increasing the impact of conservation projects in africa
TRANSCRIPT
Increasing the impact of conservation projects in Africa
The report of a training course organised by the
Tropical Biology Association
to increase effective management of conservation projects
10 - 13 November 2015
Musanze, Rwanda
Funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
Rationale
“I will use the skills
gained to improve the
management of current
projects and future
projects in my
organisation”
Thierry Aimable, Forest
of Hope Association,
Rwanda.
The Albertine Rift is one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions; a globally
recognised hot spot. It is home to many species of conservation
importance including more than half of continental Africa’s birds. It also
supports nearly 500 mammal species, about 5,800 species of plants, and
1,300 butterfly species. The most charismatic flagship species are the
endangered great apes: the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and robust
chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
The region is facing increasingly serious threats including habitat
destruction and fragmentation, overexploitation of biological resources
and disturbance from human activities. Key players in tackling these
threats are conservation institutions - such as civil society (or non-
government) organsiations - in the region. They themselves have
identified the urgent need to increase their capacity to design and
implement more effective projects on the ground.
In response, the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) designed a tailor-
made training course for conservation managers working in the
Albertine Rift hotspot.
The training course was funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
(CEPF), whose fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in
biodiversity conservation.
The Course
“I will immediately
start using this
knowledge in
implementing my on-
going project.”
Theoneste Nzayisenga,
Association pour la
Promotion des Etudes
d’Impacts
Environmentaux au
Rwanda
The course targeted managers responsible for the implementation of
CEPF-funded projects in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Rwanda and Uganda. Our teaching team included experienced trainers
from the Tropical Biology Association and CEPF, alongside local experts
working in the Albertine Rift.
The 4-day course covered:
❑ Managing projects and planning outcomes to increase
understanding of effective approaches, tools and skills for
sustainable management, especially when faced with the
changing realities and demands of conservation projects.
❑ Undertaking Monitoring and Evaluation to show managers
how to set realistic indicators to successfully track progress and
assess impact of conservation projects.
❑ Communicating effectively to develop managers’ skills in
communicating the impacts of their work so as to attract new
funding and support.
Our approach
“Presentations were
clear, with practical
examples, and the
planned discussion
sessions were very
important for applying
the theory.”
Philbert Nsengiyumva,
Albertine Rift
Conservation Society,
Uganda
The TBA “active learning” approach used practical exercises, talks and case
studies to share real life experiences and best practices, including those
from participants’ own work.
Lively and engaging group discussion and Q&A sessions were included as
well as specific advice for participants on their own CEPF-funded projects.
Site visit
A really valuable part of the course was a visit to local communities in the
Volcanoes National Park. This gave participants an opportunity to see
successful CEPF-funded conservation projects first-hand, and to learn from
those people who are putting them into practice. In one of the
communities, former poachers have developed alternative sustainable
livelihoods, and are now committed to safeguarding biodiversity.
Feedback
“Very skilled and
experienced trainers;
very relevant topics
and content for project
managers...”
Serge Nsegimana,
Association pour la
Conservation de la
Nature au Rwanda
At the end of the course all the managers said they were “very likely” to
apply the knowledge gained from the course in their work, afterwards.
They also said they would train others in their institutions with the
knowledge gained on the course
100% of all the participants rated the course as either
“excellent” or “good”
Building knowledge
All participants said that the course had increased their level of
knowledge in project planning and management, monitoring and
evaluation, and communication, on a scale of one (very poor
knowledge) to five (excellent knowledge).
Participants’ level of knowledge before and after the course
3.45
3.18
3.55
4.27
3.91
4.45
Project planning
and management
Monitoring and
evaluation
Effective
communication
Before After
Who we trained
“I will share skills and
knowledge obtained
from this course with
my colleagues at
work… and apply them
in project design and
development.”
Marc Ndimukaga,
Straightforward
Development Services
Ltd. Rwanda.
The 11 participants were all conservation managers implementing
priority projects in the Albertine Rift, funded by CEPF.
Country Name Organisation
Burundi Charles Rugerinyange Association Burundaise Pour la
Protection de la Nature
Phillipe Masabo Burundi Nile Discourse Forum/Forum
Burundais de la Société Civile du Bassin
du Nil
Alexis Nikisa Association Protection des Ressources
Naturelles pour le Bien-Etre de la
Population au Burundi
Athanase
Nsabiyumva
Burundi Nature Action
DRC Habamungu Fidele Horizon Nature
Rwanda Theoneste
Nzayisenga
Association Pour La Promotion Des
Etudes D’impacts Environmentaux Au
Rwanda
Thierry Aimable
Inzirayineza
Forest of Hope Association
Marc Ndimukaga Straightforward Development Services
Ltd.
Umukunzi Liliane Association Rwandaise des Ecologistes
Serge Nsengimana Association pour la Conservation de la
Nature au Rwanda
Uganda Philbert
Nsengiyumva
Albertine Rift Conservation Society
All eleven now join the Eastern Afromontane Conservation Network – a
growing network of managers committed to making a difference on the
ground in biodiversity conservation across the hotspot. The network is
managed by the Tropical Biology Association.
The Future
“The planned
discussion sessions
were very important to
help apply the theory”
Philbert Nsengiyumva,
Albertine Rift
Conservation Society,
Uganda
Thanks to
The course has shown there is a clear need for training conservation
managers to be more effective. All the participants told us they would
now change the way they undertake conservation as a result of this
training. We know that we can benefit more conservation managers
through future courses across Africa.
Our host in Rwanda was Felix Ndagijimana, Director of the Karisoke
Research Center.
The course was generously funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership
Fund, under the project
‘Systematic Evaluation of CEPF and Capacity Development of CEPF
Grantees’, which is being implemented by TBA and Fauna and Flora
International.
CEPF is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement,
Conservation International, the European Union, the Global
Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur
Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil
society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.
Our trainers
Course designers and coordinators
Dr. Rosie Trevelyan, Tropical Biology Association, UK
Mr. Paul Mugo, Tropical Biology Association, Kenya
Course trainers
Dr. Rosie Trevelyan, Tropical Biology Association, UK
Mr. Paul Mugo, Tropical Biology Association, Kenya
Mr. Jean Paul Ntungane, BirdLife International, Kenya
Mr. Deogratias Tuyisingize, Karisoke Research Center, Rwanda
Dr. Michel Masozera, Wildlife Conservation Society, Rwanda
Mr. Benjamin Mugabukomeye, International Gorilla Conservation
Programme, Rwanda
About us
The Tropical Biology Association helps safeguard natural resources in
Africa and other tropical regions by delivering innovative training and
support to the people responsible for conserving nature.
We run practical, tailor-made courses in Africa and south-east Asia. By
sharing expert knowledge across different cultures, we help ensure
that the conservation community has the essential skills and capacity
to manage resources sustainably.
To make sure our training has maximum impact, we provide on-going
support for our trainees. This ensures they apply their new skills
afterwards and become active members of a dynamic international
network.
Our growing network of over 1900 alumni spans over 70 countries and
is creating a potent international force for conserving precious habitats
and threatened species.
Contact us
European office:
The Tropical Biology Association,
Department of Zoology,
Downing Street, Cambridge CB2
3EJ, UK.
African office:
The Tropical Biology Association,
P.O. BOX 44486,
00100 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Registered charity number 1116111 Tropical Biology Association Limited, is registered in England & Wales, no:
05827864
www.tropical-biology.org