Concerning livelihoods, the project intends to train 25 women on sustainable oyster farming, train the community members on eco-tourism basic practices, and continue building capacity on sustainable agriculture. In the short term, IVS rice farming has been identified as the primary alternative livelihood that could bring food security and generate income. IVS farming will be combined with vegetable gardening and groundnut planting due to the low nutritional value of this crop. The long term goal is to achieve sustainability through ecotourism. Ecotourism will offer a viable combination of ecological and cultural protection, increase local awareness of the value of preserving the natural and cultural environments, and aid in economic development.

Data collection and analysis will be managed using Cybertracker application, an easy-to-use digital survey that can be created for specific projects. This application has been designed to be used by both literate and not literate people through the use of a language of icons. The bio-monitoring technicians are already trained and skilled to use this software and the project officers are able to download and analyze the data. The results will be input into the larger project database. For activities that require smaller and more unique information, paper templates will be used. Field training will be held regularly to ensure quality data are gathered. Attendance sheets will be recorded during every community meeting, visit, consultation and/or workshop. Since 2017, the programmes impacts have been captured and recorded in a TCOP database. Knowledge management will occur by incorporating monitoring data from all activities into this database. However, this project will have its own section for managing knowledge and results. Progress will be reported through the TCOP monthly reports and specific reports will be compiled for GEF as required. TCOP has specialist personnel in charge of our data management system and it is overseen by the Conservation Manager.

TCOP is delivered by a team of 5 qualified local officers that have developed the required skills throughout previous years. They all are excellent executors and are experienced, disciplined and passionate about environmental issues and community development. They have a deep knowledge of wildlife protection and nature conservation, and they have the assistance of MAFFS technical advisors, external consultants and specialist groups (e.g. World Parrot Trust and TRY oyster farming) when required. MCCP improves the officer?s skills and the effectiveness of the project by introducing new components and providing training. During 2017, the officers were trained on Cybertracker software data collection, data downloading and elementary data analysis. In addition, 10 indigenous people were trained on bio-monitoring techniques and 118 local farmers were taught IVS rice farming best practices. We propose to further improve the officer?s skills on data analysis and to train them on Cybertracker application design. Moreover, we would like to promote the TCOP Coordinator and to train him as the MCCP Project Manager based on his brilliant performance in 2017.

The educational component of this project aims to create awareness of environmental issues such as illegal logging and hunting, capturing, killing and selling wildlife species such as the western chimpanzee. Through the signed MoU?s the communities agreed to protect and rehabilitate their community forest. To date, they have adopted and implemented bylaws at a local level, to regulate the forest activity and to reprimand breaches of the MoU. Paramount Chiefs play an important role in communities and have the ability to create effective bylaws and advocate for development projects. The bio-monitoring technicians are responsible for patrolling the forests and reporting illegal activity to the local authorities, who will judge each case according to the agreements. This MoU is effective as shown in 2017 when one resident of Mobondah axis was fined 200,000 Leones for logging in the forest.

The objectives of this project do not discriminate against gender but promotes female empowerment in a male dominant society by encouraging the active involvement of women in many project activities, such as IVS rice farming, oyster farming, vegetable gardening and reforestation. TCOP?s workshops always involve the women representative and recognize her authority in the land. TCOP encourages women to be present during general community meetings and emphasizes to community mobilizers and leaders that women should be present. In order not to discriminate against illiteracy, the project has implemented a data collection system that can be used by community members that are eager to work but can?t write or read. Oftentimes, 16 community members that have not had opportunities to study have the greatest knowledge of wildlife. This data collection system and methodology allows us to provide opportunities to community members with these characteristics so they can utilize their valuable skills.

The project will provide GEF SGP with all the required progress reports and is part of a wider network of conservation institutions, such as PASA, in which achievements will be shared. With approval from GEF SGP, progress reports will be shared with stakeholders and other conservation institutions, using a standardized template that clearly documents progress towards milestones and achievements. Tacugama Community Outreach Programme also regularly shares information via local radio and TV broadcasts, monthly reports to over 70 stakeholders, social media networks with 13000 followers, website updates and newsletters to over 4000 subscribers. These media outlets will ensure that GEF SGP-UNDP is recognized as a key facilitator during every stage of the project. The proposed project is fitting within the wider project activities managed by the TCOP and has the ability to be replicated in other community clusters where we work. This the most developed project of Tacugama Community Outreach Programme and it can serve as a model for other communities. This project will be shared as a case study for community-based forestry and wildlife management with government authorities and officials. The government of Sierra Leone is suggesting that a community-based forestry and wildlife management approach needs to be tried and tested, so this project can serve as an in-country case study to be replicated by other conservation institutions.