Conservation governance: crucial to community conservation
Governance is about power, relationships and accountability. The creation of communal conservancies has granted effective power over natural resources to previously disempowered rural Namibians: conservancy members to whom their conservancy committees and managers are accountable. Namibian community conservation governance, only two decades old, is increasingly recognised as the key element in enhancing effectiveness, equity and sustainability in conservation, in CBNRM programmes, and especially in communal conservancies.
In Namibia, CBNRM is strongly rooted in post-independence policy and legislation that granted rights over wildlife and tourism to communal conservancies. These legal entities are administered through a community governance structure that is shared governance where two or more groups share authority, i.e traditional authorities and external powers such as the MEFT.
It is therefore important to uphold the principles of good governance to ensure that Conservancy Management Committees (CMCs) and community members recognise and respect each other’s rights; promote the full participation of all groups in decision-making processes; are transparent and accountable to each other and to external powers; and distribute benefits from income equitably.
Governance and management
Although governance and management are closely related, they have different purposes. While governance is about who makes decisions, how these decisions are made, and how participants have their say and hold those in power to account; management is about defining, prioritising and implementing strategic decisions and objectives.
Therefore, a balance between strengthening management structures and promoting good governance in conservancies is needed to ensure that CMCs are held accountable, while at the same time conservancy managers are empowered to take day to day decisions.
The MEFT and NACSO’s Institutional Development Working Group (IDWG) have developed various tools to promote good governance in conservancies. These include the MEFT’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for conservancies, which highlight key compliance requirements; and reporting templates to guide conservancies in compiling annual reports. A national incentive scheme is also currently under development to promote a culture of good governance in conservancies.
Recognising that good governance is essential for the long-term institutional stability of conservancies, the MEFT has set out five essential conditions that must be complied with:
- AGMs: All conservancies must hold annual general meetings according to their constitutions. Many conservancies also hold district, village or block meetings to increase representation and to give a voice to members unused to speaking in large meetings. However, the AGM is essential to hold committees and managers to account, to elect new committee members, and to present financial reports and budgets for approval.
- CMCs: Conservancies must ensure that Conservancy Management Committees are elected according to conservancy constitutions and terms of office. Conservancy activities should be implemented according to agreed plans.
- Financial management: All conservancies must produce annual financial statements. These are to be presented, discussed and approved at the AGM, and are to be made available to the MEFT to be monitored.
- Benefit Distribution Plans: Every conservancy should have a BDP and should aim to disburse at least 50% of its income as benefits. The conservancy AGM should decide on the distribution of benefits.
- Wildlife management plans: All conservancies should manage their wildlife as per the Game Management and Utilisation Plan (GMUP) and submit a Wildlife Utilisation Report annually.
Support to governance
The IDWG has conducted several training courses at conservancy and national level, as well as implementing mentorship and induction sessions for newly elected committees. Training has included financial management and gender mainstreaming. Although training targets CMCs with the hope that the results trickle down to conservancy members and improve governance, this has not always been the case. There is still often a disconnect between members and the CMC, disengaged community members and poor support for conservancy activities. Increased capacity within the IDWG and the MEFT is required to address this issue.
Efforts have been made to ensure that conservancy members are aware of their rights and responsibilities and feel empowered to engage in decision making about sustainable natural resources management.
Support tools
The MEFT, NACSO’s IDWG and other partners including German Development (GIZ) have developed support tools. Three pilot projects on ‘Membership Engagement’ are currently running in northern Kunene, north-central regions and in Zambezi. Various tools including community radio programmes, village meetings, household surveys, and youth-centred activities are used to engage members. Dashboards – simple spreadsheeds – have been developed to assist both conservancies and NGO support staff to understand and manage governance issues.
It is still early to draw definitive conclusions. However, preliminary results indicate optimism about support to the governance programme, with a need to continuously engage members, and to better understand challenges, strengths and opportunities from the broader conservancy membership.
Beyond the current interventions
Although the IDWG and MEFT have made notable progress towards improving governance in conservancies, several challenges continue to hamper progress, including: poor information flow between CMCs and conservancy members, weak financial management, and inequitable sharing of benefits in conservancies.
These challenges also undermine the wider sense of conservancy members’ ownership over natural resources. Hence, more still needs to be done, including dedicating human and financial resources to strengthen both management and governance structures in conservancies, strengthening the enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures, and providing targeted support to conservancies based on their needs as identified in annual reports including audits, compliance and financial reports.
Finally, efforts to promote good governance must always consider the voices of all conservancy members, including marginalised groups, women and youth.
As conservancies turned their focus to a post-COVID-19 world in 2022, governance activities remained at the forefront of operations, requiring the maintenance of communication between members, elected representatives and staff.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism’s (MEFT) Guidelines for the Management of Conservancies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are in place to ensure that conservancies meet national governance standards. While the MEFT eased SOP compliance requirements in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, full requirements were in place for 2021 and 2022.
Compliance with SOPs is measured on five key requirements: holding an Annual General Meeting (AGM), distributing benefits according to a Benefit Distribution Plan (BDP), reporting on the management and use of wildlife as per a Game Management and Utilisation Plan (GMUP) and producing satisfactory annual financial reports. Conservancy Management Committees (CMCs) must also be elected according to each conservancy’s constitution terms of office and procedures. The governance commitment and performance review are an assessment of conservancies by conservancies together with their field partners. Performance evaluations are based on questions specific to member engagement, benefit planning and distribution, accountability, stakeholder engagement and financial management.
Successful governance is also dependent not only at the conservancy level, but also on members within the conservancy and more broadly, across the national conservation landscape. The MEFT and the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) Institutional Development Working Group (IDWG) works to develop and improve conservancies’ democratic governance, management, and financial operations through the collaboration of CBNRM support organisations and government technical staff. Governance support is provided to all conservancies to meet the SOPs and all that entails, including financial management, benefit distribution and support to management committees.
A number of governance activities were supported in 2022 including continuous support to ensure good financial governance, AGM support, induction training for new committees and review of constitutions. Additionally, the Namibia Rural Women’s Association and Women in Conservation organisations received support and training, as well as all regional conservancy and community forest associations, which provide regional and national level platforms for community-based organisations (CBO).
What’s new in 2022
Governance Indicators and Gender Balance
In 2022, 77% of conservancies were able to cover their operational costs (Table 2), with 78% distributing some kind of benefits to their members, including meat from hunting. 94% of reporting conservancies were able to hold their annual general meetings (AGM), supported by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings. Financial reporting improved this year with more financial reports and budgets submitted and approved.
| Category | Number of Conservancies | Conservancies Reporting | Percentage of category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered conservancies (incl. Kyaramacan Association) | 87 | 87 | 100 |
| Conservancies generating returns | 64 | 87 | 74 |
| • covering operational costs from own income | 49 | 64 | 77 |
| • distributing cash or in-kind benefits to members, or investing in community projects | 50 | 64 | 78 |
| Conservancies with game management and utilisation plans | 68 | 82 | 83 |
| • sustainable business and financial plans | 20 | 82 | 24 |
| Conservancy AGMs held | 77 | 82 | 94 |
| • financial reports presented at AGM | 69 | 82 | 84 |
| • financial reports approved at AGM | 65 | 82 | 79 |
| • budgets approved at AGM | 67 | 82 | 82 |
Governance indicators for 86 Conservancies and the Kyaramacan Association (≠Aonin Association is not included).
*The number of conservancies reporting are those that have been audited.
Women’s leadership in conservancies has increased slightly from last year, with 13% of 82 reporting conservancies being led by female chairpersons. A third of committee members and 40% of the treasurers and financial managers are women, highlighting that women are trusted with the important task of working with conservancy finances. Less than a quarter of conservancy staff members are female, however, which is likely due to a bias towards male game guards.
| Category | Number of people | Number of conservancies reporting | Percentage of category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservancy managment committe members | 989 | 82 | 100 |
| • female management committee members | 340 | 82 | 34 |
| • female chairpersons | 11 | 82 | 13 |
| • female treasurers/financial managers | 40 | 82 | 49 |
| Conservancy staff members | 1076 | 82 | 100 |
| • female staff members | 245 | 82 | 23 |
Gender balance within conservancy structures for 82 reporting conservancies. The percentage of category is the proportion of females out of the total number of people in that category (e.g. 340 female committee members out of 989 total committee members).
Benefit Distribution
Delivering benefits to conservancy members and their families is at the core of CBNRM. Whether this be as employment opportunities, cash distributions, meat or community projects, these benefits are the tangible representation of conservation in action. Instead of only carrying the burden of coexisting with wildlife, benefits create both financial incentives and instill pride in communities towards their environment and natural resources.
The MEFT requires that at least a minimum target of 50% of the income generated in conservancies is allocated to benefit distribution, specifically to community development projects.
These projects increase the positive impact of the CBNRM programme on the broader community by improving lives and creating opportunities for rural development. One of the challenges that some conservancies face is the lack of sufficient income due to low wildlife numbers, no JV partnership investment or other factors. This remains an important focus for the programme, particularly as it expands its efforts to diversify income sources and livelihoods in all conservancies.
In 2022, based on the submission of financial reports by 64 conservancies, only seven managed to surpass the 50% minimum benefit requirement. This discrepancy can be attributed to factors such as escalating expenses post-COVID-19, limited emphasis on benefit distribution in conservancy budgeting, and a lack of member accountability in upholding approved budgets and ensuring the implementation of designated benefit-yielding activities.
There is a persistent concern surrounding benefit distribution levels as conservancy income increases to higher levels postCOVID-19. The prioritisation of benefit distribution is imperative for communities living with wildlife to ensure that they have a clear role and stake in management, and also have a strong incentive for conservation. Without adjusting the present course, the CBNRM sector risks falling short of its vision to sustain communal gains from wildlife, tourism, and other
local resources.
Enhancing Financial Governance and Management
Young Professional Accountants
One of the continuing challenges which conservancies face is financial governance, accountability and management. These challenges are due to weak financial accounting systems, not using standardised financial management templates, once off or short-term support from external financial consultants and often-changing conservancy staff and committees. Moreover, institutionalising accountability takes time in communitybased organisations, where elected management committees operate in challenging circumstances with limited resources and governance knowledge.
The MEFT and implementing partners have provided increased financial management support over the past several years as part of the standard operating procedures (SOP). This system has resulted in improved financial outcomes, but challenges remain.
As a part of this ongoing support, the MEFT in conjunction with the Institutional Development and the Business, Enterprise and Livelihoods Working Groups introduced the Young Professional Accountants (YPA) project in mid-2022 with funding from the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) and other sources. The aim of the programme is to place young, qualified accountants in regional clusters to assist conservancies to develop a financial management system, including standardised financial management templates and policies, as well as budget trackers to track spending against work plans. Annual financial reports are also an important outcome of the support. The project will also help augment the capacity of conservancy bookkeepers and managers through long-term on the job training, while maintaining the sustainability of financial management in conservancies.
By the end of 2022, nine YPAs were appointed and trained to work in five regional clusters. A unified financial management system with reporting template and a financial management guide has been developed and will be used by the YPAs in their respective conservancies.
The YPAs are hosted by field-based partners who provide the necessary supervision and administrative support. During the first year, professional consultants work closely with the YPAs, including the provision of mentorship and coaching support. In the second and third years, consultancy services will be phased out, to allow the YPAs to spearhead the support to conservancies. The project is reviewed on a regular basis and the facilitation of national learning and reflection sessions are part of the process.
The project has been well received by MEFT and NACSO partners who are working with the individual YPAs. It is hoped that the momentum and enthusiasm of the YPAs will carry the project through multiple achievements to support communities in improving their financial governance and management capabilities and ultimately, increasing benefits.
Change Agents for Nature
Empowering the next generation of conservationists
An exciting movement is taking root within the communitybased natural resource management sector, nurturing a generation of new conservation enthusiasts. The Youth in Conservation Network empowers youth to become champions of conservation, thereby inspiring change for a sustainable future for both people and nature.
What began as a small group of passionate young individuals with a shared love for nature during Earth Hour activities, has blossomed into a robust and dynamic network with over 30 unemployed youth from Kunene North and South, North Central, and Zambezi regions. The youth were selected by their conservancies to take part in these activities. These Youth in Conservation Ambassadors have a desire to safeguard Namibia’s rich biodiversity, and to address environmental challenges in innovative ways. They have demonstrated this through proactiveness in their various stewardship roles over the past year, making important differences in their communities with limited resources.
The youth are engaged in collecting valuable biodiversity data within their conservancies that can be used for monitoring, management and awareness raising. This data is also uploaded onto the National Atlasing in Namibia app, contributing to national biodiversity data. The focus is on photographing what mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies are sighted. The 27 youth selected to collect biodiversity data have captured over 4000 sightings within their respective conservancies.
The Youth in Conservation Network empowers young leaders to champion nature conservation. Anchored in values of impact, sustainability, innovation and accountability, they inspire peers to unite for a thriving conservation environment. This network prioritises rural youth empowerment, offering capacity building and skills workshops to equip unemployed youth in conservancies for sustainable livelihoods and environmental conservation. By amplifying youth voices in conservation efforts, the network ensures their inclusion in shaping policies for a sustainable future. As Youth in Conservation Ambassadors sow change and inspire a new generation of environmental custodians, and collaborate with communities, organisations and government agencies, their actions fuel far-reaching impacts. The Youth in Conservation Network is supported by CBNRM organisations including NACSO, WWF Namibia, the Namibia Development Trust (NDT), the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) and the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN). Ongoing investment in these passionate youth promises to make a positive impact on both people and nature.
