This Component aims to improve the enabling institutional and policy foundation for multi-sectoral integrated landscape management as well as support project management. This will include the following sub-components:
C1: Institutional and Policy Strengthening: This subcomponent aims to improve the enabling institutional and policy foundation for integrated landscape management in Nigeria – with an initial focus on ACRESAL activities but setting the foundation for longer-term national frameworks. This will include work on improving the institutional infrastructure (IT, connectivity, and office improvements) in key agencies at Federal and State levels, setting up the data, analytics and decision support framework (including in-situ and earth observation, online services, cloud analytics, and interactive customizable dashboards) to allow all key relevant institutions to collaborate on shared vision multi-sectoral strategic watershed planning as well as improve the provision of public-domain data services, knowledge products (with appropriate e-packaging), and learning/virtual learning platforms leveraging on modern technology. This subcomponent will also facilitate technical assistance and collaboration to improve the policy environment for longer-term integrated landscape management by improving targeted aspects of the overall framework reflecting evolving lessons from implementation and evolution of global good practices (e.g. improving public-domain data access, facilitating collaboration across agencies in strategic watershed planning with adequate analytical and meaningful stakeholder participation aspects, incentive systems such as payments for ecosystem services, leveraging modern technologies, etc.). This sub-component will also have a strong capacity-building and outreach focus for both in-person and virtual training, learning events, internships and competitions to improve youth participation and links with academia, and facilitating interactions with private sector (including tech startups). The platforms for data, analytics, knowledge, and learning will leverage national-level platforms for use at national, Northern Nigeria, State, and local levels.
C2: Project Management: This subcomponent intends to support overall project monitoring and management. It will provide support for key overall consultancies (e.g., to support project monitoring and management, watershed implementation support, and capacity-building), as well as incremental operating costs (for specialized expertise, project-related travel, meetings, documentation, etc.) as well systems for improving remote preparation and supervision of investments (e.g., through use of satellite imagery, drones, 360degrees cameras, videoconferencing, etc.). It will also support the development of monitoring systems and dashboards and improving workflow processes to facilitate coordination across agencies at the Federal and state levels and public versions to improve transparency and outreach. The monitoring systems and documentation of lessons learned on an ongoing basis will be used to support adaptive project management, especially to identify activities that can be scaled-up depending on implementation performance and community feedback.
