The ‘Jala Peo’ Project
The ‘Jala Peo” Project
The ‘Jala Peo’ Initiative is a Capacity Development, Monitoring & Mentorship Project for the Panhandle of the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site Community Based Organizations. The Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) exercise that was carried out through a collaboration process between the United Nations Office for Project Services (“UNOPS”) and Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (NCONGO) as part of a project (The ‘Jala Peo’ Initiative) financed by the Global Environmental Facility/Small Grants Programme (“GEF/SGP”), implemented by UNDP on behalf of the three GEF Implementing Agencies – UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank – and executed by UNOPS.
One of the main objectives of this report is to share with both state and non-state actors the experience with this exercise so that all essential stakeholders can benefit from the outcomes it produced.
The overall objectives of this project are:
- To equip Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) focused Community Based Organizations (CBOs) operating within the Panhandle with the necessary skills to become sustainable, accountable and responsible entities
- To provide the necessary mentorship and monitoring services for “GEF/SGP” funded projects within the Panhandle and
- To promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups in CBNRM project activities.
To achieve its project goals, NCONGO found it necessary to begin with the assessment of the organizational capacity of the participating entities in order to identify not only their strengths, but mainly areas within which improvement was necessary. The participation of several CBOs and interest groups from different fields of interventions with a theme of a healthy environment and livelihoods (basketry, farming, fishing, oil production, wildlife protection and forestry conservation) brought added value to this exercise and to the outcome analysis process as it provided a broader and more general perspective on the efficiency of these entities in the dissemination of their services.
The exercise was also an initiative that adds to the efforts of NGO capacity building in Botswana. In conducting this assessment, NCONGO positioned itself as an example for its member organizations on how to strengthen their organizational capacity. Further, the OCA and the capacity building exercise itself will serve as a long-running means of networking and cooperation between the participating CBOs and interest groups.
Project partners:

Latest Updates
- VACANCY – Regional Monitoring and Information Officers BOTSWANA (NCONGO) January 21, 2025
- Checker Maun donates to Bana Ba letsatsi August 1, 2024
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