All the project?s efforts to develop community use zones/co-management will impact on policy impact as it will guide and inform the development of relevant bylaws and national policy, which do not currently exist. Furthermore, Specific objective 2 aims to facilitate collaboration between the FECs in advocating for policy change that will mainstream biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of Gola Rainforest into different sectors, e.g. in channeling support to rain-forest friendly cocoa and sustainable agriculture.

One of our main objectives of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG is to ensure that future generations are empowered, ensuring FECs and particularly their youths become active environmental stewards for this biodiversity hotspot. The GRC LG?s entire livelihood programme was designed with all 122 FECs through extensive consultations and community participation over a two year period. Their approach was and still is guided by international best practices, particularly the principles of free prior and informed consent. FECs are actively involved throughout the design and intended project delivery, from community groups to Gola Conservation Development Committees(GCDC), as well as the seven Paramount Chiefs but also on the overall management of the GRC LG. The Paramount Chief from Koya is one of the Directors to the GRC LG that ensures community representation. Women, youths and other vulnerable groups are represented in their discussions through focal groups. To enable youth to take part in project implementation in the long term GRC LC (as part of our second proposal) is working with the local schools, establishing 39 Nature Clubs to raise environmental awareness from a young age. We also aim to run a community youth volunteer programme (as part of our second proposal)which allows unemployed youth to acquire technical skills required in monitoring the distribution and abundance of flagship species, as well as developing an understanding of the impact of the project on biodiversity. Many of these skills are transferable to other jobs and this greatly increases their chances for employment in the longer term, not just within the GRC LG itself. Also, the support we provide in terms of agricultural work requires casual labour, the majority of those employed would otherwise be unemployed youth. Finally, the vast majority of GRC LG?s staff come from the FECs themselves.