Strategic Framework

AET seeks to promote more collaborative land and resource management across the Amboseli ecosystem. By bringing together local communities, partner organizations, government, and other stakeholders, AET strives to catalyze impact through collaborative planning, knowledge sharing, and improved coordination of work on the ground. A key part of achieving this goal will be to ensure the participatory and inclusive development, implementation, and monitoring of a new and effective Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan (AEMP).
STRATEGY 1.1: Strengthen the effectiveness of ecosystem scale planning as a tool for regulating and guiding land use decisions and coordinating stakeholder interventions.

Develop and gazette the new AEMP

→ Analyze and assess previous AEMP, including successes and what could have been done better

→ Develop an outline plan for developing the new AEMP

→ Fundraise for the process

→ Identify and engage the consultant who will lead the process

→ Ensure that types of development not covered under previous AEMP are well captured in the next version

→ Develop the AEMP and publicly validate

→ Sign by relevant stakeholders (group ranches, KWS, AET, ATGSA)

→ Begin process of gazettement

Establish a monitoring process for AEMP that systematically tracks goals and progress

→ Ensure an M&E plan is outlined in the AEMP, including clear goals and targets, and progress indicators

→ Review and evaluate the implementation of the AEMP every three years

STRATEGY 1.2: Establish and facilitate effective forums for stakeholder coordination and collaboration

Identify what consultative meetings should occur annually

→ Create committees and/or working groups to tackle key issues

→ Establish a clear and documented structure for holding these meetings, with responsible personnel and an outline of meeting plans and goals.

→ Organize and hold meetings based on the topics and needs identified (e.g. board, human-wildlife conflict, etc.)

→ Document and share information, key decisions, and action points from meetings

The long-term sustainability of Amboseli depends on intact, productive landscapes that support both biodiversity and local livelihoods. In particular, this means collaborative management that spans the national park, community-owned group ranches, and private land holdings. It also means ensuring real benefits get to people involved in sustainably managing the land. As such, there is a need for collaborative and dynamic approaches to land use planning across multiple levels, including: maintaining connectivity through corridors, promoting landscape level conservation on community land through establishing institutions such as conservancies, promoting economic and social development opportunities, and restoring degraded land and habitat.

While AET will mainly serve as a knowledgeable facilitator and coordinator in this process – supporting the capacity development of local institutions – there may be times when it identifies a gap in stakeholder implementation and may need to fill that role itself or identify a partner to take it on.
STRATEGY 2.1: Facilitate group ranches and conservancies to effectively plan and manage their land

Support all Amboseli group ranches to develop land-use and grazing management plans that integrate with the AEMP

→ Help complete the Eselenkei and Mbirikani land-use plans

→ Commission and support the Rombo land-use plan

→ Ensure that all group ranches have land-use and grazing management plans by 2023

→ Develop evaluation process to measure whether land-use plans are being implemented

→ Ensure group ranches and partners are effectively implementing these plans

→ Oversee enforcement of group ranch management plans, in collaboration with group ranch committees, as part of larger AEMP

Build the capacity and effectiveness of conservancies

→ Complete a conservancy status report, articulating the current state, needs, and compliance levels of the various conservancies within Amboseli

→ Build community awareness on conservancy regulations and enforcement

Create a program to educate communities on conservancy functions and potential benefits to ensure expectations are realistic

→ Ensure that all conservancies have valid conservancy management plans as outlined in the Wildlife Act 2013, and provide support to develop plans where they don’t exist

→ Help fast-track implementation and enforcement of conservancy management plans

→ Verify that any proposed conservancies are in line with the AEMP

Develop an overarching ecosystem restoration plan, and ensure local institutions (group ranches and conservancies) have the capacity to implement

→ Facilitate the restoration of 10 sq km of grassland (through grazing committees in three group ranches—Eselenkei, Mbirikani, and Olgulului)

→ Facilitate the restoration of 5 sq km of woodland (through grazing committees in three group ranches—Eselenkei, Mbirikani, and Olgulului)

Maintain and protect migratory corridors

→ Facilitate data collection and stakeholder input to develop a map of migratory corridors within the group ranches and across the ecosystem

→ Ensure proposed corridor boundaries are clear and approved through community consultation

→ Complete a survey to identify any development ongoing in these areas and to       document potential approaches for securing these corridors

→ Engage with relevant government institutions that can support in securing corridors

→ Ensure that conservancies and corridor areas are well communicated, including   effective and visible signage

→ Through ATGSA, to enforce any rules and regulations agreed by landowners with regard to habitat protection and securing of livestock and wildlife corridors within the  ecosystem

STRATEGY 2.2: Facilitate agreements between investors and community

Develop standards and systems to ensure fair interactions and dealings between investors and communities

→ Develop a framework for assessing and engaging with investors (both tourism and  business), and a process for establishing contractual agreements

→ Ensure agreements between investors and community receive adequate professional review to ensure that maximum benefits are directed to local community rather than flowing out of ecosystem

→ Develop mediation process for managing conflict between investors and local  communities

STRATEGY 2.3: Support natural resource related enterprises

Explore opportunities for sustainable enterprise development

→ Identify areas feasible for tourism enterprises and fit these into planning processes

→ Identify eco-friendly income generating activities, and complete a stakeholder mapping process of who is engaged in and supporting these activities

→ Identify a collaborative process for scaling up these activities through stakeholders

STRATEGY 2.4: Support community education programs to improve literacy

Explore opportunities to develop and enhance education programs in Amboseli

→ Carry out stakeholder mapping of who already supports education and assess their interest in working in the Amboseli ecosystem

→ Identify opportunities for expansion of a children’s education program (in partnership with KWS and other local partners) that includes environmental film screenings, park visits, and other relevant activities

→ Engage the Ministry of Social Services to support adult education through the stakeholder frameworks

A number of new policies are in development that AET will engage on behalf of its stakeholders. It will play an active role in shaping these policies to ensure they include community views, and will communicate their meaning to its stakeholders. Some of these include the new Wildlife Policy and the corresponding regulations that will guide its implementation (such as those guiding conservancy development and management), as well as legislation like the Community Land Act that have the potential to impact pastoral livelihoods and resource tenure. At the county level important processes are also occurring that AET will influence to better reflect ecosystem planning and conservation needs, such as County Integrated Development Plans of which land-use management plans are a critical component. As a regional representative to the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, AET has a strong platform and position to engage in these processes.
STRATEGY 3.1: Policy advocacy and mobilization

Identify policies and regulations needing input and hold stakeholder forums to discuss amendments

→ Propose amended document to relevant bodies.

→ Engage a legal expert through the KWCA umbrella to operationalize.

→ Lobby the relevant parliamentary committee.

→ Work to harmonize policies and legislation

→ Ensure AET is represented in the county government’s relevant committees that deal with land use planning, wildlife management, and conservation

AET is a small organization, with only three full-time staff, and in order to operationalize its goals over the next three years its needs to grow the internal capacity and effectiveness of the organization. It needs to focus on growing its management and leadership capacity by identifying key staff needs and growing the relevant skills, establishing a communication strategy that provides more visibility and shares the unique work it is doing while mobilizing stakeholders, become more effective at fundraising and financial management, having relevant technical knowledge and skills related to its goals, and improving its infrastructure and resources in order to work effectively.
STRATEGY 4.1: Increase AET’s management and leadership capacity

Recruit and grow the skills of key staff. Priorities include:

→ Bring on a dedicated communications and fundraising staff member

→ Bring on team members as necessary to support development of Amboseli conservancies, and improved land management within the ecosystem

STRATEGY 4.2: Develop and implement a strong communication strategy

Effectively communicate its work and impacts

→ Develop a strategic communication system, reflective of its various target audiences (e.g. local communities, ecosystem stakeholders, broader Kenya stakeholders, and the wider international conservation and development community).

STRATEGY 4.3: Effective human-resource and financial management systems are in place and help the organization stand on its own

AET aims to become more independent financially, with the internal skills and capacity to manage its own financial resources and become less reliant on partner organizations that have been supporting it.

→ Develop its in-house financial management capacity by recruiting relevant skill sets (certified public accountant).

→ Develop financial management policy document, including audit schedule and procedure

→ Develop human resource policy document

→ Establish and secure a core budget for daily operations.

STRATEGY 4.4: Enhance AET’s technical knowledge and skills to effectively support its capacity-building work.

In its support to build the capacity of local institutions such as group ranches and conservancies, AET will need some specific technical and knowledge skill-sets that will effectively help these institutions plan and manage their resources.

→ Enhance legal knowledge to strengthen AET’s ability to engage in planning frameworks such as the AEMP and county-level plans, and support its work in advocacy and policy harmonization.

→ Enhance its land-use planning and resource management skills so that AET can be an asset to local institutions as they plan and manage their resources, as well as ensuring harmonization across the ecosystem.

→ Develop project management skills internally among its staff, increasing their ability to manage and execute grants and projects.

STRATEGY 4.5: Improve infrastructure and resources to effectively carry out its work

AET functions in a tough field environment that puts a lot of strain on infrastructure such as vehicles and equipment.

→ An assessment of current equipment and infrastructure and identifying its needs to achieve the goals set out in this strategy.

→ Expanding its vehicle and transport fleet.

→ Establishing a plan for the development of the resource center, along with various equipment and infrastructure needs.

STRATEGY 4.6: Establish Community Resource Center and Info Hub

Develop a clear plan and purpose for the Center and Hub

→ Identify resource and infrastructure needs

→ Build and equip the center

→ Open and operationalize

→ Relocate AET activities to the center, which will be the operational AET headquarters