Implementation of component 2

The project will promote a participatory community driven development approach to restoration and rehabilitation interventions in areas affected by desert locust invasion. The project will leverage on community structures established through the sister projects of NARGP and KSCAP. The project was support the Participatory Integrated Community Development PICD process to guide identification of project intervention and potential beneficiaries. The project will also support a rapid assessment/baseline survey to collect data on the impact of locust invasion to farming and livestock keeping households. The data collected will contribute to identification of affected households and    interventions under the PICD. The project has developed Community Engagement and Planning Guidelines to ensure a participatory community entry process and planning for sustainable development.

The guide provides tools and detailed methodology to community engagement during rapid assessment, sensitization, PICD process, flagging of opportunities and enlisting/profiling of CIGs and VMGs. The process will take the following steps:-

1. Rapid assessment/Baseline survey – This will take 15 days and will involve i) Recruitment and Training enumerators
   Data collection involving Household Survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) & Key informant Interview (KII). iii) Report compilation and stakeholder validation at county level. A national rapid assessment report will also be prepared.
   
   
2. Stakeholder Sensitization and community mobilization
   The project team will hold consultations with county, sub county and ward stakeholders and community barazas to sensitize the stakeholders about the project and to identify their roles and contribution to project objectives.
   
   
3. Participatory Integrated Community Development (PICD) process
   The PICD process will focus on preparing the community for project intervention and will promote ownership; ensure credibility of the intervention; bring a broader range of stakeholders to the planning process; provide an opportunity for community members to actively participate; build trust and enhance skills for sustainability. PICD will be all-inclusive process to invoke community involvement in identification of their problems and appropriate solutions/alternative interventions to address them. A PICD manual has already been developed and the County Coordinating Units training on the roll out process.
   
   The PICD process will take a period of thirty days in the wards where KCSAP/NARIGP is not operating and a shorter period of twelve days in areas already by the two projects. The PICD process will involve the following phases:-
   
   1. Preparations for PICD
      
      • Training the SCTT/Ward Stakeholders on the PICD process (Initiation Stage, Awareness Creation & attitude Change phase)
      • Planning Phase
        
        
   2. Initiation Stage:- Awareness Creation & attitude Change phase (can be integrated in the sensitization and community mobilization)
   3. Data Collection/Gathering
      
      • Secondary Data Gathering Phase (Checklist will be availed)
      • Primary Data collection- Field Survey
      • Participatory Analysis of Poverty Livelihood Dynamics (PAPOLD) (consider integrating the VMGs under community mobilization by reviewing the tool)
      • Problem Analysis and drafting of CDP/MCAPs
   4. Ratification stage – CDP/MCAP ratification Barazas
   5. Formulation of sub-county VCs
      
      •         VC problem statements and writing the Ward PICD Process Report
   6. Flagging of opportunities
      
      • Flagging of opportunities and interventions
      • Aligning and profiling CIGs and VMGs (members) into ELRP intervention areas
   7. Validation Barazas
      
      • Confirmation of VCs
      • Confirmation of elected CDDCs members

The project will conduct a participatory identification of beneficiaries’ process to ensure right targeting of the community members to benefit from the project’s resources through the raid assessment and the PICD process. The identification process will ensure the participation of women and the vulnerable and marginalized members of the community. Special consideration will be given to VMGs, women and youth initiatives. The criteria for beneficiary selection will be provided in the ERLP Community Grants Manual.

The project will use existing groups (farmer groups, women groups, men groups, youth groups, CIGs, VMGs) with mutual interest and willing to participate in value chain interventions in wards affected by DL invasion. VCs targeted by the project will also be identified and groups enlisted and profiled for support as detailed in the PICD manual. Farmers/VMGs who do not belong to any group will enlist into new groups or join existing ones with a common interest. The newly formed groups as well as unregistered existing groups will register with the relevant GOK authorities’ e.g. the Department of Social Services.

CIGs/VMGs will elect the executive committees consisting of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. All the chairpersons of the CIG/VMGs within a ward will come together to establish a Community Driven Development Committee (CDDC) to oversee the operations of the CIGs/VMGs at Ward level. The CDDC will elect a DL Executive Committee of 5 members who will not be officials of any other executive sub committees. In areas covered by NARGP/KSCAP the group leaders will be guided to existing CDDCs and supported through ELRP funding.

The project will support affected communities through community grants for sub projects, micro projects and producer organizations. The project will also provide direct support to vulnerable and marginalized households who may be need immediate intervention following DL invasion. The community grants will facilitate community groups (CIGs and VMGs) in desert locust affected counties to access project support for restoration of livelihoods and productive assets and rehabilitation agricultural and livestock production. The agricultural and pastoral households will be supported through CIGs, VMGs and producer organizations.

Implementation of the grants will be guided by the ELRP Community Grants Manual.  The Community Grants Manual will provide granting procedures for financial management and accountability; procurement guidelines; eligibility requirements and procedures; monitoring, evaluation and reporting guidelines; to ensure prudent management of resources and achievement of project objectives. The community granting system will be guided by the principles of Accountability and Transparency; Social Inclusion; Equity; Integrity; Democracy and Participation; Community initiative and empowerment; Judiciousness; and Sustainability.

The project will ensure risks associated with community based project implementation through sensitization of county management and stakeholders; community driven prioritization, planning and implementation of project interventions; rigorous and participatory beneficiary identification process; continuous stakeholder engagement; sensitization on environmental and social management; continuous assessment of compliance to environmental and social management and capacity building of beneficiaries and management structures.

• Community Micro – Projects grants through CIGs and VMGs
  The project will support micro-projects to strengthen communities and households to respond to effects of DL outbreak, build resilience and reduce vulnerability of the same. Micro-projects grants will be provided for ward specific projects targeting CIGs and VMGs and will be managed by the Community Driven Development Committee (CDDC).
  
  
• County sub projects grants for Rehabilitation of Agricultural and Pastoral livelihood
  Community sub-projects/investments to either establish or restore agricultural infrastructure, pasturelands and crop lands affected by desert locust damage. The community sub projects will be ward-specific/span several wards within the county and will be managed through community driven development committees.
  
  
• Producer Organizations (POs) and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) grants
  This grant will support POs and PPPs to strengthen and upscale their operations in aggregation, value addition and marketing of livestock and farm produce. The POs will also be supported to undertake bulk input acquisition of crop and livestock packets related to livelihood restoration and rehabilitation in project counties.