Conservancies must improve governance
Financial mismanagement and non-compliance with standard operating procedures were the main challenges for communal conservancies in 2018, a new report states.
The biggest challenges for conservancies in Namibia during 2018 were financial mismanagement and non-compliance with standard operating procedures.
The 86 registered conservancies and the Kyaramcan Association, which operates as a de facto conservancy in the Bwabwata National Park, also struggled with poor benefit distribution to conservancy members and inadequate membership engagement.
This is according to the 2018 State of Community Conservation Report that the environment ministry and Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Support Organisations (NACSO) recently launched as a website.
“Conservancy financial mismanagement and poor financial governance has been a growing concern, particularly in north-western conservancies,” says the report.
It points out that mismanagement is different from theft or fraud. According to the report most financial mismanagement is the result of poor record keeping, reporting and a lack of supported receipts, although there were cases of misappropriation of cash, some of which are being investigated by the police.
It says financial management in the north-east of the country is generally improving, owing to a more stringent financial management system launched in 2017, combined with additional support from the environment ministry and regional staff from non-governmental organisations.
This new system requires conservancies to reduce cash transactions and restrict bank accounts to a maximum of three accounts (income, operational and human-wildlife conflict) with an additional oversight from the ministry on transactions between income and operational accounts.
During the 2018 financial year 15 of the 16 conservancies in the Zambezi Region successfully tabled their financial reports at their annual general meetings (AGMs).
“Only six conservancies recorded cases of unaccounted conservancy funds, with most being amounts less than N$10 000. Overall, only 2.28% of the funds were unaccounted in Zambezi during the 2018 financial year.”
According to the report this was a significant improvement on previous years. Other regions, including the north-central area, also recorded notable declines in unaccounted funds. In total 53 financial reports were presented by conservancies at AGMs during 2018 and 50 were approved.
Furthermore the report says that 19 conservancies were issued letters of non-compliance for failing to hold AGMs, submit AGM documents or mismanaging funds during 2018.
The number of AGMs held in 2018 was 63, up from 57 in the previous year. Similarly, the number of management plans in place increased from 46 to 56.
“While there is an improvement in AGMs held, a need still exists for conservancies to improve on governance and overall compliance with the SOPs.”
The report also said that only 25% of conservancy staff were women in 2018.
“This gap between men and women employed is wide, indicating a need to engage more women in conservancy governance.”
Statistics showed that in 2018 there were 17% female chairpersons at conservancies, 41% female treasures/financial managers, and 33% female management committee members.
ELLANIE SMIT
The 86 registered conservancies and the Kyaramcan Association, which operates as a de facto conservancy in the Bwabwata National Park, also struggled with poor benefit distribution to conservancy members and inadequate membership engagement.
This is according to the 2018 State of Community Conservation Report that the environment ministry and Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Support Organisations (NACSO) recently launched as a website.
“Conservancy financial mismanagement and poor financial governance has been a growing concern, particularly in north-western conservancies,” says the report.
It points out that mismanagement is different from theft or fraud. According to the report most financial mismanagement is the result of poor record keeping, reporting and a lack of supported receipts, although there were cases of misappropriation of cash, some of which are being investigated by the police.
It says financial management in the north-east of the country is generally improving, owing to a more stringent financial management system launched in 2017, combined with additional support from the environment ministry and regional staff from non-governmental organisations.
This new system requires conservancies to reduce cash transactions and restrict bank accounts to a maximum of three accounts (income, operational and human-wildlife conflict) with an additional oversight from the ministry on transactions between income and operational accounts.
During the 2018 financial year 15 of the 16 conservancies in the Zambezi Region successfully tabled their financial reports at their annual general meetings (AGMs).
“Only six conservancies recorded cases of unaccounted conservancy funds, with most being amounts less than N$10 000. Overall, only 2.28% of the funds were unaccounted in Zambezi during the 2018 financial year.”
According to the report this was a significant improvement on previous years. Other regions, including the north-central area, also recorded notable declines in unaccounted funds. In total 53 financial reports were presented by conservancies at AGMs during 2018 and 50 were approved.
Furthermore the report says that 19 conservancies were issued letters of non-compliance for failing to hold AGMs, submit AGM documents or mismanaging funds during 2018.
The number of AGMs held in 2018 was 63, up from 57 in the previous year. Similarly, the number of management plans in place increased from 46 to 56.
“While there is an improvement in AGMs held, a need still exists for conservancies to improve on governance and overall compliance with the SOPs.”
The report also said that only 25% of conservancy staff were women in 2018.
“This gap between men and women employed is wide, indicating a need to engage more women in conservancy governance.”
Statistics showed that in 2018 there were 17% female chairpersons at conservancies, 41% female treasures/financial managers, and 33% female management committee members.
ELLANIE SMIT
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article