MCA Namibia Annual Report 2013

Transcription

1 MCA Namibia Annual Report 2013

2 CONTENTS STATEMENT OF MCA NAMIBIA BOARD CHAIRPERSON 3 STATEMENT OF MCA NAMIBIA CEO 4 STATEMENT OF MCC RESIDENT COUNTRY DIRECTOR 5 GOVERNANCE OF THE MCA NAMIBIA COMPACT - THE BOARD 6 IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS 7 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 7 FINANCE 8 PROCUREMENT 12 EDUCATION 14 AGRICULTURE 18 TOURISM 22 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT 27 MONITORING & EVALUATION 30 COMPACT CLOSURE 33 IMPRESSIONS 34 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

3 STATEMENT OF MCA NAMIBIA BOARD CHAIRPERSON The Millennium Challenge Account Namibia (MCA-N) has completed yet another successful year of Compact implementation. The Compact is in its fifth and final year. The programme has achieved tangible results and many success stories of which some are reflected in this report. These results are fruits of hard work and good cooperation between all stakeholders, namely the Implementing Partners, the MCA Namibia Board and the MCA Namibia Implementing Unit. It is these results that bring about positive change to the livelihoods of the Namibian people, especially those who reside in benefiting communities. As we enter the final stages of implementation, the MCA Namibia Board remains fully committed to the strong governance practices of this Compact and firmly believes in the benefits of an effective Board. The MCA-N Board composition slightly changed following the untimely death of Honourable Dr. Abraham Iyambo and the departure of Honourable Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. I would like to welcome our new Board members, Honourable Dr. David Namwandi and Honourable Uahekua Herunga. The year 2013 brought along a number of challenges that we met with commitment and creativity, paving the way for our promise to make full use of the US$ million for its intended purpose to the benefit of Namibians. Most of the funds have been disbursed and committed while the procured goods and services are being finalised as the Compact enters its final stages. Lastly, I would like to thank the Millennium Challenge Corporation, through its Resident Country Director, Mr Stevan Dobrilovic, for their cooperation in the implementation of the Compact. The true partnership that has developed over the last four years has helped to ensure that the Compact will be implemented fully by the Compact end date. Tom Alweendo, MCA Namibia Board Chairperson ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 3

4 STATEMENT OF MCA-N CEO Welcome to this fourth Annual Report! The Millennium Challenge Account Namibia (MCA-N) programme has entered its final year of implementation a landmark achievement. As of the release of this copy, we have ten months left before MCA-N officially closes its doors on 16 September To date, contracts in the combined value of US$ million (92% of Compact funds) have been committed and most of them are at their final stages of execution. I proudly note that Namibian businesses have benefited greatly from the Compact as more than 82% of our contracts were awarded to Namibian companies. The total cash spent is US$ million, which represents 61% of the Compact amount. Although we have been experiencing occasional delays in procuring furniture and equipment for very large infrastructure projects - such as Regional Study & Resource Centres and Community Skills Development Centresn (COSDECs) - I am confident that we will soon hand these buildings over, fully furnished and equipped. Over the past year, one of the biggest contracts to build infrastructure was awarded at the Etosha National Park for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). As part of MCA-N s support to MET, we have committed ourselves to build 98 houses for park staff as well to service land for another 54 houses at Galton Gate and Ombika/Anderson Gate to the tune of more than US$ 30 million. This and other tangible achievements are highlighted in this report. I would like to thank our implementing partners and stakeholders at national and regional level, especially the Traditional Authorities for your unwaivering support and participation in MCA-N s programme. They have been excellent partners. Without them and their communities, MCA-N would not be able to make this programme a success. My words of appreciation go to our MCA-N Board for its strategic directives, and to MCC and MCA-N staff for executing their duties with relentless dedication and overwhelming passion. I am certain that with the finishing line in sight, we shall once again re-double our efforts to make sure our communities can see, feel and enjoy the benefits from these interventions. Penny Akwenye, MCA Namibia CEO 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

5 STATEMENT OF MCC RESIDENT COUNTRY DIRECTOR As the Millennium Challenge Corporation s Resident Country Director in Namibia I get a front row seat to the exciting development and poverty alleviation work going on in Namibia under the Compact between the United States and Namibian Governments. In my short time in your beautiful and wonderful country I have been fortunate to travel to many regions to view the construction of infrastructure helping to improve how educational and veterinary services are delivered to Namibians. I have witnessed the ongoing construction of staff housing and tourist sites at Etosha National Park intended to improve the experience of international and local tourists that visit this national asset. I have seen how training communal farmers on cooperative planning and management of grazing areas improves the productivity and marketability of their livestock. And, I have seen that support to producers and processors of indigenous natural products makes a difference in the incomes and lives in some of the least fortunate Namibians. Along the way I have met many dedicated Namibians seeking to provide greater opportunity and improve the lives of others around them. The efforts of these people continually contribute to positive changes in Namibian society. As I travel through Namibia, I often hear beneficiaries request additional support from MCA Namibia to continue these activities over the longer term. But, MCC s philosophy is country ownership, which means that for MCA interventions to be sustainable Namibians in government and civil society must take ownership of the activities. Country ownership requires that new school infrastructure be cared for by responsible principals and learners in schools. That newly built State Veterinary Offices get the appropriate equipment and trained staff to help communal livestock farmers increase the productivity of their farming operations. That government takes action to make new policies and innovative procedures adopted as a result of MCA Namibia s activities the norm. With less than one year left until the Compact end date of 17 September 2014, I encourage all stakeholders - government, private, and communal - involved in MCA Namibia interventions to take ownership over all these activities. This will require planning by Government to ensure that appropriate financial and human resources are available to continue key activities. It requires that private citizens respect communal assets and safeguard them with a sense of scarcity. And in some cases, it may require that Government secure additional support from other donors to ensure that proper training and capacity building continues in support of key reform initiatives. MCA Namibia has been working actively to encourage stakeholders to embrace and take ownership over its interventions. Some stakeholders have already started sustainability planning as they realise MCA Namibia s support will soon come to an end. Other stakeholders need to begin this planning in the near future. In the end, it is my hope that all stakeholders benefiting from MCA s interventions will embrace these activities as their own by institutionalising reforms and new procedures, ensuring that money is available from the State budget to continue key activities, and continuing to build human resource capacity to implement and sustain innovative and impactful interventions started by MCA Namibia. All Namibians have the right to expect that MCA Namibia s interventions will provide them with meaningful benefits and long term opportunities that reduce poverty through economic growth. Stevan Dobrilovic, MCC Resident Country Director ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 5

6 THE BOARD GOVERNANCE OF THE MCA NAMIBIA COMPACT The MCA-N Board (MCA-NB) is chaired by Mr. Tom Alweendo, Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC), and consists of ten voting members and one non-voting member representing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Six Board Members are members of Cabinet and mostly represent MCA-N Implementing Partner Ministries, whilst four Board Members are from the Private Sector. The Board oversees MCA-N Compact implementation, guiding management both at strategic and political levels to the successful implementation of the US$ million programme, a role they have been fulfilling with utmost care and commitment. The Board is supported by six Board Sub-Committees, engaging management prior to Board meetings to obtain a more in-depth, often technical level of understanding of Board motions, assuring maximum transparency, efficiency and impact of all decisions taken at Board level. During the 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2013 Financial Year, the MCA-N Board had 10 Board meetings and 12 Board Sub-Committee meetings. THE BOARD Mr. Tom Alweendo CHAIRPERSON Dr. Mary Seely MEMBER Hon. Alpheus!Naruseb MEMBER Hon. David Namwandi MEMBER Hon. Calle Schlettwein MEMBER Hon. Uahekua Herunga MEMBER Ms. Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi MEMBER Ms. Jackie Asheeke MEMBER Mr. Justin Ellis MEMBER Hon. John Mutorwa MEMBER 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

7 IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS MCA-N delegation briefs Prime Minister Dr. Hage Geingob on progress. MCA-N s Implementing Partners (IPs) are simultaneously the main beneficiaries of the MCA-N Compact. The IPs include the Ministry of Education (MoE); Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Forestry (MAWF); Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET); Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (MLR); Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and Namibia Training Authority (NTA). These institutions have agreements with MCA-N that stipulate in detail as to how the IP will ensure that the funds are actually used for the intended purposes. Each institution briefs the other on day-to-day matters and conduct quarterly meetings on the progress of activities and to tackle relevant matters that may arise. As the Compact is nearing completion, most of the infrastructure facilities have been handed over technically and will be fully utilised by the benefiting ministries by next year. With these as well as other activities such as policy reforms, where MCA-N has been supporting the Namibian Government, sustainability measures are being put in place in order for them to continue the projects when MCA-N intervention phases out by September STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION MCA-N is committed to consulting and sharing information with all its partners and stakeholders throughout Compact implementation. In , the CEO of MCA-N continued to proactively interact with both national and regional structures, focusing on sharing information with decision makers and beneficiaries in order to strengthen relationships and demonstrate transparency. This included Prime Minister Dr. Hage Geingob in February It is further crucial to MCA-N s leadership to encourage beneficiary communities to willingly participate in MCA-N activities and to remain informed on progress of implementation as well as taking ownership of activities that need to sustain after the development programme comes to an end. Procurement outreach is an on-going activity and briefing meetings with potential bidders to inform them of upcoming procurements and procedures to be followed were held as and when necessary. MCA-N has reached out to construction federations and master builders associations in order to help ensure that they are aware of procurement opportunities at MCA-N. As a further outreach effort, a contractor-accessible database was set up on MCA-N s website where Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can register. The idea behind this tool is that larger companies have access to a pool of smaller businesses to draw from, should they wish to sub-contract certain works. In addition, ground-breaking and hand-over events, workshops, training sessions as well as seminars were organised in the regions where MCA-N activities are being implemented in order to promote consultations. Announcements about such events were broadcast over the radio (mainly in local languages) in addition to appearing in daily newspapers. These events were attended by participants ranging from Regional Governors and Councillors from the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs), Traditional Authorities (TAs) and their community members, representatives of unions, ministries and other stakeholders to members of the media. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 7

8 FINANCE COMPACT BUDGET US$ 304,477,818 COMMITMENTS Since inception, a total of US$ 279,387,914 contracts (commitments) have been signed and are at various stages of execution. 92% of the Compact funds are now committed. The commitment target for the financial year ending Sept 2013 stood at US$ 73.3 million by the end of the year a total of US$ 75.5 million worth of contracts were signed (103% of target). CASH FINANCE MCA-N operates on a cash basis of accounting. Since inception, a total of US$ 184,575,958 has been paid to various service providers (contractors, consultants, grantees, staff and other service providers). 61% of the Compact funds have been spent to date. The cash (expenditure) target for the financial year ending Sept 2013 stood at US$ million, at the end of the year a total of US$ 81.7 million worth of payments were made (80% of target). Most of the commitments are made and paid for in Namibian Dollars (N$), therefore the depreciation of the Namibian currency against the US Dollar (US$) over the past years resulted in significant savings for the Project, contributing to the variance between cash target and actual payments. In addition, a number of our infrastructure projects are behind schedule, which had a knock-on effect on the delivery and payments for equipping these buildings, e.g. Regional Study and Resource Centres (RSRCs) and Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs). These issues had a negative effect on cash disbursements made. However, the challenges associated with construction delays are expected to be overcome in the coming year. 8 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

9 FINANCE COMMITMENTS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE (October September 2013) US$ Annual Target Education Project Tourism Project Agriculture Project Monitoring & Evaluation Programme Administration TOTAL Annual Results % % % % % % % COMMITMENTS CUMULATIVE PERFORMANCE (Inception up to September 2013) US$ Annual Target Education Project Tourism Project Agriculture Project Monitoring &Evaluation Programme Administration TOTAL Annual Results % % % % % % $ % ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 9

10 FINANCE CASH ANNUAL PERFORMANCE (October September 2013) US$ Annual Target Education Project Tourism Project Agriculture Project Monitoring &Evaluation Programme Administration TOTAL Annual Results % % % % % % % CASH CUMULATIVE PERFORMANCE (Inception up to September 2013) US$ Annual Target Education Project Tourism Project Agriculture Project Monitoring &Evaluation Programme Administration TOTAL Annual Results % % % % % % % 10 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

11 FINANCE PROJECTIONS In the last year of the Compact, US$ 25.0 million remain to be committed and US$ million to be spent. This results in an average monthly spending of no less than US$ 10 million from now until September EXTERNAL AUDIT The audited financial statements are posted on the MCA-N website. We would like to thank PricewaterhouseCoopers who have been our auditors from inception up to the end of Simultaneously, MCA-N welcomes our new auditors, Ernst & Young. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 11

12 PROCUREMENT PROCUREMENT 12 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

13 PROCUREMENT A total number of 125 contracts valued at US$ 60,907,716 were awarded between October 2012 and September These contracts were in respect of goods, services and works done in the Education, Tourism and Agriculture projects as well as for Monitoring and Evaluation. During the last 12 months, Namibian companies/consultants were contracted for a total amount of US$ 50,155,248, representing 82.4% of the value of all contracts concluded during the period under review, with South African service providers being awarded 7.6% of the value of all contracts and the remaining 10% going to service providers from other countries. In comparison to the previous financial year, this is a significant shift in favour of domestic businesses (2012: 32%) due to the awarding of two large construction contracts to the combined value of US$ 31 million at Etosha National Park to Namibian companies. 7.6% 5.3% 2.2% 82.4% Major procurements and contract amendments for FY excluding grants and administration expenses and consumables ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 13

14 PROGRESS DURING 4 TH YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION EDUCATION MCA-N s commitment to renovate and upgrade 47 schools continues to progress well: Thirteen schools (5 in Kavango, 7 in Oshikoto and 1 in Otjozondjupa regions) have been completed and are on retention until August Eleven schools (5 in Khomas, 3 in Omaheke, 2 in Otjozondjupa and 1 in Kunene regions) are due for completion before the end of All completed schools are fully furnished, including computers, science lab equipment and library books. Through policy, operational and system development support for general schools as well as the University of Namibia (UNAM), approximately 180 professionals from the education sector (subject advisors, teacher educators, education inspectors, education planners) were trained as Master Trainers in textbook management and utilisation (in Mathematics, Science and English). Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has developed learning programmes in ICT literacy for educators, ICT integration for educators, interactive (self-instructional) content-based professional learning materials in Mathematics, Science and English. A second batch of science teaching equipment and chemicals was successfully procured and delivered to UNAM s Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus in Ongwediva during April 2013 for improved quality of Science and Mathematics teacher trainees as well as graduates in Mathematics, sscience and English. The equipment included biology kits, electricity kits, electronic balances, microscope halogen illumination, microscope micro illumination, optic and colour mix and ripple tank. Delivered chemicals included hydrogen peroxide, methylated spirit, pepsin and universal indicator paper. A 27-month technical advisory support on policy, strategic processes and management to the Minister of Education (MoE) through Dr. Fay Chung is on-going. The Directorate of National Examinations Assessment (DNEA) supported by the American Institute for Research (AIR) conducted workshops for Grade-10 examinations across English, Mathematics, and Life Science subjects on item development principles and procedures. Item banking development will enable the DNEA to have its own test items developed, stored and easily retrieved for purposes of conducting tests. With 14 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

15 EDUCATION AIR s support, DNEA has further completed the development of materials for Mathematics and English Grades 5 and 7. The next step will be to print a limited number of copies to be field-tested in selected schools. The target is to launch these materials during the first quarter of The instructional leadership consultancy started off well during August The 48-month consultancy will develop and support the implementation of an in-service professional development programme for instructional leaders through the CPD. Upgrading the access to and management of adequate textbooks second tranche: A total of 94,179 textbooks and learning support materials were successfully delivered to 459 schools across the country in February VOCATIONAL TRAINING Public consultations on National Training Fund Regulations and procedures for the National Training Fund (NTF) Levy Implementation were conducted successfully and consensus was reached between Government and employers on the threshold (N$ 1,000,000), collection percentage (1%) and effective date of implementation (1 April 2014). The levy is expected to raise approximately N$ 350 million in the first year that will be spent through a 50% funding window for the reimbursement of employers training. Thirty-five percent will be spent in providing training in identified high priority areas and up to 15% is designated for administration of the fund by the Namibia Training Authority (NTA). MCA-N and NTA reached an agreement through which the salaries of NTF key staff to support the levy collection mechanism in the first two years will be funded by MCA-N. Construction and renovation of Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs) at Rundu, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo, Ondangwa and Tsumeb are complete. These facilities are becoming operational as centre management is taking over the buildings. Renovation of the Opuwo COSDEC is also complete, centre staff has moved in and training has resumed. To ensure effective management at the newly completed centres, Community Skills Development Centre Foundation (COSDEF) staff and centre management underwent training in finance, marketing strategies, computerised management information systems and documentation for the registration of courses. These centres are currently being supported in areas such as medium term expenditure frameworks, to become institutionalised tools that are consistently used throughout the organisation as tools for future long term sustainable planning and management. Regional Study and Resource Centres progress has advanced and Helao Nafidi RSRC and Oshakati RSRC are due for completion. Hand-over to the Ministry of Education of fully equipped and furnished facilities is expected February/March Construction at the Gobabis centre is also progressing well. Furniture and ICT equipment were successfully procured and are being delivered. Other than construction and furnishing the RSRCs, MCA-N is technically supporting the MoE with the implementation of a strategic plan and capacity building services. With regard to the skills needs analysis of the Namibia Library and Archives Services, the directorate responsible for implementation of the technical support being rendered by MCA-N was successfully completed. Staff capacity was assessed and decisions were taken in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). An operational plan was developed and its implementation being gradually monitored. MCA-N has further started procuring a Library Information Management System that will allow for the computerised management of library members, the tracking of borrowed books and learning resources to library members through SMS reminders and messages, as well as catering for the statistical analysis of popular lending that will assist with buying new books for the collections. Under the Education project s Vocational Grant Fund, 1,863 young Namibians are undergoing training and good progress is being noted. Sectors affected include: construction, tourism and hospitality, business management and engineering. Fourteen training providers (including some public vocational training centres) are at present taking part in the demand driven training benefiting from MCA-N s capacity building grants grants awarded in addition to the training grant to enable training providers to increase their intake capacity. HIGHER EDUCATION The MCA-N advisory support on higher education finance reform with a view to advancing equity, efficiency and accountability in higher education resource allocation, utilisation and reporting is progressing, though slowly. The reform is being introduced at the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and at the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). Approved deliverables during the year include Draft NSFAF Amendment Act & Regulations - awaiting Cabinet approval, NCHE Capacity Analysis Report, NSFAF Modified MIS structure, Report on exploration of data from Government sources describing all the statistical data coming from other Government sources that may be used to cover information needs of the NSFAF and Funding Framework Operations Manual. Through this technical support, a Higher Education Funding Framework has been developed and adopted by the stakeholders including UNAM, Polytechnic of Namibia and MoE management. The Funding Framework will pave way for the creation and operationalization of a Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS). HEMIS will be ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 15

16 EDUCATION the implementation tool for the Funding Framework. Advisory and technical support to the MoE on prevention and management of HIV and AIDS in the education sector is progressing well and nearing completion. A total of 158 participants, which include chairpersons of the Regional Aids Committee in Education, Regional Aids Coordinators, Regional Continuing Professional Development Coordinators (RCPDCs), Regional School Counsellors (RSC), Human Resources Practitioners (HRPs), Senior Education Officers, HIV Assistant Coordinators and HAMU personnel, were trained. The trained participants are designated master trainers for their respective regions, circuits, clusters and schools. Support is rendered in follow-up training. The tailor-made training programme was based on six key themes/topics including Towards HIV Friendly Schools: A Human Rights Approach ; Behaviour Change Communication; Training Competencies for HIV and AIDS in the Namibian Context; Regional Strategic Planning for HIV and AIDS in the Education sector within a multi-sectorial approach; Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Advocacy. Regional Aids coordinators, regional schools counsellors and regional members of the CPD Committee were trained to become master trainers for sustenance of this intervention. SUCCESS STORY: NEW TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES LAUNCHED AT NAMCOL Maria Endjala believes in finding full employment after her training as an automotive mechanic. The MCA-N funded Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme was launched at the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) in Windhoek on 7 February MCA-N provided NAMCOL with a capacity building grant worth over N$ 7.7 million to renovate, expand and equip workshops and a further N$ 8.6 million that will pay for the scholarships of 278 trainees to attend NTA-registered courses. One of the beneficiaries is 30 year-old Maria Endjala, one of the three women who joined TVET s automotive mechanic class. Maria comes with some experience in the vehicle repair industry as she is regularly assisting at a panel beater workshop in Windhoek to make a living. I am truly thankful to MCA Namibia for funding my training. The tools and equipment here are brand-new and technically up to date. I am sure that after these two years, I will find full employment, says Maria. More than 200 trainees and guests from the political, educational and business communities attended the launch of the programme on 7 February 2013 at NAMCOL s headquarters in Windhoek. At the event, NAMCOL Director Heroldt Murangi called the introduction of TVET a milestone in the institution s history and added, I believe that with this support from MCA Namibia, NAMCOL can narrow the skills gap in our society. MCA-N CEO Penny Akwenye reminded the trainees that no opportunity comes without obligation: You all have the ability to succeed and now that the course fees are paid, you should have fewer worries. So, please work hard. Remember that you have been given a wonderful opportunity in a wonderful institution and we cannot wait to find you in jobs after you graduate. NAMCOL s TVET programme offers in a first phase training in office administration, automotive mechanics, plumbing and welding. MCA-N also built a bulk store facility on NAMCOL s premises worth N$ 9.5 million. 16 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

17 EDUCATION SUCCESS STORY: SCIENCE LAB EQUIPMENT FOR UNAM NORTH CAMPUS On 15 April 2013, the University of Namibia s Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus the science and mathematics hub in teacher education in Ongwediva received science laboratory equipment from MCA N as part of the American government s support to the country s education sector. The equipment to the value of N$ 900,000 (US$ 100,000) enables students and lecturers of the institution s Secondary School Science Teacher Education Faculty to carry out experiments in a revamped and professionally equipped laboratory. Among others, the donated items include electronic balances, ripple tanks, glass beakers, vacuum pumps, petri dishes as well as human skull and brain models. Speaking on behalf of the students, second-year mathematics and science teacher student Saima Simeon thanked MCA-N for its crucial support: Our experiential study of nature and application of scientific theories have become more manageable, now that we are able to test and manipulate relevant equipment in a more tangible manner and hence be able to make a meaning of what we are learning. Second year teacher students Febronia Kaimbi and Jane Koper are both learning mathematics and integrated natural science. They enjoyed their first hands-on lesson on expansion of metals with the new equipment. I would like to thank MCA Namibia for the opportunity that we can now directly experience our Aha moments in the lab, said Febronia. This assistance forms part of a sub-activity named Improving the Quality of Education under MCA-N s Education project. Students experimenting with their new science laboratory equipment. Hifikepunye Pohamba Campus Director, Dr. Sackey Iipinge, presenting a certificate of appreciation to Stevan Dobrilovic (MCC Resident Country Director) and Tuli Nghiyoonanye (MCA-N Education Director). Scientific models are essential for a conducive learning environment at UNAM laboratories. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 17

18 AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE 18 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

19 AGRICULTURE The Agriculture Project s Communal Land Support (CLS) activity continued implementation towards supporting the development of land administration systems and increasing security of tenure in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs). The CLS sub-activity focussed on targeted communications campaigns, training and identification of all land parcels regardless of their size to adjudicate their validity in terms of Namibia s Land Reform Act. The following was achieved: Procedures, operations and systems (POS) were improved, the Namibia Communal Land Administration System (NCLAS) was redesigned to result in increased efficiency of the Communal Land Boards (CLBs) and the Communal Land Administration Manual (CLAM) was developed to improve local level land administration. Under its policy review component, various policy recommendations were made. Fourteen (14) village maps and registration maps were completed, inclusive of 2,487 certificates that were issued. Furthermore, 1,549 members of Traditional Authorities (TAs) and 70 Communal Land Board members were trained. MCA-N s Community-Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM) sub-activity continued to benefit farmers in the NCAs. In addition to 13 demo grazing areas, a further 45 grazing areas were supported, where more than 1,000 small and large livestock owners learned best farming practices, such as combined herding, that help combat land degradation as it allows pasture to recover. Most upgrades of their water supply infrastructure were completed. Even with the poor rainfall in most areas over the past season, CBRLM interventions continued to show increasing buy-in, with the 1,000 participating households threshold being exceeded in Year 4. The Livestock Support activity continued to seek improvement in marketing opportunities for farmers north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF). Complementary to this, with support from MCA-N the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) tagged additional cattle and is developing the new NamLITS 2 data capturing system. Five (5) newly constructed State Veterinary Offices (SVOs) are almost complete and ready to be handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF). The upgrade of two Zambezi Region quarantine camps and 10 staff houses has been completed, allowing farmers to benefit from these structures for improved access to meat markets. During the past financial year, 64 INP Producer and Processor Organisations (PPOs) of Indigenous Natural Products (INP) were supported to harvest in a sustainable manner. They received technical assistance that will allow them to link with local and global markets. 7,787 INP producers and harvesters have been mobilised on various species, such as marula, devils claw, ximenia, commiphora and mopane for processing and value addition, e.g. through essential oil processing. Almost all PPOs were awarded primary production improvement grants (PPIGs) in support of their activities. SUCCESS STORY: HERDERS BUY INTO COMBINED HERDING The King Nehale plains between Indongo Yakeelu and Etosha National Park offer an impressive spectacle these days. Instead of the usual clusters of smaller cattle herds with up to 50 animals, one single herd of 250 cattle appears on the horizon. Five herders look after these animals that were combined from dozens of smaller herds of different farmers in order to follow a grazing pattern developed under MCA-N s Community-Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM) activity, which allows non-utilised pasture to recover. Livestock owners from all over the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) visit the area to receive appropriate herder training. Combined herding stands and falls with the availability of water, says Indongo Yakeelu committee facilitator Matias Ashipala, but thanks to MCA Namibia this problem was successfully addressed. MCA-N extended a pipeline to build two water points at Okalonga Kooxumba and Nangolo Dhamutenya to the value of N$ 2.4 million, which can serve large herds. It is likely that 80 more households will join this scheme and that the herd will increase to between 1,500 and 2,000 head of cattle. Managing the plain s pasture through a rangeland plan means that free-roaming animals will soon be something of the past, is Ashipala convinced. Professional herder trainer Bonifasius Nanhongo is very happy about the development at King Nehale: We can already see how the grass closer to the Etosha fence is improving because it is currently not utilised and trampled on by cattle. Sustainable pasture management leads to better livestock quality, says Nanhongo and adds with a smile, these 250 animals have already reached a body condition score of three and will soon improve to four. The higher the grade, the more can a farmer earn when he sells his cattle. Herder trainee Claudia Ananias from the Ekulu Grazing Area (GA) in the Epembe Rangeland Intervention Area is impressed with the CBRLM approach. Her only concern is the lack of shade at King Nehale, which leads to her suggestion to change the grazing times, even into the night. Cattle move and eat better during the night because it is cooler, she says. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 19

20 AGRICULTURE Devil s Claw and Devil s Claw product. One of the 9 MCA-N donkey carts donated to INP harvester communities. SUCCESS STORY: INDIGENOUS NATURAL PRODUCT INDUSTRY ON THE RISE Through the Indigenous Natural Products activity, MCA-N has in place Primary Production Improvement Grants (PPIG), which are availed to Producer and Processor Organisations (PPOs) for the purchase of equipment. The PPIG award scheme is designed to facilitate the sustainable harvesting and processing of INPs by eligible PPOs in line with the training received. Devil s claw harvesters of five producer groups in Kavango Region were further supported with a donation of nine donkey carts to assist these very remote communities in transporting their dried devil s claw to the nearest central buying point. Two of the donkey carts were handed over to members of the Katope Community Forest in August Katope harvesters were first trained in 2012 and are already seeing tangible benefits from harvesting this indigenous plant. Last year, Katope harvesters produced close to four tonnes of devil s claw, resulting in direct income of N$ 67,000 while provisional figures for 2013 indicate a production of 1.3 tons with direct earnings to harvesters at N$ 26,000. This income is often the only source of income for rural inhabitants and provides harvesters with the means to pay for health care, education, food and starting small businesses or farming activities. At the hand-over ceremony for the donkey carts, Marenge Headwoman Rebecca Shaningwa thanked MCA-N for its crucial support and noted that, devil s claw is still new but already like a diamond to us. We will treasure this indigenous plant to sustain our livelihoods. To date, there have been seven rounds of Primary Production Improvement Grants, which support more than 60 Producer and Processor Organisations to the value of N$ 1.9 million in form of processing equipment, storage facilities and transportation, thereby ensuring resource sustainability and improved quality. The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) and its implementing partners, Centre for Research Information Action in Africa - Southern Africa Development and Consulting (CRIAA SA-DC), Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) and the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) have been working tirelessly to achieve the objectives of all tasks related to the support and training of PPOs. The following has been achieved: 67 signed Service Agreements with Producer & Processor Organisations (target: 60) 8,600 individuals (5,059 women / 3,541 men) trained (target: 7,000) 5,212 (2,754 women / 2,638 men) trained in sustainable harvesting methods (target: 1,250) Sales of INPs through the sub-activity continued to grow into Provisional data with respect to direct income to harvesters indicate earnings for the period January to September 2013 of around N$ 1.8 million. Until date, cumulative income to producers for the entire project period amounts to approximately N$ 10.8 million, reflecting sales of marula, devil s claw, ximenia, commiphora and mopane. 20 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

21 AGRICULTURE SUCCESS STORY: MORE AND MORE WOMEN EMPOWERED THROUGH COMMUNAL LAND SUPPORT ACTIVITY History was made in August 2013 at Okakurukouje village when a group of Ovahimba women started to attend Communal Land Support (CLS) training conducted by MCA-N. Okakurukouje village is situated 150 km west of Opuwo in the rocky areas of Kunene Region. To date, land rights for women were unheard of in Ovahimba culture. Traditionally, women never had a say on land issues. With the support from MCA-N, however, this is changing. The Ovahimba women participated in a CLS workshop to understand Namibia s Communal Land Reform Act of 2002 and its impact. Since inception, these trainings have seen the number of female participants on a steady increase. The Ovahimba are indigenous people of about 20,000 to 50,000 living in northern Namibia as well as on the Angolan side of the Kunene River. Their lifestyle is considered seminomadic and pastoral, but some are also hunters and gatherers. The CLS meeting took place with a Chief and his Senior Counsellors of Okakurukouje village, where the increase of women in leadership positions of Traditional Authorities (TAs) was discussed. They recently appointed five women in their structure, one as a Headwoman and other as Senior Headwoman. Such development can be regarded as somewhat revolutionary, as historically women were neither allowed to lead nor even to talk in front of men. The newly appointed power ladies confirm that this process started rolling after CLS had conducted their first meeting with the Chief last year. According to statistics of the CLS Training Impact Assessment, more and more women are participating in these trainings since they commenced in The objective of the TIA was to assess impact and effectiveness of these trainings and how it enabled TAs to participate in the utilisation and management of their land resources as well as to improve administration of communal lands; e.g. whether people who go through the training effectively gained knowledge and skills on communal land issues and are able to apply the knowledge conveyed. It further aimed at evaluating whether the initially identified training needs were met and whether new ones were identified. The assessment focussed on the all training events conducted since the beginning of the CLS sub-activity in 2011 and 1,080 trainees formed the sample frame. The methodology for the TIA was based on action research and used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A questionnaire was used for quantitative assessments and focus group discussions to gain qualitative findings. A sample of 273 (25% of the sample frame) participated in the TIA and were selected through non-random sampling, using quota and judgmental sampling methods. CLS workshop at Okakurukouje village, Kunene Region. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 21

22 TOURISM TOURISM 22 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

23 TOURISM The biggest investment of MCA-N s Tourism Project, the housing infrastructure for employees of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) at the Etosha National Park, was launched in Year 4 with a ground-breaking ceremony at Ombika Gate on 22 April With the commencement of this activity, all activities in the Project are in full implementation and good progress is being made. Construction Company Nexus was appointed to build 50 houses at Ombika while NMC will construct 35 houses, an office block and an entrance gate at Galton Gate. Two consultants were appointed to strengthen change management initiatives in Etosha National Park: One consultant to assist ENP to cascade Standing Operating Procedures down to Park management level, while the other consultant assists with Human Resources issues, mainly concentrating on job descriptions, performance systems and filling crucial positions in a staggered fashion to assist MET in reaching its strategic goals for ENP over the next five years. The following 15 Standing Operating Procedures were agreed upon for drafting: Wildlife Monitoring, Human-Wildlife- Conflict Mitigation, Fire Management, Anti-Poaching, Basic Law Enforcement, Waterhole Installations, Roads, Fences, Bulk Service Infrastructure (sewerage and water reticulation), Picnic Sites and Field Toilets, Park Signage, Vehicles, Firearms, Park Entrance/Exit and Visitor Management. MCA-N s marketing efforts through the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) are progressing well with their website completed and handed over on 31 July Together with this interactive online presence, two vehicles, desktop computers, laptops and other office equipment as well as awards won by the website were handed over to the NTB. The North American Destination Marketing (NADM) Campaign has progressed well over the past year. As part of the media campaign, journalists from North America were sourced to visit and write stories about the Land of the Brave. Among those visiting Namibia in July 2013 were journalists from the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Examiner, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman s Channel and WildTV. Two sales toolkits, a Birding Sales Toolkit and Adventure Sales Toolkit were finalised. These toolkits are designed to give the travel trade deeper insight into Namibia s niche markets and how to sell them effectively to their clients. Currently, there are 182 Destination Specialists. Online and offline marketing of Namibia as a tourist destination proved supportive in the awarding of Namibia to host the 2013 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS). In August 2013, a very successful GoBiGNamibia online campaign was implemented through international bloggers and a well-known Namibian musician, Ees, who told the Namibian story through blogs, photographs and personal experiences. The GoBiGNamibia campaign was initiated to position our country as an adventure destination ahead of the ATWS and generated a wealth of content for the Namibia Tourism Board. MCA-N has rendered significant support to Team Destination Namibia as it prepared to host the renowned Summit Never to Be Forgotten. The Route Development & Marketing activity aims at linking traditional routes used by tourists with some exciting new routes into Namibia s hinterland. Three specific routes are being developed, namely the Arid Eden Route, the Omulunga Palm Route and the Four Rivers Route. Various stakeholder consultations took place where, amongst other items, the branding and logos for these routes were discussed. The project s Conservancy Support activity continued in providing training and capacity building as well as financially through the Conservancy Development Support Grant Fund (CDSGF). A total of 832 participants have been provided with training of which 339 (41%) were women and 22 were from vulnerable groups. Highlights included the start of the construction of a joint venture lodge at Sorri-Sorris conservancy and the award of a tourism concession inside ENP to Sheya Shuushona conservancy. Successful Annual General Meetings (AGMs) were held by Anabeb, Puros and Khoadi //Hôas conservancies and successful elections were held at Puros and Doro!Nawas conservancies. Furthermore, skills needed for game guards to successfully carry out game monitoring were identified and agreed upon through consultations with target conservancies, while financial sustainability plans for conservancies were piloted. Accommodation for guides was constructed at Palmwag. Due to the prevailing drought situation in large parts of Namibia, only the more vegetated conservancies in the Kavango and Zambezi regions received game this year through MCA-N s translocation activity. Emphasis was put on restocking wildlife in National Parks where MCA-N target conservancies have concessions. The following game species were translocated over the past year: 49 Waterbuck released at Mudumu National Park 40 Waterbuck released at the border of Mamili National Park and Wuparo Conservancy 45 Waterbuck released at Susuwe North 52 Waterbuck released at Susuwe South 58 Waterbuck were released at Mashi Conservancy 49 Kudu were released at Mashi Conservancy 107 Eland were released at Mudumu National Park 54 Eland were released at Susuwe North 50 Eland were released at Susuwe South 41 Eland were released at Muduva Nyangana ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 23

24 TOURISM SUCCESS STORY: NAMIBIA GOES BIG ON ADVENTURE In August 2013, the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) with support from MCA-N launched an online campaign called GoBiGNamibia. This campaign was initiated to position Namibia as an adventure holiday destination ahead of the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) hosted in Namibia at the end of October Five adventure travelers and social media practitioners together with a photographer and videographer participated in an action-packed itinerary around the Land of the Brave. The selection of the participants involved candidates that had not previously been to Namibia, so their reactions would be unbiased and natural. The bloggers came from different sectors of the NTB marketing: - Ees, a Kwaito musician from Namibia but living in Germany. His YouTube channel EesTV has had more than 150,000 views. - Laurel, a Canadian living in Germany. Her blog Monkeys and Mountains receives over 25,000 unique hits a month. NTB was able to deliver a truly remarkable experience to these online authors, and the team ensured that personal requests were met. The goal of the trip was to promote the journey in real-time, so online communities felt they were taking part in their experiences - live. In total, the GoBigNamibia campaign resulted in: - Over 300 twitter posts - Over 300,000 likes on Instagram - Over 1,700 comments on Instagram - Over 20 blog posts In addition, the NTB team has collected over 3,000 photographs and will produce five video clips to extend the reach of the campaign. The GoBigNamibia campaign ensured that content about adventure in Namibia was promoted by influential social personalities, simultaneously ensuring a powerful online buzz. - Liz, an American with nearly one million followers on Instagram. - Rachel, a blogger hailing from South Africa and working for Africa Geographic, an online magazine that reaches 30,000 people a month. - Emeritta, a Namibian blogger who is active on the NTB Blog. Online campaign bloggers at the World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein. 24 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

25 TOURISM ETOSHA INFRASTRUCTURE BOOST Environment and Tourism Minister Uahekua Herunga together with U.S. Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt cut the first sod for MCA- N s tourism infrastructure projects at Etosha National Park to the value of N$ 300 million (US$ 35 million) on 23 April Only weeks after the ground-breaking ceremony at Ombika Gate, south of Okaukuejo, construction commenced for close to 100 new houses for park staff at Ombika and Galton Gate. This development in support of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) is the single largest contract under the MCA-N Compact programme. All houses are family-friendly designed, will be connected to water, sewerage as well as electricity and will be equipped with stoves, fridges and environmentally friendly solar-geysers. In his keynote address at the ground-breaking event, MET Minister Uahekua Herunga emphasised Etosha s iconic status as one of the world s most renowned ecosystems and wildlife tourism destinations in Namibia. He thanked the American people and MCA-N for their investment in the park infrastructure as a milestone along the road to fulfil his Ministry s mission, the country s National Development Plan and Vision These upgrades will position Namibia to be more competitive in the regional tourism market, confirmed U.S. Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt; and MCC Deputy Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Andrew Mayock concluded, Our two nations share a belief in the significance of increased employment and revenues created by the tourism sector. MCA-N s infrastructure support for Etosha further comprises of a new Gate at Ombika, including offices and tourism facilities, the renovation of existing staff housing at Okaukuejo, upgrading of the picnic and camping facilities at the Olifantsrus waterhole with a game-viewing hide, as well as the erection of approximately 60 tourism road-signs along the park s Galton Gate Route. MCA-N ensured that the local Hai//Om community received a concession for Etosha in order to also benefit from tourism development there. For maintenance and management purposes, the park authorities further received special equipment such as a rhino recovery vehicle, two mobile cranes, three tipper trucks, two low-bed trucks, three motor graders, two loaders, one water tanker, three trailers, two caravans and six 4x4 vehicles. As MCA-N supports communal conservancies, Etosha further serves as a source of game for these communal conservancies. So far, more than 1,100 animals were translocated from the park to such communal conservancies, including giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and various antelope species. Artist impression at the staff village construction site. More than 150 people attended the ground-breaking ceremony near Ombika Gate. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 25

26 TOURISM The Mashi Crafts team at Kongola proudly present some of their products for sale. SUCCESS STORY: HUNDREDS OF ARTISANS BENEFIT FROM MASHI CRAFTS Mavis Kulibabika kills two birds with one stone: Not only is she employed as a sales person at the Mashi Crafts tourist centre at Kongola in the Caprivi Region, but also one of the more than 300 local craft makers who deliver their goods to the centre for sale. Mashi Crafts is located at a strategic road junction on the Trans-Caprivi Highway 110 km outside Katima Mulilo. The adjacent petrol station and shop cater for the many tourists that are travelling via Caprivi to or from Zimbabwe, Botswana or Zambia. The surrounding conservancies intend to upgrade Mashi Crafts to an entrepreneurial facility and information centre, offering locally produced souvenirs to tourists. Mashi Crafts is run by manager Bester Mutanincwa and two sales personnel, who work on a rotational basis. Over the past five years the sales figures increased continually. The project is supported by an MCA-N grant of N$ 471,774, which also provides for electricity connection, ablution facilities and a kiosk. Primary beneficiaries are craft producers like Mavis Kulibabika, who now have a top of the range opportunity to sell their work to the increasing number of tourists that stops by at Mashi Crafts. Forty per cent of the revenue goes directly to the craft makers. Mashi Crafts has changed my life for the better and I am very proud to be part of the sales team, especially when I can sell one of my own products, says the 48-year-old craft maker with a smile. Mavis Kulibabika is specialised in the local tradition of weaving baskets. 26 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

27 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 27

28 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT MCA-N continues to enforce full compliance with our Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), Public Health and Public Safety Awareness Plans (PHPSAPs) as well as HIV&AIDS Awareness and Prevention Plans (HAAPP) by our contractors at all construction sites. We have improved our Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to ensure that all construction contractors and their supervising consultants are fully complying with environmental and social legislations. The introduction of Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) Daily Checklists as well as Resident Engineers (RE) Dashboard Report have significantly improved the overall performance at all sites. Few works stoppages and withholding of contractor payments at several sites were issued. ESA compliance for all activities other than works/construction such as Indigenous Natural Products (INP), Community-Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM), Communal Land Support (CLS) and Conservancy Development Support Services (CDSS) has been very good during the period under review. Contractors have also improved their implementation of MCA-N Social & Gender Integration Strategy with each implementing their own plans and reporting on efforts made to date. The appointment of a Social and Gender Consultant (SGA) has enabled MCA-N to build capacity for contractors. The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme for the Ministry of Education (MoE) has started on a good note and is currently on-going. A needs assessment exercise was carried out to establish the level of hygiene and sanitation infrastructures and knowledge at all public schools. Remedial works on the environmentally friendly Enviro Loos at 19 schools have been undertaken and all issues reported have been addressed. SUCCESS STORY: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT ETOSHA EDUCATED ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTERS Under the guidance of MCA-N s ESA directorate, building contractor NMC Construction Namibia has been implementing a site-specific Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) plan at the Galton Gate infrastructure project. This plan was developed from contract specifications set out in the Public Health & Public Safety Awareness Plan (PHPSAP) and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and acted as a directive towards the achievement of full legal compliance of all co-contractors and NMC Construction employees. The PHPSAP for Galton Gate maintains full compliance and is based on all relevant requirements as set out in the Namibian Labour Act No. 11 of 2007 and regulations pertaining to the health and safety of employees at the work place. Similarly, all reasonable and practicable steps are taken to ensure that the environment and the local community are not affected by activities on and around the site. In achieving high health and safety standards at Galton Gate, NMC Construction Namibia s Zero Harm awareness campaign played a fundamental role. The campaign comprises of key non-negotiable aspects that emphasise on legal compliance, site-specific inductions, risk assessments, toolbox talks, public safety, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as well as housekeeping and scaffolding safety. In achieving legal compliance the current legislations are being adhered to at all costs. Visitors, co-contractors, and all NMC Construction employees have to undergo a thorough site-specific induction where they receive information on all hazards prevalent on site and the risks associated with such hazards. Similarly, as a form of disseminating health and safety information to site employees and co-contractors, risk assessments, weekly toolbox talks and fortnightly safety meetings form an integral part of the company s health and safety awareness campaign in achieving Zero Harm.Other aspects such as scaffolding safety, electricity safety (tools, installations), fall protection, issuing and utilising of PPE and public safety also form part of the essential core values that are constantly addressed and actively used in all operations at the Galton Gate project. In essence, a combination of the above aspects act as the yard stick against which NMC Construction Namibia benchmarks its performance with regard to health and safety. This is appraised through monthly health and safety audits carried out by competent environmental health and safety officers employed with the company. As part of the operational phase of the Galton Gate construction development, in building a staff village with associated infrastructure, an EMP has been approved by the Ministry of Environment & Tourism (MET) and is implemented by the contractor. According to this EMP, environmental management is concerned not only with the final results of the contractor s operations to carry out the works but most importantly with the manner in which operations are carried out. To control the impact of construction activities on this sensitive environment, the appointed contractor is taking full responsibility for protecting the natural and social environment and to minimise any negative impact that construction may have on the environment. As part of achieving the above, the contractor is providing environmental, social and safety awareness training and information to the labour force recruited from local communities, as well as a commitment to implementing the EMP in compliance with Namibia s environmental, social and labour legislation. Employees are made aware of the importance of saving water, with the minimum possible usage and no wastage allowed on site. Mbiripuene Mbaroro, the campsite cleaner and cook comments: I never realised how important it is that we do 28 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

29 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT HIV & AIDS Awareness Prevention meeting at Gobabis RSRC. The on-site nursery at Galton Gate where rescued vegetation is transplanted and maintained. not waste water by not closing taps properly. Water is life and we need to look after it so that in future our children will also have enough of this precious resource. We should not litter or mess any oil, sewage or cement as this will contaminate the groundwater source. He was also amazed to learn that water can be re-used. At the contractor s camp, where most of the employees working on the construction site are housed in tents, grey water (from the shower and washing facilities) drains into conservancy tanks that are emptied daily and sprayed on access roads for dust controlling purposes. Mbaroro says that his whole family have now also started using their washing water to supress the dust in their yards. As part of the environmental management, any natural vegetation particularly trees within or immediately adjacent to the working area, are rescued, transplanted and maintained in an on-site nursery until they will be utilised for re-vegetation. Previously cleared vegetation is sorted according to different sizes: Small tree branches are used for brush-packing to preserve removed topsoil; Medium size branches are used for cooking and heating purposes by the workers staying at the contractor s campsite; and Bigger branches are cut up into manageable logs of no more than 400 mm, which are distributed to local communities as firewood. Thirty-four-year-old Mafulu Kleinkie, who grew up in the area, never knew that instead of taking out unwanted vegetation or trees and using it as firewood you could successfully transplant them elsewhere. He admits that he doubted very much if any of the transplanted vegetation would grow, but after seeing it with his own eyes at the Galton Gate nursery, he has now promised to never cut down any plant ever again but to always try and save it by transplanting it. Employees also benefit from additional training on topics such as snakebite prevention, housekeeping, construction health and safety, fire prevention and safe working procedures. Everybody staying at the campsite was further trained in appropriate sanitation behaviour. Various recreational activities are undertaken with the workers on site, including soccer matches being played over weekends against various teams from the area. These activities are integrated with some HIV & AIDS Awareness Prevention Programme (HAAPP) interventions such as distributing HIV & AIDS information, education and communication (IEC) materials as well condoms to all team members and local communities. A friendly soccer match played against one of the local communities. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 29

30 MONITORING & EVALUATION MONITORING & EVALUATION 30 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

31 MONITORING & EVALUATION MCA-N is committed to delivering on the promises made to the Namibian nation in the Compact. As such, measuring and tracking achievements and the impact that MCA-N activities are having on our beneficiaries is of great importance. This process continued during the period of this report. MCA-N Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) continued to follow up on Data Quality Review (DQR) recommendations, engaging with implementers and government ministries, as relevant. Under the GIS Services consultancy, an updated static MCA-N Implementation Map was created. All the work necessary to activate an online interactive map has been completed, and this tool s public launch is imminent. With the click of a mouse, users will be able to view geo-spatial implementation progress across all three projects. In Year 4, the M&E directorate strengthened its relationship with leadership in the nascent Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), the independent successor to the Central Bureau of Statistics as custodian of official statistics in Namibia. The NSA has been briefed on the findings of the Government Data Quality Review and other M&E activities, and indications are positive that the organisation will engage per its rightful role on the statistical landscape in Namibia. The M&E directorate is also supported the national statistical system by funding a consultant to document the methodology of the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the National Sample Frame, and to build the technical capacity (especially in terms of sampling) of NSA staff. Also focused on the national statistical landscape, MCA-N M&E formalised a liaison relationship with the National Planning Commission s (NPC s) M&E directorate and will support related capacitybuilding. The M&E consultant for the Ministry of Education (MoE) completed his work, and the consultancy came to an end during Year 4. The consultancy was able to meet many milestones as per the objectives despite the numerous challenges encountered. MCA-N M&E will continue to engage with the new MoE M&E team to ensure that the benefit from the consultancy and the visibility and importance of M&E and a data-driven culture are maintained. Key achievements on this contract include fostering M&E leadership in MoE at all levels, the creation of a M&E toolkit to assist MoE in appropriately applying M&E to its operations, assessment of capacity needs and building of national and regional M&E capacity and structures in MoE, the initiation of performance management plans in each of the Ministry s units and education sector state-owned enterprises (SOEs), all of which will have related indicators and targets, development of an M&E strategy and an education sector M&E plan and supporting MoE in the execution of M&E implementation and making timely projections of relevant policy performance trends/indicators. In a striking example of the importance that MoE senior management now places on M&E, the Education Minister spent much of his speech at the launch of the Ministry s Strategic Plan talking about M&E. MCA-N M&E sees this as a small triumph in the quest to enhance the visibility and importance of a data-driven culture. How well it will be followed through in implementation is now up to MoE. UPDATES ON OTHER M&E ACTIVITIES Data collection to inform the Vocational Education and Skills Development evaluation is successfully underway, with baseline rounds of data collection completed for all but the latest intakes of trainees. This will allow for the capturing of an accurate baseline against which to measure impact. MCA-N M&E made a significant contribution to the national statistical landscape, specifically when it comes to tourism, by commissioning, completing, and releasing findings from the Namibia Tourist Exit Survey This report helps the Namibian tourism sector in its future planning and development, given that such a survey has not taken place for the past 10 years. Year 4 was a turning point for the Conservancy Support (CS) and Indigenous Natural Products (INP) evaluation and related data collection, with a new team leader and fresh approach to the evaluation to ensure that it remains responsive to the realities of implementation and the key outcomes of interest. Qualitative data collection took place in the latter part of the Compact year, with findings due imminently. Results will be made available on MCA-N s website. MCA-N M&E provided support to the Namibian Association of Support Organisations in the field of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (NACSO) for the compilation of the annual State of the Conservancies report. The glossy, colourful document provides a wealth of data and other information about Namibia s communal conservancies. M&E activities related to the Community-Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM) sub-activity continue to take up a large chunk of the M&E team s time and efforts and is expected to yield meaningful results, especially in terms of measuring and reporting on rangeland health. MCA-N is breaking new ground in setting the stage for the adoption of holistic adaptive land management in Namibia, which could play a significant role in sustainable resource use in ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 31

32 MONITORING & EVALUATION the country. Strategic outreach on this front is helping ensure that this work receives the appropriate attention, including at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP) and among local scientists. The Indicator Tracking Table (ITT) is continuously updated, with the latest version being posted on the MCA-N website so that results are accessible to all. This strategic sharing of results will raise Namibia s profile on a global level in terms of its efforts to fight land degradation and adopt good soil management practices. The Livestock Support evaluator s on-going interactions with implementing teams under this activity helps ensure implementation integrity and continued focus on results. The continued dialogue between implementers and the evaluator reflects the Real-Time Evaluation approach that has been adopted from the start and increases the potential for success. Through it all, the M&E directorate regularly reports on the M&E indicators whose targets MCA-N is committed to achieving. Higher-level indicators are coming into play as the Namibia Compact moves deeper into implementation. M&E data is available at SUCCESS STORY: GETTING INFORMATION ON SOIL QUALITY AT THE CLICK OF A MOUSE Nearly all development projects collect data to quantify impacts, but the value of these data is usually limited to that specific project s evaluation. MCA-N s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) directorate is doing things differently. The organisation has partnered with the Jornada research unit from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that monitoring and evaluation data are made publicly available in a form that can be easily accessed and used by government, universities, farmers and others interested in the status of Namibia s rangelands. Today, anyone with a computer and internet connection can tour northern rangelands with the click of a mouse. The first dataset includes rapid, qualitative estimates of soil properties and vegetation cover for 180 locations and over 1,400 photographs. The USDA used this information to design the rangeland monitoring component of the Community-Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM) project evaluation, ensuring that topography, soils and initial vegetation conditions in the reference areas are similar to those in participating grazing areas. The design phase was also used as the initial test of key elements of the Land-Potential Knowledge System, now being developed globally with the support of USDA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which will allow users to access and share knowledge and information necessary to sustainably increase agricultural production while supporting biodiversity conservation. The baseline quantitative vegetation data from the plots selected for monitoring will be presented at this year s Rangeland Forum and made publicly available, subject to limitations to ensure that the integrity of the plots is not compromised. The CBRLM rangeland monitoring is just one of several data collection exercises that MCA-N s M&E directorate is engaged in. Additional surveys have been or are being done in the tourism and education sectors as part of an overall strategy to further a datadriven, results-focused culture for improved decision-making and service delivery to the benefit of all Namibians. USDA Jornada scientist Jeff Herrick uses GPS and satellite imagery to identify potentially similar areas for use as controls. 32 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

33 How long does the average tourist stay in Namibia? Which places are visited most and how much is spent on what type of accommodation? Answers to these questions are crucial for Government as well as the local tourism industry in order to plan and develop new strategies and cater for the market. In May 2013, MCA-N and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) launched the latest Namibia Tourist Exit Survey report in the capital. Compilation and production of the report was funded by MCA-N with approximately N$ 3.5 million (US$ 370,000). Government, tour operators and the Namibian hospitality industry alike were in dire need of up-to-date figures, as the last survey in this field was undertaken more than ten years ago. At the launch, MCA-N Director for Monitoring and Evaluation, Kandi Shejavali highlighted the report as a significant milestone in terms of making available fresh information on tourists impressions of Namibia because such data is important to make evidence-based decisions, which allow Namibians to improve their livelihoods by engaging in the tourism sector. MONITORING & EVALUATION SUCCESS STORY: TOURIST EXIT SURVEY HELPS GOVERNMENT AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY Minister for Environment and Tourism, Hon. Uahekua Herunga, launching the Tourist Exit Survey 2012/2013 Report together with Kandi Shejavali (MCA-N M&E Director, left) and Sem Shikongo (MET Director for Tourism and Gaming, right). tourism industry, which he regards as one of Namibia s key catalysts for economic growth and nation building. Today we know that for every twelve tourists arriving in Namibia, one job is created. This means that we need more tourists to create more jobs, the Minister emphasised. One of the survey s key findings is that two thirds of the holiday makers visiting Namibia do so for its wildlife and beautiful scenery, indicating that MCA-N s investment of almost N$ 700 million in the country s tourism development may generate more income in this sector for various stakeholders. N$ 300 million of this amount is being used to upgrade MET infrastructure at the Etosha National Park, whereas the remainder is committed to support 31 communal conservancies and improve tourism marketing. Data for the Tourist Exit Survey Report was collected under the auspices of MCA-N in three phases between June 2012 and January 2013 from 6,500 tourists at various border posts and airports when leaving Namibia. Among others, they were requested to provide information on how they enjoyed their visit, where they stayed, how they travelled and what places they visited. Environment and Tourism Minister, Hon. Uahekua Herunga, thanked MCA-N for its support as these statistics constitute the primary source to determine the performance of the The 100-page document features dozens of pictures and explanatory charts and can be accessed online at Compact Closure In order to provide for a smooth hand-over of Compact projects to the Namibian Government, MCA-N has embarked on a detailed Compact Closure Plan (CCP). The CCP seeks to ensure an orderly closure of the MCA-N Compact by Compact End Date (CED) on 16 September 2014, and beyond. It will serve as a guide to MCA-N together with its Implementing Partners (IPs) and key stakeholders on their obligations to the programme during its closure. Salient aspects contained in the CCP are: closure risks, staff matters, sectorial projects, assets, audits, website, monitoring and evaluation, contract closure, sustainability, communication, branding as well as environmental and social issues. Where closure risks have been identified, the CCP provides mitigations through implementable plans. A common thread through the CCP is the emphasis on achieving overall sustainability of all project activities and sub-activities to ensure that the benefits from the Compact continue to flow to the Namibian communities in the quest for poverty reduction through economic growth. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 33

34 IMPRESSIONS Shikudule Combined School, Ohangwena Region 34 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

35 IMPRESSIONS Iikelo Combined School, Ohangwena Region John Shekudja Combined School, Omusati Region ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 35

36 IMPRESSIONS Omuthiya State Veterinary Office 36 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

37 IMPRESSIONS Quarantine Camps, Zambezi Region ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 37

38 IMPRESSIONS Regional Study and Resource Centre, Oshakati 38 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA

39 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA 39

40 REDUCING POVERTY THROUGH ECONOMIC GROWTH MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT NAMIBIA ATLAS HOUSE, SAM NUJOMA DRIVE P.O. BOX 23005, WINDHOEK TEL: / 418 / 454 FAX: info@mcanamibia.org 40 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 MCA NAMIBIA