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How to Do (2): Building Up Implementation Paths
Even in presence of an excellent strategic planning, the construction of suitable
routes of implementation is not easy and almost always represents the real obstacle
to overcome. It is not possible to provide universal recipes and certainly not successful. However, some recommendations can be identified, which help to set up
solid paths. First of all, EM must be planning and far-sighted: to resist short-term
temptations. Secondly, it is necessary to take proper care and not to leave critical
aspects to the case: adequate timing, adequate scale (planning globally, building
locally), broad coordination, open attitude to transversality. Thirdly, it is useful to
deal with all the interlocutors, with a sustained effort of inclusiveness, not only in
the most operative phase of the interventions but also in that planning phase.
Furthermore, it is advisable to implement the EM gradually, choosing first the
themes and the tools that are most easily understood and visible to the various stakeholders, then moving on to topics, tools, and size of broader application. Also for
this reason it is good to choose narrow pilot paths: either a theme (e.g., water
resource management) or an area or a community.
Finally, it is necessary to manage the communication of paths to beneficiaries
and also to promote the dissemination of the results.
The steps for mainstreaming may be structured in five phases: the assessment
phase; the awareness raising, participation, and partnership building phase; the
planning phase; the implementation phase; the evaluation phase (UNDP 2008).
A good methodology is to proceed with systematic and gradual steps; among
other, the following are remarkable: identifying the environmental, economic, and
social impacts; identifying and filling information gaps; assessing the legal, political, and institutional environment for mainstreaming, making a deep stakeholder
analysis; carrying out capacity assessment and building; drawing up a communication and awareness creation strategy (Zortea and Lucatello 2016).
How to Do (3): Monitoring and Evaluating
As highlighted at the beginning of paragraph 4, it is essential to pay attention to the
results of the mainstreaming process and therefore to address all the interventions
according to the achievement of these results. That means, on one hand, to commit
to accurately define these results and, on the other hand, to ensure adequate monitoring during the interventions and an in-depth evaluation, once concluded.
It is therefore necessary to plan and invest in monitoring and evaluating (M&E),
even with adequate human and financial resources. Preliminarily, it requires a planning of the M&E as if it was a project in itself: it should not be neglected, as a
merely secondary activity. But even when it has been properly planned, time, energy,
and adequate resources must be invested in its execution. Finally, a further element
often overlooked reveals all its importance: giving value and operational follow-up
19 Governing Drylands Through Environmental Mainstreaming: How to Cope…
How to Do (2): Building Up Implementation Paths
Even in presence of an excellent strategic planning, the construction of suitable
routes of implementation is not easy and almost always represents the real obstacle
to overcome. It is not possible to provide universal recipes and certainly not successful. However, some recommendations can be identified, which help to set up
solid paths. First of all, EM must be planning and far-sighted: to resist short-term
temptations. Secondly, it is necessary to take proper care and not to leave critical
aspects to the case: adequate timing, adequate scale (planning globally, building
locally), broad coordination, open attitude to transversality. Thirdly, it is useful to
deal with all the interlocutors, with a sustained effort of inclusiveness, not only in
the most operative phase of the interventions but also in that planning phase.
Furthermore, it is advisable to implement the EM gradually, choosing first the
themes and the tools that are most easily understood and visible to the various stakeholders, then moving on to topics, tools, and size of broader application. Also for
this reason it is good to choose narrow pilot paths: either a theme (e.g., water
resource management) or an area or a community.
Finally, it is necessary to manage the communication of paths to beneficiaries
and also to promote the dissemination of the results.
The steps for mainstreaming may be structured in five phases: the assessment
phase; the awareness raising, participation, and partnership building phase; the
planning phase; the implementation phase; the evaluation phase (UNDP 2008).
A good methodology is to proceed with systematic and gradual steps; among
other, the following are remarkable: identifying the environmental, economic, and
social impacts; identifying and filling information gaps; assessing the legal, political, and institutional environment for mainstreaming, making a deep stakeholder
analysis; carrying out capacity assessment and building; drawing up a communication and awareness creation strategy (Zortea and Lucatello 2016).
How to Do (3): Monitoring and Evaluating
As highlighted at the beginning of paragraph 4, it is essential to pay attention to the
results of the mainstreaming process and therefore to address all the interventions
according to the achievement of these results. That means, on one hand, to commit
to accurately define these results and, on the other hand, to ensure adequate monitoring during the interventions and an in-depth evaluation, once concluded.
It is therefore necessary to plan and invest in monitoring and evaluating (M&E),
even with adequate human and financial resources. Preliminarily, it requires a planning of the M&E as if it was a project in itself: it should not be neglected, as a
merely secondary activity. But even when it has been properly planned, time, energy,
and adequate resources must be invested in its execution. Finally, a further element
often overlooked reveals all its importance: giving value and operational follow-up
19 Governing Drylands Through Environmental Mainstreaming: How to Cope…