Management in Africa

Louise Buck, EcoAgriculture Partners and Cornell University

Introduction

• Integrated management of rural landscapes is a preferred way to satisfy human demands for resources in ways that sustain ecosystems and improve livelihood security and equity.

Working from a landscape perspective requires a broad

spectrum of capacities.

Capacities, Landscape Capacities and Capacity Development

Capacities• Knowledge:

understanding from a theoretical perspective

• Skill: applying knowledge in real life

• Attitude: shapes decisions, actions and behavior based on values, beliefs and paradigms that drive them

Photo: CIMMYT

Landscape Capacities

• Technical know-how• Ability to consider landscapes as elements of

food, livelihood and ecosystem service systems

• Feeling for spatial processes, inter-disciplinary team work, complex stakeholder learning and decision-making and local circumstances

Landscape Capacity Development

• Training • Long term engagement in landscapes• On the job facilitated collaborative learning• Landscape experience elsewhere to help

think “outside the box”

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Landscape Capacity Development Activities

Design, support, facilitation of multi-

stakeholder learning

Organizational and institutional

supportTraining Mentoring

Training of trainersAdvisory supportCoaching Action research and action learning

Farmer field schools

Other vehicles for learning

Cross-Landscape Learning Activities• Study tours• Dialogues and learning exchanges• Web-based resource portals• E-groups• International training and encounters

offered by global knowledge providers such as universities and knowledge institutes

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Landscape Capacity Development: Findings from Recent Studies

• Integrated landscape initiatives for African agriculture, development and conservation: a region-wide assessment examines 87 ILIs in 33 African countries

• Provides insight into contexts and challenges of diverse ILIs and lessons learned regarding capacity development

Region-Wide Assessment of ILIs

• Producer groups and NGOs drive most ILIs.• Most ILIs invest in improving landscape

planning, coordination and governance.• Many ILIs invest in developing capacities in

agriculture production and conservation management practices.

Photo: John Picken

NACOMA Investment in Capacity Development

• Integrated coastal management (ICM) strategy called for large scale capacity development

• Awareness raising on influence of different stakeholder groups

• Educating stakeholders on principles of ICM • Building neutral platform• Developing skills in coordination and rapport

building

Capacity Development Challenges

• Coordinating stakeholders• Building trust• Reducing conflict• Working in unsupportive policy frameworks

Photo: Lee Gross, EcoAgriculture Partners

Capacity Development Needs

• Improve private sector engagement

• Improve government support and leadership

• Improve knowledge sharing and exchange

• Improve multi-stakeholder mechanisms and governance

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Conclusions from ILI Assessment and Other Studies

• Technical management capacities relatively easy to develop

• Cross-cutting capacities related to stakeholder management, leadership and governance highly in demand

Photo: Bernard Gagnon

Key Action Areas for Landscape Capacity Development

• Curriculum development for new breed of landscape professionals

• Government support and leadership

• Multi-stakeholder mechanisms & governance

• Farmer engagement• Private sector engagement

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Potential Action Steps

• Analyze approaches, methods and results of current capacity development initiatives.

• Assess potential for building entrepreneurial landscapes.

• Form a “global landscape academy.”

Photo: Eileen Delhi

Springboards for Action

• Draw from the many groups across Africa who are developing tools and programs to enhance capacity for landscape management

• Participate in Wageningen UR Center for Development Innovation l/s learning events

• Engage with LPFN Working Group on Landscape Strengthening

Further Springboards for Action

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

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