Community Institutional Development

Key principles for institutional development in the Northern Rangelands Trust model include:

• Formal registration of the Community Conservancy as a Trust, Company or Self-Help Group
• Establishment of a democratically elected Board/committee with rotation of tenure every three years
• Gender representation on the Board
• Recurrent training of Board members in governance and leadership skills
• Creation of simple, clear organisational structure with separation of the traditional community structures (e.g. Group Ranch) from the Community Conservancy; roles are clearly defined and agreed upon
• Recruitment of skilled management staff with high standards of training; further education available to Community Conservancy staff
• Democratic process of revenue distribution through a community Annual General Meeting
• Annual audit by highly regarded, independent auditing firms
• Statutory reporting
• Allocation of 40% from a Community Conservancy’s wildlife-based income for its operating budget, with the balance going to community development activities

How does a Community Conservancy ensure that income from wildlife is equitably distributed?
Income from any conservation-related enterprise is disbursed following consensus by the wider community at an Annual General Meeting. If community membership is extensive and its beneficiaries cover a wide geographical area, the benefits are to be shared through Village Committees which are allocated an equal share of profits. The use of these funds is then discussed at village level for final review and approval by the Community Conservancy Board. Income is never given in the form of a personal dividend but is invested in projects with communal benefits such as developing small businesses, improving infrastructure and supporting school scholarships.