1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Programme for Territorial Communities, Mali (PACT)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (GIZ) - Germany

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

01/07/2012

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Local agreements aim to prevent and consensually manage conflicts on a site and to manage natural resources to ensure they are used rationally and sustainably.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

A local agreement is a mutual agreement covering the ways in which shared natural resources are exploited in order to ensure their fair and sustainable use. As the national methodological guide puts it: ‘All agreements, written or otherwise, between two or more local actors and particularly social groups (socio-professional groups, village associations or communities, or factions), technical services and NGOs set the rules for accessing and using the resources in a way which ensures their conservation and their responsible and sustainable exploitation’.
The local agreement is the fruit of a series of consultation and negotiation forums involving local farmers and managers of a shared natural resource and is delivered with the support of local authorities and their technical services. These consultation and negotiation forums make it possible for all the actors involved to evaluate the status of the resource, identify problems and put forward possible solutions. The forums create a climate of trust among user groups who, despite the difficulties of living side-by-side, remain willing to come together around the same table. The management ideas resulting from the discussions and negotiations are laid down in the form of consensual management rules, collectively called the ‘local agreement’.
Stages of implementation: 1)Information and identification of key actors in the process of drawing up a local agreement. As it is not possible for everyone to participate in the consultation exercise, the process is based on delegation. 2)Natural resource diagnostic exercise: first taking a snapshot of the current state of the resource using tools like resource maps, Venn diagrams and matrices categorizing producers by product. Next, problems arising from resource exploitation and management, and possible solutions to these problems, are identified. 3)The results are fed back to actors who have not been involved in the diagnostic process in order to gather their inputs. 4)Drawing up the draft local agreement: analysing reaction to the diagnostic feedback in order to (i) take on board the most relevant inputs and (ii) flesh out and refine the ideas for regulatory solutions (concrete management rules and their associated sanctions – this constitutes the ‘draft local agreement’) without losing sight of the national legislation relating to the resource. It is during this stage that the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the agreement is developed. 5)Feedback and validation of the draft: in order to refine the terms of the draft local agreement, the select committee instituted by all those participating in the process feeds back the results of its work and then debates them. Once the terms are agreed by all parties, it is considered validated. 6)The draft local agreement is signed by the local managers of the resource and is then considered by the territorial community and approved by the supervisory authority, where required. Hardcopies of the signed agreement are subsequently given out to key actors and it is disseminated through discussions in general meetings and on local radio. 7)Monitoring bodies are set up to monitor local agreement implementation at the village and commune levels and to deliver training on the roles and responsibilities required at these levels. 8)Monitoring and evaluation is carried out with regard to the implementation of the local agreement and the functioning of bodies tasked with monitoring the implementation.
Involved actors: Territorial communities, farmers and managers of natural resources, technical services, financial support structure.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities
Agreements between different actors on the sustainable and fair use of shared natural resources, reduction of conflicts
The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: conflicts on and unsustainable use of natural resources

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	interactive
planning	interactive
implementation	interactive
monitoring/ evaluation	interactive
Research	passive

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Ja

Specify who was trained:

• land users

Form of training:

• public meetings

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Ja

Describe/ comments:

Advisory service is quite adequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, moderately

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Specify type of support:

• financial
• capacity building/ training

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Ja

Comments:

technical aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff, land users through observations;
socio-cultural aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff, land users through observations;
management of Approach aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff, land users through observations;
bio-physical aspects were ad hoc monitored by None through observations;
There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation;
There were no changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation;

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Ja

Specify topics:

• sociology
• economics / marketing
• ecology
• technology

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: international: 100.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Ja

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

A local agreement for managing natural resources usually applies for between three to five years. At the end of this period, the agreement must be evaluated in order to take account of new developments. PACT has been using these local agreements since 2004.
The sustainability of the local agreement depends on the level to which its terms are taken up by those who developed it and who are responsible for implementing it. It also depends on the relevance of the regulatory and technical solutions taken forward for resolving the major issues identified in the diagnostic process.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
More rational and sustainable exploitation of resources
Fairer access to developed lands
Consultative management of the shared resource
Reduction and prevention of conflicts (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: The diagnostic process must reflect reality, as expressed by the beneficiaries themselves. During the diagnostic process, beneficiaries must be given guidance but must not be directly influenced. The solutions put forward must come from the beneficiaries. There must be continuity in terms of key actor representation. The results from consultation exercises must be fed back into the process. Local authorities, supervisory bodies and technical services must be involved. A set of technical measures must be implemented based on the results of the diagnostic process. These measures must reinforce the management rules.)
Local agreements on managing developed lands and facilities are drawn up for the majority of hydro-agricultural schemes (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: There must be a system in place to take action against those breaking the terms of the convention (committees and technical services))

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Getting remote farmers – such as those in localities outside the scope of the local agreement – to respect the rules laid down in the local agreement can be problematic.
Once the scheme starts developing lands (increasing yields), new conflicts can arise (jealousy)

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Manual of Good Practices in Small Scale Irrigation in the Sahel. Experiences from Mali. Published by GIZ in 2014.

Available from where? Costs?

http://star-www.giz.de/starweb/giz/pub/servlet.starweb

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Guide méthodologique national, élaboration d’une convention locale de gestion des ressources naturelles [National methodological guide – Drawing up a local agreement to manage natural resources], MEA (Ministry of Environment and Sanitation), June 2011

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Full-cost accounting of local agreements, PACT, October 2006

Title, author, year, ISBN:

www.pact-mali.org