Institutional strengthening has always been an important element of the majority of IFAD’s rangeland projects, particularly the National Livestock Project and the Livestock Development and Rangeland Management Project — both in the Central African Republic. Support and capacity building within existing institutions can help improve service delivery, empower local groups and promote sustainable use of range resources.

The logical starting point for any institutional strengthening activities, therefore, should be to identify the principal institutions involved in the pastoral sector, including, for example, governing departments concerned with agriculture, livestock and rural affairs; parastatal agencies involved in environmental activities; and local community organizations. Projects must decide how best to strengthen the capacities of such institutions, for example, through the provision of training, equipment or other inputs. In this context, vehicles were provided to staff of ANDE under the above-mentioned Livestock Development and Rangeland Management Project in Central African Republic. IFAD’s experience has shown, however, that capacity building is likely to advance project goals only if the aims and objectives of the project are fully shared by the organizations themselves.

The institutional strengthening of herder associations is further discussed in Association Development.

Relevant IFAD Projects