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COMMUNITY BASED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN SANTO ANDRE ANNUAL REPORT AND WORKPLAN APRIL 2002-APRIL 2003

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Page 1: COMMUNITY BASED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN SANTO … · project participants on the following topics: 1) bioregional mapping, 2) urban development, public-private negotiations, and business

COMMUNITY BASED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN SANTO ANDRE

ANNUAL REPORT AND WORKPLAN

APRIL 2002-APRIL 2003

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CONTENTS Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1

Definitions....................................................................................................................................... 1

PART 1: ACTIVITIES DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ............................................ 3 1.1 Overview................................................................................................................ 3

1.2 Comments on Activities......................................................................................... 4

1.3 Outcomes ............................................................................................................. 10

1.4 Lessons Learned................................................................................................... 13

PART 2: CBWM WORKPLAN 2003-2004.............................................................................. 17

2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 17 2.2 CBWM Project Extension ................................................................................... 18 2.3 Information Organization .................................................................................... 18 2.4 Training Activities and CBWM Framework....................................................... 20 2.5 Expected Results ................................................................................................. 23 2.6 Challenges ........................................................................................................... 29

2.7 Risk Management Strategy ................................................................................. 29

2.8 Outreach Strategy ................................................................................................ 30

2.9 Logical Framework Analysis .............................................................................. 31

2.10 Proposed Budget ................................................................................................. 31

Appendices

Appendix 1 Budget ................................................................................................................... 33 Appendix 2 Análise De Matriz Lógica (Logical Framework Analysis)…............................... 37 Appendix 3 Relatório Do Planejamento Estratégico Gepam

(Pilot Project 2 Strategic Planning Revision) ....................................................... 49 Appendix 4 Proposed Project Evaluation Using Outcome Mapping ....................................... 73 Appendix 5 GEPAM and Gender ............................................................................................. 81 Appendix 6 Urban Strategies ................................................................................................. 101 Appendix 7 Youth Conference: Proposed Discussion Items.................................................. 113 Appendix 8 Seminar on New Approaches to Amateur Fishing ............................................. 127 Appendix 9 Preparation for the CED Workshop ................................................................... 131 Appendix 10 Pilot Project 2...................................................................................................... 139 Appendix 11 CES - Centro De Educação Para A Saúde Masculinidade E Cidadania ................................................................................ 143

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Annual Report and Workplan 2003-04 1

INTRODUCTION The first part of this report outlines the activities undertaken for the Community-Based Watershed Management in Santo André (CBWM) project for the period April 2002 to April 2003. The second part of the report deals with the workplan for the final year of the project, April 2003-June 2004, and addresses possibilities to ensure the sustainability of project gains. At the most general level, the project has been continuously evolving to take an increasingly comprehensive approach to building capacity for watershed management. Comprehensiveness has been increasing in three dimensions: sectoral, geographical, and hierarchical. Sectorally, the project has added economic development to the original focus on environmental and social issues. We have found that to simultaneously protect the natural environment and reduce poverty, there must be income generation in the watershed communities and greater fiscal resources in the municipal government. Geographically, the project has incorporated neighbouring municipalities in selected project activities, such as planning for community economic development. Hierarchically, the project has increasingly included bottom-up activities and perspectives to complement the activities planned by municipal officers. DEFINITIONS In this report, we define project activities (inputs) as those activities undertaken with the assistance of the Canadian CBWM project partners drawing on CIDA's financial contribution (for travel, Canadian consultants, etc.) and/or provided as in-kind contributions (in the form of personnel time, etc.) Of the many CBWM activities being undertaken by Santo André personnel in support, or in consequence, of the CBWM project, only those that are assisted by Canadians are identified as project activities. We define project results (outputs and outcomes) as the differences made by the project activities, i.e., the differences made by having this Canada-supported project and by Canadian involvement. We recognize that in every case, the Canadian involvement has been minor compared to the vast Brazilian effort, thought, and talent that has produced the project result. Nevertheless, we see the purpose of this report as documenting the catalytic value of the Canadian contribution on the basis of an analysis of the changes that, to the best of our understanding, might not have occurred in the absence of the project. That is to say, a project result is a difference for which the project is a necessary condition. Such a difference is difficult to determine in the complexity of evolving institutional, community and watershed systems: the analysis presented in this report is our best attempt to make this determination drawing on the many reports and meetings that comprise our formative evaluation process.

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We define project outputs as immediate results of project activities. We define project outcomes as changes in the approach to watershed management, taken by communities and institutions in Santo André and beyond, that can be attributed at least in part to the CBWM project. These outcomes relate to structures, processes, behaviour, and attitudes. (Such outcomes, in turn, generate new kinds of activities. Those new kinds of activities, which are toward the end of the results chain, are not project activities; project activities are at the beginning of the chain.) Example: the biomapping workshop conducted by a Canadian last year (see below) was a project activity. Its output was greater awareness among the Brazilian participants about the participation-enhancing, consciousness-raising, community-building value of the biomapping technology. The growth in such awareness has contributed to the general sustained outcome of increased capacity in Santo André and other cities to practice participatory adaptive watershed management. This capacity, in turn has led to new activities, i.e., biomapping workshops and practice being conducted by Brazilians on their own and in their own way.

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Annual Report and Workplan 2003-04 3

PART 1: ACTIVITIES DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

APRIL 2002-APRIL 2003

1.1 OVERVIEW The CBWM project initiatives and efforts are seen as a means both to resolve complex issues of urban watershed management and to learn about participatory and integrative planning methods in the process. Project participants build individual and institutional capacity by applying innovative multi-stakeholder and inter-sector technology introduced by the Canadian partners. These technologies tap and enhance knowledge and skills of the local beneficiaries (watershed residents), as well as participants from local governments, academic and private sector, and local and regional NGOs. The project activities that were undertaken during the 2002-2003 period were oriented to: (1) Introducing concepts for information gathering and diagnosis. The project introduced key

concepts that have guided data gathering for Santo André’s watershed-management data bank, which includes information on biophysical, social, and economic facts and trends.

(2) Training in CBWM. Training sessions were conducted by Canadian experts for Brazilian

project participants on the following topics: 1) bioregional mapping, 2) urban development, public-private negotiations, and business improvement (3) hypermedia data organization. The overarching objectives of the training were to enable the participants to

enhance their understanding of the key concepts and issues involved in community building, participatory land use planning, and environmental protection

• develop technical skills that sustainable development planning processes (3) Working in the Pilot Projects. The Pilot Project activities are continuously evolving and have

provided the loci where the Brazilian team introduces, applies, and assesses project knowledge. The teams that are working on the Pilot Projects have been meeting regularly to discuss their objectives and common issues. These meetings have been helpful in fostering sharing between different settlements in terms of solutions and innovative approaches towards upgrading and dealing with social and economic problems. The Pilot Projects represent an important element in the development and implementation of the knowledge sponsored by the project.

(4) Involving universities. Four universities in the São Paulo region (University of São Paulo,

Pontificia Universidade Católica São Paulo, Pontificia Universidade Católica Campinas, and Instituto Municipal de Ensino Superior in São Caetano) have recently begun working with the project teams to assist in documenting, analyzing and disseminating the lessons to be learned from the project

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Annual Report and Workplan 2003-04 4

(5) Disseminating materials. Publication: Sustainable Watersheds: Urban Landscape Design for Low-Income Settlements. This publication, the outcome of a community design charrette organized by the project in Pintassilgo, one of the watershed communities, was published and distributed in November 2002. The publication outlines the overall CBWM project and provides summaries of the four charrette teams’ plans and designs. The publication has been the focus of workshops involving universities and municipalities in various regions of Brazil.

1.2 COMMENTS ON ACTIVITIES

1.2.1 Information Collection and Diagnosis Information collection is an ongoing activity for the project, involving interaction between the community and the municipality team. Biophysical conditions, land use, water utilization, urban growth, and environmental conditions are all continuously assessed in order to establish an environmental framework for determining urban settlement possibilities within the watershed area.

Outputs 1. The most important component of the information system produced at this stage is the set of overview maps of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) which the project developed to provide the basis for discussions between the community and the municipality team about conservation actions and for the identification of areas where rehabilitation work must be considered a priority. The next task is to map ESAs at larger scales (scale 1:10,000) which display more detail. This task is scheduled to be completed by December 2003. Once completed, these detailed maps can be used to establish land use zones that optimally meet both environmental and social goals, as well as guidelines for controlling settlement features (e.g. density, infrastructure) in those areas where settlement is permitted. 2. The project CD-ROM, which is now an approximately 400-page electronic catalogue of project data (text, graphs, maps, images, and lessons learned) is being translated from Portuguese into English by the Canadian team. The original version was developed by the Brazilians in Portuguese; as this is an output to be disseminated outside Brazil, it was considered very important to have it available in both languages. The CD-ROM has also been reformatted so that the large amount of data amassed will be easily accessible. This is an ongoing activity, as new information is being added regularly.

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1.2.2 Training Initiatives

1.2.2.1 Biomapping Workshop

The Biomapping Workshop Santo André (May-June 2002) led by UBC adjunct professor Doug Aberley was a successful introduction to biomapping as a participatory planning tool. There was active participation by community leaders and residents.

Output

The Santo André communities and planners saw the community bioregional mapping as a strong tool for enhancing environmental awareness and the planning process involved in the watershed area. The Brazilian team is applying the methodology in all Pilot Projects to create, using the larger goals of the CBWM project, a mechanism for community empowerment and for the development of technical capacity to aid in the administration of existing social, economic and environmental resources that can be annually updated. The biomapping process involves a process whereby community members and the municipal planners work together to identify and understand the various biophysical and socio-cultural elements of their surroundings and develop a strategy for building locally controlled and self-reliant economies that are closely tied to the use and sustainability of the surrounding ecosystems. An additional benefit has been a greater sense of community ownership, as well as an increased awareness among community members of the direct impact of their actions on their surroundings. The process has also contributed towards the overall project goals and related activities which are aimed at stimulating a sense of stewardship within the community by conveying the importance of the watershed to the residents' political, social, economic and physical well being.

Presentation Professor Aberley gave public presentations at community centres in the ABC region that attracted a large audience of students, faculty, and NGOs. The presentations focused on how the biomapping process was a toll both for planning and for community education about the environment. Photographs, maps, and graphs were used to show how the this process has been used by First Nations and municipalities in Canadá to discuss development and implementation of strategic plans for attaining their communities’ vision.

Output The presentations created great interest in the potential of applying the methodology in other communities and other cities, which will be explored by university students who are involved with community participation in planning processes. There are two municipalities in São Paulo

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State that are using biomapping in order to discuss their Master Plan with the communities involved.

1.2.2.2 Workshops and Presentations on Urban Development, Private-Public Negotiation, and Business Improvement Areas

Workshops The objective of these workshops was to broaden the Brazilian team’s perspective regarding new opportunities for economic development and income generation that arose from recent legislation governing land use in the watershed and urban community economic development alternatives for income generation. Nathan Edelson, a senior planner with the City of Vancouver, conducted the workshops in September 2002. He provided relevant information on his City’s experiences in planning for the economic, social and physical development of neighbourhoods, including the strengthening of neighbourhood businesses, particularly in economically depressed areas such as Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. These experiences encompass work on reducing crime, expanding health facilities, providing housing for low-income residents, improving public spaces and conserving heritage buildings. Special attention was given to how the City of Vancouver has worked with the private sector to secure a variety of public benefits from private development. Several department heads and senior staff from the Municipality of Santo André, as well as from other municipalities in the ABC Region of Sao Paulo, attended the workshops. Participants also included operational staff from many municipal departments, journalists, and business leaders.

Outputs The workshops were very useful not only in building the economic development capacity of the Santo André municipal staff who deal with the watershed, but also of those municipal staff who are concerned with the more highly urbanized part of the city, as well as of planners from other parts of the São Paulo metropolitan area. The workshops provided insights into possibilities for urban economic revitalisation and increasing employment in Santo André and neighbouring municipalities (see Appendix 6). Workshop participants found of particular value the information provided on Vancouver’s good record of augmenting the social housing stock through negotiations with developers and through formulating housing-sensitive land use strategies. Such approaches are not familiar to Brazilian planners and municipal policy makers. The Brazilian planners were inspired by the workshops to explore these issues further.

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There was also much interest in how Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) work in Canada, their objectives, their legal structure and examples of what they had achieved in Vancouver’s downtown and inner city as well as in its smaller commercial districts. There was interest in how BIAs work with resident organizations, police and private security companies to improve public safety, their legal underpinnings, and ways in which they worked with the municipal government. Strong interest was generated in in developing BIAs in Santo André that could help plan and implement sustained revitalization efforts, and in developing a structure that would suit the watershed settlements through processes involving representatives from the informal sector.

Presentations Nathan also made public presentations at the University of São Paulo and the University of Campinas. A large number of students, faculty, and business people attended. The presentations focused on possibilities for securing public benefits from private development. Photographs, maps, and graphs were used to show how the City of Vancouver has been working with private business to develop parks, schools, social housing and viable, safe and vibrant commercial districts within walking distance of high and medium density housing in a variety of settings.

Outputs The presentations created considerable interest in trying similar initiatives in São Paulo and other cities. Assurance was given by one of the participants, a judicial prosecutor involved in urban issues, that public-private negotiation approaches similar to Vancouver could be implemented under Brazilian legislation.

1.2.3 Pilot Projects

Inter-project Coordination All of the teams that are working on the Pilot Projects hold regular meetings in order to exchange knowledge. The discussion of their objectives and different conditions has been very helpful in fostering an increased identity amongst the watershed residents. These meetings are also helpful for establishing, clarifying, and exploring links between the project and other municipal initiatives (for example, teams from the Participatory Budget Advisory Committee talk to teams from the Public Health Secretariat; Pilot Project initiatives are discussed in terms of inclusion in the Participatory Budget, etc.).

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Pilot Project 1 Pilot Project 1 activities, which started before this reporting period but have continued throughout it, implement programs within the CBWM framework related to the design and operational needs of Parque Andreense. The activities address land tenure regularisation, sustainable land use, environmental education, gender and socio-economic issues. They included: • •

• • • • •

environmental education activities technical assistance in tenure regularisation and technical advice for building (identification of land tenure, existing subdivisions, legal plots, etc.) control and monitoring of illegal occupation of new land maintenance of streets and roads, including access and paving improving potable water access, e.g. through selected investments in tube-wells (poços) recycling and collection of garbage redesign of the existing subdivision (parcelamento)

Outputs

Urban design: Innovative urban design, landscaping, and development of sustainable design and landscape guidelines. The improvements (small investments in drainage, pavement, landscaping, alternative subdivisions, improvements in local transportation etc.) are helping to prevent more ecological damage to the watershed. Field surveys: Surveys have been conducted by the Subprefeitura to obtain data relevant for formulating gender, income, and employment strategies. Workshops: A number of workshops, organized with the Subprefeitura, have been held with the community to explore income-generating alternatives, along with follow-up and monitoring of initiatives already in place (minhocário -worm creation, sewing co-op, etc.).

Pilot Project 2

The Pintassilgo Residents’ Committee, which is now well established, holds regular meetings to discuss project activities. The Committee is very active in disseminating the lessons from all project initiatives in the area through two task groups: one for monitoring and control and another for community organization.

Outputs

The creation of a Youth Resident Committee (Conselho de Representantes Mirins) was an important initiative that involved representatives from the “Theatre of the Oppressed”1 group.

1 The Theatre of the Oppressed, developed by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, uses interactive theatre to transform theatre from the "monologue" of traditional performance into a "dialogue" between audience and stage.

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The collection of Pintassilgo residents’ oral histories is also being explored using the Theatre of the Oppressed technique, and it would be a very interesting innovation to employ in the information gathering process.

The residents expressed a keen interest in Community Economic Development, which resulted in several meetings on the topic to establish an agenda for assessment of training needs and opportunities exploration. These meetings provided information about co-ops and existing initiatives from the other pilot projects. Monthly meetings are used to explore further possibilities for income generation potential, which included creation of a specific survey for registering residents’ interests and capacity for economic development initiatives.

Several public health campaigns were developed: a vaccination against tetanus (200 people attended); 865 households visited and informed about dengue and other insect infestation (405 larvae were collected from 29 houses); registration and vaccination against rabies (530 dogs); and a deratization campaign (to eliminate rodents) was held throughout the settlement.

The municipality, through the Municipal Service for Environment and Sanitation Corporation (Serviço Municipal de Saneamento Ambiental - SEMASA) has established a regular monitoring and maintenance schedule to provide improved road access to and within the settlement and to garbage collection posts.

Pilot Project 3

In the third Pilot Project (PP3), activities were developed on a number of levels. Urgent action was required in Paranapiacaba to repair historical buildings. There is a lack of financial resources to make repairs on a large scale, however, there are several initiatives and applications in place for special grants, nationally and internationally, to obtain more financial resources for the special repairs required for the historic buildings. Activities within the CBWM project included training in several areas: • environmental stewardship and education (especially for youth) • community participation in planning processes (through community mapping techniques) • fish stock control and enhancement • planning for community economic development workshops that incorporate regional and

local perspectives

Outputs Tourism: A guideline for tourism was developed and is available for all tourists visiting Paranapiacaba. Youth: A program for youth “Programa de Jovens” (part of the Youth Program from the Biosphere Reserve) has been created and implemented. Oral History: The Oral History process started and involved gathering the history of the village over recent decades in the words of the residents.

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Survey: A survey was conducted to gather information about the interests, problems, and needs of local women. Survey results were referred to in training workshops and were also incorporated into programs for income generation. Domestic Violence: The male population was invited to participate in workshops to address the issue of domestic violence in many households. The workshops have allowed participants to discuss their role in the social environment, and issues such as economic difficulties, joblessness, changes in family roles, etc. Residents’ Committee: The elected residents’ Representative Council has been participating in workshops to discuss the consolidation of several sub-committees, especially the ones responsible for monitoring housing and implementation of a draft technical heritage plan, which is being developed. Events: There were a number of public events related to craftsmanship, environmental trail development, eco-tourism potential. There were also extensive meetings in order to prepare for the Winter Festival held annually in July. Women: An important event was the “First Encounter of the Women from Watersheds” that brought women from all settlements as well as from neighbouring municipalities to discuss their specific views, problems, and perspectives. This event will be held annually. 1.3 OUTCOMES 1. Establishment of an Innovative Watershed Management Structure: the Subprefeitura The project has played a key role in establishing a new structure for managing the watershed and in shaping its management approach. This structure is the Municipal Subprefeitura of Paranapiacaba and Parque Andreense (SPPPA), whose offices are located in the watershed area, and whose management approach is to work closely with watershed residents.

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2. Stimulation of a Culture of Interdepartmental Cooperation within the Municipality Interdepartmental cooperation was beginning to occur at the time of project implementation in urban favela upgrading and service delivery for specific projects; however, the CBWM project has played a key role in developing this cooperation beyond this stage, and was innovative in introducing the environmental dimension for all the programs. For CBWM, the coordination of actors from different departments was an essential part of creating a holistic approach to managing the watershed protection areas. The teams worked collaboratively to learn and define their values about participation, conflict resolution, environmental education, gender, tenure, income generation, etc. The project has enhanced a very supportive, open, communicative culture between municipal departments by providing an opportunity for all involved to participate and for all views to be equally valued. 3. Building of Trust between Local Government and Watershed Residents The significant amount of community development work that had been done in the CBWM communities by the Subprefeitura (SPPPA), the Municipal Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Servico Municipal de Saneamento Ambiental (SEMASA- the public corporation responsible for sewage, water, garbage and environmental monitoring for the whole municipality) throughout the CBWM project has laid a foundation of trust in the communities by producing tangible results that address the immediate needs of the residents. All Brazilian parties involved in the project report that there is a generally open and respectful relationship between the community residents and the Santo André and SPPPA officials. The trust and good relationship are manifested, for example, in the enthusiastic reception by watershed residents of workshops put on by the project and by municipal agencies outside the aegis of the project. 4. Formation of Programs and a Network for Local Economic Development The project has led to formation of a Solidarity Economy Network – Rede de Economia Solidária—and the Program for Popular Entrepreneur – Programa do Empreendedor Popular- within the watershed settlements. The initiatives include a sewing co-op, construction workers co-op, candy and canapés co-op, a community garden, as well as worming raising and fishing ventures. There are also courses for landscaping, gardening, and craftsmanship in order to provide training for income generation. 5. Institutionalization of Institutional and Community Capacity-Building as Ongoing

Processes The CBWM project drew on Canadian and Brazilian project-dedicated resources to show the value and potential of developing environmental stewardship while meeting people’s needs. The project also showed some of the possibilities for building community and municipal capacity to

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productively address complex environmental-social-economic-legal problems. Now, various secretariats within the Municipality of Santo André have institutionalized activities modelled on those introduced by the project and are sustainably funding these activities from their own resources. For example, the SPPPA, SEMASA, and the Secretary for Economic Development have initiated and are currently implementing a series of workshops, events, and training courses regarding cultural and educational activities with resources from outside the CBWM project. Other municipalities from the ABC region, particularly Ribeirão Pires and Rio Grande da Serra, are partners in most of these initiatives. 6. Strengthening of Community Identity and Citizenship By involving the watershed residents in the process of community development and stewarding of the environment, the CBWM project has engendered among watershed residents a sense of “belonging” to the municipality and the construction of an “Andreense” (Santo André) identity. The capacity to decentralize specific environmental services to the Subprefeitura has been an effective method of encouraging the exercise of citizenship – cidadania – by watershed residents. The strengthening of citizenship is a continuation of the high degree of “ownership” felt by watershed residents in relation to the CBWM project itself. The objective of every activity within the project is learning – in the broader sense – in order to define rights and responsibilities. For the watershed, this learning process draws strongly on the nature of the place, i.e., an environmentally sensitive area that is particularly important in the production of water, a natural resource that permeates all citizens’ lives. This is why the project activities and programs have focussed on working with and within the communities and building activities that enable development of a socio-cultural and political identity through collective exploration of forms of self-expression, all of which incorporate the environmental dimension. 7. Development of an Adaptive Planning Management Framework for Ongoing

Community-Based Watershed The seventh outcome is intended to meet the primary project goal, which is the preliminary development of a framework for ongoing community-based watershed through a process of adaptive management. This has been achieved by building on the six outcomes above. The adaptive planning management framework that has been envisioned from the beginning of the project, and which is now taking shape, involves ongoing comprehensive, participatory analysis (environmental, social, and economic) of the watershed and its land use, and participatory planning to create solutions for problems encountered. This is a framework that explicitly recognizes the complexity and uncertainties that are inherent in the management of natural resources and human settlements, and responds by building into the management process continuous feedback and flexible plans.

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8. Fostering of a Regional CBWM Approach The ABC Region Consortium2 is becoming the repository of knowledge being created around watershed issues and has the potential to be the main dissemination mechanism beyond the municipalities that are directly involved with the project activities. Some of the project events are being held in other municipalities in order to further their roles in the dissemination process, as well as to make sure that they are also immediate beneficiaries of the knowledge generated by and within the project. 9. Enhancing of Planning Awareness and Skills among Watershed Residents and

Municipal Officials The workshops, project meetings, and learn-by-doing pilot projects have enhanced skills regarding environmental awareness of residents, social awareness of municipal technical experts, and the project-planning and strategic planning skills of many who have been involved. 1.4 LESSONS LEARNED What we are now learning is that a project such as CBWM can generate the kinds of outcomes described in the previous section. As the project progresses towards the final stages of implementation, it is important not only to focus on recent lessons learned, but also to reflect on the cumulative lessons. At the most general level, the lessons learned are in the form of a shared understanding and acknowledgement by all Canadian and Brazilian project participants that: • •

• •

CBWM issues are complex roles and rules are continuously shifting within agencies and departments of a municipal government institutional conflict exists and must be dealt with in a transparent way participation by all participants and stakeholders produces good planning

To elaborate on the last point above, we have learned that participatory processes should actively engage significant stakeholders in management processes, collective inquiry, and decision-making. Active participation in management processes and decision making is crucial because it: • enhances problem solving because the management process is open to all significant

stakeholders, with multiple and reciprocal pathways for information flow

2 Santo André plays a central role in the Consortium of the Greater ABC Region, which is a group of political leaders from seven cities in the ABC Region. The purpose of the consortium is to develop coordinated, proactive strategies for the region that pre-empt the negative impacts of macroeconomic restructuring currently underway in Brazil, maintain the ABC Region’s dominance as an economic centre, and spread polices that have a holistic approach to development.

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• resolves conflicts by promoting an open process in which disparate interests and views are considered, and provides more space for ideas and knowledge to be shared and bargaining among the interested parties when there are conflicts

• strengthens the validity of results and builds a constituency for the decisions based on them, and it helps develop a sense of “ownership” of solutions that erodes initial resistance to change and encourages experimentation and innovation

• builds and preserves trust and credibility. This is vitally important in uncertain situations, (for example, where the flow of financial resources depends on several variables outside the process) since stakeholders must believe that others are being honest about their biases and limitations and are negotiating openly.

Raising awareness about all the CBWM issues within the watershed area communities is a long-term process that involves many small steps. It is a challenge to gain ongoing support for community involvement in long-term initiatives such as this. Communities can then develop a much stronger capacity to build and expand upon programs that are currently being initiated. More specifically, it is important to foster the personal commitment of community members in project work. Community-based watershed management is only possible when community members collectively identify their personal health and well being as being inseparable from the health of their local environment, and are then in a position to work together for community-environmental health. Environmental stewardship cannot take place unless individuals are motivated. There is also a need to address demands for planning and development initiatives from communities that share borders with the pilot projects; however, the ability to meet this need is limited by scarce financial resources. The strategy developed by the project team has been to offer those communities opportunities for participation in project workshops and planning discussions. The project team has also offered possibilities for involving residents of all watershed communities in the ongoing CBWM planning process, taking into account budget limitations. The municipality’s Participatory Budget and City of the Future planning processes provide vehicles for such involvement, which promises to sustain project gains, as all the watershed residents become more integrated in the project’s activities and programs, even when their specific communities are not directly involved in Pilot Projects. Understanding among the various stakeholders regarding the project’s long-term objectives is being built through strategic planning processes (conducted for the project in general and for the Pilot Projects). One of goals of these strategic plan processes is to continually foster trusting and respectful relationships. Another is to provide project updates to all participants so that they have opportunities to share, discuss, and explore innovations and alternatives for their day-to-day workplans.

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PART 2

CBWM WORKPLAN 2003-2004

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PART 2: CBWM WORKPLAN 2003-2004

2.1 INTRODUCTION This section provides plans for the period April 2003 to June 2004. The planning activities within the watershed areas will be informed by continuous monitoring and input from the pilot projects, including information from workshops, training sessions, and public meetings. This input will make the nature of the problems faced by the community clearer, and will guide strategies to minimize and mitigate them. A very important part of the final stage is an external assessment of the lessons learned about the project experiences so far. This assessment of project outcomes is intended to provide an outsider's view of the lessons that can be learned about capacity building and social learning that a project of this kind can create. What is envisaged is something in the spirit of what the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) calls "outcome mapping” (see Appendix 4). This evaluation process seeks to find where transformative change in partners occurred, and how they have taken the ideas of the project as their own and are acting as change agents vis-à-vis ultimate project goals (impacts). The assessment will address the fact that the project is a constantly changing complex totality, made up of interwoven (partly non-observable) processes that take place on different levels. To be meaningful, this assessment should be based on the understanding that what is most critical for sustainability of project results is the changes in people, communities, and organizations that are involved in the project (capacity built). The other activities that are planned for this period involve strategic planning processes that will be re-assessed after the evaluation has been completed. A continued emphasis will be placed on the process of ongoing planning, including:

designing and implementing a system to monitor results • • • •

fostering replicability of the lessons learned improving links to policy and institutional changes integrating social, economic, biophysical, and institutional elements which will be merged in a holistic watershed management plan organizing activities for substantive planning (land use, physical, socio-economic) and strategies for implementation (financing, regulation, management) experimenting continuously with innovations in order to find the most effective ones for projects such as this acknowledging unanticipated consequences and collecting support beyond the project’s physical boundaries

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developing an informal settlement upgrading approach that integrates environmental with physical, socio-economic, and institutional issues, and that is responsive to local characteristics.

2.2 CBWM PROJECT EXTENSION The project partners and CIDA have agreed that the project completion date will be postponed from January 31, 2004 to June 30, 2004 in order to maximize the effectiveness of project documentation and dissemination of the lessons learned. Four major factors were considered in the decision to extend the project: 1. Dissemination of lessons learned: The lessons being learned in the environmental, social, and

recently, economic aspects of our planning and capacity building for watershed planning are richer than originally expected. For example, recent project workshops have led to identification of new possibilities for financing watershed protection and settlement upgrading in municipalities like Santo André.

2. Documentation of CBWM approaches: There is widespread interest, beyond São Paulo, in

high quality documentation of the innovative approaches we have introduced to Brazil, such as that provided in the participatory design charrette booklet and in the CD-ROM that focuses on environmental sensitivity analysis. We would like to continue preparing, updating and disseminating more of these kinds of materials.

3. Involvement of Brazilian federal ministries: Several ministries in the new federal government of Brazil, such as the Ministry of Cities, are interested in the lessons to be learned from our project and in the potential for building on those lessons at the national level. It appears that January 2004 may be the earliest time that their senior staff would be available for meetings to explore this potential in depth.

4. Participation of four universities in the São Paulo region: The universities are interested in helping to develop sustainable capacity in Santo André and neighbouring municipalities to respond institutionally to these lessons. An extension of time for the project would enable us to capitalize fully on the opportunities offered by the involvement of these institutions.

2.3 INFORMATION ORGANIZATION By the end of the period covered by this report the following outputs will be achieved:

CD-ROM The updated version of the project multimedia CD-ROM will be developed by May 2004 with detailed information about the project, from the issues dealt with in the Pilot Projects to the training materials and lessons learned. It will be in both English and Portuguese and will contain a summary of contents for quick access to information. The CD-ROM is an

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important resource that provides all the detailed data collected for the project, including graphs, maps, images, programs and lessons learned. The final addition to the CD-ROM will be recommendations and possible next steps. Biomaps •

The Pilot Project Biomaps are currently in progress. The first version will be completed by the end of January 2004 and the printed collection of all data is expected by April 2004. Oral History A booklet detailing the oral history of Pilot Project I residents is complete and ready for printing. The collection of oral histories by residents of other pilot projects is in progress and it should be ready for printing by April 2004. This publication should serve as a guide for a deeper understanding of the existing community-institutional relationship in the area. CED Manual A manual for community economic facilitators, which is currently being developed, will be printed and distributed for use by facilitators of the CED process. A Canadian intern will be responsible for the application and evaluation of this guideline, in order to adapt the manual for publication by March 2004. Guidelines for Social Housing in Environmentally Sensitive Areas A document is being developed (along the lines of the booklet that was produced as a result of the Pintassilgo Charrette) to establish guidelines for social housing in ESAs. This document will be the first report on “how to build” in environmentally sensitive areas, using the most advanced concepts for sustainable urban design. The publication is expected to be complete by May 2004. Youth Participation Manual A manual that outlines participatory planning methods for youth is planned in order to provide a document that details how to expose youth to the experience of applying participatory methods and to stimulate the facilitation of a learn-by-doing model, specially related to the environment. The objective of the manual is to promote engagement in planning by youth in order to identify development and environmental issues facing them, as well as to identify alternatives and solutions to the challenges they face. This publication is expected to be completed by April 2004. ESA Guidelines A document is being produced to detail and disseminate the ESA methodology using the Rio Grande Arm of the Billings Reservoir as an example. The document will outline the advantages and limitations of the methodology, with a particular focus on its potential uses as an efficient tool for a Master Plan implementation. The document will be published by March 2004. Booklet on Women and the Environment A collection of experiences relating to the gender dimension of the project will be collected and organized. This booklet will involve participation of community members and will provide their perspective on the path to understanding the connection between gender and the environment (a community quilt will be the “art” that represents this work). This collection is expected to be completed by May 2004.

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• A Watershed Management Plan Book In addition to providing a technical report, this document will be the “history” of the project, describing phases and processes, as well as discussing the stakeholders’ involvement and the path followed by the implementation team. It will be ready by June 2004. CBWM Video •

• • • • • •

A video is planned to highlight some of the project achievements through images, interviews, and brief presentations from key stakeholders about critical points. The plan is to have the video ready in June 2004.

2.4 TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND CBWM FRAMEWORK The training events will be connected to the CBWM framework design. The areas to be undertaken are the ones that complement the final project requirements:

Community Economic Development Fishing activities: fish stock control and enhancement Youth environmental participation and stewardship Community participation in planning processes (through community mapping techniques) Hypermedia data organisation Municipal policies related to watershed management

In general, the activities taking place during this period are related to income generation programs, the new laws, tenure regularization, gender, and youth.

2.4.1 Activity Details

Community Economic Development – A Regional Workshop A workshop in May 2003 on Community Economic Development (CED) introduced Vancouver-based CED initiatives for local and regional possibilities assessment (Santo André ABC Region). The objective of this workshop was to expand the Brazilian team’s information regarding income-generating opportunities for informal settlement residents. It was also useful for the Santo André municipal staff that deals with the urban part of the city, as well as planners from other parts of the whole São Paulo metropolitan area that face similar issues. The goal of this workshop was to discuss CED principles and concepts, and to identify initiatives with collaborative potential that could be implemented by Santo André, Rio Grande Serra and Ribeirão Pires either individually or together at the Prefeitura and Subprefeitura level.

Expected Output

As a result of the discussions and follow up actions, there will be enhanced collaboration between all stakeholders who will work towards creating income-generating opportunities throughout the watershed areas. Team work is possible with other actors in the various neighbourhoods and regions to promote economic development that is dynamic, socially just, and environmentally responsible (with attention to sustainable development). The core

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framework for all CED initiatives includes a focus on gender issues, tourism, and sustainable production of marketable products and services (for workshop details, see Appendix 10). The Canadian team provided valuable knowledge and experience regarding land use partnerships between the municipality and developers. This will be key in informing the search of alternatives for programs like social housing or community facilities being incorporated in negotiations.

Fishing in the ABC Region-Billings Reservoir: Regional Seminar on New Approaches

The general objective of this workshop (with the support of Canadian experts and Brazilian researchers) is to promote integration between amateur fishing activities, public agencies, and entrepreneurs in order to create conditions for economic activities, such as pay-as-you-fish (Pesque-Pague) and to establish a mutual agreement on social and environmental development of the Billings Reservoir. See Appendix 9 for details and the agenda.

Expected Output This activity will strengthen the regional partnership of all stakeholders involved, including the surrounding municipalities, fish experts and entrepreneurs interested in the area. It will identify ways to develop enterprises like Pesque-Pague as a viable and compatible economic activity within the Watershed Protection Areas. The results will inform and support those involved in finding potential solutions for the technical and administrative difficulties inherent in this kind of enterprise.

Youth Activities The main event for youth during this period is the First Municipal Youth Conference to be held in September 2003. The general objectives are: • Constructing proposals for public policies to address the needs of the city’s youth, among

them the guarantee of programs, projects, and spaces in the structure of government (a municipal Office of Youth has been suggested).

• Increasing youth representation in the city through participatory instruments and dialogue between the local public sector and civil society.

• Stimulating youth to think about the city’s destiny through existing forums and programs, such as participatory budgeting, City of the Future, master planning, councils, etc.

• Promoting debate of ideas and propositions about the diverse visions of the world of local youth in such a way that proposals from the conference can be approved.

The CBWM project issues are embedded in the conference objectives. A number of Canadians will travel to the conference to address issues related to the connection between environment and other themes. This is also a unique opportunity to establish more links between youth of both countries, an additional opportunity to strengthen and establish the sustainability of the project (for more details, see Appendix 9).

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Expected Output

This conference is expected to help generate strategies that will be developed for all different youth groups within the municipality. Through a discussion of the existing programs, a set of indicators will be established in order to help in the evaluation of municipal youth policies. The event is designed to be participatory and inclusive and it is expected that a permanent youth forum will be established as an outcome. This will enable youth to recognize themselves as active agents in the construction of their citizenship, developing and enhancing their political participation by ensuring youth involvement in local decision-making processes.

Community Participation in Planning Processes The biomapping process is continuing in all pilot projects and will be completed in 2003. This will develop a record of local knowledge about each community that includes its past, present and possible future. It will bring what people know about their communities into the planning process to help them where they need it the most and support the things that people like most about their communities.

Expected Output

The community planning process is expected to enhance and sustain the involvement of local people in planning and stewardship in their own communities, so that they are responsible for initiating changes and monitoring activities.

Hypermedia Data Organisation

The CD-ROM production will continue throughout this period. Project information will continue to be input onto the CD-ROM in order to develop a complete electronic record about the project and its implementation.

Expected Output

The CD-ROM provides an effective dissemination tool containing the lessons learned from the project. It also provides the municipality with a method of recording planning processes in an efficient, practical, and convenient manner using easily retrievable hypermedia data storage.

Municipal Policies

A mission of key people from the Brazilian team – including the Mayor and several members of Federal Ministries – will meet in Vancouver with the Canadian partners and officials from the City of Vancouver to discuss municipal policies that could be paramount in enhancing project gains. Possibilities of an extended collaboration beyond this project will also be discussed.

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Expected Output

It is expected that institutional changes at the municipal level will incorporate the main goals of the project. A sustained collaboration between Canadian and Brazilian partners will continue at the local and federal level. All the activities and expected outcomes will strengthen the project objectives by creating a structured approach to watershed management that involves a balance between human settlements and nature. The sustainability of the project will be based on structural support that will be used as the basis for subsequent activities, actions, and programs to be constructed according to CBWM goals. 2.5 EXPECTED RESULTS The expected outcomes, which are being accomplished by the municipality with CBWM project assistance, include all activities developed under the support of the project. The activities stem from the framework and are constructed through discussing, evaluating, and monitoring the outputs and outcomes. The results,1 which are described in detail below, are in various stages of implementation and represent the medium- and long-term changes that will lead to proactive and sustainable watershed management through adaptive planning. The following is a description of the ongoing initiatives that will effectively contribute to sustain the project gains. New Laws The draft of the new watershed law has been analysed by various CBWM committees and is now in the process of approval by the appropriate state legislative bodies. The Basin Committee met in April 2003 and outlined four action priorities pertaining to the new law, including: 1) holding continuous discussions about the Ring Road (Rodoanel) impact on the metropolitan watersheds; 2) increasing the speed of approval for specific watershed protection legislation at the municipal level; 3) approving the water use cost implementation policy; 4) creating a framework for the democratic application of financial resources from the FEHIDRO (State Fund for Water Resources). These actions will incorporate all the issues already discussed in order to inform municipal procedures impacting on watershed management and planning. Changes and a lack of definition in state law have caused the whole process of formulating new legislation to be slower than expected. This is an activity that indirectly affects project accomplishments, since legal approval for implementation of new land use patterns and new urban designs are expected to be a long and difficult process. The input for the law has been informed by project lessons, which are embedded in draft documentation as part of the ongoing discussions. Once the law has been approved, committees made up of municipal officials and watershed residents, as well as representatives of the urban part of the city, will define the details 3 As outlined in Part I: Definitions, results are a composite of project outputs and outcomes that have occurred through project-fostered activities.

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for its specific application. This document will be integrated to the Master Plan for the whole municipality. Tenure Regularization The first new subdivision design created by the CBWM planning process is being implemented. Negotiations are in place for removal of buildings and houses from areas to be protected. This is happening through agreements with local residents and not through a process of judicial action. The lessons learned from this process are being compiled into a report, which will also include ESA maps for the involved communities. The detailed assessments of existing plots and new land occupation plans are being conducted and will be incorporated in the new community maps. These steps will address the definition of alternative places for household relocation, which will lead to negotiations with developers and landowners and eventually a final tenure regularization plan. These plans will be negotiated and accepted by the responsible levels of government (municipal and state). The documentation of the process, as well as a collection of examples, will be established as a first guideline for tenure regularization in environmentally sensitive areas. Gender Issues Gender-related issues are now incorporated more effectively in the municipality’s institutional mandate, and are informing policy discussions. A number of gender-related issues need to be addressed and activities have been implemented on a regular basis in order to speak to the problems identified. Biased approaches and behaviours have been the topic of seminars and workshops. A number of these have addressed the theme of “masculinity” which involves men in the discussion of household problems that are linked to domestic violence. This has been identified as a serious problem, especially in the Pilot Project 3 area, but it is by no means exclusive to this area. The rampant unemployment due to the de-industrialization of the region has led to a higher number of men losing their jobs and being unqualified for the very few new opportunities generated more recently. The gender team is constantly addressing this issue, as well as environmental awareness and responsibility. All project activities are analysed by residents and officials using a gender perspective in order to inform municipal policies and propose changes (see Appendix 11 for details). Pilot Projects Discussions are being held with the Brazilian university collaborators in order to develop a system for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of changes in Pilot Project communities. Results from the first stages of the Pilot Projects are being studied to develop indicators for monitoring, implementing, and evaluating with a long-term goal of creating a systematic way of incorporating observations into a ‘learning-by-doing’ process. The collaborators will define the requirements, within the municipality and the communities, in order to build effective and ongoing collaborative methods.

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Pilot Project 1: Parque Andreense Gleba Três The continued implementation of the upgrading plan for Parque Represa Billings Três – Parque Andreense has allowed new urban design techniques to be tested. The Subprefeitura is committed to continuing the work with: 1) environmental education; 2) sanitation education; 3) sanitation follow-up; 4) chlorine distribution and control; 5) direct assistance to residents from the technical team (about tenure regularisation, technical advice in building, etc.); 6) new occupation monitoring and control; 7) streets/road access and maintenance; 8) potable water access; and 9) provision of garbage collection. The Subprefeitura has plans to hold more workshops modeled on the CBWM design charrette that was held for the Pintassilgo settlement. These workshops with residents will discuss alternatives for the redesign of the subdivision and will help in the process of continuing negotiations with the stakeholders in the affected plots. The implementation of community infrastructure (like new streets, stairs on the steep pathways, part of the sewage network, etc.) will proceed according to budget. The mini-treatment station still needs more financial resources from the state to complete the construction of the first module. Training and support for co-ops will continue, as well as support for individual small business initiatives. The evaluation of programs and polices will be carried out by the GTR Group (Geracão Trabalho e Renda - Work and Income Generation Group). Permanent evaluation processes are being prepared for the programs and should be implemented in consultation with the members. As a result of surveys about gender and youth in the area, it was decided that a priority would be a plan to deal with the various youth-related needs. The Subprefeitura is continuing to hold workshops to introduce the Oral History Project and a strategy to organize all the data is being discussed. It has been proposed that the PP1 Biomap update should be an annual event in order to keep the community history alive. Pilot Project 2: Pintassilgo The municipality and the residents’ committee have implemented a regular bulletin “Informes Pintassilgo” that provides details on all CBWM activities, and which will be expanded to reach more people. A community mural that depicts project activities in the area is also planned for a central location. The functioning of the Pintassilgo Council of Neighbourhood Representatives (Conselho de Representantes por Quadra) will be enhanced to strengthen its key role within the settlement and foster a sense of community in the residents. The Council will help the municipality in implementing an environmental education plan and an agenda for workshops about the socio-educative work concept. The objective is to enhance capacity building in health, citizenship, and the education of women and men living in an environmentally sensitive area. The Council is also

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following the discussion of the proposed new Ring Road (Rodoanel) for the São Paulo Metropolitan area. This is a critical experience for the members of the Council as it is deepening their insight about the complexities involved in the stewardship process of a watershed area within an urban metropolitan context. A survey of existing potential for income generating initiatives within the settlement will be conducted. The aim is to explore local opportunities for community economic development. This survey will be the basis of a “community talent fair.” The Secretariat for Economic Development will be offering places for Pintassilgo residents in its training workshops for professional upgrading. The community and the officials involved will decide on a pilot project for the local CED initiative. Promotion of income generation meetings between Pintassilgo residents and existing associations and co-ops will take place. There will also be distribution of information about related issues like medicinal and herbal gardens, crafts, and eco-tourism as suggested means for income generation. The adult literacy courses taught in schools and nearby neighbourhoods (Parque Miami, etc.) were successful and will be expanding. This is providing an opportunity to distribute the regular bulletin about the CBWM activities in this and other neighbourhoods (including information about public events, campaigns, etc.). SEMASA (Serviço Municipal de Saneamento Ambiental de Santo André) is coordinating measures to cope with emergency situations. Using a map of the settlement’s critical points, a programme has been put in place according to the budget. Meetings and workshops to train environmental community agents will continue as a regular activity with the objective of involving the whole community in the garbage reduction plan. It is expected that this campaign will stimulate responsibility for the collection and reduction of garbage thrown in open areas. Detailed plans for relocation and upgrading of the settlement are now contingent upon the decision regarding the Rodoanel. The agreement obtained with the Environmental Prosecutor to start implementing plans has been postponed until the final decision from the State has been made about the new highway location. The discussions regarding this decision will continue to be closely followed by community representatives and municipal officials. The Guidelines for Housing in ESAs will be a key tool in the planning process for the upgrading and resettling of Pintassilgo residents. Pilot Project 3: Paranapiacaba The pursuit of financial resources for the upgrading and repair of historic buildings will continue with the support of the project. A Canadian intern will help in searching for possible international donors for this venture.

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The Subprefeitura activities in Paranapiacaba will continue in the areas of environmental education and stewardship (especially for youth), community participation in planning processes (through community mapping techniques), as well as activities related to CED through specific workshops run by the Secretariat for Economic Development together with the Subprefeitura. The regional aspect of all programs will be strengthened as part of the dissemination strategy. Other planned activities include holding additional workshops as part of the “Programa de Jovens” (the Youth Program from the Biosphere Reserve), continuing the oral history information gathering process, and organizing periodic workshops for the male population to deal with common problems like domestic violence and unemployment. The CBWM Representative Council will participate in workshops to discuss the public work agendas, programs, and sub-committees for special issues. The Council’s participation and effectiveness will be monitored to ensure that there are clear and open channels of communication between the Subprefeitura and the watershed area residents.

2.5.1 Comments about Results This section provides more detailed information about the nine outcomes referred to in Part I of this report. The Brazilian team activities will improve the ability of the Santo André Municipality and its partner organizations to incorporate environmental and gender-related issues into all institutional development programs. In addition, it is expected that all the involved communities will be empowered by their participation in the project. By increasing awareness, which is a key factor in resident participation and ownership of watershed protection management, many activities should continue long after the project has finished. The Brazilian team efforts in structuring community engagement and participation (through a Co-Management Committee that includes representatives directly elected by watershed residents) enhances the programs, creates project sustainability, and increases the sense of community stewardship. This increased capacity for development and institutional strengthening is a major project achievement. Conflict over legal issues regarding tenure, subdivisions, and occupation of environmentally protected land are being pro-actively dealt with by the municipality. The results are that stakeholders (including environmental prosecutors who traditionally have had strong conservative approaches toward the environment without social considerations) are now open to a different approach. The project has fostered a new vision that tends to be less legalistic and more conducive to searching for socially just solutions to watershed settlement problems. The decision to accept a higher density for the Pintassilgo favela, for example, is a totally unprecedented legal stand based on the social reality of the settlement. This kind of new legal

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decision promises not only to sustain the project gains, but also to inform planning in other Brazilian municipalities with similar problems. The continuous work of the Brazilian team on pilot project development for different types of settlements within environmentally sensitive watershed areas enriches opportunities for technology transfer, comparative learning, and mutual learning. It also permits working with diverse situations in the field, which provides rich opportunities to explore alternative techniques and approaches. Another very important project result is the adoption and development of the partnership concept by all project stakeholders. Partnership is a complex concept that has been evolving within the project. A common assumption is that partnership is a way in which institutions fill the gap or provide services using other partners, such as communities, NGOs or CBOs. When communities are involved, “partnerships” are sometimes precipitated by requests to deal with poorly serviced areas or specific needs. Evaluation is necessary in order to determine what is to be gained by all partners. Some of the gains should be an increased access to – and respect from – communities by all partners; a division of responsibilities that results in saving time, money, and avoiding unnecessary frustration because partners share tasks according to their capacity; and an increased access to an existing network of services, support, and other potential partners. Another result is the understanding that a cooperative relationship is not a fully developed partnership if the relationship does not bring about increased effectiveness or a better quality of life for all involved parties. In addition, a properly functioning partnership is likely to have positive spin-off effects beyond direct benefits to the partners themselves. Because each of the partners has a culture of its own with their own values and customs, and they are engaged in constructing something new that does not fully belong to either of them, constant negotiation is required. This often occurs on quite small but symbolic matters as the relationship evolves in practice. A partnership is organic, fluid, and unpredictable; in order for it to work for all parties, thorough commitment and trust in the working relationship – both separately and together – is essential. The project has fostered an environment that stimulates partners to reflect upon their own core values in the context of the relationship so that those values are reinforced. The partnerships within the CBWM project are evolving and are becoming more effective as the pilot project implementation proceeds. These partnerships represent an important factor to guarantee the sustainability of project gains. Technology Transfer projects provide opportunities to exchange experiences in areas parallel to the project, such as the areas of municipal budgeting and youth participation that have taken place in this project. Projects can also increase awareness of opportunities for international cooperation in new areas, for example, police training at the local level (which has occurred to some degree in this project). Very practical and hands-on techniques, like biomapping and new sustainable designs for housing, allow Canadian experts to be involved; these experts will in turn be influenced by employing these techniques in a different complex reality.

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2.6 CHALLENGES During the course of project work, a number of challenges have been identified. An important issue to be addressed is the need for increased efficiency and co-ordination within the municipality. As there are a large number of government agencies and departments involved in complex projects like this, the monitoring and evaluation tasks are difficult to implement. The project is aiding in the design of a system that will help Santo André coordinate and monitor the implementation of international projects. One of the methods involves the CBWM Monitoring Committee, which is continuously focusing on the difficult issues regarding co-ordinating and providing effective leadership to committee members so that they can advocate for project activities within their respective agencies or departments. Given the complexity of the project and the multifaceted agenda, it is a difficult task to optimize all the activities with all the other programs within the municipality; however, it can be accomplished by establishing a process to organize the activities and negotiate among the various agencies involved. This process will facilitate the implementation of activities that integrate the various agencies’ mandates, making more effective use of budget resources and optimizing all programs. In order to outline, analyze, and evaluate the project gains and challenges, four Brazilian universities have been called upon to closely examine all activities and workshops over the next year in order to reflect on the lessons learned and provide recommendations. 2.7 RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY The successful delivery of activities requires:

effective engagement of all stakeholders • • • • •

• • •

adequate data gathering and analysis strong commitment from the teams enthusiastic response to all the new techniques learned persistent implementation of actions

The risk indicators related to these assumptions are:

stakeholders will not be sufficiently involved or participating effectively data will be incomplete or unavailable participation and support of all participants in training sessions/meetings/strategic planning will not be obtained resources will not be available for implementing actions.

In order to minimize these risks, all the agencies, institutions, potential stakeholders, and participants are being urged to focus on the project objectives, with frequent debriefings and follow-up contacts. The anticipated risk of non-availability or lack of commitment by the Santo André municipal staff has not been a problem, but it will continue to be monitored.

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2.8 OUTREACH STRATEGY The project has held numerous open meetings and workshops for various activities to disseminate lessons learned in Santo André to other municipalities in the ABC and SPMA regions, as well as to NGOs and universities. Santo André has also issued several news releases featuring project activities. The new partnership with the universities will enable a more effective dissemination process through academic and professional seminars and workshops. The radio station operating within the watershed area –– Radio Fog based in Paranapiacaba ––has hosted several team and community members talking about the project activities. The publication of outputs (Oral History, CED Manual, etc.) will contribute further to the dissemination of the project work, as copies will be sent to universities and cities in Brazil. The wide distribution of the new CD-ROM version will also contribute to dissemination of the lessons learned. All these strategies continue to ensure that the lessons will be available to all parties interested in community-oriented watershed management throughout the region. Over the course of the project, a number of linkages to other initiatives with related focus areas were established. These relationships provide opportunities for building synergies and creating affiliations that will sustain the community-based watershed management process in Santo André and in other municipalities after project completion. These linkages include: • Municipal Organizations: Santo André is well placed to push the dissemination process

forward as a member of the Intermunicipal Consortium ABC and the Mercosur Cities Network, and a participant in the Water Basin Subcommittee.

• Project Partners: Other project partners will also play key roles in this dissemination process, including the University of São Paulo through the Architecture School (FAUSP) and Public Health School (ESPUSP), Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUCSP), Pontificia Universidade de Campinas (PUCamp), and the Instituto Municipal de Ensino Superior (IMES).

• Technology Transfer Projects: The existing connection with another technology transfer project, the “Brazil Inland Fisheries: Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation Project,” will be enhanced and the exchange of knowledge and experiences will strengthen both projects.

• Government Organizations: Linkages are still being explored with related initiatives at several government levels in São Paulo. They could provide an opportunity to learn from the experiences shared in order to develop other institutional linkages, e.g., the Billings Reservoir Recovery Project Program.

Additionally, other activities are addressing the dissemination process in an indirect manner. A number of students are working on theses that are related to the project issues, contributing to the discussion of theory in practice. The project achievements are to be presented and developed further in workshops involving stakeholders from municipal, state, and national levels, as well as

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universities, NGOs, and community-based organisations (CBOs) in Brazil and Canada. The same is happening with establishing linkages. Throughout this year, Canada-Brazil linkages will continue to be developed via the participation of project partners and invited specialists in joint workshop and training events. 2.9 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS The Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) outlines the key elements of the project, shared goals, and expected outcomes and impacts, as well as forming the basis for co-operation between the project partners. Within the long-term goal of the project – to improve human settlement in the watershed area of Santo André through a participatory and environmentally sensitive management strategy – a range of training activities were developed in order to use Canadian expertise to maximize the interaction between project partners. The long-term impacts of the project are expected to be less damage to the environment by settlements in sensitive watershed areas and in special informal settlements, and the creation of an effective stewardship consciousness within all the residents of the watershed area. The institutional framework changes within the municipality that are a result of the project are also an impact, as well as the contribution to changes in the legalistic approach to watershed occupation. The project is developing new methodologies that will be integrated into continuing, long-term arrangements for the sustainable management of sensitive areas. The delivery of the project is being organized with specific purposes and outcomes that form the framework for project achievements during this period, as detailed in the LFA (Appendix 2). 2.10 PROPOSED BUDGET The proposed budget distributes the expenditure according to the implementation of activities and outputs for the whole project (Appendix 1). The total amount is C$465,759.90