IUCN Oceania Hosts Successful Kiwa Initiative Lessons Learned Workshop

The workshop provides a space for participants to share lessons from their ongoing projects. It will highlight the need for teamwork, helping new grantees get ready for their project work. The discussions will target how to use these knowledge to make granting practices better in the region, verifying that everyone involved is prepared for future challenges.

The main goals of the workshop include bringing together current Kiwa grantees, involve new participants in talks, and show how using lessons learned can improve practices. This will be a platform for the participants to gather ideas that would help start conversations among grantees, donors, and partners, which would lead to better project results in the Pacific.

IUCN Oceania Regional Director, Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago said: “We are pleased to convene this workshop with the recipients of the Kiwa grants The Kiwa Initiative Local Component A supports projects by civil society, national, and local authorities, and to date, this initiative has funded over 30 projects by organisations located across ACP and OCT countries in the Pacific since 2021.”

Regional Director Toelupe Tago highlighted that it was important for us to capture lessons learned from delivery and implementation to improve our practice and ensure our programs are relevant, effective, and of high quality. “This workshop will not only involve Kiwa Initiative grantees, but it will also share perspectives from other granting facilities in the Pacific.”

“By sharing our experiences, we can support both current and new grantees in reaching their goals and doing their projects well. We can make a positive impact in our communities. I’m excited to learn from each other and improve our work." 

Ms. Toelupe Tago said IUCN Oceania has made some great progress on the ground though grantees efforts in the implementation of their projects and she congratulated the grantees from the first call or the first cohort for their vision and hard work that had allowed IUCN Oceania, to make collective impact on the ground. 

"As we articulated at the Kiwa Donor Steering Committee meeting last year, the “Kiwa Granting facility is the quickest way to get donor investments to our people; and to maximise impact on the ground”, and we are grateful that through yourselves, our grantees, we can make that happen," she added.

"Having said that, we also recognise that it has not been a smooth journey and that we, ourselves in IUCN also have a lot to learn and apply in delivering support for the administration of this granting facility, to allow you, our grantees to do your work on the ground. We trust that our ongoing dialogue and conversations, including this workshop allow us to continuously reflect on our learnings to improve our practice and delivery moving into the future." 

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Pacific Regional Office, Noumea (New Caledonia) Regional Director, Virginie Bleitrach acknowledged on behalf of the 5 donors of the Kiwa Initiative, that it was a pleasure to support this workshop, which reinforced peer learning and collaboration across the Pacific.

“IUCN-ORO is helping new grantees by sharing practical experiences and important lessons from the first group of Kiwa local projects. This ensures that Nature-based Solutions respond to climate adaptation needs and have a positive impact in the region. Today, we warmly welcome all the new members of the second group of local projects into the Kiwa community,” Ms. Bleitrach added. 

Aurélie AHMIM-RICHARD, Regional Policy Officer on Biodiversity and Climate at the AFD Pacific Regional Office, highlighted that the Kiwa Initiative was the first programme focused on biodiversity and climate change adaptation to be implemented across both Pacific Island Countries and French territories.

"It is an important moment, that brings together project implementers from both the first and second Calls for Proposals — which is a wonderful opportunity for knowledge-sharing across Pacific countries and French Territories," she said.

"We are at a key point in the Kiwa Initiative’s journey. Some of the earliest projects are now reaching completion, while new projects are just beginning. While capturing essentials lessons and learnings, this will be the opportunity for new grantees to well prepare for their project implementation and complete their induction to start on good basis."

As the workshop officially begins today, it’s a chance for everyone to share their experiences and learn from each other. There will be discussions about what we have done, the challenges we face, and the lessons we have learned.

Over the next few days, we will focus on how to improve our projects and work better together. Our goal is to create a friendly space where everyone can share ideas and help make a positive difference in the Pacific.