Learn-and-Share and Relationship Building Workshop

Vanue Gion Hottel Date 7 Feb 2014

AEPA Experience

Contents

1. Brief About AEPA 1.1 General Objectives1.2 Vision1.3 Principles 1.4 Brief background of AEPA 1.5 Organizational management 1.6 Work experiences 2. GO –CSO relationship experiences3. Some pictures regarding collaborative

relationship with GO sectors

1. Brief About AEPA

1.1 General ObjectivesTo create environmentally literate, conscious, &

accountable citizens through creating awareness, improving the farmer’s

livelihood, developing integrated watershed management, scale up best practices and portfolios.

Cont…

1.2. Vision• AEPA foresees

the climate change resilient communityprotected biodiversity & environment environmentally literate, conscious & accountable citizens

for sustainable development.

Cont…1. 3. Principles• Working at grass root level targeting hard -to-

reach communities• Targeting neglected issues in innovative way.• Focussing on environment issues in general and

local climate change adaptation, food security and rehabilitation in specific

• Focusing on operational activities and awareness creation activities in our approach

• Networking and partnership to bring better result

Cont…

Challenge overcoming strategy

1. 4. Background of AEPA

Cont… • AEPA is a non-profit, non-political, and non-religious association

established in 2005 by interested members of any community members in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State.

• The regional Environmental Authority, whose structure was not yet decentralized at the time, has shown commitment for the establishment of the association for they considered it as supporter of their mission at grass root level.

• In addition materials and financial support which enabled it take the first step in development activities were secured from Forum for Environment.

• Its head office is located in Assosa, Capital of the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, and it is a registered organization as Ethiopian Residence Charity organization with registration number 1653 valid until 01Mach 2016

Cont…

1. 5. Organizational Management• The General Assembly/GA is the highest authoritative

body approves the organization's annual budget and work

plan and elects the Board of Directors. • The Board of Directors is composed of seven members

who have mandate to policy issues and make decisions • the secretariat/Executive body/headed by an Executive

Director is responsible to execute the program activities.

Cont…• The strategic plan as an organizational

development endeavour aims to strengthen and rationalize the programmatic and organizational capacity of AEPA through management efficiency which is synonymous with good management.

• Thus Integrated Strategic Planning and Management Audit (ISPMA) was undertaken with the objective of enabling AEPA to use the five years plan as a basis for its transition to performance management in the holistic framework of strategic management.

Cont…

• Both Human Resource and Financial Policies are developed and up to dated to enable the association systematically and efficiently performing its activities to reach at intended plan.

• The organizational system is in a good position for HR, FM, Procurement Manual and M&E Manual are updated and functional in the organization and the GA heads, Board of directors and the Executive secretariat heads are playing role of leader rather than management.

• New policies development plan for 2014.

Cont…

1.6. Work Experiences• Focus on local climate change adaptation and food

security projects • Over view of twenty woredas Local climate change adaptation projects In Assosa and Bambasi Woredas with support of FfE

and ECSNCC In Menge Woreda partnership with CSSPFocussed on Moringa, Cassava, Mushroom and Vetiver

propagation, utilization and management.

Cont…Achievements The adaptive capacity of the target

communities in Bambasi, Assosa and Menge woredas are enhanced.

AEPA also awarded two times on regional CSOs Exhibition best practice in 2011 and 2013 first and second rank respectively.

Cont…

Cont…Lesson learned Within the past up and down years AEPA learned that:-• Visionary organization can achieve results by

understanding challenges are the means not hindrance.

• It is the staff commitment and visionary leaders bring changes while money is supporting the change.

• Appropriate and directive Monitoring and Evaluation by funding partner give confidence for better results which observed from CSSP.

Cont…

2. GO –CSO relationship experiences case of AEPA & local GO

2.1. Relationship of AEPA with other partner CSOs founder and member of Benishangul Gumuz

Development Associations Network/BGDAN/ member of Ethiopian Civil Society Network on Climate

Change/ECSNCC/, Member of Sustainable Land Use Forum/SLUF/ Partner of Forum for Environment/FfE/ Newly started partnership is with Christian Aid

Ethiopia/CA and Centre for Development Initiatives/CDI Fund source CSSP. Promising fund from French Embassy

Cont…

2.2. Relationship with GO sectors Landmark for the better relationship building

The SLUF training on Vetiver propagation and utilization and experience gained from Ethio -Wet land organization we have seen the field office of this organization brought amazing result by planning and implementing together with the worda agricultural sector and communities. This has raise our good start up we had with regional environmental authority.

Cont…

AEPA has good relationship with regional and woreda government bodies

Indicators More than five times opening remarks and giving award for Green award winners by regional president Award Hall support for the green award of regional council

Cont…

Number of joint event preparation with woreda sector offices especially with environment, administrative and agricultural sector e.g. Woreda level community exhibition on wild edible food Four times world environment day regional celebration event preparation by being AEPA coordinator

2013 WED them is Think, Eat, Save

Cont…

Cont…

Strategies making the regional president patron of the

Green award program Transparent and open to the government bodies Consulting the important government bodies

before the project designing starting from the concept note development especially where to operate/identifying their reflection and even consult before activity implementation.

Cont….

• Project commenting with BOFED before sending to donor /partner especially to make sure the 30/70

• Inclusive strategy / AEPA include related GO bodies in project implementation / e.g data collection, training coordination , community exhibition

• All this had building trust and they become cooperative.

3. Some pictures regarding collaborative relationship with GO sectors