Community Based Natural Resources Management, Facilitation and Training Specialist.

Scroll down to see what Karen is working on recently and to see feedback from clients.

Summary

Karen has more than 20 years experience working in Asia and Southern Africa on participatory forest management, agriculture, community based natural resource management (CBNRM) and governance programmes as a manager, trainer and/or specialist advisor. Her practical experience in CBNRM field extension work, development of co-management agreements and process support to public administration has required her to be an effective communicator and facilitator. From 1998-2003 Karen worked for the Regional Centre for Community Forestry in Bangkok managing an Asia-wide governance initiative, which has led to experience of working in over 9 countries, where she initiated partnerships between community forestry practitioners and developed a well-known manual “The Art of Building Facilitation Capacities”. She has experience in designing and facilitating large-scale international meetings and learning processes. Key clients have included EU, DFID, DANIDA, MCC, RECOFTC and IIED. Karen has a passion for developing and using innovative communication techniques and cutting edge participatory methodologies and makes sure these are a key element of her work wherever she is engaged for design, consultation and evaluation processes.

Education:

University of Oxford, Oxford Forestry Institute 1996 -1997 - MSc Forestry and its Relation to Land Use; thesis related to process support for mainstreaming PFM in Public Sector Forestry Institutions

University of Reading, 1987 -1990 - BSc Agriculture

Key Services

• Technical and process advice to projects and programmes; PFM, CBNRM, forest-based livelihoods, Participatory Land Use Planning
• Design and facilitation of CBNRM capacity building programs including strategic scaling up and training material development
• Design, advice and facilitation of innovative communication methods for multi-stakeholder processes or mass media campaigns for specific target groups behavioural change
• Facilitation services to large or small groups; short-term or long-term processes at national or international level
• Participatory monitoring and evaluation including mid term or final project evaluations

Country Experience

China, Cambodia, Ghana, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malawi, Nepal, Phillipines, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Zambia, United Kingdom

Contact: kedwds@mac.com

Phone:

Tel: +265 (0) 999510512

Tel: +255 (0) 788801223

Tel +62 (0) 81287245237

Home base: Bali, Indonesia

See full CV

 Summary of track record

Program Technical Assistance

Provided 2 years of technical advice and process support to Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife (SADC 5.9 AAA Dept of Foreign Affairs Finland) in a regional participatory curriculum and capacity building initiative with Tanzania and Zambia. Produced a revised curricula with a focus on implementing NFP and PFM in Malawi that is now accredited to University of Malawi.

Provided 4 years of technical assistance support to Improved Forest Management for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme EU/Government of Malawi. Resulted in the roll out of co-management and benefit sharing in forest reserves including support to forest based enterprises.

Carried out one month assignment mid term review of NTFP-PFM project in SW Ethiopia. EU funded managed by University of Huddersfield. Recommendations made by the review are now being implemented in the project.

Capacity Building

Developed and facilitated training of trainers in training design and facilitation skills as an input for a local facilitator network in Indonesia. Worked with national NGO Inspirit to expand an extremely successful network of innovative facilitators and remain a key associate of this network till today.

Designed and coached 12 core trainers in Malawi to train over 120 field staff in key competencies for PFM and forest based enterprise development.

Designed and delivered international courses on PFM core concepts and competencies including resource assessment, PME, management planning, criteria and indicators, sustainable livelihoods.

Designed, written and published several manuals for building capacity of trainers, facilitators in different roles including active forest management. Click on the image below to link to the contents of a manual co-written by Karen Edwards on building facilitation capacities.

 Workshop Design and Facilitation

Designed and facilitated several large scale international events including forest governance learning group (IIED) events, Vibrant Communication Skills, and side sessions for World Summit

Designed and facilitated small scale learning and knowledge development workshops on a range of CBNRM and governance related topics at national and international level while at RECOFTC for Ford Foundation, DFID, FAO

Designed and facilitated innovative farmer/community based fairs and festivals. Over 3500 farmers attended a farmer to farmer learning festival in Chikwawa, Malawi with demonstrations and dance. Other community fora include co-management learning field events also in Malawi.

Best Practice Documentation

Documented lessons learned based on field experience from Improved Forest Management for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme in Malawi and produced a six-page leaflet to share with national and international stakeholders “Lessons of how co-management improves lives” (see attached picture of cover)

Supervised technical content and worked with a film crew to produce a documentary series with several films in different countries in Asia documenting lessons and questions arising from best practice  “The Song of Change”; Dilemnas of a forest bureaucracy in Indonesia”; Sustainable Forest Management in Yunnan; Linking People to Policy in The Phillipines.

Carbon Offsetting and REDD+

See upcoming assignments. LIMAS project in Tanzania. Improving the quantity and quality of production from sustainably managed forests. The emphasis will be on timber, carbon and beekeeping products (honey and wax) and the development of viable groups able to implement Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in the Angai Village Land Forest Reserve in Liwale, as well as to manage in a sustainable way the general land around the forest. The possibility to generate additional income from carbon (through REDD arrangements) will be studied.

What is Karen doing recently? 

Between February and April 2015, Karen will be part of a team in Tanzania carrying out the final project evaluations of 6 REDD+ projects facilitated by NGOs supported by the Norwegian Government. The team will produce a document on lessons learned from REDD+ in Tanzania through this consultative stakeholder process.

In January 2015, Karen has provided facilitation services to the European Forestry Institute (EFI) to the inception workshop process for FLEG-T VPA in Myanmar that engaged over 70 participants from government, private sector and civil society. She also designed and facilitated a workshop for TRAFFIC on countering illegal wildlife trade through collaborative action with the transportation and logistics sectors involving private companies and customs authorities. 

Karen authored and tested a new training manual for The Centre for People and Forests in 2014 “Improving grassroots equity in the forests and climate change context”.  You can access that manual through this link http://www.recoftc.org/training-manuals-and-guides/improving-grassroots-equity-forests-and-climate-change-context-training.

Towards the end of 2014 Karen Edwards led a number of evaluations including a review of Danish Support to Harapan Rain Forest and a Review for NORAD of their support to Global Green Growth Institute’s (GGGI) program, both in Indonesia.  She also participated in the global review of NORAD’s support to REDD+, with a focus on Indonesia earlier in the year.

Also in 2014 Karen Edwards provided support to the Myanmar Government to consider the importance of wider stakeholder participation and community engagement in district level land use planning and decisions. A pilot process was initiated in Taungoo district and will be taken forward in 2015.

Throughout 2014 Karen provided facilitation services to a number of clients including The Embassy of Sweden, Bangkok, a number of private sector clients through Daemeter Consulting Ltd (Freeport Indonesia and Nestle) and DFID “Enhancing Community Resilience Program” in Malawi (LTSI).

In the first quarter of 2012 Karen was asked by EcoAgriculture and other co-organisers (ICRAF, Bioversity, FAO, UNEP, WRI, CI and others) to design and facilitate a process for an International Forum in Nairobi focusing on Landscapes for People, Food and Nature (LPFN). 130 people from all over the world participated in the process in March 2012. Through interactive methods and strong visualisation the process aimed to develop an action plan for knowledge development and advocacy for the landscapes approach engaging many different disciplines from community based organisations and practitioners to policy makers. See photo below.

Having moved her operating base from Malawi to Bali, Indonesia Karen has been assisting a local group (INSPIRIT) who build capacity in VIBRANT communication to train facilitators from different parts of Indonesia. A three day training workshop was held in March 2012 for their 21st group of participants in Sentul, Bogor. More collaborative events and products are planned.

From March to July 2012 Karen leads a team in Tanzania to carry out a National Capacity Assessment for REDD+ for the UN-REDD program funded by UNDP. The process examines the core issues such as institutional arrangements, knowledge, leadership, accountability and voice mechanisms in relation to the establishment and implementation of REDD+ with an aim to develop a capacity development plan.

Karen Edwards continues to provide technical inputs to Lindi and Mtwara Agribusiness project (LIMAS) in Liwale District, Tanzania funded by MFA Finland. Two inputs have been carried out in 2012 focusing on removing the bottlenecks for facilitating management plans for the 140 000 Ha Village Land Forest Reserve. The business case for forest certification will also be assessed in the coming months

 In November 2011 Karen Edwards facilitated the development of a communication strategy for the Novella Ghana Partnership for Allanblackia Oil supported by IUCN.

May -June 2011 Karen provided support to a RECOFTC program "Grassroots Capacity Building Program for REDD" in Asia Pacific region funded by NORAD. This will involve the development of training materials for Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC)for use by regional and national trainers who want to promote understanding of FPIC and integrate it into REDD+ processes. The main output will be a training manual can be used in the delivery of a 6 day course that will be tested later in the year with government officers and field facilitators involved in REDD + work.

May-June 2011 provided facilitation and documentation support to The Climate Change and Development Project (IUCN) that aims to ensure that climate change related policies lead to adaptation activities that emphasise the role of forest and water resources in supporting livelihoods and local peoples farming systems. We will design and facilitate three national workshops (Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania) and one regional workshop to analyse and synthesise lessons learned and emerging policy issues. These will then be presented in concise workshop reports that effectively communicate lessons and gaps that are relevant to decision makers and other climate change adaptation actors.  

Malawi ENRMAP Social Component MCC:From June to November is leading the social and CBNRM component of the Environmental Management and Action Plan (ENRMAP) for Middle Shire in Malawi. She is a core member of the LTSI/WRA/IUCN consortium team for the client Millenium Challenge Corporation who is due to sign a compact with the Government of Malawi in 2011 to improve the generation of hydropower.

Guidelines for Demarcation of Permanent Forest Estate Cambodia; In response to the recently approved NFP upon the request of the Technical Working Group for Forests and Environments supported by DANIDA and DFID Karen has recently developed a procedures manual and some recommendations to streamline forest demarcation processes. This involved a policy and legal review and an analysis of best practices nationally and internationally.

A Field and Lessons Manual for PFM in Malawi; Karen has just finalized a compilation of guidelines and lessons produced from implementing co-management of forest reserves in Malawi funded by EU.  It is hoped that the manual will further assist the Department of Forestry and other stakeholders in Malawi to roll-out PFM further.

Participatory Comic Development for Janeemo; Karen has designed and facilitated several workshops for local schools for an innovative agro-forestry enterprise project in Malawi. This is a generic participatory methodology that can be applied and adapted to many situations. It generates exciting stories from real people for real people.

January 2011 - 2015: Karen  is contracted as a part-time advisor for PFM/REDD to LIMAS project in Tanzania to assist local stakeholders including communities fully engage in effective implementation of PFM and linkages to REDD+.