Six Monthly Technical Progress Report July 2011December ... - WWF

will
be
recruited
in
January
2012.

A
National
planning
team
has
been
identified
and
the
planning
framework
and
schedule
agreed
upon
with
the
relevant
role
players.
Intermediate
result
1.7
By
end
of
the
project:
One
sustainable
financing
mechanism
will
have
been
developed
per
Protected
Area.
Although
no
specific
action
has
been
taken
regarding
this
intermediate
Result
yet,
the
unlocking
of
the
potential
of
the
Protected
Areas
and
related
corridors
to
“sell”
ecosystem
services,
more
specifically
watershed
services,
is
a
matter
which
will
be
explored
with
the
relevant
authorities.
Some
informal
discussions
have
been
conducted
in
this
regard.
The
same
principle
applies
to
the
tourism
potential
of
the
PAs
.
Interest
has
also
been
expressed
in
conducting
“conservation
tourism”
where
tourists
accompany
Forest
Guards
on
patrols
(conditionally).
“Scientific
tourism”,
where
tourists
accompany
biologists
on
specific
field
surveys,
may
also
be
an
alternative
to
explore.
Specific
result
2
The
Xe
Sap
National
Protected
Area
is
effectively
managed
Summary
Planning
and
preparation
for
the
implementation
of
the
CarBi
project
started
well,
with
an
MoU
between
WWF
and
Government
Counterparts
signed
on
19
July
2011
and
a
four
year
work
plan
agreed
to
and
finalized
on
5 
August
2011.
An
NPA
office
was
established
in
Saravane
in
July
2011
and
a
project
management
organization
structure
at
central,
provincial
and
district
levels
was
established
on
10
August
2011.
Twenty
Two
government
staff
were
assigned
to
the
NPA
while
WWF
was
able
to
recruit
and
train
a
MIST/GIS
Officer,
Admin
Officer
and
Finance
Officer.
VFI
was
contracted
as
service
provider/partner
to
progress
the
community
cooperation
and
development
goals,
and
the
10
target
villages
have
been
identified
in
conjunction
with
the
District
Governor’s
offices.
A
protection
strategy
workshop
was
held
in
October
2011
where
a
zonation
framework
and
basis
for
a
protection
strategy
were
developed. Of
concern
have
been
the
capacity
challenges
at
all
levels
in
Lao.
The
project
has
been
without
a
Landscape
Manager
from
the
beginning
despite
a
number
of
recruitment
attempts.
The
Protected
Area
Manager
left
at
the
end
of
October
2011
and
has
not
been
replaced
yet.
Forest
Guard
recruitment
(assignment)
only
took
place
in
December,
and
will
begin
patrols
in
February.
Despite
this,
planning
has
moved
ahead
and
strides
were
made
in
village
PRA
methodology
development,
biodiversity
reconnaissance
surveys
and
planning,
infrastructure
planning
and
approvals
and
trans
boundary
cooperation.
Importantly,
a
management
planning
process
was
initiated,
with
process
and
structure
agreed
upon.
A
Forest
Guard
training
curricula
has
been
agreed
upon,
and
MIST
technical
implementation
received
a
boost
with
agreement
to
review
technical
13