Conducting A Social Impact Assessment On Three Member Conservancies Using The SAPA Methodology.

Laikipia Conservancies Association, with support from USAID has supported Ol Jogi, Mugie, and Lolldaiga Conservancies in conducting a social impact assessment using the Social Assessment of Protected Areas (SAPA) methodology. SAPA is a relatively simple and low-cost methodology for assessing the positive and negative impacts of a protected or conserved area (PA/CA) and related conservation and development activities on the well-being of communities living within and around the PA/CA. It uses a multi-stakeholder process that enables PA/CA stakeholders to work together to increase and more equitably share positive social impacts, and reduce negative social impacts.

Out of the three conservancies, Loldaiga is currently in the process of completing the assessment exercise having concluded the first two out of five phases with its first Stakeholders Workshop which consisted of forty representatives from all communities that surround Lolldaiga. The Stakeholder's Workshop aims to evaluate and validate the findings of the Focus Group Discussions. Upon completion of all five phases, the consultants will hand in their findings to LolDaiga Conservancy to discuss and implement the way forward and in monitoring these set recommendations.

Other LCA members that have undertaken the exercise are Borana Conservancy, Loisaba Conservancy, and Ol Jogi Conservancy.

LCA's goal is to see all Member Conservancies carry out the exercise or implement best

practices from the tool, whose main outcome is for Conservancies to better engage and mitigate the negative impact of Conservancies on communities living within and near the Conservancies.