Dominique le Roux
We will cross the river by feeling the stones under our feet, one by one.”
– Deng Xiaoping
First up: Thank you! Your participation in our global lesson learning synthesis was not a small ask, but we were delighted by your desire to document your project and coauthor the publications that will result from it.
It’s clear we’re all proud to be part of a programme that is not only furthering academic knowledge but – far more importantly – the practical implementation of successful Integrated Landscape Management.
Having analyzed and synthesized your survey responses, the Central Component members are now visiting many of the projects to validate our conclusions: this month Kim and Khalil are in PNG, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam; Peter, Valentina and Taya have been to Ecuador and are just back from Colombia, with Paraguay pending in May; and Divine has been in Cameroon this week, and due in Senegal and Burkina Faso next month.
REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIELD
Trust or bust!
Candid conversations can reveal surprising truths. Watch this short video to eavesdrop as ILM practitioners and funders debrief after a brainstorming session on the key ingredients for ILM implementation success. What, perhaps, is the unexpected learning that surfaces? The number one ILM success factor is not a technical intervention: trust is the one thing that rules them all.
Then the question is flipped: how do you destroy trust? 🤔 And more: are we doing any of this? 😳
RESOURCES
Wicked! Serious games for ILM
And we’ll say it again: Integrated Landscape Management demands more than technical solutions — it requires understanding social dynamics, trade-offs, and decision-making tensions. A fun way to learn that? Play a serious game.
Those who attended our Global Summit in 2023 will tell you how the game they ‘played’ challenged worldviews and provided the opportunity for structured dialogue to confront and navigate complex transitions.
Kim Geheb and Khalil Walji explored exactly that during their learning mission to our São Tomé and Príncipe project recently. Here’s Khalil’s summary of that experience, plus resources for you to follow suit, whether you just want to learn more, or give this game a try.
KNOWLEDGE
Knives to gunfights
🤔 Is Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) more like baking a cake, sending a rocket to the moon or raising a child?
“Landscapes are complex systems, Kim Geheb points out, arguing that we should be thinking about ILM from a systemic perspective. In this presentation, he walks us through what systems are and why we should focus on them. And then – most importantly – how do we change system direction? (Spoiler: “When we take a management approach that is suitable for sending a rocket to the moon, and we try to apply it within a landscape context, we’re bringing a knife to a gunfight.”
REMINDER
Your community is here for you
To join, scan the QR code with your phone camera, or click the link below:
What have you learned lately? Or where do you feel a little lost? Our WhatsApp Community of Practice, with its subject-specific groups, is where ILM practitioners can find support and applause from our peers. Go on: share your insights, ask questions, brag a bit or look for help. We’re all here together.
