Throughout the preparation of the project, dialogue was carried out with stakeholders that are active at the federal, state and local levels in areas relevant to the project and that work with SLM and the four pillars of the PAN-Brazil. This process identified the key stakeholders essential for proper development of the project. They were mobilized through the National Commission to Combat Desertification (NCCD) in partnership with the Government of the State of Sergipe, through its environmental secretariat (SEMARH). The mandates and responsibilities of each stakeholder and their interest in the project were mapped, as well as potential problems and means of mitigation. Many formal and informal consultations were held with various stakeholder groups, with interviews and field visits in the seven municipalities of the SAS and at the headquarters of the State Government in Aracaju together with the representatives of the Federal Government involved in combating desertification and promoting development in areas relevant to the project.
These preparatory consultations involved, in addition to government agencies, many stakeholders in civil society, the seven municipalities, organizations engaged in technical assistance and rural extension, sustainable rural development, combating desertification, SLM in semiarid and dry sub-humid areas, rural cooperative associations, farmer settlers, educational, research and development institutions, public prosecutors and federal and state public banking institutions operating in the project area and other ASDs in Brazil.
The consultations throughout the preparatory phase made clear the strong interest in the project on the part of these stakeholders. Commitments were made explicit in the final workshop to validate the logical framework and the outputs of the project held in the state capital. This interest, which was also apparent among local populations in the field sites in pre-selected areas, indicates high potential for full participation and absorption of innovations, which are essential for project implementation. Approaches and specific activities were defined and schedules and contributions of stakeholders were negotiated for the implementation of such approaches and activities. The consultations were participatory dialogues that helped lead to the negotiation of the forms of collaboration between the project team and the stakeholders. They also resulted in substantial inputs involved in identifying and discussing new and pre-existing concerns of the stakeholders in relation to training, extension, ownership of processes and support in certain areas. The continuity of these participatory forums was incorporated into the project, being foreseen throughout its implementation.
For this process, an Executive Committee was established for preparation of the project involving the Ministry of Environment (MMA), through the Department to Combat Desertification (DCD) of the Secretariat of Extractivism and Sustainable Rural Development (SEDR), the Government of the State of Sergipe, through the Department of Environment and Water Resources of SEMARH, and UNDP, through its country office. Thus, it was possible to establish the logical construction of the project, incorporate the inputs received from various stakeholders and identify baselines and synergies for cooperation for the duration of the planned implementation of the project, as well as associated co-financing.
The state agency responsible for the licensing process (ADEMA) expressed interest in participating in the activities of the project as a key participant. The commitment was formalized via the State Government. The Project was also discussed with the managers of a protected area adjacent to one of the field sites, the Grota do Angico Natural Monument, who stressed the importance of sustainable rural development and conservation strategies in buffer zones. The field sites were pre-selected based on different scenarios for multiple uses, environmental degradation and sector pressure, diversity of stakeholders and challenges of management and licensing. Thus, it is expected that the pilot interventions will contribute to the implementation of the project through the participation of local communities and other decision makers in the process of monitoring, implementation and management. Additional partnerships will be pursued and formalized during the first year of project implementation
Once the project has been started, a Steering Committee (SC) will be established. The SC will include representatives of the MMA, SFB, NCCD, GPCD, SEMARH, ADEMA and stakeholders from each of the field sites of the project, such as municipal environmental agencies, ATER companies, universities, local communities, NGOs and the private sector. It will meet to evaluate the implementation of the project. Although the overall coordination of all project activities is the responsibility of the Project Management Unit (PMU), communication channels will be established between the PMU and various stakeholders, such as IBAMA, ICMBio, universities and other educational and research institutions, NGOs and community-based organizations involved in implementation of activities. Therefore, throughout the project, there will be full participation of the main stakeholders. Partnerships with implementing agencies will be established using the appropriate types of contracts and agreements, depending on their nature. This decentralized mechanism for the implementation of the project was selected to ensure that it enables stakeholders to be empowered and participate in the process as the basis of future multiplication. Where the stakeholders possess proven expertise, this strategy will allow broader participation in the implementation of the project and its technical collaboration, thereby increasing the cost-efficiency of the design strategy.
In general, the essential points of this Involvement Plan include: links among different stakeholders to promote integrated policies for SLM, participatory management and monitoring by the local government, civil society organizations and extension agents; developing partnerships with the private sector for financial sustainability and the promotion of new financial arrangements that encourage the adoption of SLM Plans. The following information describes the participation of different stakeholders in relation to project Outcomes and Outputs.
