Institutional Arrangements

Institutional arrangements for the implementation of the Grasslands Programme are based on a partnership approach. They include the following instruments:

• A high level Declaration of Intent signed by the Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the provincial MECs responsible for the environment.
• A Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding between all public, private and civil society partner organisations in the Grasslands Programme.
• A Partners' Protocol, which will specify what the Grasslands Programme and the partner will provide each other.
• Grant Agreements between SANBI and the organisations that will fulfil an Implementing Agency function.
• Agreements between SANBI and the organisations that will fulfil other specified roles.

The following structures are in place:

• An annual Grasslands Partners Forum (comprised of public, private and civil society stakeholders across seven provinces and various sectors) at which the implementation of the Grasslands Programme is discussed.
• The Grasslands Steering Committee, which comprises selected representatives from government, the private sector and civil society.
• The Grasslands Coordination Unit, which is responsible for coordination, management and leadership of the Programme.
• Sector specific Task Teams and a Research Task Team established to oversee implementation of the mainstreaming programme interventions in each sector.