PROJECT DESCRIPTION

 

Founded in 1991, NEWS began their journey by focusing on enhancing the knowledge base for wildlife and ecosystems. Starting as a small team of dedicated individuals from diverse backgrounds, they secured their first project: a three-year flora and fauna documentation survey of 16 wetlands in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This project demonstrated their collaborative spirit and commitment to evidence-based conservation action. With the support of field experts, who later became advisors and mentors, they established a solid foundation for future initiatives.

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For over two decades, they have worked across India to restore and protect vulnerable biodiversity in partnership with, and for, their community partners. The climate crisis and environmental degradation are continuing to put vital ecosystems at the risk of collapse, endangering biodiversity and the lives and livelihoods of people. Yet, these same ecosystems are also our strongest allies in mitigating future climate change and addressing related crises like food, water and livelihood insecurity and organic pollution. NEWS is strengthening their plan to realise functioning ecosystems and strengthened stewardship of nature to enhance the resilience of communities and biodiversity across India.

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To support their growth over the next 5 years and beyond, they are putting in place systems and processes to strengthen their effectiveness and efficiency and enhance capabilities and competencies within the organisation to deliver conservation impact. With this period of transition and expansion will come new opportunities to drive more investment for conservation, to provide for people acting on the ground and to engage more closely with their communities and partners.

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SUPPORT PROVIDED BY ECONICHE

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• Redefinition of a strategic organisational transformational framework for NEWS in terms of programs, funding, capacity and capability building, operations efficiency, and governance.

• Development of the processes by which operations can be sustained through a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) process.

• Development of software specifications for an MIS system which dovetails with the MEAL process.