A KfW Review Mission visited COSFOM Project from May 5th to May 11th, 2022. The mission comprised of Mr. Jonas Mueller, Portfolio Manager, Mr. Hubertus Kraienhorst, Senior Regional Forestry Expert, Mrs. Lidiya Prymachenko, Procurement Manager, Mrs. Sangeeta Agarwal, Senior Sector Specialist, and Mr. Saravanakumar Veerasivam, Sector Specialist.
They also also met with the Honorable Chief Minister Shri. N. Biren Singh and Honorable Forest Minister Shri. Th. Biswajit Singh of the Government of Manipur, regarding the project support.
The Mission visited few project villages to observe the progress. They held detailed meetings with the PMU, DPMU, NGOs and officials from line departments.
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise sucessfully conducted at Choithar Village, Ukhrul on 28th & 29th January, 2022 and at Maohing Village, Kangpokpi on 24th & 25th January, 2022. Main PRA tools like, Resource Mapping, Social Mapping, Seasonal Calendar, Transect Walk, Trend/Time Line, Resource Inflow & Outflow, Matrix Ranking & Scoring, Pairwise Ranking, Institutional/Venn Diagram, Wealth Ranking & Livelihood Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Semi Structured Interview were covered and recorded. Project team along with GFA, FSU, DPMU, Partener NGOs facilitated the exercise.
Self Help Group formation took place in the following villages,
(a) Shirui, Ukhrul on 14th & 15th November 2021
(b) Choithar, Ukhrul on 15th September 2021
(c) Ireng Naga, Kangpokpi on 5th & 6th November 2021
Project team along with GFA, FSU, DPMU facilitated the SHG formation. Also, roles and responsibilites of the SHGs have been duly imparted to the newly formed as well as to the existing SHGs. Project team along with GFA, FSU, DPMU facilitated the SHG formation.
Environment & Social Safeguard Screening of the Community Nursery and EPA (Water Reservoir Tank) have been completed for Maohing, Ireng Naga, Konsakhul, S. Changoubung in Kangpokpi district. In ukhrul district Environment & Social Safeguard Screening of the Community Nursery and EPA (Water Reservoir Tank) have been completed for Shirui, Choithar and Langdang. Environment & Social Safeguard Screening covers, assessing, addressing and managing safeguard issues related to environment and society for project activities.
Project team visited the WRCGs of Kharam Vaiphei, S. Changoubung to supervise the project activities. Field sites were jointly visited with WRCC members. Main activities were as follows,
(a) Kharam Vaiphei – Water Supply (EPA), Community Nursery on 14th December 2021
(b) S. Changoubung – Water Supply (EPA) 14th January, 2022
(c) Ireng Naga – Community Nursery, 14th December, 2021
Date: 20 September 2020
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Number of Participants: 21 (Male – 17, Female – 4)
During the inception period, tasks were prioritised for effective actions to be conducted both at field level and management level in close consultation between the Manipur Forest Department (MFD, PEA) and the technical team (GFA). Trust building among the COSFOM team with village community is an extraordinary achievement of the inception period with in-depth interactions through participatory village meetings. Decision making mechanism on the COSFOM program with bottom up approach has also resulted to community commitments, thereby starting to take up their role as one of the major stakeholders of COSFOM.
The key resource persons were Mr. N. Kipgen, IFS (Project Director), Mr. Manohar Shrestha (Chief Technical Advisor, GFA) and Mr. Hrishikesh Singh (Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA).
Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP) exercise were held in Choithar, Langdang and Maohing. The exercises were conducted preparing detailed participatory mapping in each village with the participation of WRCG members. GIS maps were also shared, and the participants were able to identify the forest and other land use. Later the participants proposed the land use plan for project interventions to improve and restore the forests. There were also some land donations for nursery establishments.
The exercises were supported by Mr. Manohar Shrestha, CTA and Dr. S.N. Goswami (Forestry Expert).
Date: 22 October 2019
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Number of Participants: 21 (Male – 17, Female – 4)
The objective of the workshop was to understand and follow up procedure on ESMF. The framework was prepared for COSFOM to undertake various project activities in collaboration with the WRCG members. FPIC procedures were also developed and shared during the workshop.
The key resource persons were Ms. Maj Fiil Flynn (ESMF Expert, GFA) and Mr Pranay Kumar (ESMF Expert).
Date: November 2019
Venue: Choithar, Ukhrul District
Number of Participants: 19 (Male – 17, Female – 2)
The importance of livelihood was thoroughly debriefed. The Livelihood Improvement Plan (LIP) is one of the plans of COSFOM Project.The exercise was conducted with the application PRA tools. The results were contributed to prepare LIP.
Resource persons were Mr. Andras Darabant (Livelihood Expert, GFA) and Mr. Hrishikesh Singh (Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA).
Date: 20 November 2019
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Number of Participants: 24 (Male – 19, Female – 5)
The learning outcome was to understand community forestry, it’s process with the participation of the community and sustainable forest management of the upper watersheds to conserve, restore and manage with short and long term utilisation of the forest. It focussed on the Forest User Group under WRCG formation, roles and responsibilities, empowerment for the resource management and technical interventions under COSFOM forestry measures.
The key resource persons were Mr. Manohar Shrestha (Chief Technical Advisor, GFA) and Dr. S.N. Goswami (Forestry Expert).
Date: 16 December 2019
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Number of Participants: 20 (Male- 16, Female- 4)
The objective was to understand Livelihood Improvement Plan preparation and its implementation. The LIP is prepared with the participation of the members of WRCG on demand-based approach to improve their livelihood and generate income. The workshop covered the planning process to incorporate in the VMP.
The key resource persons were Dr. Andras Darabant (Livelihood Expert, GFA) and Mr. Hrishikesh Singh (Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA).
Date: 11 February 2020
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Participants: 17 (Male – 13, Female – 4)
Project M&E and logframe workshop was conducted to familiarise PEA/PMU and the Project team with the project objectives and planned activities and especially the success indicators and milestones that should be achieved. This was particularly important since there were many newly appointed staff present who did not yet know the project and its objectives and milestones.
Resource persons were Bianca Schliegel (International M&E Expert) and Dr. Atoho Jakhalu (national M&E Expert).
Date: 20 February 2020
Venue: DFO Office, Ukhrul District
Number of Participants: 19 (Male – 16, Female – 3)
Date: 18 February 2020
Venue: Presidency College, Motbung, Kangpokpi District
Number of Participants: 26 (Male – 19, Female – 7)
The training was targeted to WRCC members to understand the accounting operation along with record keeping. It covered the topics on book-keeping, banking and accounts terminologies, banking operation, fund release, WRCG reports and other related matters. There were also practical exercises on accounting entries and shared the formats of Cash Book, Ledger, Labour Payment Register, Membership Register, Cheque Issue Registerand others.
Resource persons were Mr. S. Ruhi Kumar (FMCA, GFA) and Ms. Lhinkhonei Kipgen (FO, PMU).
Date: 19 February 2020
Venue: DFO Office, Ukhrul District
Number of Participants: 21 (Male – 18, Female – 3)
Date: 17 February 2020
Venue: Kangpokpi District
Number of Participants: 20 (Male – 17 , Female – 3)
The training covered ESMF elaborating it’s objectives, process, documentations and follow up.The training also covered the FPIC process, its documentation and records at various levels.
The participants were WRCC members, FSU/DPMU staff and PMU staff.
Mr. Pranay Kumar, National ESMF Expert was the resource person for the training.
Date: 25 February 2020
Venue: MFD, Imphal
Number of Participants: 17 (Male – 11, Female – 6)
The main objective of this workshop was to orient the newly recruited staff of PMU on COSFOM approach and various approaches to implement the project. The discussions covered on the roles and responsibilities, various technical interventions, project fund flow to WRCG
The resource persons were Mr. N. Kipgen, IFS (Project Director), Mr. Manohar Shrestha (Chief Technical Advisor, GFA) and Mr. Hrishikesh Singh (Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA), Mr. Ruhikumar Singh (FMCA).
Dates: 27 and 28 February 2020
Venue: DFO Office, Ukhrul District
No. of Participants: 27 participants (Male – 22, Female – 5)
Date 17 and 18 March 2020, Kangpokpi district
No. of Participants: Day 1 – 39 participants (Male – 27, Female – 12), Day 2 – 46 participants (Male – 35, Female – 11)
Objective of the workshop
to plan the project activities with site identification
to discuss the problems and issues by watershed areas
to understand the organisational function of WRCG/WRCC
Three recently formed WRCG, DPMU and FSU staff along with the PMU and GFA CO participated the workshop. WRCCs provided the village situation and proposed various COSFOM related activities with potential areas of interventions.
This workshop was facilitated by Mr. N. Kipgen (Project Director), Mr. Manohar Shrestha (Chief Technical Advisor, GFA) and Mr. Hrishikesh Singh (Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA).
Dates: 2 June 2020
A Joint Coordination Meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Mr. K. Angami, IFS, PCCF & Head of Forestry Force on Tuesday 2 June 2020 with the participation of PMU, DPMUs and GFA consultants. Monthly work plan for June 2020 was agreed covering forestry measures, livelihoods, watershed management and capacity building. The monthly meeting also reviewed the last month progress of the project, resolving issues and others. Field activities are still facing problems due to Covid-19, however, WRCGs are already commencing EPA and nursery establishments.
8th January 2021 at 1100 AM,
Forest Headquarters, Sanjenthong
A website for the Community-based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resource Conservation in Manipur (CSOFOM) project was officially launched by Shri. Awangbow Newmai, Hon’ble Minister, Forest, Environment & Climate Change on January 8th, 2021. The project will regularly publish and update about its activities and progress on this website.
The chief guest of the function, Shri. Awangbow Newmai, Hon’ble Minister, congratulated the entire team and hoped that the website will facilitate the project. He requested the officers concerned with the project to work tirelessly as it will provide help to many people. Although the project is in the initial stage covering only two districts (Ukhrul & Kangpokpi divisions), he expressed belief that the project will cover all the districts in the near future.
Shri. Kereilhouvi Angami, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force (PCCF & HoFF) and the Vice Chairman Community Forestry & Water Conservation Society-Manipur (CF&WCS-M) said that it is for the first time that the Government of Manipur under the Forest Department is implementing a forestry based project which is funded by external sources. Stating that the implementation process of the project took almost 4 years, however the department was persistent and consistent in pursuance of the project trying to fulfil all the needs and conditions put in by the funding agency. He appreciated the contribution made by the implementing agency i.e., GFA Consulting Group.
The function was also attended by Shri. M.H. Khan, Additional Chief Secretary, Chairman Community Forestry & Water Conservation Society-Manipur (CF&WCS-M); officers and staffs of the Forest Department including Shri. Lamkhosei Baite, PCCF, Project Director, CF&WCS-M; Shri. Aditya Joshi, PCCF & Chief Wildlife Warden; Shri. N Sonzalian, Additional PD, (CF&WCS-M); Shri. Konthoujam Hrishikesh Singh, Assistant Chief Technical Advisor, GFA Consulting Group among others.