News
Establishment of a Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development and the formation of a strategic alliance between the Namibia Nature Foundation and Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
The Boards of Trustees of the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) have resolved to create a strategic alliance between these two organisations and, in so doing, to create a "Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development" which will incorporate both the NNF and DRFN. While NNF and DRFN will continue to work in their individual capacities, the "Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development" will provide an umbrella mechanism for coordination and collaboration, open up new areas of work, rationalise areas of focus and achieve increased efficiency of service delivery. As part of this process, the current two Boards of Trustees will be consolidated into one Board, the current financial and office administrations will similarly be consolidated and an Executive Director will be appointed to run the "Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development", the NNF and the DRFN. The Executive Director will be assisted by a Deputy Director in each of the NNF and DRFN.
This is an extremely challenging and exciting development. The NNF and DRFN between them implement and/or support over 100 environmental and sustainable development projects and programmes in Namibia, work on a number of transboundary initiatives, collaborate with and support at least eight Ministries, work in partnership with more than a dozen local and international NGOs, provide support to many communities and community-based organisations, and carry out research and rural development. The two organisations play an extremely important role in ensuring that Namibia's environment remains healthy and productive and that Namibians use their natural resources in sustainable and productive ways to combat poverty and improve people's quality of life - in short, promoting sustainable development. More details on the work of NNF and DRFN may be found on their websites at www.nnf.org.na and www.drfn.org.na.
The Vision for the Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development is to support Namibia to develop the programmes, partnerships, processes and capacity to achieve Vision 2030 and to collaborate at local, national, SADC and global levels to further this vision.
The Purpose is to establish an effective, efficient and dynamic Namibian Institute to promote sustainable development including economic growth, improved livelihoods and environmental productivity and resilience.
The agreed Objectives of the Institute are to:
- strengthen collaboration and form a strategic alliance between the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), as the core founder members of the Institute, and to make provision for other relevant and value-adding organisations to join this alliance;
- develop and implement a long-term strategic plan and a suite of programmes in support of the Vision and Purpose of this Institute;
- support, guide and provide strategic input to the establishment and operations of a Namibian Association for Sustainable Development;
- build smart partnerships with key stakeholders and potentially effective and supportive organisations and individuals, ranging from local to international, and including communities, private sector, NGOs, academic/research institutions, government, regional and international organisations and donors;
- build capacity and skills, including at systemic, organisational and individual levels, and specifically including the building of management skills (with emphasis on leadership, vision, accountability, responsibility, effective decision-making), and focusing on being effective in a competitive global economy.
The main advantages that we foresee from this development are:
- The establishment of a new, dynamic and broad-based Institute that is better placed to address and implement the challenges of sustainable development in Namibia and to respond to changing circumstances, including climate change;
- The potential to build and strengthen capacity and skills all levels, and to improve service delivery to the sector, to partners and to society;
- The potential to strengthen collaboration and cooperation between different organisations, to build and facilitate partnerships and coalitions and thereby to create areas of critical momentum and capacity to effect change and progress;
- Work to strategic advantages and be in a position to better focus on comparative strengths;
- Reduce competition between the partners within the Institute;
- Improve efficiency and cut costs (economies of scale);
- Be more competitive in a global market;
- Create new opportunities and more innovative approaches for promoting sustainable development, and
- Provide support to the establishment of a national Sustainable Development Association
Press release issued by:
- The Executive Director and Board of Trustees of the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF)
and
- The Acting Executive Director and Board of Trustees of the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN)
[28 April 2009]