APFED Booklet on Good Practices and Innovative Activities 2005 ...

Future Challenges
The <strong>APFED</strong> Award and Showcase projects not only demonstrated their achievements, but also
future challenges, as sustainability efforts do not necessarily have an end goal, and may be
ongoing processes. To maintain and scale-up community based activities for promoting sustainable
development and encourage their replication, the following appear to present key challenges.
Assessing Community Characteristics
In replicating good practices, it is vital to assess community characteristics in the planning process,
including available natural resources and socio-economic conditions, as the higher reliance on local
resources and the reflection of local socio-economic conditions enhances the probability of project
success. Training for conducting participatory community appraisal is required.
Programme Operations and Achievements
Assuring Consistent Policy Development
Sustainability policies must be maintained and reinforced to achieve higher effectiveness in policy
implementation via strong political and public leadership. Communities need to continue to play a
role in assuring a consistent sustainability policy trajectory and in promptly rectifying any attempt to
derail policies away from sustainability policy principles.
Participation as a Driving Force
Participation of stakeholders in decision making and implementation is an essential part in carrying
out projects to achieve sustainable development — it enhances the sense of ownership. Continuous
public participation remains essential for ensuring continuous and effective project implementation
and monitoring, as well as in applying the PDCA cycle.
Information, Education and Communication
Information access and disclosure, labelling, and certificates are powerful tools for bringing about
shifts in behaviour and instilling sustainability policy principles, and such mechanisms need to be
continued and expanded.
Capacity development, outreach and media campaigns need to be sustained, and partnerships need
to be built swiftly in order to maintain activities and the necessary funding.
Effective information, education and communication tools need to be produced utilising a variety of
media, including face to face communication in local languages and visual materials.
Incentives
Income generation and incentives need to be incorporated and sustained that will, for instance,
enhance income, reduce expenses or resource use, or improve corporate benevolence image.
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