Pastoralist Program

The Pastoral Programme is a five-year (2011 – 2015) project  implemented by TNRF and CARE and is funded by Irish Aid. Working through partnerships with registered Tanzanian civil society organizations (CSOs) or community based organizations (CBOs), the Pastoralist Program seeks to improve the capacity of pastoralist communities to overcome poverty, reduce vulnerability and strengthen the rights of men and women for secure and sustainable livelihoods.  CARE manages a grant making mechanism for these CBOs and CSOs so that they can implement projects that will help them to attain their goals and objectives.

By strengthening CSOs’ capacity, the Pastoralist Programme aims to improve the representation of pastoralist interests and the delivery of services to pastoralist groups in Tanzania.   At a local level, Local Government Authorities will provide better services and local land issues will be resolved equitably benefiting pastoralists’ access to resources.  At the national level, policies, laws and the implementation of those laws will improve access to resources so that mobility - the essential component of pastoralism – is an option.   Overall, it is expected that there will be increased respect for pastoralist production systems and the contributions they make to the environment and the national economy.

Greater capacity of CSOs to support and represent pastoralist interests will have impacts in three areas: (i) improved access to services; (ii) immediate work on specific land issues; and (iii) longer term work on pastoralist rights. 

Programme Goal: “Reduced poverty and vulnerability for pastoralist men, women and children in Tanzania”

Programme Purpose “Advancement of Pastoralist men and women’s right to a sustainable livelihood”

In order to realize the programme’s purpose and goal, it seeks the following results:

(1)    Effective evidence-based advocacy to influence policy and implementation

(2)    Representation of pastoralists at local and national levels, leading to greater respect of their rights

(3)    Increased capacity of local government institutions to provide quality and timely services to pastoralists

(4)    Increased capacity of pastoralist CSOs to manage projects and support pastoralist’s practical and strategic needs

Phase II – Building Upon Past Experiences and Lessons Learned from Phase I

To ensure effective implementation, the Pastoralist Program was broken into two phases (phase I; 2007-2010, phase II; 2011-2015).   Both phases have related goals and objectives; however, phase II has been designed to incorporate lessons and experiences from Phase I implementation so that the program is tailored to address the challenges and opportunities identified along the way.

Key Messages & Lessons from Phase I

• The grant making mechanism was an effective tool that assisted recipient CSOs increase their impact on their target groups.  Whilst the mechanism will continue, it will be improved to enhance its efficiency.
• Training provided to CSOs in Phase I was very good, especially those that focused on conflict management. However, trainings could be improved upon to focus on areas of pastoralist livelihoods and support to policy advocacy.
• Local coordination of CSOs was difficult because of the dispersed nature of organizations in Phase I and the intensity of work required to build competencies and capacities of the individual CSOs. Phase II will focus on partnership in Programme management, creating stronger networks and links between pastoralist CSOs involved with the Programme.
• During Phase I, considerable attempts were made to promote work on policy at National level but progress was slow.  Phase II will put a stronger emphasis on national level engagement to ensure that local level voices are heard at national level. 

Program Implementation

Approaches & Strategies

During Phase II, the Programme is focusing on issues relating to land, environment, climate change and gender. Therefore, all implementing CSOs, will be designing projects that are addressing issues relating to land rights, land use conflict resolution, policy analysis and advocacy for pastoralist rights on pastoral production system (pastoralism), with climate change and  gender issues as cross-cutting.

The programme implementation is using various approaches: 

i.Phased Approach: The Programme is designed for a period of 5 years, with the first 6 months as ‘Inception Phase; 48 months as the ‘Main Implementation Phase’ and the last 6 months as ‘Reflection, Documentation and Handover Phase’, transfer of roles and responsibilities to local CSOs.

ii.Partnering and Working with Local Government Authorities Local Government Authorities (LGAs) have been identified to work with alongside local CSOs.  Engagement with the LGAs led to the identification of staff to take part in capacity building events and training alongside CSO staff at the community level.

The Programme management team is using various strategies to realize the Programme objectives:

i.Selection of CSOs:  To select grant recipients, the following is carried out:

• Organizing information sharing workshops at strategic locations in the program working areas;
• Advertising a call for concept notes from interested CSOs; organizing pre-award workshops to shortlist potential CSOs;
•  Inviting submission of full proposals from potential or shortlisted CSOs;
• Capacity needs assessment of potential or shortlisted CSOs;
• Finalizing proposals through signing MOU;
• Funding disbursements;
• Providing capacity strengthening support to CSO partners; and
• Monitoring of CSO partner’s performance and reporting

ii.Capacity Strengthening of CSOs: Capacity building focuses on two key areas: 1) the range of basic skills needed to manage projects in any domain; and, 2) developing skills needed to support general pastoralist development.

iii.Mainstreaming Gender and Climate Change. These two cross-cutting issues are an integral part of the program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

iv.Setting up Intermediary Grant Making CSOs/Local Management Agencies: Phase II will identify Local Management Agencies (LMA) or intermediary grant making CSOs that will act as local grant making organizations to CBOs. These will take the lead of grant making organization to pastoralist Programme soon after the phase two contract for CARE ends.

Programme target areas 

• The Programme work will be concentrated in three geographic zones in the first year - Northern, Lake and Central zones.  The Southern and Coast zones may be eventually be added in later stages as the programme matures in the second, third and fourth years.

Programme Beneficiaries

Primary beneficiaries are pastoralist women, men and children, while secondary beneficiaries (target groups)are staff of CSOs, local and national government institutions.

Implementing CSOs

The first round of selected CSO grant recipients took place in 2012, official field activities for CSOs started in 2012. The programme designed the second round to start implementation in 2013, while the third round will start in 2014.

Programme Management and Implementation

Phase II of the Pastoralist Programme is managed through a partnership between CARE and TNRF .  The two make a strong team by linking considerable experience in grant making and project management with powerful networking and advocacy skills, along with in-depth knowledge about working with pastoralist communities.  The Programme is managed by a two-tier organizational structure comprising: Pastoralist Program Steering Committee (PPSC) and Pastoralist Program Management Team (PPMT). 

PPSC is composed of representatives from implementing CSOs, government ministries (PMO-RALG, MLFD and NLUPC), pastoral community members, Pastoral Experts and officials from PP Management Team as secretariat). Whereas PPMT is made up of CARE and TNRF staff who manages the day-to-day work of the program. The PPSC is responsible for the overall governance of the program, while the PPMT is responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of the program activities.

Specific roles of implementing partners:

• CARE Tanzania – Overall coordination of programme, fund management, monitoring, reporting, grant management, capacity building on grants.
• TNRF – Capacity building and technical support to CSOs, LGAs, and local leaders on thematic areas, support advocacy initiatives at national level, communication with CSOs on policies.
• Local Government authorities – monitoring, service delivery coordination to CSOs activities, capacity building.