MODULE I: PROCESSES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS

INTRODUCTION• THE PROBLEM

• the Land board members are not adequately equipped to guide development

• they are not fully equipped to make informed decisions on land allocations hence the

• entire sustainable land management issue especially having to mainstream the biodiversity

issues in the complex Okavango delta. • -they are not fully aware and up to date on the

way how the landuse planning process is carried out/done.

Cont’d

• -they are not conversant of the consequences of their decisions.

• -decisions are taken in a rather haphazard way ie without any systematic approach to a

problem.• decisions taken are not easily justifiable and

defendable hence the landboard is• frequently taken to the Land Tribunal and they

frequently loose the cases

Analysis of the problem

• 1) The landboard is more of a political body that responds to the push and pull factors of the community and tend to yield to political pressure and are prone to corrupt tendencies as well, as a result of the following

• 2) Their decision-making skills are almost nonexistent due to some of the factors above.

• 3) They have very little in any appreciation of the sustainable land management.

Training needs;

• conversant with the decision making process• identified the key information to consider in the

process• have identified where to find that information• Know the resources at their disposal and how to

use them• have a good appreciation of the sustainable land

management issues

Training Session

• Introspection: In a few sentences describe what you understand about the term “decision – making process”. You can also use examples from your workplace .

• the process of choosing the best course of action – -make sure you make good decisions

• -the decisions will have to be made timely• -the decisions taken have to be well

considered• -make sure you can leave with the decision-

Principles of Decision -Making

• Every request or proposal deserves a fair attention and written response

• Refer the issues to the technical support group or technical staff

• be fully conversant with the issue before taking or have a full understanding of

what you are dealing with• make an informed decision that you are

able/comfortable to defend • subject your decision to impact assessments

and their mitigation measures

Steps in Decision – making

• Step 1 : Open the request and register it • Step 2: On reading the request/proposal make a quick

assessment of who among your staff members and technical support group will be better placed to provide the adequate information (1st meeting)

• Step 3: gather all relevant data about the issue / challenge at hand -this will involve reading to get a good understanding of the problem, or doing research/interview on the issue

• Step 4: identify all the relevant information like maps, regulations associated with the issue, reference documents , getting all relevant contributions from the technical staff.

Cont’d

• Step 5: Using all the socio-economic, socio-political, biophysical information make an informed decision, giving the reasons for the decision taken

• Step 6: Examine the impacts that the decision have made will cause ie socio-politically, socio-economical and environmentally

• Step 7: clearly spellout the required mitigation measures that are essential

• Step 8: draft and dispatch a written response within three (3) months of the request.

• Discussion Topic: take a local issue and subject it to the above steps

Cont’d

• review the surface textures of the soil- presence of gravel , sandiness

• review soil depth – settlements, cropping, permanent crops

Review the suitability of the land vis-à-vis the intended landuse ?

• is the request in-line with the zoning• are there any good reasons to contravene the zoning• what will be the consequences approving the change of

use to the other plot holders in the vicinity.

Decision-Making in sustainable land allocation

• Introspection -What are the keys issues to consider when dealing with land ?

• a) Purpose of the allocation – -land for agriculture(slope and soil depth)– -permanent crops like fruit trees(soil depth)– -land for horticulture (soil depth and soil texture – -land for livestock production(vicinity to water) – -land for industrial and commercial development

relation (wind direction) – b) Zoning of the land– land suitability is the basis for zoning

• -review the slope of the land- residential , cropping etc

c) Location in relation to water and services

• consider the location of the land in relation to the water resources in the

area• consider the proximity to settlements eg pig

industry near settlements• consider the proximity to the other infrastructure

like roads, dams etc• * Identify allocations that you consider

inappropriate in terms of proximity to other infrastructure?

d) Socio-economic

what are the social and economic issue that we would have to consider in the allocation of land for various purposes in planning and unplanned areas?.

• look at the impact of an allocation to the surrounding population eg a

sport stadium in the residential or a market outside a residential area• -look at issues like air pollution versus wind direction• -look into water pollution and contamination• -will the allocation interfr with the income generation of the

community• -will it result in human relocatins and what will be the cost•

Decision-Making in sustainable land management

Introspection:What are the keys issues to be considered when one wants to manage land in a sustainable way?

socio-economicsustainable land management or biodiversity

conservation are interlinked for example demographic changes and urbanization

-rural – urban drift leading to fuelwood overharvesting, squatter settlements

-livestock importance for Botswana versus stocking rates-overloading of the sewage systems by squatter

settlements on the life of the aquatic species of fish, frogs etc

Legal and institutional issues

Government of Botswana is responsible for ensuring that natural resources are harnessed for the benefit of future generations .

-what does the national Development Programme (DP) 9 about conservation of biodiversity?

-What does the EIA Act say about environmental conservation?

-which of the institutions are charged with the management of the land and its biodiversity?

Sustainable land management

guiding principle -is to ensure economic development of the land for any intended purpose without allowing the land to deteriorate

-land productive but ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy same benefits.

Famous Sayings“ The world is not for us to take” “ We did not inherit the Earth from our forefathers, we

only borrowed it from our children’s children”“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past

but by the responsibility for our future”Landboard- “ Have I made the right decision “

Mother Earth’s Cry

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• a process by which the likely environmental impacts(negative ) are pre-determined before the implementation of the project

• mitigation measures are then built into the project implementation process.

• -construction of a huge dam might result in the relocation of people from areas that would be submerged/ go under water when the dam feels up.,(people would moved and reallocated new arable and residential plots prior to the rainy season) the water would likely submerge certain ecosystems along the river banks (moveable flora especial fauna will be relocated prior to the submergence period).

Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA)

A systematic process, with multi-stakeholder involvement, for analysing and evaluating environmental implications of proposed policies, plans and programmes, for assisting in strategic or planning decision-making; and for following up strategic or planning decisions. ”

Objectives of SEA• To facilitate the search of sustainable development options or alternatives.• To provide environmental information (including both adverse impacts and

benefits) at the earliest stage of PPP formulation processes within a decision-making framework.

• To inform decision makers and the public about the environmental and sustainability implications of PPPs so as to improve decision making processes.

• To address cumulative environmental impacts that cannot be fully addressed by individual project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Assist in achieving • Promoting full consideration and integration of environmental implications at the

early planning stage of major strategic PPPs; • Seizing opportunities to enhance environmental sustainability and quality; and • Avoiding environmental problems and identifying environmentally-friendly options.

Why is SEA Important?

• serves as a vital step to achieve sustainable developments by incorporating the principles of sustainable developments into PPP

• SEA can test out alternatives at a policy level before proceeding with site specific projects;

• SEA can take up a pro-active role to steer developments toward environmentally “robust” areas or away from environmentally sensitive areas; and

• SEA can oversee cumulative impacts of relevant projects simultaneously at a higher level.

Why and how SEA can make a difference ?

Cont’d

Comparison between SEA and EIA

• What are the likely environmental and social impact that you would meet in your day to day work , secondly how would you mitigate against their full impacts.

Compliancy with environment management plan(EMP)

• An EMP is normally drawn up as result of the EIA process,

• its implementation and monitoring has always been a sticky issue

Plan of ensuring compliancy • Review the EMP for each establishment that is allocated

eg Lodge• develop a monitoring action plan of the EMP• identify the relevant institutions to form the team of

monitors (team should come from some of the 12 departments were part of the ODMP process).

• conduct the monitoring exercise as per your monitoring action plan

SUSTAINABLE LAND MANGEMENT

• Introspection: What do you understand by the term sustainable land management.

• Land use Planning a Tool for Sustainable Land ManagementLesson Objectives• Participants should be in a position to describe what Landuse

Planning is and what the processes are.• Participants should be able identify the factors that affect

landuse planning and land management process in generalImportant factors are as follows • Land ownership - land belongs to government in principle ,

ownership factor presents an impediment to landuse planning Who controls the land: • although the land is termed government in essence it is controlled

by private individuals • by the community, there are also customary rights over land.

Land use planning

IS THIS IT ?

In your own words describe what you understand by the term “landuse planning process”

What is landuse planning:• 1) An attempt to rationalize landuse decision-making process • OR• 2) An engine that reforms or revitalizes or improves the process of decision-

making• on landuse.• OR• 3) It is a Vision of the future

*It is an iterative process which aims at negotiation and decision on a sustainable form of landuse ( should be economically viable , socially acceptable and environmentally sound plan)

Inputs into the landuse planning process: • cadastral map –showing land units or landholdings boundaries • thematic maps –showing existing landuses eg crops, orchards etc • climatic map and data – rainfall , temperatures, freezing times• soils maps –showing fertility, conservation• hydrologic map – showing water available and possible water development

LUP - Support in settling Conflicts

Support in settling Conflicts

• Land-use planning is use in settling out conflicts between villages, between villages and authorities, between groups of land users, between farmers and pastoralists

How can land-use planning be used to settle out conflicts?

• -finding out the current land uses before and appreciating the impact of the proposed changes

• -finding out the needs of the neighbours• -playing a mediation role between the grieved

neighbours and or aggrieved land occupants and the new land owners or users.

Land Use Planning process:• At a glance• i) What is the present situation• ii)Is change needed. If so• -What has to be changed-review the problems, challenges and

opportunities• -How can the change be made – planners review alternatives • -Which is the best option – decision-makers choose depending on

forecast results• -How is the plan succeeding – monitor /track the implementation • A consensus on landuse /Consensus /shared decision –is the

decision making between professionals and the Landusers• -it is an open decision –making by non-state players and non professionals• -it is discussions and negotiation on certain landuses

“Their plan not your plan”

• * A landuse plan should guide and control the process of decision-making

• * A lunduse plan should benefit the local people , if it is to be implemented

• * A landuse plan remains a “Draft” until the comments from the of the people or landusers have been swallowed or incorprorated

Principles of Landuse Planning

• 1) The plan should be orientated to local conditions in terms of methods and

• Content• The plan considers cultural viewpoints and builds on local

environmental conditions• The plan take traditional problem or conflict management strategies

into consideration• It assumes a ‘bottom up “ approach resulting in self help and self

responsibilities• It is a dialogue or a successful negotiation and cooperation of

stakeholders• It is a process leading to an improvement in capacity to to plan and

to take actions• It is a process that requires transparency by availing information to

all participants

Cont’d

• It recognizes stakeholder differentiation and gender approaches

• It is based on interdisciplinary cooperation (ecologists, economists, financial agriculturalists etc)

• It is an iterative process ie allows open reaction based on new findings

• It is implementation orientated• No plan is unalterable - can be change in the

future to suit the needs of government, public or community

STEPS IN LAND-USE PLANNING

• Step 1. Establish goals and terms of reference• 2. Organize the work• 3. Analyse the problem• 4. Identify the opportunities for change• 5. Evaluate land suitability• 6. Appraise the alternatives: environmental,

economic, social analysis• 7. Choose the best option• 8. Prepare the landuse plan• 9. Implement the plan• 10. Monitor and revise the plan

Project mgt Cycle

• Project cycle steps

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT

• What do you understand about the project cycle management?

Cont’d• The stages of the project cycle provide a structure that ensures

that: • problem analysis is thorough • stakeholders are clearly identified and monitored • quality assurance is built in • objectives are relevant to problems and clearly stated • outputs and objectives are logical and measurable • beneficiaries' strengths and weaknesses have been identified • assumptions are taken into account • monitoring concentrates on verifiable targets and outputs • evaluations identify 'lessons learnt' and integrates them into the

cycle for similar succeeding projects • sustainability is defined, not essentially by 'organisational continuity',

but primarily by the continuous 'flow of benefits'

Project Cycle Management Stages

Cont’d• 1 Programme: • review of local social and economic conditions • review of relevant local and central government policies and initiatives • community strategy undertaken and project criteria developed • 2. Identification: • definition of a project problem • stakeholder analysis • problem and objective assessment • strategy options explored and decided • quality assurance undertaken • 3. Formulation: • develop the Logical Framework • assessment of impact and sustainability • review of the prepared project for institutional capacity, costs and • benefits • prepare project proposal • prepare budget and provide a set of financial ratios • quality assurance undertaken

Cont’d

• 4. Appraisal & Fund Commitment: • agreement by partners to support the project • project appraisal • project appraisal undertaken • comparative ratio analysis undertaken • 5. Implementation: • project inception review • prepare activity schedule • monitor progress of project • 6. Evaluation: • assessment of the project results against objectives • evaluation lessons influence future projects

PROBLEM TREE ANALYSIS

THE ALTERNATIVE TREE ANALYSIS

RECORD/DATA CAPTURE AND RECORD KEEPING

• Which of the following is expected to happen during the landboard sittings or sessions

• Definition of Terms • Rapporteuring• Rapporteuring is a process of recording the proceedings of the

meetings/sessions/sittings. This process may be done for specific sessions individually. All or parts of the proceedings of the sitting are recorded with the intention of compiling them to form the meeting report. Recorded proceedings can also be used for reference purposes.

• Record keeping • Record keeping can be either financial or non-financial. It can be narrative or in matrix

form. For purposes of this meeting/sitting/session, record keeping shall only refer to the narrative recording of daily sessions.

• Minute taking• Minute taking is the recordings of proceedings and discussions of a meeting held .• Reporting • Reporting is a compilation of all proceedings and matters that transpired before,

during and after the meeting.

Cont’dWhich of the following positions do we have in the landboard and or which one should we have or is the most

appropriate• Report writers• Their ultimate task is the production of the final meeting/sitting report. The report writers will supervise the daily

work of the scribe as well as assess the daily reports during the sitting. The report writers will submit a summary of daily proceeding to the facilitation team in order to prepare the next days feedback session. The report writers could also prepare the content of the meeting/sitting newspaper.

• Scribe• A person who has been tasked with the responsibility of electronically capturing relevant and key information

during workshops, plenary session, commissions, group discussions, regional meetings and panel discussions. All captured information will be provided to the report writers

•

• Media Liaison• Responsible for dealing with and/or handling all issues related to media houses (electronic, print media). To be

responsible for the production of press statements around conference activities and resolutions. Responsible for handling press conferences around the issues of the landboard Invite and accredit media and ensure that the media house room is properly managed.

• Journalist• An external person usually representing a media company who will be responsible for interviewing delegates

during pre set media briefings. All journalists need to be accredited through the media liaison officer.•

Secretariat• Responsible for registration and will have update of the daily running of the • meetings/sessions. Secretariat will be in charge of the photocopies, facilitate meeting reimbursements.

Recordkeeping • Why should I keep records?

Good records will help you monitor the progress. • prepare your financial statements,• prepare your tax returns,.• What kinds of records should I keep?

choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business. • the law does not require any special kind of records. • However, the business you are in affects the type of records you need to

keep.• How long should I keep records?

The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event the document records.

• You must keep your records as long as they may be needed to prove something

• . How should I record my business transactions? • transactions you have in your business generate supporting documents.

What is the burden of proof?

Record Keeping Guidelines

• record keeping benefits both the client and the records keeper

• process is governed by the ethics code and legal and regulations

• Guideline 1: Responsibility for records: the landboard has the

responsibility maintain and retain records which should be easy to understand and legible as well

2: Content of the records. The landboard should thrive to keep an accurate, record and should capture the pertinent issues

3: Confidentiality of records –landboard should take steps to maintain the confidentiality .

Cont’d4: Disclosure of recordkeeping procedures – they should disclose to the clients the extent to which records are kept and how they are kept 5: Maintenance of records – The landboard should thrive to organize and maintain records to ensure access and availability when required. 6: Security of records – The landboard should thrive to protects records from unauthorized access and destruction 7: Retention of records- the landboard must thrive to be aware of how long the records must be kept.8: Electronic record keeping: the landboard must thrive to create and maintain electronic records and ensure their confidentiality, security etc.9: Accuracy of financial records: landboard must thrive to keep accurate financial records